Vote postponed – 100% is the new 50%

One after another they lined up to say a vote tomorrow was 100% certain to happen. Minister after minister repeated the line. Turns out “100%” is the new “50%.”

Time and again the Prime Minister told MPs and the nation on her tour that she’d got the best deal available and that she was, as instructed, getting on with it.

But it turns out the deal is improvable through additional talks and the government is not getting on with it at the pace announced.

Some whips insist that tomorrow’s business could proceed even though the government now doesn’t want it to. One opposition staffer said the debate (8 hours x 5 days) will have to re-start all over again if there’s any changes whatsoever to it.

There’s an expectation that Theresa May might set off to Brussels for more talks tomorrow.

Two Tory MPs hearing the news while standing next to me said “she’s got to go.” Neither of them had yet submitted a public letter to the 1922 Committee chairman calling for a no confidence vote.