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Conservative Brexiteer Peter Bone asks what legal obligations there are to pay the EU £39bn to leave the bloc.

Geoffrey Cox says that an orderly exit from the EU "would always require a withdrawal agreement along these lines."

If the Withdrawal Agreement is defeated, then it "will have to return" with "much the same form" and "the same content".

Conservative Remainer Anna Soubry says that a "good negotiation is something that settles things" and is something which the "majority can positively support". She says the deal "satisfies no-one probably in this House".

"The Withdrawal Agreement and the backstop are the first and necessary precondition of any solution," Mr Cox replies.

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House of Commons
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The attorney general says there is an "inconsistency" in the suggestion by some that the EU would seek to trap the UK in the backstop while also looking out for its own interests.

"The only real thing that is in the best interest of any nation or any organisation of nations is to have good relations and cooperation with your neighbours." To entrap the UK in the backstop would be completely counter to that, he says.

"Any future relationship will depend on good faith and goodwill."

The EU would not be able to access British waters for fishing whilst the backstop was in place, he says, while the UK would actually still get tariff-free access to the single market without paying into it.

Tory MP Sir Edward Leigh says many MPs are deeply concerned regardless. "If we can have an end date to the backstop, we can move forward," he says.

He urges the government to accept his amendment, which would allow for the termination of the backstop.

Mr Cox says the amendment would not be compatible with international law obligations, "and would therefore be likely to not be seen by the European Union as ratification".

The fact of the matter is that the EU would like to avoid the backstop as well, he says.

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In July 2018 Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox became the government's new attorney general, following Theresa May's emergency Cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Cox has been an MP since 2005. and before his appointment as attorney general, worked as a barrister.

He surged in popularity after appearing as the warm-up act for Theresa May at the Conservative Party conference in the autumn, quoting the poet John Milton as he urged the UK to seize the "precious prize" on offer from Brexit.

In December, Geoffrey Cox appeared before the Commons to defend the PM's Brexit deal as MPs tried to force him to publish his full legal advice given to the government on Brexit.

His booming voice has attracted great attention on social media, although today the Speaker interrupts Mr Cox's speech to say whilst he "enjoys" Mr Cox's "performances", he should be facing MPs and not waving his arms around.

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Geoffrey Cox says that the document "secures the rights of one million British citizens living in the European Union" and three million EU citizens living in the UK.

The document "provides for a period of adjustment" to "allow our businesses" and institutions to "adjust to the new realities".

These parts of the Withdrawal Agreement are "essential" for the "bridge for our departure from the European Union," he adds.

Independent Northern Irish MP Lady Sylvia Hermon says that in the AG's advice to the government, he described the backstop as "an instrument of pain" for the government and EU.

Mr Cox says that the "two grounds of objection" to the deal are "typical misconceptions".

"It is said for example that the CJEU (Court of Justice of the European Union) retains jurisdiction over our courts," he says.

"It does not! It does not! It does not, it does not, how many times do I have to say it?" he asks.

Once obligations have wound down, the CJEU will have no jurisdiction over the UK's laws.

"This is what our people voted for," he says.

The Speaker could have selected all the amendments to be voted on tonight, but he only chose four.

There has been speculation about the government supporting amendments proposed by backbench Conservative MPs.

One political journalist thinks this is what has happened:

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DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds says the attorney general has confirmed that "legally binding assurances" haven't been achieved on the backstop, despite the delayed vote.

"From our point of view, the thing that would have been essential to get this matter through the House with our support wasn't even asked for - which would have been the changes that will eliminate the trap of the backstop."

Mr Cox says the legal equation remains the same. "The assurances are binding" in that they are a legally interpretative tool, he says, but they do not alter the fundamental meaning of the provisions of the withdrawal agreement, "in that respect he is right".

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Food, Environment and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay are on the frontbench this afternoon, listening to Geoffrey Cox opening the debate.

The government had indicated it would back an amendment proposed by Conservative MP Sir Hugo Swire, which accepts the government's deal as the EU Withdrawal Bill but includes provisions to:

• Make the government report to Parliament in March 2020 on the status of the arrangements to supersede the Northern Ireland backstop.
• Give Parliament a vote on whether to extend the 21-month post-Brexit transition period, which would end in December 2020
• Give Parliament a vote on whether to implement the backstop
• Impose "a duty" on the government to agree a future relationship with the EU, or alternative arrangements, within one year of the backstop coming into force.

The Speaker did not select Sir Hugo Swire's amendment.

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Attorney General Geoffrey Cox tells MPs that they should "not underestimate the complexity of disentanglement" from 45 years of legal integration with the EU, with the deal providing legal certainty for the "winding down" of this integration.

In the event of no deal, he says thousands of contracts, transactions and administrations would be "plunged" into legal uncertainty. It would be the "height of irresponsibility" to consider allowing such a situation.

"We are playing with peoples' lives," he warns. "We cannot underestimate the complexity of what we are embarked upon doing."

"Do we opt for order or do we choose chaos?" he asks, urging MPs to back the deal.

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Conservative Sir Hugo Swire says that the non-selection of his amendment and the amendment from Tory MP Dr Andrew Murrison makes it "harder" for wavering MPs to support the government's proposed deal.

Geoffrey Cox says that he has reflected on the backstop, which he says is a necessary "risk".

Conservative Mark Francois says that the backstop is now being added to "an airlock", he asks if there is going to be a "buy one get one free".

Geoffrey Cox replies that the backstop is required to prevent throwing businesses and people into uncertainty.

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The prime minister is on the front bench in the Commons, looking on as the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox introduces the last day of debate on the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

(She'll be winding up the debate, before voting starts from about 1900 GMT.)

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BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley explains what time we can expect the vote result later.

He adds, referring to the Murrison amendment: "BUT speaker has not selected the amendment that would have put an end date on backstop - which was being backed by many Tories as a possible way to limit damage on government."