Former justice minister Phillip Lee, who quit the government in June last year over Theresa May's Brexit strategy, sits down in the Commons chamber next to Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The prime minister says he used the G7 summit to "follow up conversations with Chancellor Merkel and President Macron".

"I have made clear to them all that everyone in this government wants a deal," he says.

"But the reality is that the House of Commons has rejected the withdrawal agreement three times," he says. At this point several Labour MPs point to the prime minister who also voted against the withdrawal agreement.

That is why, he continues, the "anti-democratic backstop" should be scrapped from the deal.

He says the chances of reaching a deal with the EU "have risen".

The defection of Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, from the Tories to the Liberal Democrats, means the prime minister has no majority.

Mr Lee said in a statement:

"This Conservative Government is aggressively pursuing a damaging Brexit in unprincipled ways.

"It is putting lives and livelihoods at risk unnecessarily and it is wantonly endangering the integrity of the United Kingdom. More widely, it is undermining our country’s economy, democracy and role in the world.

It is using political manipulation, bullying and lies. And it is doing these things in a deliberate and considered way.

"That is why today I am joining Jo Swinson and the Liberal Democrats.

"I believe the Liberal Democrats are best placed to build the unifying and inspiring political force needed to heal our divisions, unleash our talents, equip us to take the opportunities and overcome the challenges that we face as a society - and leave our country and our world in a better place for the next generations."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Boris Johnson begins by saying it has "never been more important for the UK to exert its influence".

He tells MPs Britain is "on the verge of taking back control of our trade policy".

However, the House of Commons is in a rowdy mood and Speaker John Bercow intervenes to tell off noisy MPs.

"The PM will be heard," he says.

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Former Brexit minister Steve Baker says it's right to take the party whip away from Tory MPs who rebel tonight.

Questioned about his record of voting against the government on Brexit three times, he tells the BBC: "There is a categorical difference between voting against a policy, and voting to take away from the government the power to govern.

"What I've done is vote against particular policies. Now if we are going to go into a world where you lose the whip for opposing particularly policies well that's going to be a very different kind of democracy."

New Lib Dem MP Jane Dodds has been sworn in to the House of Commons.

She defeated the Conservative candidate Chris Davies in a by-election for the Brecon and Radnorshire seat on 1 August.

Vicki Young
Chief Political Correspondent

It would be completely extraordinary for a prime minister to say an election is on a certain date, and then when Parliament is not sitting say "actually I've completely changed my mind".

It would be unprecedented.

But the fact that his opponents can't rule that out means that uncertainty is making everyone be on their guard.

If you're Jeremy Corbyn this is tricky: he's spent two years saying he wants a general election.

Up to a point, he will resist it.

Mr Corbyn is saying "we will only go for an election once we know that no deal is off the table".

But it's very difficult to take no deal off the table, even if this bill go through tomorrow. Say if Mr Johnson wins that election, he could come in, and if he had a majority he could change the law.

Former minister and Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire Alistair Burt has announced his is standing down at the next election.

In a letter to his local party association, he blamed an "unresolvable disagreement" with the leadership on "the manner in which we leave the EU".

He joins figures such as former Education Secretary Justine Greening who have chosen to stand down in the face of deselection threats if they vote against the government.

House of Commons
Parliament

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on his feet and is now starting his statement on the G7 summit in Biarritz, which took place during the summer recess.

Image source, HoC

There is a testy exchange in the Commons between shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

She asks if the government has asked for "legal advice on how coroners would be expected to record the deaths of anyone who looses their life after 31 October through entirely preventable medicine shortages".

Mr Raab replies that medicines are regularly stockpiled, even "without the context of Brexit".

Ms Thornberry says some essential medicines cannot be stockpiled and says coroners could rule that individuals who die after being denied medicine have died "as a result of neglect".

"This is no way to run a country," she says.

Mr Raab says it is "shameful" of the shadow foreign secretary to "scaremonger in the appalling way she has".

He adds that medical supplies will be "protected in all scenarios".

Neurologist Dr David Nicholl contributed to Operation Yellowhammer, the government's plan for a no-deal Brexit. He warns that the government expects a higher mortality rate if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Speaking during a news conference, US Vice President Mike Pence says his government supports Brexit, but will "continue to encourage" the UK and Ireland to ensure any deal respects the Good Friday Agreement.

"As the deadline for Brexit approaches we urge Ireland, and the EU as well, to negotiate in good faith with Prime Minister Johnson and work to reach an agreement that respects the UK's sovereignty and minimises disruption to commerce," he says.

Image source, PA Media

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar says the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland "is a very real risk".

Speaking to US Vice President Mike Pence during a joint news conference, he says: "I know that you understand the impact a hard border will have on us on this island... the risk that the Good Friday Agreement and peace will be undermined."

"That is why we must stand our ground on the [Brexit] Withdrawal Agreement," reports the Reuters news agency.

Image source, EPA

Speaking in Whitehall, the DUP’s Nigel Dodds says those MPs seeking to remove the threat of no deal would “bring about the very circumstances they want to avoid” because of a “crass approach to negotiations.”

Mr Dodds says it is “very critical” Boris Johnson wins the vote today.

He said it was important to ensure Mr Johnson’s negotiations “have a chance of success” and said the bill to extend Article 50 would “remove his negotiating leverage".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Given the frenetic nature of British politics, it may seem like politicians have been back from recess for weeks, but it is only today that MPs have actually returned to Parliament.

Their day begins with questions to the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

The rest of the day should look something like this:

• 15:30: Statement from the prime minister on the G7 summit
• 16:30: Statement from the chancellor on Brexit preparations
• 17:30: Statement from the education secretary on education funding
• 18:30 Emergency debate on no-deal Brexit legislation (if Speaker John Bercow grants the debate)