Answering Criticism, Guildford’s MP Explains Her Reasons for Defying Party Whip

Published on: 14 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 14 Mar, 2019

Guildford’s MP, Anne Milton, is being criticised by Brexit supporters for her decision to abstain in last night’s vote on removing the “no deal” option.

The Commons voted on an amendment to reject the UK leaving the EU without a deal under any circumstances, by a margin of four.

That meant the government’s original motion – which had stated that the UK should not leave the EU without a deal on 29 March – was changed at the last minute.

The BBC reported: “The government had wanted to keep control of the Brexit process, and keep no-deal on the table, so they then ordered Conservative MPs to vote against their own motion.

“That tactic failed. Government ministers defied those orders and there were claims Mrs May had lost control of her party.

“The updated motion, to reject a no-deal Brexit under any circumstances, was passed by 321 to 278, a majority of 43.”

Anne Milton, who has consistently said that, in her view, a “no deal” departure from the EU would be very damaging to the UK, was one of 13 government ministers – including cabinet members Amber Rudd, Greg Clark, David Gauke and David Mundell, to defy the government whip by abstaining.

This afternoon Anne Milton in a message to costituents who had written to her on Brexit said: “There was a series of amendments tabled by MPs from across the House. I voted against amendment (a) in Dame Caroline Spelman’s name to remove no
deal as an option partly because of the comments Dame Caroline made herself.

“She had attempted to withdraw her amendment as she believed that the main
Government motion was more powerful. However, the amendment was still put
to the House and was won very narrowly – there were 312 votes in favour and
308 votes against.

“The main motion then became the only opportunity to prevent no deal on 29
March. Leaving with a deal has consistently been the Government’s preferred
outcome and this is a personal view that I have long held myself.

“I have always believed that a deal with the European Union, and a measured transition when leaving, was important for our economy. I therefore did not feel I could vote against this motion but wanted to make sure no deal was removed as an option.

“I would like us to leave the EU on 29 March and, had the Prime Minister’s deal
been supported, this would have been possible. I believe that a delay is now
inevitable if we do not want to leave without a deal in place.”

Earlier Guildford resident Stuart Barnes, a former Conservative party member who supports Brexit, wrote in a comment sent to The Dragon: “Judging by the disgraceful betrayal by MPs and ministers last night it would seem that our Conservative MP was not listening when the resolution was passed by the GCA [Guildford Conservative Association].

“This possibly means the end of the party or at least a split between the real Conservatives (there are still some in the party) and the faux Conservatives who were mainly brought in under the ghastly Cameron regime.

“I look forward to news of mass sackings and deselections of the faux Conservative MPs as their constituency members in the main are still real Conservatives.”

And Patrick Haveron commented: “I see Anne Milton abstained last night supporting the government on ‘No Deal’. Quite a feat for a former whip!”

Cllr Christian Holliday

But Leave campaigner Christian Holliday, a Conservative borough councillor for Burpham, was more conciliatory. He said this morning (March 14, 2019): “I’m pleased Anne didn’t support the motion as amended. Attempting to rule out ‘No Deal ever’ on any circumstances sends out completely the wrong message in negotiations with the EU, although it is worth re-emphasising that ‘No Deal’ is still the current legal default position and, in my view, is the outcome that most closely reflects the referendum result.”

Bob Hughes

Guildford Conservative Association chairman Bob Hughes added: “Anne has shown once again that she puts the people she represents first. She continues to support the Prime Minister’s deal but regards leaving with no deal as being potentially disastrous, at least in the short term. It is not what people voted for and she is right to seek to rule it out.”

The three other Tory MPS whose constituencies overlap Guildford Borough, Michael Gove (Surrey Heath) Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley) and Jonathan Lord (Woking), all supported the government and voted against the motion.

MPs representing parts of Guildford Borough. From left to right: Anne Milton. Michael Gove, Sir Paul Beresford, Jonathan Lord.

Explaining the rebellion the “conservativehome” website states: “..it may well be that there are extenuating circumstances. First, it wasn’t expected that the Government’s motion would be amended. Before it was passed, the whip for the Government’s motion was for a free vote.

