Brexit debate live: MPs to vote to vote on EU nationals' status after Brexit

Welcome to The Independent's live blog on the final day of debate in the House of Commons over the bill to trigger Article 50, giving Theresa May the power to formally start the process of Brexit.

At 8pm tonight, the House of Commons is set to approve a bill authorising the start of exit talks with the European Union — a major step on the road to Brexit. 

The bill sailed through a vote at its first reading last week and is very likely to pass and move to the House of Lords, keeping the Government on track for triggering Article 50 by 31 March. 

Wednesday's vote comes after three days of debate in which every attempted amendment to guarantee Parliament a bigger role in the divorce process has failed. 

The Government did appear to bow to pressure in promising MPs a final vote on an exit deal before it is sent to be rubber-stamped by the EU. 

Yet Labour later criticised the Government for planning to present the deal as a "take it or leave it" choice, in which MPs either vote in favour or see the UK fall back on WTO trade terms with the EU - a move that could potentially be disastrous for the economy.

The Government has been accused of “conning” MPs into backing their plans for Brexit without offering them a meaningful vote on any deal to leave the European Union.

Tory rebels and Labour had been due to gang up in Parliament tonight in an attempt to force ministers to give MPs the power to send Theresa May back to the negotiating table if she fails to secure a good deal.

The Government headed off the rebellion by 326 votes to 293 after earlier promising that MPs would in fact be given a vote on the deal. Brexit minister David Jones had sought to satisfy would-be rebels by saying that MPs would be given a vote before negotiations were concluded and the final deal was put to the European Parliament.

The move was enough to stop wider scale backing for aLabour amendment calling for parliamentary approval of any new relationship with the EU.

But critics have suggested that parliament had been “duped” by the apparent concession.

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson confirmed to journalists at an official briefing that the Government had in fact not changed its position and was only offering a “take-it-or-leave-it” vote. The rejection of any deal at that stage would see the UK crash out of the EU and make it subject to World Trade Organisation rules – making it of no meaningful use to opponents of hard Brexit. 

Labour MP Angela Eagle described the promised vote as a “Hobson’s choice not a proper choice” – a reference to Thomas Hobson, a 17th century stable owner who offered customers the choice of one horse or none at all.

Meanwhile, the Labour party has dismissed reports overnight which suggested Jeremy Corbyn had decided to stand down as leader.

There was “no truth” to claims that Mr Corbyn has privately set a date to step down, sources close to the Labour leader have said.

An unnamed Labour source told the Manchester Evening Newsnewspaper that “maneuvering” was taking place within Labour’s left wing as the possibility of a successor reared it’s head.

“Am told Corbyn has given a departure date to his close circle. Hence the frenzy,” the paper’s social affairs editor Jen Williams tweeted.

In the interests of “disclosure” she added that the claim was “single sourced”.

Multiple Labour sources toldThe Independent that the claim was untrue, however.

One Labour source said the claim was "sh*t-stirring bol**cks".

This morning, shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer insisted Labour had secured a valuable concession from the Government on a final deal vote.

Mr Starmer said the parliamentary vote on the terms of Ms May's Brexit negotiations could force the PM back to the negotiating table, and he suggested it meant she would not dare come back with nothing.

“The idea the prime minister would seriously say in 2019: ‘Well, rather than go back and see if I can improve and satisfy parliament I will simply crash out’ that would be a reckless act,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Parliament will tonight vote on the final amendments to the Brexit bill. Mr Starmer said his party was largely satisfied with the concessions the government had made. ”It wasn’t everything we wanted but it was new,” he said.

Mr Starmer said the prospect of Ms May returning with a deal that would not satisfy parliament was unlikely, and that it would be a “very serious situation” for the prime minister to be in.

“She would have to reflect on that and if it was five months to run before the deadline I think most people would say it’s reckless at that stage to throw her toys out of the pram and say I’m not even prepared to see if I can improve on what I have got,” he said.

Labour will impose a three-line whip on its MPs, ordering them to vote in favour of the bill allowing the Government to trigger Article 50.

The decision to do so - before the final discussion of possible amendments had even been completed - has been called in to question.

Mr Starmer insisted this morning that Labour was "chipping away" at the Government's hard brexit position.

And Mr Corbyn has yet to announce whether he will sack 10 junior shadow ministers and three whips - enforcers charged with instilling party discipline - who defied his orders to vote for the Article 50 bill last week.

Asked on Sunday whether they would lose their jobs, he said he would make the position clear later in the week, but stressed he was a "lenient" man.

One of the key issues expected to be up for debate in the Commons this afternoon is the Government's refusal to commit to protecting the right of EU nationals currently living in Britain to stay after Brexit.

Backbench Tory MPs, Labour's Harriet Harman and Vote Leave co-chairwoman Gisela Stuart have all called in recent days for Theresa May to "set the tone" by giving the guarantee before formal talks with Brussels kick off.

The Opposition is seeking to amend the Bill allowing the Prime Minister to start formal Brexit talks by including the pledge - with any votes on the matter expected today.​

Britain's refusal to unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU nationals is damaging the economy and there is an "overwhelming ethical case" to make the pledge, a senior Tory has said.

Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, said EU nationals living in Britain should not be used as "bargaining chips" in the Brexit negotiations.

Labour's amendment - new clause six - says the rights of EU nationals living in the UK would be guaranteed on the date when Article 50 is invoked to begin the two-year formal negotiations for EU withdrawal.

A separate Labour amendment calls for the rights of Britons living in EU member states to be guaranteed as part of Brexit talks.

Ms Harman, who has tabled new clause 57 to protect the rights of EU nationals living in the UK, said the guarantee would put an end to the uncertainty millions have been plunged into.

Ms Harman, who chairs the Joint Committee on Human Rights, said EU nationals have put down roots in Britain, where many have lived for decades and have had children.

She said: "It is unthinkable that they would be deported, their families divided, because we have decided to leave the EU."

PMQs is under way now. 

Jeremy Corbyn begins by asking about the crisis in NHS accident and emergency units.

He asks how closing A&E departments will tackle overcrowding.

Theresa May begins by thanking the staff of the NHS.

"We recognise the pressures on the NHS," she says, adding that the Government is funding the NHS more than the last Labour government did. She says the government is delivering results.

Corbyn says NHS staff need to be "paid properly", not just congratulated.

People wait up to 13 hrs and 15 mins to be seen at A&E, he says.

Liverpool's adult social care director resigned earlier this week because he "can't see social services surviving after two years".

"What advice does the government have to the people of Liverpool?" he asks.

May says that compared to 2010, there are more doctors and nurses in Blackburn hospitals.

She says waiting times are more of an issue not in England, but in Wales - where Labour has devolved power over health services.