'What DO you want then?' May's scathing reply to MPs after they reject her Brexit deal by a crushing 230 votes - the biggest government defeat in history - as Britain's future hangs on crunch no-confidence motion TOMORROW
- Theresa May suffered massive House of Commons defeat on her Brexit deal in the long-awaited vote tonight
- Defeat by 230 votes was comfortably the biggest for a government in history, outstripping Labour in 1924
- DUP and Tory Eurosceptics joined Labour, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and other parties against package
- Mrs May made a statement immediately after the vote tonight saying she would 'listen' but will not quit
- Jeremy Corbyn has immediately called a vote of no confidence in the government in a bid to force an election
- DUP and Tory rebels have confirmed they will back the PM tomorrow making another defeat very unlikely
Theresa May vowed to fight on tonight despite her Brexit deal being dramatically crushed in the biggest Commons defeat in history.
The PM's grip on power was left hanging by a thread after Tory rebels joined forces with Labour to trounce the plan by 432 votes to 202.
The majority of 230 was by far the biggest on record, higher than the 166 defeat for the Labour majority government in 1924. Cheering could be heard by crowds of protesters gathered outside Parliament as the news filtered through - while the EU expressed shock.
Rising to her feet moments after the drubbing, a clearly shaken Mrs May said the government will 'listen' and announced she would fight a no-confidence vote tomorrow - effectively daring Jeremy Corbyn to call one. He immediately accepted, saying she had reached the 'end of the line'.
In a crumb of comfort for the PM, the DUP and the Tory Eurosceptic ERG bloc have made clear they will support the government in the vote being held tomorrow at 7pm, making defeat highly unlikely.
Mrs May jibed that while it was 'clear' the House did not support her deal, there was no clarity about what MPs did back.
'It is clear that the House does not support this deal. But tonight's vote tells us nothing about what it does support. Nothing about how - or even if - it intends to honour the decision the British people took in a referendum Parliament decided to hold,' she said.
'People, particularly EU citizens who have made their home here and UK citizens living in the EU, deserve clarity on these questions as soon as possible. Those whose jobs rely on our trade with the EU need that clarity.'
Remainers and Brexiteers were jubilant about the rout, with Boris Johnson saying the size was even larger than he had expected. Scottish First minister Nicola Sturgeon hailed the setback for the government, while the Lib Dems said it was the 'beginning of the end of Brexit'.
Downing Street sources said in the wake of the devastating result, which threatens to plunge the Brexit process into chaos, it would be reaching out to 'senior Parliamentarians' in a bid to find a way forward. The Pound rose sharply against the US dollar and euro, as markets seemingly concluded that the UK's departure from the EU had become less likely to happen.
The shattering blow for the PM came despite her making a final plea for critics to think again, insisting her deal was the only realistic option on the table. After hours of desperate arm-twisting, she begged MPs to recognise it was the 'most important' vote they would cast in their careers, and every member would have to 'justify and live with' their actions.
But 118 Tories - including the chair of the powerful 1922 committee - still trooped through the No division lobbies with Opposition MPs. At least two ministerial aides, Tom Pursglove and Eddie Hughes, resigned to go against Mrs May.
Fears had been growing during the day that the government was on track for catastrophe, but senior sources had still seemed hopeful they could keep the margin below than 200 votes.
Theresa May made her final appeal to MPs tonight ahead of the crucial Brexit deal vote, saying they had a 'duty to deliver'
SNP MP Carol Monaghan tweeted a photograph of Tory MPs - including 1922 committee chair Graham Brady - trooping through the 'no' division lobbies with Opposition politicians
Jeremy Corbyn immediately accepted Mrs May's challenge to call a confidence vote, saying the government had reached the 'end of the line'
Speaker John Bercow declined to select an amendment that could have taken some of the pressure off the PM today
There were noisy protests outside of Parliament tonight as the moment of truth loomed for Mrs May's Brexit strategy
As the PM looked into the abyss today:
- DUP leader Arlene Foster branded the Irish border backstop 'toxic' and confirmed her party's 10 MPs would vote against the Withdrawal Agreement. But crucially she suggested they will support the government in the confidence vote tomorrow.
