Brexit news: Theresa May rules out any negotiation with Jeremy Corbyn over customs union demands after meeting with Labour leader

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer has called for Theresa May to hold a vote on the customs union.

Speaking in Dublin ahead of a meeting with Ireland's foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney, he said: "We (Labour) will have to see what happens next, but the point of the exercise is to say there is a majority for a close economic relationship if you are prepared to try to find it, and I said we should test that by having a vote on the customs union.

"The Labour Party has some concerns about the backstop but we absolutely accept that it's inevitable that we need a backstop. At this stage of the exercise the Article 50 window is almost being closed now so we need a backstop.

"The letter was an agreed letter that was sent out. The critical question is: is she, in her response, indicating a willingness to drop her red lines or not? And that's what needs to be tested sooner rather than later."

Chris Grayling - the transport secretary - is now insisting the government has spent no money on a contract is was forced to cancel in response to an urgent question in the Commons.

His opposite number, the shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald, says Mr Grayling "brings a new meaning to the word utter hogwash" and should resign - a call backed by the SNP.

This is the story from the weekend, as the Department for Transport (DfT) scrapped the £13.8m contract with Seaborne Freight which was established to provide extra ferries in order to ease pressure on important freight routes between Dover and Calais - despite the firm having no ships.

Ahead of Tuesday's statement in the House of Commons from Theresa May, the prime minister's supply and confidence partners the DUP have just issued this statement

“Whilst the focus will return to Brexit in Parliament this week, the backstop remains the central problem and it must be dealt with. The Prime Minister has committed to securing legally binding changes to the Withdrawal Agreement. Those changes will be required for Parliament to support any deal. The EU cannot continue to hark back to a proposed deal which was comprehensively rejected by the House of Commons. There is no agreement without Parliament’s support.

Some of the language and rhetoric employed last week was not conducive to making progress and securing the agreement we all want to see. Whether it is the European Council or former UK Prime Ministers, it’s time to dial down the rhetoric and focus on solutions rather than scaremongering. 

Over the next number of weeks the options will become increasingly clear, particularly for the European Union. If the political will is there then an agreement can be achieved. The alternative is to cling to an unacceptable backstop which actually increases the chances of an outcome it was supposedly designed to prevent. It can make no sense for anyone to continue pursuing such a perverse policy.”

An interesting clip has been unearthed of labour leader Jeremy Corbyn from 2010, calling for the European Union to be "defeated". 

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has said that Westminster will be forced to step in to prevent Theresa May from running down the clock before the Brexit date.

The Labour MP said that Parliament will have to intervene with a "hard stop" over concerns Mrs May will attempt to leave MPs with a choice of accepting her deal or crashing out of the European Union without any agreement.

Speaking in Dublin ahead of a series of meetings with unions, business and political leaders, Sir Keir again called on Mrs May to have a vote on the customs union.

The Government will revive the child protection proposals linked to preventing female genital mutilation (FGM) after a Tory MP blocked them in the Commons last week.

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer said the bill will be brought back in Government time "very swiftly", after Sir Christopher Chope objected to it clearing its first Parliamentary hurdle on Friday.

She said it was "disappointing" that her colleague had chosen to do so, as she answered an Urgent Question on the matter from Wera Hobhouse, the Lib Dem MP for Bath who had brought forward the legislation as a Private Member's Bill.

Sir Christopher said he had objected because he felt the proposals had not been properly debated.

Labour's shadow equalities minister Carolyn Harris blasted Sir Christopher, the MP for Christchurch, calling his actions "shocking".

She said his "reputation for objecting to important bills precedes him", after he was involved in a similar controversy last year after objecting to a bill outlawing upskirting.

Ms Harris said she would only refer to him as "gentleman" and not "honourable gentleman" as is convention in the Commons, explaining: "Honourable implies principle, and the member for Christchurch displayed no such principle last Friday in this chamber.

"His objection to the FGM bill sank to new depths."