“Next, it is being claimed that a senior MP, or Downing Street aide, or both, indicated to some of the Ministers concerned that they would be able to abstain on the motion still – despite the amendment, originally tabled by Caroline Spelman, having been passed.

“The long and short of it is that it isn’t clear as we write which of the above, bar Mundell, acted knowingly in defiance of a three-line whip. And the waters will doubtless be muddied sufficiently so that we never know.”

Responses to Answering Criticism, Guildford’s MP Explains Her Reasons for Defying Party Whip

Stephen Mansbridge Reply

March 14, 2019 at 5:55 pm

If Anne Milton did not like it then she should have had the backbone to vote against it, rather than sitting on the fence yet again. Or was she just putting herself first by abstaining in order not to be sacked?

Stephen Mansbridge is a former Conservative leader of Guildford Borough Council.
- Steven Miller Reply
  
  April 4, 2019 at 11:40 am
  
  I believe we should petition to deselect Anne Milton as our MP because she clearly, as a Remainer, does not believe in democracy.
  
  I am a Conservative party member in Guildford and believe we would gather sufficient votes.
Stuart Barnes Reply

March 15, 2019 at 9:19 am

What Anne Milton seems to ignore is that the so called deal is so bad that it is actually worse than staying in the corrupt and failed EU. That deal should be voted down again no matter how many times it comes back.

As Mrs May said many times, no deal (more correctly called the WTO deal), is infinitely better than the Robbins deal [often described as the May deal] or any other deal we could get now.

If Anne Milton did not intend to follow the instructions of the people in the referendum or her party’s manifesto pledges and always was against a clean brexit, then we should have been told before we voted in the last general election.
- David Wragg Reply
  
  March 15, 2019 at 12:14 pm
  
  Well said, Mr Barnes. MPs seem to think that they are on a different planet and are treating the electorate with contempt. The Robbins deal is worse than no deal and leaves the UK as a vassal state. The EU cannot accept that it has its many faults and seem determined to punish the UK. The sooner we leave the better.
  
  Mrs May should also sack those Cabinet ministers who failed to follow the whip. The tradition of Cabinet is that of collective responsibility.
David Roberts Reply

March 15, 2019 at 3:41 pm

Anne Milton should relax. No-one except the highly partisan ever notices what, if anything, she does in government or parliament.
Alan Cooper Reply

March 15, 2019 at 4:16 pm

I am told that Guildford voted to Remain in 2016 referendum. But I am happy to be corrected
Jim Allen Reply

March 15, 2019 at 5:57 pm

No. The whole country voted to Leave. There was no “Guildford” and no “Surrey” in the answer.
Mike Murphy Reply

March 15, 2019 at 8:02 pm

Let’s hope this Anne Milton joins the hundreds of other MPs who are deselected or voted out at the next election for ignoring the 17.4 million people who voted to Leave the EU.
Roslyn McMillan Reply

March 15, 2019 at 9:06 pm

Actually, 37% of the then electorate voted in favour of leaving. Even that was advisory. And most of those who voted in Guilford did indeed vote to remain.
- Sean Jenkinson Reply
  
  March 15, 2019 at 11:26 pm
  
  Would it have been advisory if leave had won I wonder?
- John Perkins Reply
  
  March 16, 2019 at 10:50 am
  
  Everyone had the opportunity to vote. Those who did not cannot be counted as voting against.
  
  It ceased to be advisory when Parliament made it law.
  
  Why should Guildford be considered more important than any other place?
RWL Davies Reply

March 16, 2019 at 7:00 am

Usual Remainer wail that the referendum was “advisory”. No it wasn’t, as all official guidance and advice in advance of the referendum made clear. The “advisory” canard was concocted after “remain” lost.
Camillia Versey Reply

March 16, 2019 at 10:14 am

As far as I can see the politicians are all letting down the British people. They are not doing what was asked of them.
Jonathan Readings Reply

March 17, 2019 at 1:42 pm

I believe that Anne Milton was right to abstain on the vote last week. Taking “no deal” off the table is the sane and right thing to do as all negotiations have been concluded with the EU. No deal would be a terrible outcome for the UK economy and I for one do not want my MP to support a measure that makes me worse off than I am now.

If all the commenters here want to be poorer then that’s their choice. I don’t think our MP wants that, so that’s why she abstained.
- John Perkins Reply
  
  March 17, 2019 at 4:08 pm
  
  There is and never has been any evidence that “no deal” would be a “terrible outcome”. It’s just scaremongering.
  
  One of the reasons often given in these pages for supporting a political party rather than an independent candidate is that people can be sure of what they are voting for. Clearly that’s not true – Anne Milton disobeyed the authority of her party and showed her independence.
John Armstrong Reply

March 17, 2019 at 5:20 pm

I find the spectacle played out in the Commons over recent days and months to be profoundly unedifying. Politicians seem to have forgotten that the entire world is watching.

It wouldn’t be so bad if these debates were genuine debates. All the participants know however that a seamless transition from In to Out is already provided for by the WTO under international law specifically for this kind of scenario. The facility exists in order to avoid an upset to global trade and the flow of goods particularly when global players are involved.

Our politicians did not have to debate anything. Still less, did they have to make fools of themselves with false and paper thin arguments. What must their contemporaries around the world think watching them sweep “Canada with knobs on”, and the Japan model, off the table?

It looks to me as if the EU has more respect for our Brexit vote than our own politicians who quite obviously want to overturn the Referendum result so find themselves squirming on the hook of democracy. But they still insist on having their say; although a say is all it is. Squirm, vote or abstain as they may, Anne Milton notwithstanding; under WTO rules, international law, EU law and UK law; we leave on March 29; unless our politician deliberately vote to withdraw Article 50.

https://brexitcentral.com/managed-no-deal-wto-option-using-article-24-gatt-can-avoid-raising-tariffs-quotas/
- Jonathan Readings Reply
  
  March 17, 2019 at 6:20 pm
  
  Leave local politics to local people Mr Armstrong. Some bloke from Newcastle who tweets endlessly about Brexit and the democratic deficit playing out in the House of Commons sounds suspiciously like you.
  
  Can you name the funders of Brexit Central? I doubt it. I bet there’s plenty of foreign money being spent on this right-wing ideological think tank.
  
  It’s not Parliament that is betraying the people. The betrayal happened when we took the voice of 17.4 million people who were lied to, on an advisory referendum, fraught with overspending and foreign influence, and subjected the other 49 million to the ‘will’ of these people.
  - John Perkins Reply
    
    March 18, 2019 at 8:33 am
    
    In 2017 the voice was taken of 13.6 million people who were lied to and now the other 53 million are being subjected to their will.
  - Stuart Barnes Reply
    
    March 18, 2019 at 9:00 am
    
    Without going yet again into the actual arguments re Brexit but just considering the spending, I would point out that Remain overspent Leave by a significant amount (and that is without counting the nearly £10 million spent by the Cameron leaflet). But despite all the lies of “Project Fear”, Leave won by a comfortable majority.
    
    Since the result was announced, the amount of money spent by Remainers is staggering. Is anyone investigating the sources of that money? Is the Guardian/BBC group or Channel 4 doing an investigation into Soros for instance? Just asking.
  - John Armstrong Reply
    
    March 18, 2019 at 9:59 am
    
    Very good of Mr Readings to inform me of my doppelganger in Newcastle. Armstrong country up there, of course.
    
    As for the rest, it sounds a little paranoid. Does he think it was a conspiracy?
David Roberts Reply

March 19, 2019 at 2:33 pm

What a dismal and dispiriting string of comments. Brexit seems to be in exactly the same place as when I wrote to the Dragon in November (see Letter: The Most Likely Brexit Options). My conclusions haven’t changed a bit.
Nicky Ridha Reply

May 3, 2019 at 9:23 pm

I wonder how many Remainers actually know what they have/are voting for? But no worries we, Leavers, will fight for you nevertheless.

As for Mrs Milton? Look at her voting record, I have. How I wish we had a Sir Bill Cash as our MP. Onwards Brexiteers.