Politics update: MPs from all sides reject May’s ‘new’ deal, EU investigates Farage funding

MPs reject May’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill

Theresa May’s hopes of passing her ‘new’ deal through parliament were dashed yesterday, after MPs from all sides rejected the 10-point proposal.

In the hours that followed the announcement of Theresa May’s ‘new’ deal that will be put to the Commons in the coming weeks, at least 20 Conservative MPs confirmed that they do not intend to support the bill.

Earlier in the day, May had urged MPs in her own party to back the “serious offer” before them, and even attempted to woo remainer MPs on all sides by offering a binding vote on a second referendum, if her deal is voted through.

MPs reactions to May’s deal

Boris Johnson

Johnson, who has recently emerged as a Tory leadership frontrunner, said it was “against our manifesto and I will not vote for it”.

Dominic Raab

The former Brexit secretary and leadership contender said: “I cannot support legislation that would be the vehicle for a second referendum or customs union. Either option would frustrate rather than deliver Brexit, and break our clear manifesto promises.”

Jeremy Corbyn

“We won’t back a repackaged version of the same old deal – and it’s clear that this weak and disintegrating government is unable deliver on its own commitments.”

European Research Group (ERG)

One ERG source said on Tuesday: “Theresa May has done a tremendous job of healing the wounds and reuniting Tory MPs split on Brexit.”

Many EU citizens unable to vote because of ‘mishandling’ by authorities

Many EU citizens have been left unable to cast their vote in Thursday’s EU elections, as a result of ‘mishandling’ of the process by local authorities, according to campaigners.

Campaign group the3million has accused the Electoral Commision of providing local authority electoral officers with insufficient information, resulting in unclear advice being actioned.

Nicolas Hatton, the co-founder of the3million, wrote in a letter this week: “The3million has multiple examples of local authorities mishandling the application process.”

In a separate letter to Electoral Commission, Catherine West, the Labour MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, has raised concerns that as many as 75% of non-British/Irish EU citizens living in the UK, who registered to vote in the local elections three weeks ago, will not now be able to vote in Thursday’s elections because they did not fill in a second form.

EU to investigate Farage over Aaron Banks funding

The European parliament will investigate Nigel Farage after he failed to declare the significant funding he had received from Aaron Banks.

Last week,  a Channel 4 documentary showed that Farage had been given funding by the Leave.EU co-founder during the EU referendum campaign, providing Farage with a new car and driver, a £13,000-a-month Chelsea home, and funding his US promotional tour.

In the Channel 4 documentary, the Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder, one of five parliament members who are tasked with looking at funding, says: “There seems to be a lot of spending going on, money coming in from third parties that is not showing up on the public record.”

According to parliamentary code of conduct, MEPs must declare whether they receive travel, accommodation or subsistence expenses from external sources to attend events.

What the Papers Say

The Times

The Guardian

The Sun

The Daily Express

The Telegraph