All eyes will turn towards Westminster tomorrow as parliament begins voting on a series of amendments that will shape the next step in the Brexit process
And as it stands we have no idea on how this will all play out just yet but we'll get more of a clue after tomorrow. That's basically the Brexit muddle we're facing right now, hence there is some strong elements of uncertainty that is weighing on the pound - could be profit taking on the back of that as well - to start the new week.
There are a total of 19 amendments (including amendments of amendments, I know right), according to the parliament paper here. So, let's look at what some of the key ones are:
Cooper Amendment
This would allow parliament to pass a bill requiring Theresa May to seek an extension to Article 50 until 31 December if she can't get her deal passed before 26 February. In short, this is also an amendment to prevent a no-deal Brexit outcome.
Reeves Amendment
Similarly, the amendment here is calling for a direct mandate to extend Article 50, though it doesn't entail the same legal force as what the Cooper Amendment has.
Spelman and Dromey Amendment
Seen as an alternative to the Cooper Amendment as well, with the purpose being to prevent a no-deal Brexit outcome. The amendment here isn't binding but will call for a direct rejection of a no-deal option in principle.
Benn Amendment
This would demand MPs to submit indicative votes as to what Brexit options they will be supporting. The four options seen are between May's deal, a no-deal option, a renegotiation of the current Brexit deal, or a second referendum. It's basically just to gauge the views of the floor before making the next move.
Grieve Amendment
Essentially, this is the same thing as the Benn Amendment. This would force MPs to plan out six days in February and March to discuss alternatives to May's Brexit plan and table amendments on said alternatives.
Murrison Amendment
This would call for an expiry date to be placed on the backstop (December 2021), though this is something that the European Union would never agree to at the moment.
Brady Amendment
This would call for a motion to seek an alternative arrangement to replace the backstop, but if no solution can be found then parliament should otherwise support May's Brexit deal.
Labour Amendment
This would require the government to rule out a no-deal Brexit outcome and allow for parliament to consider alternatives to May's Brexit deal (including Labour's own Brexit plan) and/or a second referendum.
Liberal Democrats Amendment
This would call for the government to take measures to rule out a no-deal Brexit outcome and also prepare for a second referendum.
Basically, you can see a pattern there. The amendments are basically for extending Article 50/preventing a no-deal Brexit outcome, calling for indicative votes to determine the next step in the Brexit process, backstop-related, and looking for a second referendum.
What makes this whole thing more complicated is that it isn't entirely clear what majority of MPs are favouring at the moment and what new amendments that may be tabled by tomorrow; or even what amendments will be voted on.
Hence, this could either significantly alter what's going to happen next in the Brexit process or it may not even change a thing at the end of the day. Either way, we can only wait until tomorrow to find out.
