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

The NHS has said it will cancel blood donation sessions in Dover and Folkestone for two months while Britain exits the EU.

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Earlier, Labour issued a statement saying it would support Peterborough residents to launch a recall petition against disgraced MP Fiona Onasanya. The ex-Labour MP was jailed for three months today for lying to the police over speeding offences.

Labour said they would begin the process of selecting a candidate for the "inevitable by-election".

A spokesperson said: “Fiona Onasanya has let the voters of Peterborough down.

“When she was found guilty she should have immediately done the decent thing and resigned.

“However today’s sentence gives Fiona one last opportunity to act honourably and resign from parliament. She should do this without delay and not take another penny in salary from the public purse.

“If Fiona does not resign, Labour will support local residents in their efforts to trigger a by-election through a recall petition.

“Labour will fight any by-election vigorously. The people of Peterborough voted for a Labour MP, and that is what they deserve."

On the Fiona Onasanya case, a Conservative spokesman said: "She cannot possibly represent her constituents from prison and should do the decent thing and immediately step down.

“If she doesn’t, we will campaign to use a recall petition to ensure that the residents of Peterborough can have their say in a by-election for a new MP."

Leo Varadkar said he would speak to the PM to see "what the next steps are" after MPs vote on Brexit on Tuesday night.

The Taoiseach spoke to Theresa May on Tuesday morning.

During Leaders Questions in the Irish parliament he was quizzed about a nursing strike scheduled for Wednesday and demands for pay increases. He cited uncertainties posed by Brexit and the need to be fair to Irish taxpayers.

"We could find ourselves in 10 or 12 weeks' time needing to find a lot of money to save people's jobs."

Earlier, ex-attorney general Dominic Grieve attacked the Graham Brady amendment as "displacement activity".

The Tory MP for Beaconsfield, whose own amendment will also be voted on tonight said: "It's very tempting to be told you should just vote for [the Brady] amendment N and send some message that we could just be very close to resolving our disagreements with the EU and doing it collectively.

"I do fear that what we're being asked to do this evening in supporting amendment N is a piece of displacement activity, something which I'm afraid this House has specialised in over the last two-and-a-half years.

"Firstly it's quite clear the EU will not negotiate on it, although I do accept that if you don't ask you don't get.

"Secondly even if we were to get the backstop removed... there is a lack of trust about future intention which makes the 29th March completely irrelevant, because the truth is disputes will arise immediately afterwards about the nature of our state and how we relate to those around us."

The DUP were accused of telling people to "go to the chippy instead" if there were food shortages caused by a no-deal Brexit.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said she was angry at the comments from MPs from the Northern Irish party sat on the bench behind her during the Commons debate on the Brexit next steps.

She intervened during a speech by the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford to say: "I'm grateful for him giving way and he's making a very powerful case for what no deal will look like, and amongst that he said that there could be food shortages, and crucially that food prices could go up.

"Does he share my anger with the voices behind me that he perhaps didn't hear, but when he was talking about food prices going up and the fact there could be food shortages, the people behind me were saying 'well let them go to the chippy instead?'

"Does he share my anger about the way our constituents would be affected by a no deal?"

Mr Blackford replied: "I'm sorry to hear that that was a remark that was made.

"You know this is a really important debate and I think there is a responsibility that we take these matters seriously, each and every one of us."

Tory Eurosceptic backbenchers will meet at 6pm to discuss which way they are going to vote on the amendments, a Eurosceptic Research Group says.

This is why MPs are voting on Brexit again tonight – and why this time it really matters, writes Indy political commentator John Rentoul.

A Labour MP is under fire after suggesting people hit by the economic collapse in Venezuela are not “genuinely starving”.

Charities warn that hyperinflation, power cuts and food shortages have left people begging in the streets and driven millions of others out of the country altogether.

But Chris Williamson warned the real threat was “a bloody civil war” that would be “aided and abetted” by Theresa May and Donald Trump, after they called for socialist president Nicolas Maduro to step down.

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Back in the Commons, Tory former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab said he would vote for the Brady amendment to remove the backstop - part of the deal he himself negotiated.

He said: "I want to, for my part, strengthen the hand of this PM and this government in returning to Brussels and I believe that there are a range of changes that would render the Withdrawal Agreement and in particular the backstop acceptable to myself, but also more generally across this House.

"That could be in the form of a sunset mechanism or an exit mechanism over which we exercise control but with assurances to our friends and partners in Dublin around its exercise."

Mr Raab expressed concerns over Ms Cooper's amendment adding it would lead to "understandable fears that actually it is a ruse to reverse or frustrate Brexit".

Mr Raab said he would vote for the Brady amendment, adding: "I want to send the Prime Minister back to Brussels with a strong and clear sense of what we in this House will accept and that is the best way, in fact I think it is the only way to get a deal acceptable to this House and this country."