Summary

  • MPs are voting on a bill that would require the PM to seek an extension to Article 50

  • The PM and Jeremy Corbyn met for two hours this afternoon to discuss Brexit

  • Downing Street called the talks "constructive"

  • Mr Corbyn called them "useful but inconclusive"

  • Mrs May also met the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford

  • Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris quits role in protest at Mrs May ruling out no-deal Brexit

  • Earlier, minister Nigel Adams resigned over PM's decision to meet Mr Corbyn for talks

  • A vote on whether MPs could seize control of the parliamentary timetable on Monday was tied, before the speaker rejected it with his casting vote

  1. Another minister quits the governmentpublished at 16:02 British Summer Time 3 April 2019
    Breaking

    Chris Heaton-Harris has just quit as a Brexit minister. He is the second minister to quit today.

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  2. Opposition parties' news conference beginspublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    Lib Dem Vince Cable, the SNP's Ian Blackford, The Independent Group's Chuka Umunna, Plaid Cymru's Liz-Saville Roberts and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas
    Image caption,

    Lib Dem Sir Vince Cable, the SNP's Ian Blackford, the Independent Group's Chuka Umunna, Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas

    The SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford says the clear message from the parties is that "there has to be a public vote".

    "No deal must be taken off the table," he adds.

  3. Merkel: I will fight until the last hour for an orderly Brexitpublished at 15:51 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    Angela MerkelImage source, Reuters

    The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been talking about Brexit.

    Speaking after a meeting of regional prime ministers in Thuringia, she said: "I still regret the Brexit decision, but still we have to deal with the desire of the British people.

    "I’ve always said that I will fight until the last hour of the date in question for an orderly Brexit - that’s in the British interest but also in our interest.

    "On the one hand we have the integrity of the single market which would end on the British island but it’s also just as much about the peace between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

    "Of course, in the end, these solutions have to be found in Great Britain, in London.

    "It’s apparent that there are intense efforts being made but it’s also obvious that there are very different ideas.

    "I still hope the debates which are being led by Prime Minister May will be successful."

  4. DUP not sidestepped by PM, says Wilsonpublished at 15:50 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    Theresa May will be holding talks with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in a bid to break the Brexit deadlock.

    Read More
  5. Cherry: No mandate to back Brexit dealpublished at 15:49 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Joanna CherryImage source, UK Parliament

    The SNP's Joanna Cherry is angered by calls from Tory MPs to vote for the withdrawal agreement to break the Brexit deadlock.

    The MP for Edinburgh South West says she has "no mandate" from her constituents to do that.

    People have to understand that there are MPs who were elected on a manifesto in 2017 to stop Brexit, she says.

    "Please desist in trying to ram your opinions down our throats."

  6. 'Big risks for both'published at 15:46 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    BBC News Channel

    Bronwen Maddox

    The Institute for Government's Bronwen Maddox says today's talks throw up "big risks for both" Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn.

    "For Theresa May, she may have to agree to something like a customs union," she says.

    "We know from stormy cabinet meetings that a lot of her cabinet and MPs don't want that.

    "She also has the risk that Corbyn will ask for things the EU would never deliver.

    "For his part, he doesn't want to own the outcome of Brexit in any way."

  7. 'Soft' Brexit: What are the options?published at 15:45 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    A container ship leaves SouthamptonImage source, Getty AFP

    This morning Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay warned that the consequence of MPs not passing the PM's deal was either a "soft Brexit or no Brexit at all".

    But what do politicians mean when they talk about a soft Brexit?

    BBC Reality Check's Chris Morris has the answers.

  8. Where is the MP for Sandbach?published at 15:40 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sir Bill Cash speaking in the CommonsImage source, UK Parliament

    A little light relief in the Commons as Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash pauses his speech opposing the business motion to take an intervention from the "member for Sandbach".

    He is duly corrected by the Commons Speaker.

    John Bercow points out that while Sandbach is a town in Cheshire, the MP he was referring to was actually Antoinette Sandbach - the Member of Parliament for Eddisbury in Cheshire.

  9. Is that the Brexit storm?published at 15:39 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

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  10. Not all MPs are 'decent, lovely and wonderful'published at 15:35 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Charles Walker is now speaking in the Commons.

    As chair of the Commons procedure committee and a close friend of Speaker John Bercow, he is an influential figure.

    While it would be overstating things to describe MPs' actions as "a constitutional outrage or an aberration", he says the "texture feels all wrong" and the Commons may regret what it is doing.

    While Sir Oliver Lewtin is a "decent, lovely and wonderful man", he says there are other people in the Commons "who are not decent, lovely and wonderful".

