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As it happenedended

Damian Green resigns - as it happened: Theresa May's deputy quits as MPs vote on Brexit Bill

All the updates from Westminster on Wednesday - as they happened

Benjamin Kentish
Political Correspondent
,Lizzy Buchan
Wednesday 20 December 2017 04:43 EST
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Theresa May appears to downplay seriousness of homelessness that is not rough sleeping

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Damian Green has resigned as the First Secretary of State after admitting he made “misleading” statements about pornography found on his Commons computer.

Mr Green described allegations that he downloaded or viewed pornography on his parliamentary computer as "unfounded and deeply hurtful", but admitted he had not been clear in his past statements on the issue.

Meanwhile, Theresa May has been accused of trying to wriggle out of giving MPs a "meaningful vote" on the terms of the Brexit deal, after she repeatedly dodged calls to guarantee it by senior MPs.

Ms May underwent a 90-minute grilling by the Liaison Committee - the only Commons committee able to compel the Prime Minister to give evidence - where Brexit, social care and sexual harassment featured heavily on the agenda.

She also faced Jeremy Corbyn for the last Prime Minister's Questions clash of the year, where Ms May struggled on homelessness figures before admitting that Brexit could be delayed in "exceptional circumstances".

Rounding off the day, MPs are debating the eighth - and final - day of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill's committee stage, where efforts to amend the bill by Tory rebels appear to have been thwarted by the Government.

For all the latest updates, see below:

Back to the PM, who is now facing questions from Frank Field, chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.

He says Brexit is taking up all of May's time and compares the challenge to the Second World War. He says Winston Churchill did not concern himself with other matters but made sure they were provided for.

The PM says she is good at multi-tasking and repeats her commitment to domestic matters.

Lizzy Buchan20 December 2017 16:48

Maria Miller, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, is now asking about sexual harassment.

May says there is no 'silver bullet' but there are things Government can do. When asked about non-disclosure agreements, she says attempts to block whistleblowers are unenforceable but there are conditions that are helpful to settling workplace disputes.

Lizzy Buchan20 December 2017 16:55

Some complaints on Twitter from hacks that Ms May is blocking questions. PA news editor Richard Woodward highlights how the BBC has moved away from the committee to a much more important topic.

Lizzy Buchan20 December 2017 16:56

Lizzy Buchan20 December 2017 16:58

Final questions focus on national security adviser Mark Sedwill, who has refused to give evidence to the Defence Committee. The chairs are not happy and urge the PM to sort it out.

And that's it from the Liaison Committee.

The PM is now off to the 1922 committee - more on what that means here.

Lizzy Buchan20 December 2017 17:01
Lizzy Buchan20 December 2017 17:32

Speaking in the Commons, Anna Soubry laments the fact that real debate about Brexit has only taken place now - many months after the referendum result.

She says people did not properly discuss the consequences of leaving the single market and customs union and claims there is a "grave danger" in interpreting the Leave vote as the public wanting to leave the trading bloc.

Such an argument is "gravely insulting to British business", she adds. 

Kristin Hugo20 December 2017 20:18

BREAKING: Damian Green, Theresa May's deputy, has resigned after an investigation concluded that he had breached the ministerial code.

The deputy prime minister was the subject of a Cabinet Office investigation into claims he inappropriately touched a female journalist's knee and stored pornography on his office computer. 

Kristin Hugo20 December 2017 20:50

Kristin Hugo20 December 2017 20:54

In a letter to Mr Green, Theresa May said she had asked him to resign after an investigation found he had made statements that were "inaccurate and misleading". 

She added: "It is therefore with deep regret, and enduring gratitude for the contribution you have made over many years, that I have asked you to resign from the Government and have accepted your resignation."

Kristin Hugo20 December 2017 21:00

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