House of Commons
Parliament

Sir Keir Starmer says Labour amendments to the bill will seek to "ensure full tariff- and impediment-free access to the single market" and regular consultation with Parliament on the Brexit process.

The shadow exiting the EU secretary adds that MPs have had "EU nationals in tears" at constituency surgeries, unsure of their future status in the UK.

The government should "act unilaterally" to reassure them, he tells the House.

Sir Keir also says Labour wants all existing workers' rights and environmental protection to be respected.

And he says the PM has no authority to "rip up our economic and social model and turn the UK into a tax haven economy".

Sinn Féin is asked to spell out its contacts with US supporters of President Trump's immigration ban.

House of Commons
Parliament

"I wish the result had gone the other way," Sir Keir Starmer says. "I campaigned passionately for that."

However, given the referendum result, the prime minister should not be "blocked" from triggering Article 50 to leave the EU, he argues.

But he adds: "That does not mean that the prime minister can do what she likes without restraint from this House."

House of Commons
Parliament

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer says the House has a short and "simple bill" to discuss, "but for the Labour Party this a very difficult bill".

Conservative MPs start jeering at this but Sir Keir asks them to be "courteous" during his speech.

"We're a fiercely internationalist party," he says. "We're a pro-European party."

Labour campaigned to remain in the EU "but we failed to persuade: we lost the referendum".

He attacks the EU Leave campaign's "false promise of £350m a week for the NHS" but says that the referendum result must be respected.

House of Commons
Parliament

David Davis urges MPs to pass the bill and says voters "will view any attempt to halt its progress dimly".

Foreign affairs matters are reserved to the UK government but ministers have sought to consult the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, he adds.

SNP MP Ian Blackford intervenes to say the people of Scotland voted to remain in the EU.

Mr Davis says "the people of Scotland... voted to remain within the United Kingdom" in the 2014 independence referendum.

SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell says Northern Ireland also voted to remain, adding that its devolved administration is currently suspended pending elections.

David Davis says "individual ministers remain in place" in Northern Ireland and the UK government takes "protecting Northern Ireland extremely seriously".

House of Commons
Parliament

David Davis says there has been a "creeping sense" over the past few years that politicians say one thing and then do another.

He urges MPs to "honour their side of the agreement" following the referendum result and pass the bill.

He concludes: "I commend this bill to the house - trust the people". 

Watch the original incident from the Commons last night

House of Commons
Parliament

The Speaker has selected the SNP's amendment to the bill from the list of "reasoned amendments" tabled against the bill.

It proposes:

House of Commons
Parliament

Despite the lengthy debate to come, the bill itself is extremely short and consists of just one clause:

1. Power to notify withdrawal from the EU

(1) The Prime Minister may notify, under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the EU.

(2) This section has effect despite any provision made by or under the European Communities Act 1972 or any other enactment.

David Davis indicates that the bill will also withdraw the UK from Euratom, external, a programme for nuclear research and training.

MPs including Conservative Chris Philip and Labour's John Woodcock urge the secretary of state to think again about Euratom. 

Mr Davis responds that the government will seek to preserve jobs in the nuclear sector.

Tom Bateman
Political Correspondent, Millbank

Downing Street says it does not "accept or share" the view of Lord Ricketts, a former head of the Foreign Office who criticised the invitation of a state visit to President Trump.

Lord Ricketts, who was permanent secretary at the Foreign Office for four years under the last Labour government until 2010, said the “rushed” arrangement had put the Queen in a very difficult position.

Asked about the comments, the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said that the planned state visit was "right and important".

She said: "I don't think we accept or share that view. We've been clear on why we think this is the right and important approach - one of the country's closest allies."

The spokeswoman would not be drawn on when Mrs May first learned of any elements of Mr Trump's travel ban policy, saying she would not give a "blow by blow account" of a private conversation between the president and prime minister.

House of Commons
Parliament

So it is Brexit Secretary David Davis who is introducing the bill which will authorise the government to notify the EU of the UK's intention to leave under Article 50 and to begin formal Brexit talks.

He has a croaky voice and says he will be taking fewer interventions than normal.

Mr Davis says the bill is straightforward and the issue boils down to a simple question - do MPs "trust" the will of the people as expressed in June's referendum.

Asked whether it would be wrong for MPs who oppose Brexit to vote against, he says he has always supported the freedom of MPs to make up their own minds on matter of such importance.

The taxation policies of President Trump will show, among other things, why the subject is not boring.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The House of Commons appears nearly full for the second reading of the Brexit bill. MPs are crammed into the benches on both sides of the house - signalling the importance placed on the debate.

Among the ministers present are Chancellor Philip Hammond and Home Secretary Amber Rudd. 

John Bercow tells MPs he has selected the SNP amendment in the name of Angus Robertson for debate, rather than the Labour one. 

He also says that 99 backbenchers want to speak in the debate.