- MPs will cast their vote on whether they have confidence in the government tomorrow night at 7pm. Defeat for the PM could pave the way for a general election.
- EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said he 'regretted' the vote, warning that the chances of no-deal Brexit had increased significantly. EU council chief Donald Tusk hinted that he now wanted to see Brexit reversed.
- The German government dismissed claims Angela Merkel had promised more concessions after the vote tonight - although the country's foreign minister Heiko Maas suggested talks could be reopened in the wake of a defeat.
- A Cabinet meeting underlined the splits in Mrs May's team over what to do next, with Amber Rudd, David Gauke and David Lidington backing 'indicative' votes in Parliament - but Sajid Javid, Andrea Leadsom and Jeremy Hunt opposed;
- Former Tory ministers Nick Boles, Nicky Morgan and Sir Oliver Letwin vowed to press ahead with plans to allow Parliament to seize control of Brexit;
Politicians were stunned by the scale of the beating for the package painstakingly thrashed out with Brussels over nearly three years of negotiations.
The PM's spokesman said she will be holding cross party talks with senior parliamentarians over the next few days to try to come up with a new Brexit plan if she survives tomorrow's confidence vote.
He denied that Mrs May's deal is 'dead' and said that she believes it still forms the basis for a Brexit deal which can eventually win the backing of Britain's Parliament.
And he signalled that her red lines on ending free movement and having a trade policy independent of the EU have not softened.
He said: 'I can give you a sense of the principles going in – we want a smooth and orderly exit with a deal, one that protects our union, gives us control of our borders law and money and means that we have an independent trade policy.
'Now it is for others to set out their position, but we want to identify what would be required to secure the backing of the House consistent with what we believe to be the result of the referendum.'
In her closing speech tonight, Mrs May dismissed calls from the DUP - which is propping her up in power - to erase the Irish border backstop from the divorce deal.
She said she was PM for the 'whole United Kingdom', and would never recommend something that was not in the 'national interest'.
'Parliament gave the people a choice. We set the clock ticking on our departure and tonight we will determine whether we move forward with a Withdrawal Agreement which honours the vote and sets us on course for a better future,' Mrs May said.
'The responsibility of each and every one of us at this moment is profound for this is a historic decision that will set the future of this country for generations.'
She added: 'I believe we have a duty to deliver on the democratic decision of the British people, and to do so in a way that brings our country together.'
She also accused Mr Corbyn of 'failing in his responsibility to provide a credible alternative to the government of day', appealing for moderate MPs on his benches to recognse that he had forefeited the right to their loyalty.
But Ms Sturgeon said: 'It has been crystal clear for months that the Prime Minister's approach was heading for a crushing defeat. Instead of facing up to that fact, she wasted valuable time with her postponement of the meaningful vote in December. There is no more time to waste.'
The DUP said it would be supporting the government in the confidence vote, but leader Arlene Foster said Mrs May must now demand 'fundamental change' to the Withdrawal Agreement.
'The House of Commons has sent an unmistakable message to the prime minister and the European Union that this deal is rejected.
'Mrs May will now be able to demonstrate to the Brussels' negotiators that changes are required if any deal is to command the support of parliament ...
'Reassurances whether in the form of letters or warm words, will not be enough. The prime minister must now go back to the European Union and seek fundamental change to the withdrawal agreement.'
Mr Corbyn's spokesman suggested Labour could table another motion of no confidence in the Government if they lose tomorrow's vote.
Asked how many times Labour would put the confidence vote before accepting that they could not get a general election, he replied: 'It will go on being the case that the best outcome is a general election but if we can't get a general election then all the options will be on the table as unanimously agreed in Liverpool.'
The spokesman added that the Government was 'quite clearly unable to govern', and said the 'unprecedented' scale of the defeat made clear that 'no amount of tweaking or talks on the detail are going to change that'.
Mr Johnson said he did not take 'pleasure' in Mrs May's humiliation.
