Brexit vote: MPs vote for Theresa May to renegotiate Irish backstop with EU

MPs are now voting on the final amendment of the night, by Tory backbench organiser Sir Graham Brady. This is an important amendment and could go right down to the wire.

It seeks to remove the Irish backstop from the Brexit deal and replace it with "alternative arrangements" - as yet unspecified.

Theresa May has whipped Tory MPs to back it and the ERG and DUP have also said they could support it.

Here are the 14 Labour MPs and 3 independents who helped to vote down Yvette Cooper's bid. 

Graham Brady's amendment has won by 317 votes to 301, a majority of 16 votes.

Here's the moment it happened:

Theresa May said there is now a way forward and the House has made that clear tonight.

Simply opposing a deal is not enough to stop it, she said. May invites all those who tabled no-deal amendments to work with her to find a deal. She also extends her invitation for talks to Jeremy Corbyn again.

"Tonight a majority of members have said they would support a deal with changes to the backstop combined with measures to address concerns over parliament's role in the negotiation of the future relationship and commitments on workers' rights in law where need be," May said.

"It's now clear there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority in this House for leaving the EU with a deal.

"We will now take this mandate forward and seek to obtain legally binding changes to the withdrawal agreement that deal with concerns on the backstop while guaranteeing no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland."

Jeremy Corbyn said it was clear that there was no appetite for no-deal and he vowed to meet her for talks.

Ian Blackford, of the SNP, is now on his feet, delivering a furious speech. He says Scotland has been "shafted" by the government and the Tories have "ripped up" the Good Friday Agreement.

Sir Vince Cable, the Lib Dem leader, said MPs have given May contradictory instructions by voting to avoid no-deal but also sending her back to Brussels with a negotiating position that is likely to result in a no-deal.

And like clockwork, the EU has poured cold water on the plan. 

Here's the latest from Europe from my colleague in Brussels, Jon Stone. He says the EU has given the plans short shrift.

Ex-foreign secretary Boris Johnson has told Sky News that the PM received a mandate from parliament with a "clear, unambiguous" message that the backstop had to be removed from the withdrawal agreement.

He said: "I hope that our friends in Brussels will listen and that they will make that change.

"It is no skin off their nose to do it, there is no reason at all why at this advanced stage in the negotiations they shouldn't give the UK the changes that we need."

Seven Labour Brexiteeers voted with the government for the Brady amendment - Ian Austin. Kevin Barron, Jim Fitzpatrick, Roger Godsiff, Kate Hoey, John Mann and Graham Stringer.

Frank Field and Kelvin Hopkins, both ex-Labour MPs who now sit as independents, also voted for the amendment. Ex Lib Dem MP Stephen Eastbourne also sided with Brady.

Eight Tory MPs rebelled against May by opposing Brady - Heidi Allen, Guto Bebb, Ken Clarke, Dominic Grieve, Philip Lee, Anne-Marie Morris, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston.