After Theresa May’s government made history on Tuesday with three successive Commons defeats – including the first contempt of Parliament defeat since the 1970s – ministers were given no respite with a Brexit debate that ran on until 1am. The Prime Minister’s address to start that session was overshadowed somewhat by the various Commons clashes along with the news of Dominic Grieve’s Brexit amendment passing (see Isabel for what it means for the government’s plans here). But the statement is important to note as it appeared to mark a change in tone.
May adopted a frank manner – and told MPs of the difficulties and sacrifices she had made to get to this point:
‘I have spent nearly two years negotiating this deal. I have lost valued colleagues along the way. And faced fierce criticism from all sides.
If I had banged the table, walked out of the room and at the end of the process delivered the very same deal that is before us today, some might say I had done a better job.
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