Michael Gove has warned “winter is coming” if MPs vote against Theresa May’s Brexit deal as expected.
The environment secretary referenced the saying in ‘Game of Thrones’, where cold weather heralds the arrival of an apocalyptic army of the frozen undead, as he tried to persuade Tory backbenchers to back the prime minister.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Tuesday morning, Gove said: “I think if we don’t vote for the deal tonight we will do damage to our democracy by saying to people we are not going to implement a Brexit, and the opportunity that all of us have to live up to our democratic obligations is clear.
“If we don’t vote for the deal tonight, in the words of Jon Snow, ’winter is coming.”
MPs are set to overwhelmingly vote down the prime minister’s deal in the Commons after 7pm.
More than 100 Tory MPs having declared their opposition to the plan hammered out between May and the EU.
The PM has insisted she is focused on winning the vote – telling Conservative rebels on Monday evening they risked handing the keys of No. 10 to Jeremy Corbyn.
The Labour leader has indicated he is ready to table a vote of no-confidence in the government if it loses.
Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said this morning Labour would make the move “soon” after this evening’s vote.
But it would appear unlikely Corbyn’s party can muster enough votes to force a general election.
Both Tory rebels and the DUP have indicated they would continue to back the government.
Downing Street has given little indication as to how the prime minister intends to proceed if she is defeated tonight.
May must table a motion on her Plan B by Monday – although in practice she is unlikely to want to wait that long.
Some reports have suggested she could fly to Brussels – possibly as early as Wednesday – in an attempt to wring out further concessions on the crucial issue of the Northern Ireland “backstop”.
But that could prove problematic if she has suffered a massive defeat, with EU leaders reluctant to give ground if they believe it is simply impossible for her to get the deal through the Commons.
Alternatively, she could to bring back the deal to the Commons for a second – or possibly even a third – time in an attempt to wear down the opposition.
May will make her final appeal when she winds up five days of debate in parliament before MPs head to the division lobbies.
Voting is due to begin at 7pm and could continue for around two hours, depending on how many amendments Speaker John Bercow calls before the final “meaningful vote” on the deal.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, May acknowledged the deal was “not perfect” but urged MPs to give it a “second look”.
With some pro-Remain MPs backing moves to take control of the parliamentary timetable if she is defeated, she warned any attempt by the House to thwart Brexit would be a “subversion of our democracy”.