'I was slightly surprised by the scale of the defeat, but I take no particular pleasure in it,' he said.
'I would never rejoice in the idea of a Conservative government being defeated on anything.
'A second referendum would plunge us back again into an orgy of toxic tedium of the kind that nobody wants.'
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox QC launched an extraordinary assault on those opposing her plan during the Commons debate, accusing them of 'childish' behaviour and gambling with people's lives
A clearly shaken Mrs May complained that while the House had clearly rejected her plan, it did not appear to have a collective view on what else should be done
The pubs around Westminster were packed as people watched the dramatic news come through, with loud cheering
The House of Commons was packed to the rafters for the result of the historic vote on the PM's Brexit deal tonight
At a Cabinet meeting earlier, ministers led by Chancellor Philip Hammond are understood to have urged Mrs May to cling on regardless of the scale of her loss, voicing alarm about the economic panic her departure could cause.
The premier insisted she was the 'servant of the people' and was determined to stay on to implement the referendum result, saying her plan was still the 'only option'.
However, the meeting underlined the growing splits over how to handle the mounting crisis. MailOnline understands there were pointed exchanges over whether to stage a series of 'indicative votes' to establish what Brexit options might command a majority in Parliament.
Remain-leaning ministers including Amber Rudd, David Gauke and David Lidington were 'heavily sat on' by a more hawkish group led by Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Andrea Leadsom and Gavin Williamson. One supporter of the plan admitted it was given a 'good kicking'.
Mr Gauke also urged the PM to rule out a no-deal Brexit, but was slapped down by the same combination of colleagues, according to sources.
Mrs May was bobbing in and out of the Commons debate as tensions rose tonight, as she met MPs face-to-face to plead for their support. Her husband Philip was also seen watching in the gallery of the chamber.
Earlier, Downing Street seemed to be pinning their hopes on an amendment tabled by Tory backbencher Andrew Murrison.
There was a heavy police presence to keep the protesters away from the secure perimeter at the Houses of Parliament
Groups of demonstrators from both sides of the argument waved Union flags as they pushed their views on Brexit
Protesters carrying a variety of placards gathered outside Parliament today as MPs prepared for the historic showdown
Jeremy Hunt (left) and Sajid Javid (right) were among the ministers attending Cabinet today before the crunch vote. They both opposed calls for 'indicative votes' in the Commons on what to do next on Brexit
It would have passed the deal subject to a condition that the Irish border backstop must not last beyond December 2021. DUP leader Arlene Foster offered a glimmer of hope for Mrs May by saying the party will 'look' at the proposal.
But the lifeline was brutally killed off by Speaker John Bercow this afternoon, as he failed to select the amendment. He also ignored other changes tabled by Labour's John Mann and Tory Sir Hugo Swire that might have eased pressure on the government.
MPs including Hilary Benn pulled amendments to Mrs May's motion in order to set up a 'clean vote' and inflict the worst possible defeat on the PM.
And Mr Bercow, who has been criticised for conspiring with MPs to frustrate the Brexit process, whittled the field down further by shunning other changes.
Tory accuses pregnant Labour MP Tulip Siddiq of delaying her caesarean to 'make a point' on Brexit
Tory politician Kemi Badenoch (pictured on the BBC's Politics Live show today) accused pregnant Labour MP Tulip Siddiq of delaying the caesarean birth of her child to 'make a point' about Brexit
A Tory politician today accused pregnant Labour MP Tulip Siddiq of delaying the caesarean birth of her child to 'make a point' about Brexit.
Ms Siddiq, 36, revealed yesterday that she has decided to go against doctors orders and delay the delivery so she can vote in tonight's crunch showdown.
Ms Siddiq, who has a two-year-old daughter Azalea, took the decision after losing faith in the system which allows pregnant women to be 'paired' with an MP from an opposing side so neither votes.
But appearing on TV today, Tory MP Kemi Badenoch said she thinks MS Siddiq made the decision to prove a point to her pro-Remain constituency 'irrespective of pairing'.