    He fears that, in future, MPs may be asked to debate "an appropriation of assets bill in six hours and we will regret that bitterly".

  11. Picture of Labour's negotiating teampublished at 15:23 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    Jeremy Corbyn (centre), Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey

    Talks between Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May are under way.

    This is a big moment for Labour, which may explain why broadcasters were given a photo opportunity of the opposition's negotiating team before hand.

    Chief Whip Nick Brown is out of shot, as Sir Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey sit next to their party leader.

  12. Smaller parties to announce next steps...published at 15:23 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    BBC political editor tweets...

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  13. Last chance for revocation?published at 15:15 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    Secretary-general of the EU Commission tweets...

    When asked a question about revoking Article 50, Martin Selmayr - secretary-general of the EU Commission - has this reply:

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    Article 50 is the part of the Lisbon Treaty which sets out what happens when a country decides that it wants to leave the EU.

    Revoking Article 50 would mean stopping the Brexit process.

  14. Duncan Smith: Don't be too hastypublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith rises to say he is opposed to his "good friend" Oliver Letwin's bill.

    He starts by lamenting what he claims is a depreciation in the quality of scrutiny by MPs of legislation in the House of Commons.

    Before 1997, he says bills had to be considered in committee for 100 hours before they could be brought back to the Commons for final approval.

    The process was fast-tracked under Labour, he says, to the point where MPs now "dump everything in the other place" - that's a reference to the House of Lords - and "expect them to tidy it up".

    "If you legislate in haste, you repent at leisure," he says. "It is better if we delay, if we debate."

    But Independent MP Lady Sylvia Hermon takes issue with Mr Duncan Smith's claim that it would be unprecedented to pass this bill in one afternoon's sitting, pointing out that emergency bills relating to Northern Ireland had been also approved in the course of a day.

  15. Varadkar: An extension shouldn't be used for 'further indecision'published at 15:05 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    Leo VaradkarImage source, AFP/Getty Images

    The Irish Prime Minister has said it would be "really difficult" to protect both the Good Friday Agreement and the European Single Market in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

    Leo Varadkar told the Irish parliament that his government would "do everything possible" to avoid a hard border.

    Mr Varadkar said he had a "general sense" that the European Council was "open" to granting an extension to the Brexit process.

    But he added: "We don't want that further extension to merely be a licence for further indecision."

    He said Theresa May's talks with Jeremy Corbyn were "timely", but also said: "I don't know if Mr Corbyn will rise to the occasion, whether he will show leadership and be able to come up with a compromise plan with Prime Minister May. I hope he does, but we'll see."

  16. MPs' bill 'breaks years of precedent' - Leadsompublished at 14:58 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Andrea LeadsomImage source, UK Parliament

    Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the House of Commons, is now speaking.

    She says the government is opposing the business motion because the legislation being tabled by MPs "breaks many years of precedent" and has "far-reaching implications" for Brexit, an international negotiation that requires the approval of 27 other sovereign nations.

    It is, she argues, historically the role of the executive to propose legislation and to timetable its passage through Parliament and for MPs to scrutinise, amend, approve or reject that legislation.

    These conventions are being broken, she says.

    She says it is her job to ensure that proposed bills are "carefully considered from every angle" before being presented to Parliament and that there is "adequate time for scrutiny". She says this is clearly not the case here.

  17. If only there was a meteorological metaphor for all this...published at 14:57 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    Parliament
    Image caption,

    Storm clouds gather over Westminster

  18. The EU doesn't want the UK 'grumpily inside the tent'published at 14:53 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    BBC News Channel

    Reality Check's Chris Morris says that although the EU does not want a no-deal Brexit, there is also concern about granting the UK a longer extension.

    He says the EU have got a seven-year budget to negotiate and they don't want to do that with the UK "grumpily inside the tent".

    He suggests a longer extension could come with terms and conditions such as the UK agreeing not to take part in key votes.

  19. Brexit talks: What are the likely sticking points?published at 14:46 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

    Reality Check

    Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn placardsImage source, AFP/ Getty Images

    Talks between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn could offer a potential way out of the Brexit deadlock.

    The prime minister says she is ready to negotiate a "joint plan" with the Labour leader.

    If that is agreed, it would then be put to MPs in the hope that a Brexit deal could finally be voted through Parliament.

    Labour will be approaching the talks with an "open mind", according to the shadow business secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey.

    So, what are the main differences in the two parties' Brexit plans and where could possible compromise be found?

    Read more here.

  20. A non customs union customs union?published at 14:37 British Summer Time 3 April 2019

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