BBC Radio Berkshire

Former Justice Minister Phillip Lee criticises Theresa May for "reaching out" to Leavers but not those who support her.

Speaking on BBC Radio Berkshire this morning, he says: "She's still reaching out to Brexiteers and they're the guys who are trying to bring her down.

"Those of us who are standing loyal are not being reached out to. By reaching out to them she broadens the chances of us having no deal."

Mr Lee says there are two choices for Parliament - a second referendum or no deal.

"So the prime minister either embraces this reality or it gets foisted upon her," he adds.

Theresa May and the taoiseach are meeting ahead of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels.

The prime minister was due to meet Leo Varadkar on Wednesday but it was cancelled because of the vote of no confidence in her leadership.

Mrs May is now attempting to get political and legal assurances about the Irish border backstop.

On Wednesday night, Mr Varadkar spoke to European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker.

They agreed the withdrawal agreement was "the best outcome available" and "cannot be reopened or contradicted".

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BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

It will be very difficult for the EU to give any more concessions on Theresa May's Brexit deal, a Dutch MP says.

Anne Mulder, who is Europe spokesman for the centre-right VVD party, tells BBC World Service's Newsday programme: "The main problem is there’s no majority in the House of Commons for whatever deal. So if the EU made concessions nobody knows if this would help."

He says there is also unlikely to be any movement on the issue of the backstop.

"There’s a deal, it’s [been] negotiated for one and a half years," he says.

"The Irish border is very sensitive in the European Union. Everybody supports Ireland, so I don’t think there will be any re-negotiation around the withdrawal agreement.”

The Brexit secretary says Theresa May is "seeking legal and political assurances from EU colleagues" on the backstop.

Asked about the EU's willingness to compromise, given the prime minister has now said she won't be leader in the near future, Steve Barclay tells the BBC: "Both the UK and the EU want this deal. They've been negotiating for over two years on it.

"Both recognise that the backstop is temporary if indeed we ever get in to it... Neither side wants to be in the backstop so it's in the interests of both sides to come to a solution, to address the concerns in Parliament in order that the many benefits of the deal - which is the only deal on the table - can be delivered."

Following the confidence vote in Mrs May yesterday, Mr Barclay says there was "a clear and decisive result in the leadership... which settles the issue".

And he says the PM has listened to the concerns on the backstop - which is why she's making the case to European counterparts in Brussels, "securing the change that colleagues need to see in order to get behind the deal".

Jenny Hill
BBC Berlin correspondent

German foreign minister Heiko Maas says that while the EU will listen to UK concerns, the backstop is "not up for debate".

Speaking to the BBC, he says: "The solution for a functioning backstop for Northern Ireland as defined in the exit agreement is not up for debate.

"On this basis, we are of course prepared to listen to British considerations as to which additional clarifications it would like - but without fundamentally altering the substance of what has been agreed within the EU and approved by cabinet in London."

He says there is a "widespread and certainly understandable desire to reverse Brexit", but adds: "If you look at the current polls in Great Britain, you realise that, since the referendum, not much has changed despite the extraordinarily chaotic debate that has been led there.

"We have to acknowledge that."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has also been asked about this week's ruling by the EU's top court that the UK can cancel Brexit without the permission of the other 27 EU members.

Mr Cox replies that the ruling "clarifies a question of EU law", but does not "in any way" change the government's policy to not revoke its Article 50 notice.

"We intend to leave the EU on the 29th of March", he says.

The SNP's Alison Thewliss asks whether new legislation would be required to revoke Article 50.

Mr Cox says this is "under review", but the issue is not being considered at any length as there's no intention to cancel Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Former work and pensions minister Esther McVey, who resigned over the Brexit deal, asks for a statement next week on preparations for leaving the EU without a deal.

She asks if this could be followed by weekly statements as exit day draws closer.

The government has been "very shy" in setting out what it's been doing, she suggests.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom says ministers are doing "everything we need to do for every outcome", with no deal preparation "well advanced".

She repeats that the government does not intend to leave the EU without a deal.

House of Commons
Parliament

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox says making government lawyers disclose their legal advice could have a "corrosive effect".

He says the risk that legal advice could be published may mean that the attorney general will not be able to give "frank and full advice" to the cabinet or prime minister.

Labour MP Helen Goodman says it is "credible" that Geoffrey Cox has given the "final" legal advice "but it is not credible that it is the full advice."

But Mr Cox replies that the legal advice he issued last week "was not summarised".

Some government departments have "paused" domestic policy work so they can focus on preparing for Brexit, according to the head of the civil service.

Sir Mark Sedwill told MPs that they were having to "prioritise" leaving the EU as he appeared before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee for the first time as cabinet secretary.

Asked about the impact of Brexit by Tory committee chairman Bernard Jenkin, he said: "Some departments have, for example, paused some of their other domestic policy agenda in order to focus their attention on planning for 29 March.

"That partly reflects the nature of their Brexit portfolio compared to others... each department essentially needs to make its own judgement between the secretary of state and the permanent secretary about what their capacity is to deliver.

"But essentially the Brexit agenda is incorporated alongside the rest of the department's agenda.

"In some cases we have increases in resources... but then they have to prioritise within that and mainstream as much as they can of the work to navigate their particular portfolios through the Brexit transition."

Image source, BBC Monitoring

The front pages of European newspapers offer little reassurance to Theresa May, after she survived a confidence vote last night.

Many agree the withdrawal agreement is unlikely to change and her difficulties in getting the support of Parliament for her deal will remain.

"Theresa May has saved her skin," says France's centre-right daily Le Figaro, external. But "the relief of having preserved the confidence of a majority of her MPs does not change the arithmetic of hostility towards the agreement".

The "small majority" she won is also "a slap in the face", says the weekly magazine L'Obs, external.

And Germany's popular tabloid Bild, external dismisses the vote of confidence as "political spectacle".

Read more here, external

Image source, PA

Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom tells MPs the long-awaited immigration white paper will be published “next week, before Christmas”.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has come under fire for the delay in revealing the UK's planned policy for immigration when it leaves the EU.

He previously told the Home Affairs Committee he hoped the paper would be released before the meaningful vote on the Brexit deal - but that vote was called off, and there was still no sign of the immigration paper.

During five days of debate on Brexit, he said it was his intention to publish it in December but he could not guarantee a date.

Now Ms Leadsom has confirmed it will be within the next two weeks, and she says the immigration bill itself should follow soon after.

Jenny Hill
BBC Berlin correspondent

The German parliament has agreed to oppose reopening any negotiations on the Brexit deal.

A majority of MPs voted in favour of a motion which states that ‘it would be an illusion to hope that a rejection of the deal could lead to renegotiations'.

Victoria Derbyshire

Former Conservative cabinet minister David Mellor says the infighting in his party over Europe today is worse than during John Major's years.

“There was never the overt dislike between two large groups in the Conservative party, he tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.

“The fact that they cannot hide their detestation for each other is a fundamental blow to what was always said - ‘loyalty was the Conservative party’s secret weapon’. Well it’s a very secret weapon now.”