The betting money’s going on the Commons approving the deal
Betdata.io chart of movement on the Betfair exchange
Up from a 16% chance to a 32% one in five days
At the start of another dramatic week on Brexit in the Commons there has been more news of CON MPs saying they are ready to back the deal just 10 days away from the Article 50 deadline.
What we don’t know is whether there will be enough of them in order to push the total beyond that which is required for Mrs May to get a majority. She’s failed before but this time with the deadline hovering before everybody it might just be that this goes through. At least that is what the betting markets are starting think as seen in the chart of the Betfair Exchange above.
It has been fundamental to Theresa May’s strategy throughout that when faced with the prospective of No Deal and possibly the loss of Brexit altogether her party would get together behind backing what she has been trying to get agreement for for months.
Will it work? Will some LAB or other party MPs either abstain or shift over to her side? The Indy’s John Rentoul, who has been keeping a close eye on the actual numbers, was suggesting yesterday that the only way this could go through if was if a number of Labour MPs moved to back it.
The view is that this will only happen if the chances of it succeeding look pretty good. There’s no point in being a LAB rebel and “voting with the Tories” quotes if it ends in failure.
Meanwhile there is this:
No10 sets new deadline for MPs: unless it’s clear there is a majority for an MV3 when Parliament rises on Tuesday night, PM will go to Brussels on Thursday and apply for long A50 extension (that’s the last possible moment to table an MV motion for debate on Weds).
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) March 18, 2019