Brexit news - live: MPs vote for June extension as May meets Merkel and Macron ahead of crunch Brussels summit

Simon Coveney, Ireland's foreign minister, has said Theresa May will need to put forward a clear "plan" for how a delay to Brexit would be used if she is to secure the EU's agreement for another extension. 

Speaking as he arrived at an EU meeting in Luxembourg, Mr Coveney said: 

"EU leaders this week are open to an extension, but they certainly want to see a plan to go with that extension, so that everybody knows that the time is being used to try to conclude the first phase of Brexit, which requires the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and, if necessary, changes to the future relationship declaration."

He said EU leaders welcomed Ms May having "moved onto a new path" by opening talks with Labour, adding:

"She has reached out to the Labour Party. These talks are serious. My information is that the two parties are talking very seriously to each other.

"There isn't an outcome yet, that's pretty clear. But I think what leaders will want to hear from the British prime minister is that there is either some agreement or else a serious process under way that has a realistic chance of success.

"What I mean by that is a middle-ground position that can command a majority in Westminster, which of course hasn't been possible to date."

NEW: Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, has warned that the UK remaining in a customs union with the EU would be "the worst of both worlds".

Amid reports that Theresa May is ready to agree to Labour's demands for a customs union with the EU, Mr Fox wrote to the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs stating his opposition to such a move. The minister also addressed the committee last week. 

In the letter, he wrote:

"We would be stuck in the worst of both Worlds, not only unable to set our own international trade policy but subject, without representation, to the policy of an entity over which MPs would have no democratic control. 

This is something that Labour do not presently seem to understand. As I said at the meeting, in such a scenario the UK would have a new role in the global trading system.

As I said at the meeting, in such a scenario the UK would have a new role in the global trading system - we ourselves would be traded. As the famous saying in Brussels goes, if you are not at the table, you are on the menu."

Arriving at the EU meeting in Luxembourg, Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok echoes some of his other European counterparts by insisting Theresa May will need to "make clear" how she will use a delay to Brexit if she is to convince the EU to agree to an extension. 

He said:

"It's in the Dutch interest to avoid a hard Brexit and if more time will be needed to avoid a hard Brexit we should allow for more time.

Most important is that the UK makes clear what solution they will offer to avoid a hard Brexit.

Until now we only have the request for an extension but we are hoping for a specific plan from the UK side of how to avoid a hard Brexit."

Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, has dismissed any suggestion that the Northern Ireland backstop could be altered or the Withdrawal Agreement renegotiated.

It comes after a Brexiteer MP told the BBC they believed that German chancellor Angela Merkel is willing to put a five-year time limit on the backstop.

Mr Barnier said:

"The Withdrawal Agreement is not going to be reopened, is not up for negotiation again. That continues to be the case.

"The Political Declaration, which will set the framework for future relations, can be improved, we can provide an increased level of ambition if that is the wish of the UK.

"There is one point that needs to be stated quite clearly and that is that these ambitions for the future relationship, which could - for example - consist of adding to the free trade agreement on which we have agreed with the UK already a customs union, a genuine customs union.

"We are willing to improve and amend the Political Declaration rapidly, within a few hours or days."

Chancellor Philip Hammond and his Labour counterpart, John McDonnell, will join Brexit talks today, according to ITV.

A bit more information on today's Brexit talks between the government and Labour...

The prime minister's spokesman told this morning's Westminster briefing that talks will continue today and will involve Philip Hammond, the chancellor, and Michael Gove, the environment secretary. Theresa May's deputy, David Lidington, business secretary Greg Clark, Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay and chief whip Julian Smith will also take part.

VIDEO: Theresa May has arrived in Berlin for talks with Angela Merkel

Arriving at the EU meeting in Luxembourg, French Europe minister Amélie de Montchalin warns that a delay to Brexit beyond this week "is neither agreed nor automatic".

Like several of her counterparts, she also insists the UK must first explain why it wants the extension.

She said:

“The UK has asked for an extension. The French position hasn't changed. We consider this demand is neither agreed nor automatic. It's very important it comes with a credible political plan which will pass during the extension.

We want to understand what the UK needs this extension for and what is the political surroundings to have this extension. Then comes the question of the conditions; what role the UK wants to play during this extension time, how does it want to decide."

During Treasury questions in the Commons, Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, confirms that the benefits freeze will end from April 2020, at which point "increases will resume in line with inflation".

The government is under pressure to bring forward the change and instead lift the benefit cap from this April. It has been in place since 2016 and has been blamed by charities for pushing 400,000 people into poverty.

  ↵Story: Customs union would leave UK 'stuck in worst of both worlds', says Liam Fox