David Davis: It is 'inconceivable' MPs won't have vote on final Brexit deal

It is "inconceivable" MPs will not have a vote on the UK's final Brexit deal, David Davis told the House of Commons on Wednesday (7 December).

The Brexit Secretary made the admission as he took part in a debate over whether the government should provide more "clarity" over its Brexit plans.

"It is inconceivable to me that this House won't [have a vote on the final Brexit deal if the European Parliament does]," he said.

Labour's Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer has tabled a motion calling on Theresa May and her ministers to unveil a plan before Article 50, the official mechanism to split from the EU, is triggered.

The prime minister has promised to make the move by the end of March 2017, but MPs will have a vote on the issue if the government loses an appeal at the Supreme Court. A final ruling is expected in January.

Davis said the government will "obey the rule of law" whatever the outcome of the historic case.

"We will obey what the court finds, we will ensure that we do the right thing and, as the spokesman for the opposition said, one of the reasons why we are waiting on this outcome is to get precisely right what it is this House has to do," he said.

The senior Eurosceptic also dismissed a suggestion the negotiations should be pushed back because of the French and German general elections in 2017.

"There are 15 elections [of the negotiating period] and, of course, we've already had two events this weekend – a referendum [in Italy] and another election [Austria] – there is no point in that period where an election isn't underway," he said.

The Brexit Secretary's speech came just day after the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michael Barnier said he expected negotiations between the parties to finish in October 2018 and be ratified in March 2019.

"We are entering uncharted waters," the French politician said. "The work will be legally complex, politically sensitive and it will have important consequences for our economies and people on both sides of the [English] Channel."

MPs will vote on amendments and the Brexit "clarity" motion on the Wednesday evening. The SNP, Liberal Democrats and Greens will not back the government's amendment, which includes a clause to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017.