Brexit news: Theresa May interrogated over no-deal ferry contract at PMQs as Tories lash out over aide's overheard comments

Welcome to The Independent's politics liveblog, where we will be bringing you all the latest updates throughout the day.

One of the big stories today - MPs have launched separate bids to stop Theresa May running down the clock on Brexit in an attempt to give parliament control of what should happen if no exit deal is in place by the end of the month.

A cross-party group of senior backbenchers has tabled a motion that would force the government to call a Commons vote in mid-March on whether to pursue a no-deal exit.

More here: 

Another big story this morning is this fascinating tale, where a journalist overheard the PM's chief EU negotiator suggesting MPs could be faced with an extended delay to Brexit unless they back her deal.

ITV News reported that Olly Robbins was overheard in a Brussels hotel bar telling colleagues the EU would probably give the government an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process.

In comments that will enrage Brexiteers - who are already suspicious of Robbins - he was said to have indicated that if MPs did not vote for a deal, then the delay to the UK's final departure would be "a long one".

"The issue is whether Brussels is clear on the terms of extension. In the end they will probably just give us an extension," he was quoted as saying.

"Got to make them believe that the week beginning end of March... Extension is possible but if they don't vote for the deal then the extension is a long one..."

Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay said reports of OIly Robbins' comments did not reflect Ms May's strategy.

He told the Today programme: "The prime minister has been very clear that we are committed to leaving on March 29."

Mr Barclay, who met senior MEPs in Strasbourg on Tuesday, added: "What came over was actually that it is not in anyone's interests to have an extension without any clarity.

"It is actually very disruptive to the European Parliament.

"They have obviously elections for the parliament and a commission that will be formed at the end of May, so there is no desire on the European side to see what one described to me as an 'extension in darkness', where there is no clarity as to why we are extending."

A leaked list has revealed that only six of the 40 EU trade deals are on course to be signed off by Brexit day - despite promises from international trade secretary Liam Fox that he is ready to push the button on 40 deals.

There has been concern about whether deals are ready to be rolled over on March 29 for some time. We wrote about it recently here.

But this document sets out the state of play in rather stark terms...

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has been looking at the Olly Robbins row and he picks up on a really interesting extra line.

As well as the warnings of the 'long' delay to Brexit, Mr Robbins also sparked a second controversy by suggesting the backstop – designed to avoid a hard border in Ireland – was conceived as a “bridge” to the future relationship.

The comment was seen as revealing it is meant as the basis of a permanent relationship, which could keep the UK in an EU customs union, something Ms May denies.

Read the full piece here: 

The Press Association has written a helpful profile of Olly Robbins, the civil servant who has hit the headlines over his reported remarks in a Brussels bar.

Whenever Theresa May heads to Brussels on Brexit business the cameras keep her front and centre, but there will be often be another person just out of shot - Olly Robbins.

Known as the mandarin's mandarin, Mr Robbins has been the PM's indispensable Europe adviser since she took personal charge of the negotiations over Britain's departure from the EU.

Reputed to be the only person in Whitehall to fully grasp the complexities of the British negotiating position, Mr Robbins heads the Cabinet Office Europe Unit.

Crucially - the unelected civil servant is widely distrusted by Brexiteers, who have accused him of trying to engineer the softest possible break with the EU.

And while his mastery of the detail may be unrivalled, some have also questioned whether he has the required experience negotiating in the corridors and backrooms of Brussels.

Mr Robbins originally worked under former Brexit secretary David Davis but moved to Downing Street in September 2017.

Some in the Leave camp believe he was the true architect of the doomed Chequers plan, drawn up in the Cabinet Office while Mr Davis and other Brexit ministers were kept in the dark.

Prior to his Brexit role Mr Robbins had a long Civil Service career, working under every prime minister since Tony Blair, when he served as the Labour leader's principal private secretary.

Aged 43, the Oxford graduate has held senior roles in the Treasury and Home Office and was also deputy national security adviser under David Cameron.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer was also on the Today programme, where he claimed the PM was trying to edge towards March 21 and then put her deal against a no-deal Brexit in the final weeks.

"Parliament needs to say 'That's not on'," he said.

Labour's amendment would force the PM on February 26 either to put her deal to a vote or allow parliament to take control, he said.

Sir Keir said Labour would also support the amendment put forward by Yvette Cooper, which would force the PM to put the choice of no-deal or an Article 50 extension to the Commons if she has not sealed a deal by the middle of March.

"We will support that...The sense that this can't be allowed to go on is growing."

But he sidestepped the question of whether frontbenchers who fail to vote for the Cooper amendment would be sacked, saying: "The job of deciding what people do on the whip is the chief whip's job, along with Jeremy Corbyn."

He said the option of a second referendum remains on the table for Labour.

"In reality, for the Labour Party, the only credible options now left are a close economic relationship - that's the sort of relationship we spelt out in the letter to the Prime Minister last week - or a public vote."

He declined to comment on reports a reference to a referendum was removed by the leader's office from Jeremy Corbyn's letter to the PM.

"The letter set out the close economic relationship in detail, it was credible, it's been well received in the UK and the EU," said Sir Keir.

"We made absolutely clear the next day - I said so, Jeremy Corbyn sent an email to all members - that a public vote is an option still on the table."

New divisions are emerging that threaten to plunge the government into infighting - whether you should scrape the mould off a jar of jam.

Political Twitter is completely divided over the fact Theresa May told her cabinet she would remove mouldy jam and eat what was underneath.

PMQs is coming at midday, where we hope keen jam-maker Jeremy Corbyn will tackle the topic everyone is talking about.

Then two urgent questions, on EU trade deals and the collapse of power-sharing in Northern Ireland.