Her comments were lashed by Labour MPs who accused Ms Badenoch of making a 'scurrilous slur' and 'appalling smear'.
MPs had been due to vote on four amendments to the deal - including one from Labour that would rule out no deal. Other changes selected would order the government to terminate the Withdrawal Treat in January 2022 if the backstop is still in force.
However, Labour, the SNP and Tory MP Edward Leigh withdrew their changes.
Conservative MP John Baron insisting on pushing his amendment to a vote, but was trounced.
Mrs May will have three days to set out her 'Plan B', and insisted she will not try to 'run down the clock'. She will hope to thrash out more concessions from the EU.
The German foreign minister Heiko Maas today held out the prospect of reopening negotiations.
However, Remainer rebels are plotting to wrestle control of the process from the government and hand it to Parliament.
Other options being pushed by MPs include a Norway-style free relationship, a second referendum or a general election - although there does not appear to be any clear majority in Parliament for any of the outcomes.
As the temperature rose in the Commons ahead of the crunch vote tonight, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox QC launched an extraordinary assault on those opposing her plan during the Commons debate, accusing them of 'childish' behaviour and gambling with people's lives.
He warned them not to underestimate the legal complexity of leaving the EU after 45 years, saying the deal offered a chance for 'order and predictability'.
'It provides for the orderly and predictable and legally certain winding-down of our obligations and involvement in the legal systems of the EU,' Mr Cox said.
'If we do not legislate for that legal certainty as a matter of law alone, thousands of contracts, thousands of transactions, thousands of administrative proceedings, of judicial proceedings in the European Union and this country, will be plunged into legal uncertainty.
'It would be the height of irresponsibility for any legislator to contemplate with equanimity such a situation.
'If you were a litigant in a court, if you were dependent upon having concluded a contract on the basis of EU law and you found yourself suddenly with the rug pulled from under you, not knowing what your legal obligations would be, you would say to this House 'What are you playing at? What are you doing? You are not children in the playground, you are legislators' - we are playing with people's lives.'
Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd (pictured left arriving for Cabinet today) is thought to be urging Mrs May to seek a softer Brexit if her deal fails. Steve Barclay (centre) and Chris Grayling (right) were also at Cabinet
Tory Remainer Anna Soubry (pictured) has been backing a cross-party push for a second referendum on Brexit
A protester dressed as the Prime Minister made their views clear on the issue of a second referendum as the tense scenes unfolded at the Houses of Parliament today
DUP leader Arlene Foster accused Theresa May of not trying to get rid of the Northern Ireland backstop in recent discussions with Brussels.
Mrs Foster spoke at a Brexiteer event in London which was also attended by former Brexit secretaries Dominic Raab and David Davis.
Mrs Foster told the audience she had deja vu having come to London to argue against the Withdrawal Agreement before the Meaningful Vote was pulled in December.
'We said to the Prime Minister she had to get rid of the backstop and get a Withdrawal Agreement that can be lived with,' Mrs Foster said.
'I don't think she even asked to get rid of the backstop.' Page 18 Mrs Foster hit out at the letters exchanged with the EU on Monday and the assurances they contained.
She said: 'That does not change the Withdrawal Agreement, which we all know is an international treaty.
'Therefore we will not be able to support the Withdrawal Agreement today. 'I regret that because I want a deal with the EU.'
She added: 'We want the PM to go back to the EU and say 'the backstop must go'. 'It ... separates Northern Ireland from Britain in a very real way.'
Mrs Foster also reassured Mrs May that the DUP is not about to tear up the confidence and supply agreement propping her up in power.
'Our confidence and supply agreement was constructed at a time when the government needed support, there were national security threats, and of course we wanted to see Brexit delivered that works for the whole of the United Kingdom,' she said.
'Those still remain in terms of the confidence and supply agreement.
'We still want to support the government...we still want a Brexit that works for the whole of the United Kingdom, and of course as a party we want to make sure that all of our citizens are safe.
'What we want the Prime Minister to do is go back and get a deal that works for the whole of the United Kingdom, ad one that frankly works for Europe as well.
