Brexit: Ex-minister outlines plan for MPs to seize control of EU withdrawal as Brussels issues warning over Irish border
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Your support makes all the difference.MPs are drawing the battle lines for a potential extension to the Article 50 process and “indicative votes” on a fresh EU referendum, as they table rival Brexit plans ahead of a Commons clash next week.
It comes after Theresa May was warned that up to 40 government ministers could resign if she refuses to allow them to vote for a plan that would prevent a no-deal scenario on 29 March.
Speaking on Monday, Ms May vowed again to seek changes to the Irish border backstop – leading to Jeremy Corbyn to compare her statement to “Groundhog Day”, adding it was like last week’s crushing defeat on her Brexit deal “never happened”.
For events as they happened, see our live coverage below
Theresa May’s de-facto former deputy, Damian Green, has said he was “looking at” whether to support the Cooper and Grieve amendments, widely seen as attempts to put the Commons in control of the Brexit process.
Speaking on the BBC's World at One, he added: “They are designed to act as backstops, in case there’s not a deal, to make sure we don’t just crash out with no deal.
“I have a large degree of sympathy with what lies behind that. Whether they actually do the trick technically, and what the constitutional implications are for the future, I think needs some hard thought.”
David Gauke, the justice secretary, reportedly used today's cabinet meeting to cast doubt over Theresa May's Brexit strategy.
According to The Spectator, Mr Gauke suggested that changes to the controversial Northern Ireland backstop still wouldn't be enough to get Ms May's deal through parliament.
He has previously called for a series of "indicative votes" in parliament to establish what the Commons might support.
A no-deal Brexit would lead to a hard border being introduced between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
Margaritis Schinas told reporters:
"If you like to push me and speculate on what might happen in a no-deal scenario in Ireland, I think it's pretty obvious, you will have a hard border.
"Our commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and everything that we have been doing for years with our tools, instruments and programmes will have to take inevitably into account this fact.
"So, of course, we are for peace, of course we stand behind the Good Friday Agreement, but that's what a no-deal scenario would entail."
EU confirms it would enforce a hard border in Ireland if there is a no-deal Brexit
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has welcomed the announcement earlier on proxy voting for pregnant women and new mothers as a "momentous change".
Nearly 400 civil servants have been cut from the Department for Health since the EU referendum.
The SNP's Chris Stephens uncovered official figures showing a reduction of 385 Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) civil servants in a parliamentary question.
It's also been revealed that £1m has been spent on fridges to be used by the department to stockpile medicines in the event of a no deal Brexit.
Official figures show DHSC employed 1,589 civil servants as of 20th December 2018, compared to 1,974 civil servants on 23rd June 2016.
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