Brexit bill vote: Article 50 legislation clears first hurdle in Commons
The bill was supported by 498 votes to 114 - the SNP, Lib Dems, 47 Labour MPs and Tory politician Ken Clarke were against it.
Wednesday 1 February 2017 22:59, UK
MPs have overwhelmingly backed the bill to allow the Prime Minister to trigger Article 50 - the start of the formal process of leaving the EU.
In what was politicians' first chance to vote on the Brexit legislation, the House of Commons supported it despite opposition from the SNP, Liberal Democrats, 47 Labour rebels and one Tory MP, Ken Clarke.
It passed by 498 votes to 114, a majority of 384, and Britain's exit from the EU has now moved a step closer.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had ordered his MPs to back the bill but less than an hour before voting, two members of the shadow cabinet, Dawn Butler and Rachael Maskell, resigned so they could defy him.
Ex-shadow environment secretary Ms Maskell told Paste BN that in the referendum her York constituents overwhelmingly backed staying in the EU and "nobody in this country supported a Theresa May Brexit, a hard Brexit, that's going to take us out of the single market".
"That question was never on the ballot paper and therefore I felt it was wrong to support the Government today," she said.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: "Labour MPs voted more than three to one in favour of triggering Article 50.
"Now the battle of the week ahead is to shape Brexit negotiations to put jobs, living standards and accountability centre stage. Labour's amendments are the real agenda."
Pro-EU Tory Mr Clarke told Paste BN the "battle has only just started" as he criticised the "disastrous nature of the decision taken", adding that "we live in an unreal, silly world".
But pro-Brexit Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith said of the UK's future relationship with the EU: "We're going to co-operate, get on with trade and be friends, and still stay part of the defence organisation... but not be run by the European Union."
A SNP amendment to halt the bill because it was argued there was not enough consultation was defeated earlier by 336 votes to 100, of which 33 were from Labour.
Now the bill has overcome its opening test, it will continue its path through Parliament over the coming weeks, including at committee stage.
The two-day debate in Westminster saw passionate speeches from both sides of the argument, with veteran Eurosceptics hailing the historic vote and Brexit opponents explaining their decisions to either oppose or support the bill.
Former chancellor George Osborne, who was accused of masterminding 'Project Fear' by Vote Leave, said he was saddened that Britain was now "bracketed in the same group as other isolationist and nativist movements around the world".
Justifying his support for the bill, he said: "I lost the case. I made it with passion, I sacrificed my position in Government for it and in the end we have to now accept that in a democracy the majority has spoken.
"Whilst I am a passionate believer in an open, internationalist, free-trading Britain, I'm also a passionate believer in Britain as a democracy."
But his role in the Remain campaign was criticised by the SNP's Alex Salmond who went on to accuse fellow MPs of being "gripped by collective madness".
"The right honourable member for Rushcliffe (Ken Clarke) yesterday compared it to Alice in Wonderland," he said.
"But Alice only took herself into the hole. This Prime Minister is taking virtually all of the Tory Party, half the Labour Party and the entire country into the hole.
"It is politically crazy, what is being done."
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who had been ridiculed by MPs for claiming to be the official Brexit opposition but had missed much of Tuesday's debate, warned against a "Government stitch-up".
Calling for another vote on the final divorce settlement he said: "Both the Labour frontbench and the Conservatives don't want to give the British people their say; they think they know better.
"It is an arrogance. It is anti-democratic."
Throughout the afternoon a number of Labour MPs told the House they were prepared to defy the party whip, including Tulip Siddiq, Chris Bryant and Stella Creasy.
Labour MP Neil Coyle traduced his own leader for supporting the bill and was told by the Speaker to apologise after saying the country was run by "a whole Government full of b*******".
And in her maiden speech Dr Caroline Johnson, who won last month's by-election in Sleaford and North Hykeham, announced she would be supporting the bill to trigger Article 50.
"I was brought up to believe that a good democracy is ruled by the majority with protection for minorities," she said
"As I talked to my constituents I increasingly understand that they perceive we are ruled by a vocal, minority elite, who are disregarding the views of the majority - and they're angry."
Arguably the most inventive speech came from the SNP's Hannah Bardell, who said she was inspired after watching Trainspotting 2.
"Choose Brexit. Choose making up numbers and plastering them against buses. Choose racist sentiment. Choose race crime rising. Choose taking the people of our nations to the polls with nothing written down and no plan."
She concluded: "These are not the choices Scottish people made."
Mrs May is due to trigger Article 50 by the end of March and will begin official Brexit negotiations with EU officials after that.
On Thursday, the Government will publish its white paper setting out its strategy for EU withdrawal.