House of Commons
Parliament

The Speaker has provisionally selected four amendments.

• Amendment A (Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's amendment) which rejects the deal because it fails to provide a permanent customs union and "strong single market deal", as set out in Labour's "six tests", rejects leaving with no deal and resolves to "pursue every option" that prevents either no deal or leaving on the basis of the current deal.
• Amendment K (SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford's amendment) which declines to approve Theresa May's Brexit deal "in line with the views of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly that they would be damaging for Scotland, Wales and the nations and regions of the UK as a whole", and calls for the UK's departure from the EU to be delayed until another withdrawal deal is agreed.
• Amendment B (Tory MP Sir Edward Leigh) which makes clear the Northern Ireland backstop is temporary and should remain temporary and calls for assurance that, if the backstop doesn't end by the close of 2021, this will be treated as a fundamental change of circumstances and would terminate the Withdrawal Treaty on 1 January 2022.
• Amendment F (Tory MP John Baron's amendment) gives the UK the right to terminate the Northern Ireland backstop without the agreement of the EU.

The Speaker says if the Corbyn amendment is agreed he will then move to the original question; but if it is not he will then move onto the Blackford amendment.

If the Blackford amendment isn’t approved he will then move on to the Leigh amendment and if that is not approved he will then move on to the Baron amendment.

If any of the four amendments are approved by the Commons the Speaker will then immediately move to a vote on the original motion.

You can view today's Order paper for the House of Commons here, external.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox opens the debate for the government this afternoon.

He says he wants to "listen to the House's views" and will try to take interventions from MPs.

He says he has been "struck" by the expression of "heartfelt" opinion given by MPs during the debate so far, and urges MPs to "understand the value of compromise".

He says there are "two steps to take" - the first of which is the Withdrawal Agreement. He describes it as the "first of two keys". He says there is an "airlock" between the first and second stage.

"The second key will be the permanent relationship treaty," he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Speaker has outlined that he has selected these amendments:

• A (Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's amendment)
• K (SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford's amendment)
• B (Tory MP Sir Edward Leigh's amendment)
• F (Tory MP John Baron's amendment)

You can read the amendments here, external.

Image source, Reuters

With the Commons preparing to debate on amendments to the PM's Brexit deal, there is still the possibility of some MPs switching sides in the vote.

The DUP, however, is unmoved.

“Parliament is today being asked to vote on the legally binding withdrawal agreement negotiated by the prime minister. That does not contain an end date on the backstop," a party spokesman said.

"The prime minister has known for many weeks what we require. Amendments tabled in Parliament will have no bearing on the legal status of what has been negotiated. What is required is for the Prime Minister is to go and secure legally binding changes as she promised.

"Today’s very belated amendments are part of the internal parliamentary games and do not change the need to secure legally binding changes.”

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Ahead of the Brexit debate starting, MPs are now hearing a ten-minute rule motion - a short proposal - from Labour's Debbie Abrahams on payment of project funds into specific "Project Bank Accounts", for any public works that come in over £500,000.

Ms Abrahams says the law would prevent small businesses from being paid late by larger companies. Under her proposals, the bank accounts would be ring-fenced, meaning that money would still be paid to small suppliers in the event of a larger company going insolvent.

The debate will get going once Ms Abrahams has finished making her case to MPs in the chamber.

What should Theresa May do, if she loses today's vote?

Well, leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has made his suggestions.

The Tory MP says the prime minister should return to Brussels to ask...

"Can we have a simpler deal along the lines you offered about a year ago of a comprehensive free trade deal, based on existing examples of things that the EU has done.

"And for an implementation period and for this deal we will pay you £39 billion.

"The EU gets the money it needs, we get the trade deal we want and an implementation period."

Image source, EPA

Theresa May has held a Cabinet meeting this morning, saying the government is "the servant of the people" and that she "passionately" believes it has to deliver on the referendum result.

She told her colleagues at the 10 Downing Street meeting that she will respond "quickly" to the outcome of this evening's vote, her official spokesman said.

A clear majority of British people want a public vote to break the parliamentary deadlock on Brexit if MPs reject Theresa May's withdrawal agreement, according to new research released by campaigners for a further referendum.

Analysis of polling of more than 6,700 people found 60.2% favour a public vote if MPs cannot decide, against 39.8% who oppose it, said the Best for Britain campaign and Hope Not Hate.

For the first time, the polling - carried out in mid-December and early January - found a majority in favour of a new referendum in every part of Britain.

Image source, PA

Image source, PA

BBC Radio 5 live

BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake Up To Money programme was in a factory in Northumberland this morning, hearing from businesses about the practicalities of preparing for Brexit.

Click here to listen and subscribe to the Wake Up to Money podcast on BBC Sounds.

Helen Catt
Political editor, BBC South East

I went to the House of Commons to explain how MPs will vote over a Brexit deal.

House of Commons
Parliament

The debate on the Brexit deal is due to start at around 12:45 GMT, although this start could be delayed if MPs decide to raise questions with the Speaker through Points of Order.

For the government, the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox will start the debate, and Prime Minister Theresa May will close it.

It is expected that Jeremy Corbyn will close the debate for Labour.

The closing speeches will take place from around 18:30 GMT, lasting around 10 minutes each.

Closing speeches will lead up to the beginning of votes at 19:00 GMT.

BBC Radio 5 live

House of Commons
Parliament

There are 13 amendments on the order paper, but, as yet, we don't know which are going to be selected by Speaker John Bercow.

This is unusual. Normally, before the day starts, it becomes known which amendments will be selected by the Speaker.

The Speaker's Office says John Bercow will announce which amendments he is selecting at the start of the debate.

But remember, we won't know until this evening (when voting starts) which amendments will actually end up being voted on - because each amendment has to be "moved" at the time of the vote.

Each vote takes about 15 minutes, as MPs file out of the chamber and into the different voting lobbies.

There's a handy guide on the BBC News website on what each of the amendments mean.

BBC Radio 5 live

Labour MP Kate Hoey has told 5 Live's Emma Barnett that she believes Leave would win a second vote "by an even bigger majority", but she fears "manoeuvring in parliament that would allow a split leave vote".

Click to listen live.

Call 08058 909 693 / text 85058 / @bbc5live, external

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Commons Order Paper

Here it is, the motion which MPs have to vote for in order to pass the agreement which the government has reached with the European Union.

Votes are expected from around seven this evening. Amendments will be voted on first, followed by the motion itself.