Brexit news: Theresa May secures ‘legally binding’ changes to EU deal after last-ditch Strasbourg visit
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has secured “legally-binding’’ changes to her Brexit deal after an eleventh-hour dash to Strasbourg on the eve of a dramatic Commons vote.
In a late-night press conference with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, Ms May urged MPs to back her “improved” deal in the meaningful vote tomorrow after pledging she had secured reassurances that the UK would not be trapped in the Irish backstop.
Cabinet Office minister David Lidington set out details of some of the changes agreed with Brussels in a Commons statement as he tried to buy the prime minister time to finish her talks before the Commons rose for the night.
It comes ahead of a parliamentary showdown on Ms May’s Brexit deal on Tuesday, which returns to the Commons after it was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs in January.
As speculation mounts over a fresh humiliation for Ms May, all eyes will be on the Brexiteers and her DUP allies to see if the changes the prime minister has secured will be enough to get the deal over the line.
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Some thoughts from our Europe correspondent Jon Stone, who is standing by for white smoke.
Lucy Frazer, the justice minister, is wrapping things up in the Commons. Lots of cabinet ministers are arriving ahead of a statement by David Lidington, the de-facto deputy PM.
She is trying to speak for as long as possible to give the PM as long as possible to make her statement. Cabinet ministers are on the benches, including Philip Hammond, the chancellor.
David Lidington says he can provide an update on what has been achieved.
The PM and the Brexit secretary have achieved legally binding changes which strengthen and improve the deal, he says.
Tonight, the government will be laying two new documents - a joint legally binding instrument on the Brexit deal and a joint statement to supplement the political declaration, he says.
The first will confirm the EU cannot trap the UK in the backstop indefinitely. If the EU did this, the UK could bring a formal dispute through independent arbitration.
It commits to replace the backstop with alternative arrangements by 2020, setting out explicitly that these new arrangements do not have to replicate the backstop.
Second document supplements the political declaration, Lidington says. It sets how negotiations on alternative arrangements will be carried out.
Lidington says talks are ongoing. He also says he understands MPs will want to study these documents and they will have a chance to questions the government during the debate tomorrow.
MPs will want the attorney general Geoffrey Cox to consider these carefully, rather than rush it out, he says.
The government will also table the motion for the meaningful vote tonight. The vote will take place tomorrow.
MPs will face a fundamental choice tomorrow between an 'improved deal or to plunge this country into a political crisis', he says. MPs roar and groan at this - quite reasonably some might argue.
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the change "adds nothing" from the letter the PM brought back on January 14.
He said: "If all that's happening is to turn this letter into an interpretative tool for legal purposes, I remind the House what the prime minister said on January 14 about this letter.
"She said she had been advised this letter would have legal force in international law.
"To stand here today and say this is a significant change when she's repeating what she said on January 14 is not going to take anyone here far."
Nigel Dodds, DUP Westminster leader, said it was clearly a 'partial statement' as negotiations were still underway. He asks when the element of the talks that was 'extremely important' would conclude.
He said the party would analyse the final documents 'very carefully'.
Mr Lidington said he hoped that those talks conclude before the end of exchanges on the statement.
Other Brexiteers are also reacting to the news:
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