Scottish Secretary David Mundell has appealed to Conservative MPs to back Theresa May and not attempt to trigger a leadership contest, despite their misgivings over Brexit.

Mr Mundell says the only alternative to the agreement was no-deal which would be ''disastrous'' for Scotland and the rest of the UK.

But he says he and other Scottish Conservative MPs still wanted guarantees over fishing.

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Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier says there are special protocols in place for Gibraltar and Cyprus to enable people there "to continue to live as they do today".

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Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier says a solution was found to avoid a hard border in Ireland "and we will do our best so solve this in the long term through a future agreement".

"If we are not ready by 2020, we can extend the provision so we have more time, and if we are still not there with the future agreement after this, the backstop agreement would kick in."

Mr Barnier says the backstop has evolved considerably since February.

"There will be a UK-wide single customs territory which Northern Ireland will remain in, and Northern Ireland will remain aligned to the rules of a single market essential for avoiding a border including on agriculture policy."

"This is in the interest of the economies of Ireland and Northern Ireland."

He adds:

Image source, PA

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says it's "obvious that the prime minister can barely unite her cabinet on this deal, and it is also increasingly clear that she will struggle to get a majority for it in Parliament".

She adds: “In these circumstances it is more important than ever that we are not faced with a false choice between a bad deal and no deal.

“No-one should be effectively blackmailed into a choice between the frying pan or the fire.

“This proposed deal would be a bad one for Scotland, taking us out of a single market eight times the size of the UK market alone and posing a huge threat to jobs, investment and living standards. "

If this deal is indeed rejected by Parliament then the UK Government must return to the negotiating table to secure a better one.

"Our bottom line - short of continued EU membership - is continued, permanent membership of the single market and customs union.”

Cabinet ministers are steadily departing Downing Street following the marathon meeting, with few prepared to give anything away.

Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the House of Commons, said the cabinet decision was a "collective agreement".

She did not answer any further questions and told reporters: "The prime minister has made a statement, thank you."

Justice Secretary David Gauke said the cabinet had a "very good meeting" as he left.

And Sir Tim Barrow, the UK's ambassador to the EU, remained silent when asked questions by reporters.

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The EU chief negotiator says "citizens rights have always been our common priority - for both EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in EU. All of these people will be able to continue to live their lives as before - to live there, study there and to be joined by their families there throughout their lifetime."

He confirms a transition period until December 2020 during which time all parties will "preserve the current situation with respect to the EU policies, customs union and all the rights that go along with that".

"This will enable small businesses in particular to prepare and adapt to change."

He says there is a possible of extending this period once by an agreement.

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Image source, Reuters

Michel Barnier thanks both negotiating teams for their hard work.

"This agreement is a decisive and crucial step in concluding these negotiatons," he says, and the talks have been "carried out in respect of both our mandates".

He says the draft withdrawal agreement includes 185 articles, 3 protocols and a serious of annexes.

"It is a very specific and very detailed document which I encourage everyone to read carefully."

Much of the lengthy word count just released concerns the so-called divorce, but in the much shorter document published tonight, external - the political declaration on the UK's future relationship with the EU - there are two paragraphs about fishing.

They read:

• Cooperation bilaterally and internationally to ensure fishing at sustainable levels, promote resource conservation, and foster a clean, healthy and productive marine environment, noting that the United Kingdom will be an independent coastal state. While preserving regulatory 4 autonomy, cooperation on the development of measures for the conservation, rational management and regulation of fisheries, in a non-discriminatory manner. Close working with other coastal states and in international fora, including to manage shared stocks
• Within the context of the overall economic partnership, establishment of a new fisheries agreement on, inter alia, access to waters and quota shares, to be in place in time to be used for determining fishing opportunities for the first year after the transition period

More on those apparent divisions - from the political editor of the Spectator and the Sun's Westminster correspondent.

Jean-Claude Juncker says the UK and EU are ready for the next stage of the Brexit process - for a special EU summit to be called.

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes left the Cabinet Office shortly after Mrs May's statement.

Asked by reporters whether she agreed with the cabinet's decision on the draft withdrawal agreement, she replied: "Of course."

Here it is - the verdict of leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg.

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Former Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps says "you hear reports of votes of no confidence all the time, I take all those reports with a pinch of salt."

He says he's going to "settle down" and give the draft agreement "a very, very good read".

"For me, this is on a knife edge because I want to vote based on whether or not this will be better for Britain," he adds.

But he concludes that "if both those who think they can get a second referendum and those who think a better deal is available" - Remainers and Brexiteers, in other words, get together, "that is a very tricky situation for the prime minister."

The draft agreement has been published here., external

It's 585 pages long.

A bit more from the EU Parliament's Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt.

In a statement on behalf of the Brexit Steering Group,, external he said the deal "should ensure an orderly withdrawal, including a backstop guaranteeing that there will be no hardening of the Northern Irish/Irish border and that the Good Friday Agreement will be safeguarded".