The meaningful vote and beyond: a guide to the ratification process in the UK Parliament.

On Tuesday, 11 December 2018, the UK Parliament will hold a ‘meaningful vote’ on whether to approve the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future relationship, which together constitute the Brexit deal agreed upon by the British and EU negotiators.

The House of Commons vote is widely recognised as representing a significant challenge for Prime Minister Theresa May. This is due to a number of factors, not least the divisive nature of the deal and the composition of the House, which sees a fractured Tory party supported by the Democratic Unionist Party, who have expressed deep hostility to the deal.

This briefing outlines the ratification process, and analyses some of the potential outcomes of the ‘meaningful vote’, before identifying the next steps in the Brexit process.