'The current deal doesn't do that.'
The vote was originally due last month but was pulled at the last minute in the face of overwhelming opposition.
The PM pledged to negotiate 'legally binding' assurances from the EU to calm fears that the so-called backstop, which is designed to prevent a hard border on Ireland if trade talks falter, from keeping the UK permanently in a customs union.
She acknowledged that the letter from the EU fell short of what she had requested.
The letter said the EU did not want the backstop to become permanent and Brussels would not impose new laws.
But former Tory minister Mark Francois dismissed the concessions as only 'a small fig leaf'.
DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said: 'As things stand we could not support Theresa May's deal and therefore it will be defeated.' On Sunday, four Brexiteer Tory MPs came out in support of the withdrawal agreement because of concerns about the threat to Brexit if it is voted down.
The deal suffered its first parliamentary defeat last night as the Lords voted by 321 votes to 152 to reject it. Mrs May is on track to beat the current record of a 166-vote defeat, suffered by Ramsay MacDonald in 1924.
Tory Brexiteer Sir Edward Leigh yesterday became the latest in a slow trickle of MPs to say they would not back Mrs May, despite concerns about the details of her proposals.
Sir Edward said: 'What worries me is that if she [the PM] loses by over 100 the EU might offer her nothing and the Remainers might take control completely.'
She added: 'By the way, I think this would be the end of the Conservative Party if we delay Brexit, if we have a second referendum.'
Former Tory chancellor Kenneth Clark, a Remainer who is also backing Mrs May's proposals, urged MPs to 'lift our eyes from the chaos' and support the deal.
But he said Mrs May was in a near-impossible position, with an unholy alliance of hardline Brexiteers and the Labour front bench, 'who think that if they cause crisis and deadlock it will result in leaving with no deal'.
On the other side, he said, diehard Remainers 'think that if they cause chaos and deadlock it will lead to a second referendum', adding: 'One of them is wrong, but the problem is that she is up against both of them.'
Brexiteer Tory Sir Desmond Swayne called on Mrs May to suspend parliament until April in order to 'guarantee Brexit', and make it impossible for MPs to block a no-deal exit.
It emerged over the weekend that Remainers from across parties are plotting an extraordinary bid to seize control from the government if it tries to push ahead with a no-deal Brexit.
Conservative MP Nick Boles confirmed plans to tear up Commons rules so MPs could propose legislation - something the government currently has power over.
Ministers fear Speaker John Bercow would help the rebellion.
Last week he flouted procedural convention to select an amendment from Tory former minister Dominic Grieve which attempts to speed up the process for the Government to reveal what it will do next if the PM's Brexit deal is rejected.
But the fledgling revolt is at risk of collapsing after it was dismissed by pro-EU MPs.
Senior Tory Sarah Wollaston, previously one of the most outspoken anti-Brexit rebels, said it would fly in the face of the constitution.
Downing Street resident Larry the cat seemed unphased by the political drama today. Attorney General Geoffrey Cox QC has been a key backer for the PM's plan
David Davis (right) reiterated his opposition to the government's deal at a press conference in Westminster today
Baffled by Brexit? Here's everything you need to know about the plots, the votes and the deals (and what today's Commons showdown REALLY means)
MPs will today vote on Theresa May's Brexit plan in what is set to be the most important decision taken by Parliament since the Second World War.
The PM is expected to suffer a catastrophic defeat in the crunch vote, while MPs are seizing on her weakness to push their own plans for Britain's future with the EU.
Politicians are deeply divided over whether Brexit should be soft or hard, and if the UK should go for a Norway-style deal or a Canada plus plan.
But the terms and arguments deployed by MPs are often steeped in jargon and bamboozling to the ordinary Brit.
Here are some of the things that will help you to finally understand the Brexit debate rocking Britain and its Parliament.
Theresa May (pictured in the Commons today) has struck a deal with the EU - but MPs are expected to vote it down by a massive majority today
1. Plan B – what is it and why do we need one?
Theresa May has struck a deal with the EU - but MPs are expected to vote it down by a massive majority today, meaning she will have to come up with a Plan B.
