Brexit debate live: MPs to vote to vote on EU nationals' status after Brexit
Theresa May said she wants the nationals' issue sorted out at the start of negotiations
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.MPs are debating Brexit and will consider amendments about the fate of EU nationals in the UK after Brexit. They are also expected to approve what could be the last Commons hurdle of the Article 50 Bill – giving the Government the power to begin Brexit.
The latest updates are:
- MPs to vote on amendment to guarantee EU nationals' status
- Third reading vote also due this evening
- Senior Labour ally to Corbyn hints at quitting over Brexit vote
- Government 'dupes' MPs into clearing the way for hard Brexit
- Starmer says May 'won't dare' come back empty-handed
- Tory Brexit rebels hail ministers' climbdown
- Labour dismisses Corbyn quit date claims
The Government was last night 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 a Labour 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.
The SNP's home affairs spokesperson Joanna Cherry is objecting to the amount of time SNP MPs are getting to speak in the Brexit debate.
This is antagonising some Tory MPs. Mark Harper says he wants to set the record straight and that "she wasn't prevented from speaking".
MPs are getting quite short with each other with lots of shouting out of turn.
Conservative MP Ed Vaizey, who supported Remain, is warning that British farmers won't want to sign up to a trade deal with the US because of the country's rather different food standards.
He said free trade deals would "not be without their controversies".
When it does come to negotiating a free trade treaty ... it strikes me as not being aware of what happens in the real world to think that our farmers for example will simply sign up without a murmer to free trade treaties with countries like the United States who have very different welfare standards to ours.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments