Peston confronts Business Secretary for defying Brexit – 'Why are you still sitting here?'
ROBERT Peston put Business Secretary Greg Clark on the spot after the Tory MP decided to defy orders from Theresa May and vote in favour to take a no deal Brexit deal off the table.
Brexit: Peston hits out at Greg Clark for ‘defying’ May’s vote
Greg Clark and 16 colleagues defied orders from the Prime Minister to reject a no deal Brexit scenario. Despite his decision to go against party lines, Mr Clark has remained in place as Business Secretary – sparking the ires of Brexiteers calling for his resignation. ITV News political editor Rober Peston confronted him on his decision not to quit shortly after the Government was defeated 312 to 308: "There’s a lot of standing convention in British politics which is if you defy the Prime Minister in a vote, you either resign or you’re sacked. Neither happened.
"So why are you still sitting here as Business Secretary?"
Several top figures in Government, including former Brexit Secretaries David Davis and Dominic Raab, have preferred to resign from their position when planning to vote against Theresa May's deal.
Mr Peston continued: "Do you understand why Iain Duncan Smith, actually lots of MPs have contacted me, and they are bemused that you haven’t been disciplined?
"It was a three-line whip to vote against the final motion and you did not follow that instruction."
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Mr Clark defended his position to remain in his post, insisting he still supported the Government despite voting against the wishes of Theresa May on Wednesday.
He said: "I support Government policy. I have always supported Government policy. I support the deal, I believe the deal should be done.
"Government policy has always been to leave with a deal, It has never been Government policy to leave without a deal on the 29 March.
"What happened is that there was an amendment that was passed and therefore the whole motion changed. It wasn’t a perfect motion."
The Business Secretary continued: "The ideal thing would be to rule out no deal specifically on the 29 March.
"Once that became the only motion there then for me and my colleagues to vote against the last chance Parliament had to stop us leaving with no deal on 29 March is something we couldn’t do."
Theresa May decided last minute to whip her MPs against her motion – despite stating that it would be a free vote – as the proposal had been amended to be more definitive than she had intended.
Although the vote is non-binding it goes against Mrs May’s original rejection of a no deal Brexit on March 29.
Following the vote, the Prime Minister held secret talks with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in a desperate attempt to get her Brexit deal over the line.
However, the European Union earlier this week warned the Prime Minister she would not get a "third chance" from them to negotiate more unless she requests an extension of Article 50.