Opposing leaders demand answers from Theresa May over PM's 'contempt for Parliament'

Opposition leaders rounded on Theresa May last night as they accused the Prime Minister of showing ‘contempt for Parliament’ over her botched Brexit vote.

In a highly unusual move, they have sent a joint letter to the Prime Minister expressing concern about her sudden cancellation of a crunch Commons vote on the Brexit deal that was due to be held on Tuesday.

Details of the letter emerged as Mrs May urged rebel MPs who oppose her Brexit deal to come up with a better solution or back her.

The letter, signed jointly by the leaders of Labour, the SNP, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the Greens, says: ‘We believe that this deferral shows a contempt for Parliament.’

It adds: ‘You admitted in the House that you are running from a heavy defeat on your deal in the House of Commons.

‘It cannot be right that the Government can unilaterally alter the arrangements, once this House has agreed on a timetable, without the House being given the opportunity to express its will.’

The PM was told yesterday she must ‘govern or go’ as she delayed her crucial Brexit vote to avoid a ‘significant’ defeat.

The letter, signed by Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts and co-leader of the Greens Caroline Lucas, demanded assurances from the PM on what happens next.

The opposition leaders want to know if the Brexit deal is dead and if revised proposals will be substantially different.

They want assurances that the Commons will be given sufficient time to debate the Government’s negotiating objectives.

The opposition leaders have urged the PM to allow the Commons to vote on her move to defer the Brexit deal vote, and they want to know when a ‘meaningful vote’ on a Brexit deal will be held, and if a Government requirement to make a statement to the House on a no-deal scenario by January 21 still applies.

The Government was last week found by MPs to be in contempt of Parliament for not publishing the full Brexit legal advice. Ministers then made the advice public.