The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Theresa May's critics have not put forward a realistic alternative to her Brexit withdrawal deal, Foreign Office minister Mark Field has said.

He told BBC Radio 4's World at One that the prime minister's deal delivered on the referendum by taking back control of the UK's borders, laws and money.

He said: "The truth is there is no realistic, constructive alternative vision for Brexit amongst those MPs who are so critical of the prime minister.

"I've not heard such a plan that they might have."

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Image source, EPA

Lord Heseltine believes Theresa May can survive and criticises the Brexiteers who were “in charge”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: “If I was Theresa May [the thing] that would make me absolutely speechless is that she put the Brexiteers – Boris, David Davis and Liam Fox – in charge for two years, they completely screwed it all up so she had to put in a civil servant to do the job.

“Now that they are on the backbenches, they are festering the discontent, which is of course a direct product of their own incompetence."

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

What Theresa May really needs right now is friends, key people in the cabinet to come out and back her.

At the moment there is silence.

I question who would want the job of Brexit secretary at the minute. MPs may have switched their phones off.

She also needs backbenchers to come out and support her, to vocally make the case for her deal.

Otherwise the line is going to be made by hardline Brexiteers - and Theresa May will be in trouble.

Theresa May's draft Brexit deal has the backing of the chairman of German parliament's foreign affairs committee.

Writing in the Handelsblatt business newspaper, Norbert Roettgen said it can be the "basis for a practical, friendly and close relationship".

"It does not humiliate anyone, but it asks for painful concessions from both sides," the Christian Democratic Union politician said.

He added: "Any alternative, particularly a hard Brexit, would be an economic and geopolitical disaster for the EU and the UK."

So Steve Baker reckons that the crucial 48-letter mark is imminent, but who do we already know is on the list?

With Chris Green, having just announced his news on Twitter, it means that so far, 21 MPs have publicly declared they have sent letters. Here are those that we know of:

• Andrea Jenkyns
• Andrew Bridgen
• Philip Davies
• James Duddridge
• Anne Marie Morris
• Lawrence Robertson
• Jacob Rees-Mogg
• Nadine Dorries
• Simon Clarke
• Steve Baker
• Henry Smith
• Maria Caulfield
• Sheryll Murray
• Lee Rowley
• Martin Vickers
• Peter Bone

• Mark Francois
• Adam Holloway
• John Whittingdale
• Ben Bradley
• Chris Green

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

Former Brexit minister Steve Baker says: "We need another Brexit plan and for that reason Theresa May needs to go."

Mr Baker says "the policy is totally intolerable" and that "people had been pressing us to put our letters in since July".

On whether the limit of 48 letters to trigger a vote of confidence will be received, Mr Baker says: "It is imminent - my count is 48 with about another dozen over the top."

"My count will be inaccurate but I think we are close."

Mr Baker says "if it comes to a vote, Theresa May will lose it."

On who should be the next Brexit secretary, Mr Baker says: "They need to be or have been in the cabinet and need to believe in leaving the EU with free trade and not being a satellite of the EU."

When pushed on Gove's decision to stay, Mr Baker says he has "great admiration" for him, and recognises "he's a decent man trying to do the right thing for the country".

On who should be the next leader, Mr Baker says: "It will be the Eurosceptic that collectively we agree is the best person for the job."

The UK government wants to prevent the European Court of Justice ruling on whether Brexit can be halted.

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

Labour MP Alison McGovern says "we have a poltiical fix here, a huge problem, as the House of Commons can't agree".

She suggests "the decision is handed back to the people" so that "we are not in this political cul-de-sac forever".

Ms McGovern says "the country is in deadlock and one solution is having another referendum".

Tory MP Steve Baker says "to set out to demoralise the decision of millions of people is disgraceful".

"If there is to be a successful Brexit for the UK, there is no other choice than to go down this route" and call for a vote of no-confidence in Theresa May.

A visual guide to what's been happening with the UK's departure from the EU and its impact on the UK government.

Adam Fleming
Brussels reporter

It's time for another of your questions to be answered by BBC Brussels reporter Adam Fleming.

What will it mean for British citizens, freedom of travel and rights to live and work on the continent?

Freedom of movement as we know it now – which broadly gives EU citizens the right to live and work in other EU countries – will no longer apply to the UK after the transition period, Adam says.

When it comes to travel for holidays both sides are keen to have a situation - beyond that transition period - where no visa is required, however there may be extra steps such as registering online or paying a small fee.

Both sides also want to negotiate a deal to allow people to travel freely for work.

But British citizens who move to get a permanent job in the EU may face more barriers.

At the moment it looks like they will be treated like a citizen from anywhere else in the world and subject to each country’s individual rules on immigration.

BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington has called on MPs to give their support to the prime minister, predicting that she will "survive and thrive".

Speaking while on a visit to Edinburgh for talks with Scottish businesses about the draft Brexit agreement, he predicted that Theresa May would "decisively" win any vote of confidence against her.

"And she'd deserve to do so," he said.

"This is somebody who gets up every morning to try and do her job. She's an intensely patriotic woman and she goes in motivated by doing her best for every family, every business in every part of the United Kingdom.

"Frankly, I'd say to my parliamentary colleagues - I would say to other people around the country - get behind her.

"You haven't got a plausible alternative to the approach she is putting forward. She is doing her best for the country - the national interest says that we should rally in her support."

Ulster Farmers Union chief executive says the DUP should have a rethink over the draft agreement.

The former education secretary, Nicky Morgan, backs Michael Gove's decision to stay in his Cabinet post.

She says she is "delighted" because Michael Gove is "a very talented member of the Cabinet.

You want a variety of views around the Cabinet table on something where there is such a variety of views in the country, and it's a shame when good people resign."