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This debate is not about whether we trust the British people, says former foreign secretary and Labour MP Dame Margaret Beckett.

Although she says that she will vote for the bill, she fears that its consequences could be "catastrophic".

Dame Margaret says that she "deplores" the tactic of "pretending" that voters answering the Leave or Remain question on the referendum ballot paper were actually answering other questions on the nature of what comes next.

"These negotiations which we trigger with this bill will be difficult," warns Dame Margaret

"I don't think for a second that they can be concluded within two years."

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"Against my long-held belief that the interests of the country are best served by being a member of the EU, I will vote for this bill," says Conservative Anna Soubry.

"I promised to respect and honour the vote."

Ms Soubry says that she thinks history will "not be kind to this parliament and the government in which I served."

"I greatly fear that generations that didn't vote or have yet to come will not forgive us for our great folly."

Attacking Labour, she says that it is "shameful" that the party is going against everything it has believed in and they have "turned their backs" on their long-standing support for the free movement of people.

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"Brexit means Brexit" is a mandate worth standing by, Conservative Cheryl Gillan says to Nick Clegg.

Referring to the original bill that allowed the referendum to take place, she notes that it was passed in the Commons by a majority of 10 to 1, and "delivers on a commitment made to the electorate".

Mrs Gillan continues by telling the Commons that "many of my family are Danish, so I'm certainly not anti-European".

"We are not leaving Europe, we are leaving the European Union."

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"I have to confess, I feel sad that we've come to this point in time," says former Lib Dem leader and ex-deputy prime minister Nick Clegg

Mr Clegg says that his sadness is "increasingly mixed with a growing sense of anger" with the government's deliberate distortion of the nature of the result.

"The British people did not vote to make themselves poorer."

The Brexit campaign deliberately withheld the consequences of leaving the EU, explains Mr Clegg, as he outlines his party's position of opposing the bill.

"This government has decided to disregard the hopes, dreams and aspirations of 16.1m people."

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Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith begins by saying it is a "privilege" to rise and support the bill, and also congratulates the SNP's Europe spokesperson Stephen Gethins on his "measured" and "interesting" speech.

Mr Duncan Smith also says that there is "nobody I respect more" than Ken Clarke.

He continues by revealing he originally voted to join the EU, but changed his opinion when the Maastricht treaty was being discussed.

If someone chooses to oppose the bill, Mr Duncan Smith continues, he will respect their decision, but does not agree with it.

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Labour MP and chair of the Exiting the EU Committee Hilary Benn says "our task is to bring people together".

We have a responsibility to hold the views, concerns and hopes of everyone in this country, whether Leave or Remain voters, he adds. 

Mr Benn, like his Labour colleague Sir Keir Starmer, says there is a responsibility to respect the outcome of the referendum. Democracy is not in good shape across the world, he says, and telling the public that the result was not to be respected would result in a crisis.

But, he says, the referendum did not determine the terms on which the UK would leave.

"The government's handling of this, thus far, has not shown sufficient respect for Parliament," he says.

Mr Benn confirmed that he would be voting with the Labour whip, and for the bill at second reading.

He says that the government has had to be "pushed and prodded" to Parliament and condemns the lack of engagement with the Commons.

"We have to unwind and recast 43 years with our neighbours."

"Therefore it is essential that we have unity of purpose."

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The chair of the European Scruitiny Committee, and long-standing Eurosceptic, Sir Bill Cash is up now.

Sir Bill begins by paying tribute to fellow Tory MP Ken Clarke, saying that he respects him and the way they've battled over many years.

"For me, this referendum was a massive peaceful revolution," he tells the House.

"This bill endorses that revolution."

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SNP Europe spokesman Stephen Gethins urges MPs to support his party's amendment against the bill.

"This is a backward and damaging step and it is an act of constitutional and economic sabotage," he says.

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"What is the purpose of us all being here if it is not to scrutinise the work of the government?" asks SNP spokesman Stephen Gethins.

Now there is debate on triggering Article 50 but "we had to drag them kicking and screaming, and at great expense, into this situation", he argues, referring to the recent battle in the courts.

He also calls for a policy document, or white paper, on the government's Brexit plan.

"The Leave campaign campaigned on a blank sheet of paper," he claims, alleging this was "gross negligence" which the government is compounding.

"We need a white paper," he insists, adding that the Scottish government published a white paper on independence almost a year before the 2014 Scottish referendum vote.

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Kenneth Clarke says he will be voting with his conscience and urges other MPs to do the same.

He sits down to applause from some parts of the House.

SNP Europe spokesman Stephen Gethins says it is "a privilege" to follow him.

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"There's not constitutional standing for referendums in this country," says Ken Clarke. "No sensible country has referendums."

He tells the House that he has "always advocated voting Conservative" but sometimes the country elected a Labour government.

During those times he never felt "it was my democratic duty to support Labour policies" and to do so "would have been treated with ridicule and scorn".

Now, "somehow I am an enemy of the people", he jokes and declares: "I have no intention of changing my opinion on the ground."

He adds that "hardcore Eurosceptics" would not have abandoned their beliefs if the vote had gone the other way.

Mr Clarke also rejects any notion that he is betraying his party as he is backing what had been Conservative policy "for 50 years".

He describes those "Eurosceptics'" hopes of future trade deals thus: "You go down a rabbit hole and you emerge in a wonderland."

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Conservative MP and staunch pro-European Kenneth Clarke is up next.

He says it will not surprise fellow MPs that "I intend to vote against the second reading of this bill". He will also support the SNP's amendment.

Reflecting that his political career ran parallel with UK membership of the EU, he argues that the UK joined what was then the European Economic Community because "our economy was becoming a laughing stock" and other European countries seemed to have a better way of doing things.

Membership "restored to us our national self-confidence" and gave the UK "a role in the world", he insists.

He also claims that the UK has "benefitted more from the single market than any other EU state".

The veteran MP and former minister says the plan to leave the EU is "simply baffling every friend" of the UK throughout the world.