Update 8th December – He was right.
One Tory MP voted against PM amendment to Labour #Brexit motion – Ken Clarke pic.twitter.com/aSZgGGV5lg
— PARLY (@ParlyApp) December 7, 2016
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Original article, November 8:
Ken Clarke has declared that he will be the only Conservative MP to vote against the formal process of Brexit in Parliament.
The veteran MP and committed Europhile said he will happily wage a one-man Tory war against the formal process of triggering Article 50.
He'll vote against but all others will vote in favour because they're too scared of the Daily Mail.
— Robert Colvile (@rcolvile) November 7, 2016
Clarke holds no illusions of toppling the government on the issue, but said he felt obliged to register his objection to Brexit to avoid being seen as a “hypocrite”.
Speaking last night at an event held by the Centre for Policy Studies think tank, Clarke said: “I’ll probably be the only member of the Conservative Party to vote against Article 50.”
He will likely find himself allied with Labour and SNP MPs trying to frustrate and embarrass Theresa May, who claims she ought to have the right to invoke Articld 50 without a parliamentary vote.
Clarke continued: “We will lose that [vote] – but I still think there’s a contribution to be made”, and later added that there is “no hope of not leaving”.
Clarke, who has been critical of the referendum since it was first envisaged, repeated his assertion that it was “a ridiculous idea”, but accepted that he has to go along with it
Ken Clarke MP speaking now at his CPS book launch for 'Kind of Blue' pic.twitter.com/1yDcHEMptO
— CPS Think Tank (@CPSThinkTank) November 7, 2016
His stand came as other pro-Remain MPs like Anna Soubry said they would not obstruct the Article 50 process, but will try to keep ties to the European Union in other ways.
I will vote to trigger A50. I will then fight for membership of #SingleMarket #freemovementofpeople & make positive case for #Immigration
— Anna Soubry MP (@Anna_Soubry) November 8, 2016
Acc to @RSylvesterTimes pro-Europe Tory rebels will seek to amend Great Repeal Bill rather than bill authorising govt to trigger Article 50
— Ian Katz (@iankatz1000) November 8, 2016