And last week week MPs passed an amendment put forward by Tory Remainer Dominic Grieve which gives the PM just three working days to come up with her new plan.
It means she will be hauled back to the Commons on Monday to spell out what she will do next.
The PM has so far refused to say what her Plan B will be, but she will be under huge pressure to rule out a no deal Brexit and say what direction she plans to take the talks in next.
It is believed that Tory former ministers Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve (pictured) are also involved in the plot have launched a plot to try to take over Brexit talks if the PM's deal is voted down today and she cannot come up with a plan in three days
Remainers will want her to go for a Norway-style deal, which will keep the UK in the single market and therefore free movement, or a second referendum.
While Brexiteers will push for the PM to go for a Canada-style free deal which will take Britain fully out of the EU's customs union and single market.
2. The Remainer plot - who is behind it and how would it work?
A group of Tory Remainers have launched a plot to try to take over Brexit talks if the PM's deal is voted down today and she cannot come up with a plan in three days.
Tory MP Nick Boles said that if this happens the Liaison Committee - a committee of 32 senior MPs which is dominated by Remainers - should take over the talks.
It is believed that Tory former ministers Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve are also involved in the plot.
This plan to sideline the Government would flout the rules of Parliament, but Commons Speaker John Bercow - who would have the final say on if this is possible or not - has made it clear he is happy to re-write the rules when it comes to Brexit.
No10 believe that if the plan succeeds then the MPs on the committee will push for a softer Brexit, for example to get a Norway-style deal which would keep the UK in the single market and therefore keeping free movement of people.
3. No deal - what would it mean for Britain and who opposes it?
Britain has been locked in talks with the EU to thrash out a Brexit deal, but if MPs vote it down today and a new plan cannot be quickly agreed then the UK will crash out with no deal.
But many MPs have warned they will do whatever it takes to block a no deal - fearing this will send the UK's economy into meltdown.
And a string of Cabinet ministers, including Greg Clark, Amber Rudd and David Gauke are expected to quit the Cabinet in fury if the PM then backs a no deal Brexit.
Economic experts have issued dire warnings about the fall-out of a no deal with the CBI saying it could slash 8 per cent off the size of the UK's economy and plunging the country into a massive recession.
But there is a group of die-hard Brexiteers in the Tory Party, including Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the European Research Group, who say there is nothing to fear about a no deal Brexit.
This group sees going for a no deal Brexit as a step towards their goal of achieving a Canada plus style trade deal with the EU.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in the Commons today) is hoping to seize on the chaos if the PM's deal is voted down today to table a no cinfidence motion and try to topple Mrs May from No10
4. No Confidence Vote - what is it and who would back it?
If the PM's deal is voted down today then Jeremy Corbyn is expected to seize on the disarray to table a motion of no confidence in the government.
If the PM lost the vote, then another MP has 14 working days to hold and win a vote of confidence of MPs - if they manage this then they become PM.
If no party leader can do this within the two weeks then another general election is called.
But it is unlikely that the Labour leader will be able to win the backing of a single MP from the ranks of the Tories or the DUP - meaning his bid to topple Mrs May is likely to fail.
5. General Election - how could one be called and who wants it?
Labour have been demanding an election, while many commentators believe that the Tories may end up having to call another election to break the political deadlock in Parliament.
Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, Mrs May would need the Commons to agree to hold another election - and many MPs will be dead-set against the plan which they fear would cost them their seats and could hand Mr Corbyn the keys to No10.
But if the PM's deal is voted down and MPs cannot agree an alternative before the UK leaves on March 29 then an election may end up being called to bring in new MPs who may be able back a deal.
Many MPs are pushing for a second referendum to be held, less than three years after voters backed Brexit (file pic of voting booth)
6. Second referendum – why might we need one and what would the question be?
Many MPs are pushing for a second referendum to be held, less than three years after voters backed Brexit.
