Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

Following on from that Plaid Cymru tweet it's worth looking at the language coming from Labour too.

As our political correspondent Chris Mason notes, Jeremy Corbyn has been calling for an election for months and a spokesman for him said Labour would back an election as soon as the plan to block no deal becomes law, rather than wait to see it implemented at the end of next month.

Strikingly, though, shadow chancellor John McDonnell sounded more equivocal, and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons he would want to see its "implementation" before an election.

This is an internal debate that could have big consequences.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay says: "The public want Brexit delivered, the business community wants certainty.

"This bill will leave our negotiations in purgatory with a third extension after more than three years."

He adds: "This is a Bill that is intended to stop Brexit. I urge my colleagues to oppose it."

Image source, HoC

Click here for more info on what the bill is about.

A correction to something we brought you earlier on the possibility of Tory peers having the whip removed if they defy the government.

MPs are due to vote on the second reading of the bill shortly.

Once the bill passes this hurdle it will move to the committee stage, where MPs can debate amendments to the bill.

MPs will vote on any amendments selected by the Speaker, followed by a vote on the bill as a whole.

The next hoop to jump through is the report stage which gives MPs the chance to further debate the bill, and add more amendments.

Finally we come to third reading - the Commons' final chance to discuss the bill.

If it passes all these stages it then heads to the House of Lords.

If the House of Lords amends the bill, it will return to the House of Commons.

House of Commons
Parliament

Former Conservative MP Antoinette Sandbach, now sitting as an Independent, says: "I do not regret putting my job on the line to save my constituents' jobs. I do regret that the prime minister forced me to do it."

Ms Sandbach said Mr Johnson's negotiations were being "undermined" as the Europeans could not see what steps he was taking to "build consensus in this House and get any concessions given to you through Parliament", adding: "That is what puts you in the weaker position, not a threat of a no-deal."

Ms Sandbach bemoans the lack of cross-party working to deal with Brexit, noting: "There is a will and a way to get through, I just haven't seen the leadership from the frontbenches to argue for it - and that has been my biggest shame in being a member of this Parliament in this House for the last three years.

"Not seeing proper leadership out there to build our country back together again."

Image source, Parliament

The former Labour minister says she believes the British people should be respected "whether they voted Leave or Remain or whichever party they voted for".

In a plea for compromise on all sides, the MP for Don Valley, who supports the bill, says no deal is a decision which defers 100 other decisions.

"I want to look my Leave voters in the eye and say 'yes, I respected, as a Remain voter, the decision to leave'... and to Remain supporters who I stood alongside in 2016 I want to say 'yes, we respected the decision to leave, but we have successfully protected the things you value,'" she says.

She adds that "an extension with no purpose is not the way forward".

The threat was made - and made good - against Tory MPs who defied the government and now it looks as though the same threat is being made to peers as well. It didn't do much to bring the rebel MPs into line though, so will it have the desired effect in the other House?

Image source, Reuters

Charles Worsley, chairman of the Mid Sussex Conservative Association, thanked Sir Nicholas Soames for his service.

In a statement, Mr Worsley said: "Following the vote yesterday, it has been confirmed that our MP Sir Nicholas Soames has had the whip withdrawn and he has stated that he will not be seeking re-election.

"Sir Nicholas has served Mid Sussex diligently since 1997, and has been a Member of Parliament since 1983. He has had the support of his association during this time.

"His hard work and dedication to public life has been greatly appreciated by all those who have worked with him and he will be greatly missed.

"Sir Nicholas had previously intimated that he would not wish to stand in a 2022 general election.

"The association has now started the process to select a new candidate for Mid Sussex.

"We wish Sir Nicholas and his family well for the future."

House of Lords
Parliament

"This bill is undoubtedly urgent," says Lib Dem peer Lord Newby on the delay legislation.

He urges peers to focus on "the future prosperity, security and influence of our country".

"In order to protect them we need this bill and we need this motion," he says.

The motion, as we've said, is about the business of the house and the timetable for debate.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, parliament

Back to the Commons where the debate is continuing, with a vote expected in about 15 minutes. Sir Bill Cash, Tory MP for Stone, who is against the bill, says the terms give too much to the EU.

"I wouldn't call this the European Union withdrawal bill - I would call it the European Union subservience bill," he says

"This is a disgraceful reversal of our constitutional arrangements," he adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Boris Johnson will open the debate on the Fixed-term Parliaments Act in the Commons on Wednesday evening, Downing Street says..

His official spokesman added: "The prime minister, while not wanting an election, believes that if his negotiating position has been destroyed then that should be tested at an election and the public should be able to decide on the next steps forward."

We think that stage of proceedings will get under way some time around 20:30 BST.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Returning to the Lords, the Conservative peer Lord Forsyth says "a bunch of liberals and Labour Party people have seized control of the agenda and prevented us today from discussing the chancellor's extremely important statement."

"It is an absolute outrage, dangerous for our democracy and an abomination," he says.

"The noble lady should be ashamed of herself," he adds referring to Baroness Smith, who is pushing forward a tight timetable for debate on the Brexit delay bill.

Remember Anna Soubry was a Conservative herself before she defected earlier this year.

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Parliament

Sir Nicholas Soames MP - Winston Churchill's grandson and one of the 21 MPs who had the Tory whip withdrawn yesterday - is clearly emotional as he makes his contribution to the debate.

He says he has always believed that the 2016 referendum result "must be respected" but that must not be done without a deal.

"This bill before the House today is modest, it's ambitious, and it's powerful in its mandate.

"It merely seeks to avert the risk of the disaster of a no-deal Brexit exit on 31 October and it thereby seeks to give the government and this House to achieve a resolution on this profoundly difficult issue."

Sir Nicholas then confirms he will not be standing at the next general election.

"I am thus approaching the end of 37 years service to this House, of which I have been proud and honoured beyond words to be a member."

He adds: "I am truly sad that it should end in this way."

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Back to the Lords. We mentioned a short time ago that peers are setting a tight timetable for dealing with the Brexit delay bill in an effort to prevent it being talked out by opponents.

But Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Evans - speaking for the government - says the motion to limit debate "sets a dangerous precedent for this House".

She urges peers to "think very carefully" about supporting a motion that "prevents us from scrutinising the bill."