Boris Johnson news – live: Major blow for prime minister as Commons vote paves way for bill preventing no-deal Brexit
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Your support makes all the difference.Rebel Tories have defied Boris Johnson's threats of deselection to align with opposition MPs and derail his Brexit plans in a historic Commons vote.
MPs voted to seize control of the house agenda, paving the way for a bill to be tabled tomorrow that would prevent the prime minister from crashing the country out of the EU on October 31.
The prime minister's statement to the House earlier this evening was upstaged when Tory MP Dr Phillip Lee dramatically crossed the floor to sit with the Liberal Democrats, depriving him of his majority.
Mr Johnson said he would put in train a motion calling for a general election next month.
Labour have said they may vote in favour of such a poll, but only if they could be certain Mr Johnson would not move the date until after Britain is due to leave on October 31, in effect bringing about a no-deal by default.
He has spoken in favour of freedom of expression and assembly as regards the Hong Kong protests.
Boris Johnson has lost his majority, as Phillip Lee crosses the floor and defects to the Liberal Democrats while he is speaking.
"We are intensifying the pace of meetings in Brussels," says Mr Johnson.
Of the interruptions from across the aisle, Mr Johnson says: "They don't want to hear about the progress we're making."
This address has become somewhat chaotic, with Mr Johnson forced to raise his voice considerably in order to overcome the noise opposite.
"We are ready to find ways forward" that "recognise the reality" of trade across the Ireland-Northern Ireland border, Mr Johnson tells the house.
"It's simply wrong to say we're not making progress," the PM says.
"We will be ready" for no-deal Brexit, Mr Johnson insists, specifically mentioning medicines.
One of his top ministers, Michael Gove, has come under fire today for failing to publish details of the Operation Yellowhammer analysis that warned of shortages in the medical sector as well as of food and fuel.
Mr Johnson has urged MPs to reject "Jeremy Corbyn's surrender bill" - the legislation designed to block no-deal Brexit on which they will vote later today.
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