Remainers argue that with MPs unable to agree a deal among themselves then the only way forward is to send the question back to the public.
Many Labour MPs, the Lib Dems and a powerful group of Tory MPs all back a second referendum.
But Mrs May has repeatedly ruled out holding one while she is PM, and even backers of the plan are at loggerheads over what should be on the ballot paper.
Some Remainers believe voters should be offered a choice between the PM's plan and remaining in the EU on current terms, but some others believe a no deal Brexit on world trade organisation terms should be offered.
7. Who is Gareth Johnson, the latest Tory to quit the government?
Tory MP Gareth Johnson today quit as a whip whose job it is to comnvince his fellow Conservative MPs to back the PM's plan - so he vcan opose the deal.
He is the latest in a long line of Tory MPs who have resigned as aides and ministers to voice their objections to her blueprint.
The MP for Dartford has a strongly Leave-supporting seat, and he was appointed an assistant whip, one of the most junior ranks, in November last year.
Sources said he had been 'desperate' to get into government, but pointed out that his voters were overwhelmingly Brexit-backing.
Resigning today, he said he was putting his 'loyalty to the country above loyalty to the government'.
'Winter is coming': Michael Gove likens historic Brexit showdown to Game of Thrones as he begs MPs to back May's deal
Michael Gove has compared tonight's Brexit vote to the final battle with the apocalyptic army of the frozen undead in Game of Thrones and warned MPs who destroy Theresa May's deal: 'Winter is coming'.
The Prime Minister's Environment Secretary said Parliament will damage British democracy if it rejects her proposed EU divorce agreement at 9pm tonight.
In a stark warning Mr Gove said today: 'If we don't vote for the deal tonight then in the words of Jon Snow - winter is coming'.
'Winter is Coming' in the motto of House Stark, whose hero and king Jon Snow leads the fight against the 'White Walkers' - an army of zombie soldiers bent on destroying mankind.
Michael Gove (left) used the words of Jon Snow from Game of Thrones (right played by Kit Harrington) to warn MPs to back Mrs May's Brexit deal
The Brexiteer turned to blockbuster television show Game of Thrones to give the gloomiest of warnings to MPs preparing to kill off Mrs May's deal.
Mr Gove told the Today Programme: 'The British people have placed a responsibility on us. Are we going to live up to that responsibility and vote to leave the European Union or are we going to disappoint them and damage our democracy by not voting to leave the EU?
'If we don't vote for this agreement then we risk playing into the hands who do not want Brexit to go ahead. The message sent to the people of Britain will be that the decision you have made is not being respected.
He added: 'If we don't vote for it tonight, in the words of John Snow: 'Winter is coming'.
Theresa May is facing the worst Commons defeat in almost 100 years as MPs plot to kill off her deal and push Britain towards a softer Brexit - or stop it completely.
Mr Gove declined to predict a victory for the Prime Minister in Tuesday's vote, saying he did not know which way it would go.
But he reiterated that remaining in the EU was worse than leaving without a deal, telling Today: 'The real danger is if people do not vote for the Government this evening, we face either a no-deal Brexit, with the short-term economic damage that would bring, or worse: no Brexit at all.
'We know there are people in the House of Commons and outside who have never made their peace with this decision, who want to overturn it.'
Mr Gove also defended the backstop agreed by Mrs May with Brussels, saying: 'I think the whole point about the backstop is that it's deeply uncomfortable for the EU.
'If it is a trap for anyone, it's a trap for the EU. Why? Because the European Union said at the very beginning of this process that there would be no cherry-picking, the four freedoms of the single market were indivisible.
'But we have picked a whole bowl of glistening cherries, we have free access to the European market with no tariffs and no quotas but at the same time we say that European citizens have no freedom of movement.
'We don't pay a penny for that access, if we are worried about money after we leave and when we are in the backstop, and at the same time we can say to European nations, 'Do you know what? Access to our territorial waters for fishing, access to our exclusive economic zone, forget about it'.
'We are in a stronger position in the backstop.'
No matter what happens here i think the actions of...
by DaveC 8459