BBC News Channel

Labour's Jenny Chapman says her party will use "any tools" to stop the "disaster" of the UK leaving the EU without an over-arching deal.

She tells the BBC there is "growing enthusiasm" for another referendum but that first MPs have to give their verdict on any final agreement.

Asked if Labour could vote for such a deal, she says her party wants a "firm commitment" that the UK would stay permanently in a customs union and if that was forthcoming, then it could have a "good conversation" about what to do.

Theresa May has ruled this out although a lot of Brexiteers in her party think this is what will ultimately happen in the arrangement she is proposing.

The Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar has said he has not discussed with either the EU or the UK altering the text of the draft withdrawal agreement.

Speaking in the Irish Parliament, he was questioned about reports that the UK was attempting to revive proposals to allow for technological solutions to the border as an alternative to the customs backstop.

The Dail is expected to vote overwhelmingly later tonight in favour of the draft withdrawal agreement.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

The BBC's deputy political editor John Pienaar says it is "not certain", as Treasury minister Robert Jenrick argued just now, that the UK will be leaving the European Union next March.

He tells the World at One that MPs opposed to Brexit are "seeking opportunities" to stop the UK's departure and if Theresa May's agreement is voted down, this could build momentum behind their efforts.

European leaders could be in for a "stickier Sunday" than they anticipated a few days ago, he adds, with the real possibility that the declaration of future relations is not given the green light over the weekend.

Assuming it eventually is, however, he says Theresa May will be putting "her shoulder to the wheel" to get MPs to back it.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Treasury minister Robert Jenrick says it is "absolutely beyond doubt" that the UK will be leaving the EU.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's World at One, he insists Theresa May was not ruling out a no-deal Brexit in Prime Minister's Questions.

But he says if MPs vote down the final agreement, no-one can predict what will happen next and the risk of a "disorderly" exit - or the possibility of another referendum - will substantially increase.

Labour's Jon Trickett says the draft agreement is "neither fish nor fowl" and he does not believe Parliament will back it.

While another referendum could happen, he says other options will "come into play" before that.

He says the prospect of a general election cannot be dismissed because the government was "collapsing visibly" and, as proved by Tuesday's Finance Bill concessions, cannot get its legislation through.

But Mr Jenrick said the Tories' confidence and supply arrangement with the DUP was still functioning while the two parties were "working through" their differences over the draft Brexit agreement.

Adam Fleming
Brussels reporter

The BBC's Brussels reporter Adam Fleming says the whispers in the Belgian capital are that, if the text of the political declaration on UK-EU relations after Brexit is not finalised in the next day or so, there will be no summit of European leaders on Sunday.

He says there are growing splits within the EU with France and Spain concerned about what the document means for the future of the single market and Gibraltar respectively, while Germany wants to smooth over any cracks.

Berlin's view, he says, is that it does not want to do anything that makes it harder for the UK Parliament to agree to the final deal.

BBC Politics Live
BBC2's lunchtime political programme

Labour's shadow justice secretary has denied claims Labour is trying to stop Brexit.

Speaking to Politics Live, Richard Burgon said: "What we are saying is we can’t support this deal Theresa May is putting forward.

"Neither the divorce arrangement, as it could be called, or the political framework, meet our tests."

He claimed the prime minister was now "shifting her ground" around the options on the table.

"Before, she was saying the choice was between her half-baked deal and no deal," said Mr Burgeon.

"Amber Rudd has come clean and [said] that, really, no deal was a threat and a dupe to business, to people.

"Now we are seeing the choice is between her half-baked deal and no Brexit."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

This week's PMQs is over, but just to catch up with what Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said during it.

He said the fact that any deadlock in EU-UK arbitration would be decided by "lots" was "reckless".

The prime minister says a five-member arbitration panel would be convened to manage disputes.

It turns out it's not quite the toss of a coin (or maybe a round of paper, rock, scissors) being used to make the decision.

But the details of the government’s proposed divorce agreement from the European Union show that the identity of the legal expert whose vote could rule on the country’s fate may be chosen by “lot”.

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

The BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Theresa May’s meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker this afternoon is about “trying to clinch the second half of this deal”, e.g. the political declaration on the future relationship.

She said: “Much of this has been broadly agreed, but there are sticking points on Gibraltar and fish – a huge sticking point when it comes to the EU."

She said the work may be done between the negotiators but it is now for the European Commission to deal with complaints from some of the member states

"We know France is particularly concerned about some issues and Spain is enormously concerned about Gibraltar," she said.

"That is what the prime minister is trying to clinch and close down… but it may well be that agreement isn’t finalised until Sunday."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, hoc

Conservative MP and Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee Maria Miller says "all of the evidence shows that diversity delivers better decision making", yet over the last 100 years 4,503 men have been elected to the House of Commons, and just 491 women.

"I'm proud that two of those women became prime minister," she says, but asks the prime minister what more the government can be doing to ensure that "more women join us on our green benches".

The prime minister says "greater diversity in this place means we get better decisions, it's the same for Parliament as it is for a business."

Theresa May says being a member of Parliament "is one of the best jobs in the world" and is "a real opportunity to give voice to those who otherwise would not be heard".

She says she encourages all women to "get started, get elected and make a difference".

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Crispin Blunt raises the decision by the UAE to sentence British PhD student Matthew Hedges to life in prison on spying charges.

This "wholly inconsistent" with the behaviour of a nation with who we have a mutual defence accord, he says.

Ms May says she realises how "difficult and distressing this is" and the foreign secretary is raising the case with the Emirati authorities at the highest level.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt looks on from the frontbench.

Image source, HoC

House of Commons
Parliament

Tory MP George Freeman says "it is clear that the prime minister and Cabinet have laudably tried to reconcile the need for continuity of market access with the freedom to diverge."

Questioning the role of the backstop, Mr Freeman asks for confirmation that the draft withdrawal agreement "does not contain a trap that if we dare to diverge, we undermine the union".

Theresa May says "work is being done on alternative arrangements that may need to be used if necessary" and that "the backstop is temporary".

"We would not be looking to diverge during that period from the regulations, and we would ensure that we kept that free access for goods from Northern Ireland coming into the UK," she says.

"What is important is that we have a means of ensuring the backstop will only be used temporarily," she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, hoc

Conservative Esther McVey, who resigned last week as work and pensions secretary in protest at the proposed withdrawal agreement, asks for the PM to assure MPs that the UK will be leaving the EU on 29 March 2019, "come what may".

Mrs May thanks her for her work in government.

"I can give her that assurance...The United Kingdom will leave the European Union on the 29th of March 2019."