The British Parliament voted on Tuesday to restrict the government’s abilities to levy taxes if a no-deal Brexit is reached. Brexit can still be enacted; but if it happens without a trade agreement with the EU, the government will be unable to modify tax laws without specific approval from Parliament.
As British tax law is currently written with the EU structures in place, the result would be an obsolete system with severe limitations on the ability to collect and distribute money.
The limitations were put in place through an amendment to a finance bill.
The successful effort to add pressure to May over Brexit lured over 20 conservative MPs. The UK Guardian made their reasoning clear:
Sir Oliver Letwin, the former Tory minister who rebelled to back Cooper’s amendment, said: “The majority tonight that is expressed in this house will sustain itself. We will not allow a no-deal exit to occur at the end of March.”
Guardian
The Parliament cannot prevent a no-deal exist from occurring. That will happen at the end of March, unless the Brexit is called off or a trade deal is negotiated.
The Parliament has had the ability to stop a no-deal Brexit, but they have refused to do so because neither of the largest factions wish to accept the deal that Theresa May has brokered. One side wants a “clean”, or “no-deal” Brexit, while the other wants Brexit cancelled. May’s middle ground of a Brexit with significant concessions to the EU has been rejected in favor of brinkmanship.
This looks to continue today, as an amendment is to be offered which would allow Parliament members to offer alternative Brexit plans. If passed, it would further undermine May’s position that her deal is the only alternative to the two extremes.
(Parliament members) are planning to table another amendment that could open up alternatives to Mrs May’s deal if she loses next week’s vote.
BBC
The amendment, to a procedural motion, has been selected for debate by Speaker John Bercow, at about 1300 GMT, after Mrs May faces Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister’s Questions.
May’s carefully negotiated offer has been accepted by the EU, whereas other propositions would lack such authorization. Nevertheless, if the amendment passes, it will be a further political hindrance as MPs will gain the political cover of pursuing “alternatives” in the eyes of their constituents.
