Image source, Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

Chancellor Sajid Javid is having pressure put on him to confirm or update the economic analysis of Brexit ahead of the crunch vote on PM Boris Johnson's deal.

The Treasury committee has asked Mr Javid for an update ahead of Parliament's session on Saturday. A Brexit impact document was released by the Treasury months ago but may now be outdated, the committee says.

Committee chair Catherine McKinnell says the delay to Mr Javid's response is an "attempt to avoid scrutiny".

"When MPs vote on the government's new deal on Saturday, we should do so with as much information as possible," she adds.

Labour MP Hilary Benn has also been busy writing letters. He has asked Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay to release an impact assessment for the deal before Saturday's vote.

The DUP's Sammy Wilson has denied a suggestion that the party's MPs could be persuaded to abstain on the vote over Boris Johnson's new Brexit deal.

Prof Costas Milas, from the University of Liverpool's management school, points to the government's 2018 impact analysis, external, which he says implies that Boris Johnson's deal is "more damaging for the UK economy compared with Mrs May’s deal".

He also cites research, external by The UK in a Changing Europe which says the new deal is more damaging for the EU. The damage to the EU appears to be 50% higher under Johnson's deal, he tells the BBC.

James Shaw
BBC Scotland reporter

More details from Scotland's highest court where anti-Brexit campaigners are arguing Boris Johnson's new deal is unlawful.

They say it would keep Northern Ireland substantially within the customs union of the EU.

Their lawyer, Aidan O’Neill QC, tells the Court of Session in Edinburgh the deal breaches the terms of an amendment to an act sponsored by supporters of a hard Brexit.

Judge Lord Pentland asks whether the effect of a court order would be to prevent Parliament debating the deal on Saturday.

Mr O’Neill says it wouldn’t and Parliament is entitled to know if the deal is unlawful.

Boris Johnson will assemble his cabinet at Number 10 this afternoon at 1600 BST so he can update them on the European Council and "look ahead to tomorrow", his spokesman says.

He says the prime minister and his team will spend all Friday on the phone to MPs from across the house.

But Mr Johnson will not speak to opposition MPs himself, the spokesperson adds.

Ex-Tory MP Stephen Hammond says the proposed amendment put forward by fellow former Conservative Oliver Letwin is "quite specific".

"What it says is that Brexit doesn't happen until all stages of the implementation bill are passed," the Independent MP tells reporters at Westminster on Friday.

"What it is born out of is the concern that someone might choose to vote for tomorrow's deal, thereby satisfying the Benn Act, and then choose to do something either by accident or by design which frustrates the implementation bill and then there is a possibility of us leaving the European Union without a deal."

Reuters

Boris Johnson's spokeswoman says if the Brexit deal is approved, the legislative process to implement it could begin as soon as Monday, Reuters reports.

While some Labour MPs who are considering backing Boris Johnson's new deal have been told they won't be sacked from the party if they do, a leading party activist has suggested they will face consequences.

Jon Lansman, who sits on Labour's national executive committee, has said MPs who vote for the deal will be replaced "with a new, socialist" candidate at the next election.

BBC political correspondent Jessica Parker says "conversations have gone on" between the government and and some Labour MPs.

Reuters

Labour MP John Mann says a group of 10 or more members of his party will rebel and vote for the PM's deal.

Mr Mann - who is standing down as the MP for Bassetlaw - told the Irish national broadcaster, RTE, he would vote in favour of the deal as, "It's a two-side deal and that satisfies me."

He added said there were "different pressures at play" that could influence final numbers but that it will be "more than nine".

Victoria Derbyshire

Sam Gyimah says Tory whips called him last night to persuade him to toe the party line and vote for the PM's deal - weeks after he quit the party.

Mr Gyimah was one of the 21 Tories who had the Conservative whip removed after rebelling against Boris Johnson in a bid to prevent a no-deal Brexit.

He joined the Lib Dems in September.

"I just got a call saying there's a rumour on the grapevine that you're going to vote for this deal, and is there anything I can do to help," he told the Victoria Derbyshire programme.

"I told them there was nothing I can do to help - this is a lousy deal," he adds.

"I can only put it down to they were trying every trick in the book to get votes ahead of Saturday," he says.

Pro-Brexit campaign group Leave.EU has said Boris Johnson's new deal "completes phase one" of Britain's exit from the European Union.

In a tweet, the group says "let's chalk it down as a win".

Leave.EU was a rival to Vote Leave, which was designated as the official Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum campaign.

Image source, Leave.EU

Former Labour adviser and columnist Ayesha Hazarika says the decision facing MPs is "not just about getting Brexit 'done'".

Victoria Derbyshire

Independent MP Stephen Hammond - who lost the Conservative whip when he voted for the Benn Act - says Mr Johnson's deal is "not as good as Mrs May's deal in a number of areas".

He hasn't said which way he will vote yet - but adds it's more important to "restore the Conservative Party family" than to remove the whip for people who decide to vote against the government.

In Mr Hammond's Wimbledon constituency, 70% of people voted remain.

"Lots of people are against lots of things - it's time for them to decide what they're actually for," he adds.