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Theresa May gets behind backstop alternative amendment but MPs support not guaranteed

British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street to meet Conservative MPs ahead of today's Brexit vote. Picture by Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire
British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street to meet Conservative MPs ahead of today's Brexit vote. Picture by Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street to meet Conservative MPs ahead of today's Brexit vote. Picture by Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire

Theresa May last night threw her weight behind a parliamentary move to win her more Brexit negotiating power by rallying MPs behind an alternative to the backstop.

Conservative chairman Brandon Lewis announced that Tory MPs will be whipped to support an amendment tabled by senior backbencher Sir Graham Brady in a series of votes this evening.

The move triggered the withdrawal of rival amendments, tabled by Tory backbenchers Andrew Murrison and John Baronwhich, which would have required the scrapping or time-limiting of the backstop, the fall-back mechanism for avoiding a hard border.

But the dramatic move was far from guaranteed to deliver a majority for the plan, after it failed to win the support of the influential European Research Group of Conservative eurosceptics.

The amendment tabled by Sir Graham, the chair of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee states that parliament would be willing to support the withdrawal agreement reached with the EU last November, so long as the backstop is replaced with "alternative arrangements" to avoid a hard border.

The Tory grandee said that he hoped that House of Commons backing would give Mrs May "enormous firepower" when she returns to Brussels to seek concessions on her Brexit deal.

But the chairman of the European Research Group, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said that its members, thought to number at least 60, will not support the scheme when it comes before MPs today.

MPs in the ERG were concerned that the Brady amendment does not spell out what would replace the backstop.

Mr Lewis said that the Brady amendment would "allow the prime minister to give a very clear message around what parliament wants, where the party is".

Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier's deputy Sabine Weyand warned there was now a "high risk" of the UK crashing out by accident, as it was "quite a challenge" to see how a majority can be constructed at Westminster.

And European Commission vice-president Jyrki Kateinen said there was "no reason to give any concessions" to the UK and there was "not much room for manoeuvre" on the backstop.

It would be "stupid" for the EU to make concessions putting the remaining 27 members at a disadvantage simply to secure a deal, he said.

Downing Street said Mrs May remained committed to quitting the EU on March 29 and will take her plan back to Westminster for a second "meaningful vote" as soon as possible after today's debate.

"The Prime Minister is absolutely committed to leaving the EU with a deal, but clearly if we are to obtain parliamentary support for that deal some changes are going to have to be made," the PM's spokesman said.