Summary

  • MPs vote by 358 to 234 to back the prime minister's plan for the UK to leave the EU on 31 January - a majority of 124

  • The EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, introduced in Thursday's Queen's Speech, now moves to its next stage

  • Boris Johnson said the country was now "one step closer to getting Brexit done"

  • Jeremy Corbyn said it was a "reckless" bill that will tear communities apart

  • Mr Corbyn ordered Labour MPs to vote against the bill - but six backed it and 32 abstained

  • Emily Thornberry and Clive Lewis have declared their intention to run to become Labour's next leader

  1. Sir Keir warns Tories to 'be careful' with majoritypublished at 14:05 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sir Keir

    Now we are on to the closing statement from the Labour benches - shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer.

    After praising the number of new MPs who have made maiden speeches and the civil tone of debate, he moves on to a warning for the Tories.

    "We have had a general election," he says. "There is a clear winner with a clear majority.

    "So I say this to members opposite. With that majority, be careful. Be careful. Doing things because the government has a majority doesn't mean those things are right."

    He points to the removal of the Dubs amendment for child refugees.

    "I know members across the House have supported that campaign," adds Sir Keir.

    "[To remove it], that is a moral disgrace, majority or no majority.

    "So I ask those who go into the lobby to vote for this bill... ask them to reflect for a moment in that."

  2. Backbench speeches come to an endpublished at 14:01 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    That's the end of backbench contributions - the Tory MP Mark Pawsey was the last to speak from the government side.

    Labour's Keir Starmer is now summing up for the opposition.

  3. Big Ben should chime for Brexit, say MPspublished at 14:00 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    ReutersImage source, The Elizabeth Tower, covered in scaffolding

    Almost 50 MPs are calling for Big Ben to chime the moment that Britain leaves the European Union.

    The Elizabeth Tower, where the Great Bell is situated, is currently being refurbished and only rings out on New Year's Eve and Remembrance Sunday.

    But the MPs - led by the prominent Conservative eurosceptic Mark Francois - have signed a Commons motion, urging Parliament's authorities to allow an exception at 23.00 GMT on 31 January.

    They say the move would "provide an appropriate national focus" for what they say is a "truly historic event".

  4. Bradley: Election was 'decisive breakthrough' for Brexitpublished at 14:00 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Ben Bradley

    Conservative MP Ben Bradley says the debate has been a bit like "groundhog day".

    He says the past three years have involved "cyclical and repetitive debate, which has gotten us nowhere - until this election gave us a decisive breakthrough".

    Mr Bradley says his constituents "shared his frustration and anger" at the delay to leaving the EU.

    He adds: "They wanted us to be grown ups and sort this thing out, and they were decisive, returning me with an increased majority and an increased mandate and I thank them.

    "There is no reason or excuse now why we cant get this done by 31 January."

  5. Watch: Speaker to 'try and bring House together'published at 13:52 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Media caption,

    Sir Lindsay Hoyle on his ambitions in his new role

  6. Brexit a path to a 'truly global Britain'published at 13:46 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Steve Double, the Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay, says Labour and Lib Dem MPs "gambled" when they opposed Boris Johnson's Brexit agreement in October and they have now lost.

    He says the bill before MPs will help chart a path for a "truly global Britain", chiding those who think the "rest of the world is just the European Union".

    And Lee Rowley, the Tory MP for North East Derbyshire, says the EU is not "the panacea for everything that is good in the UK".

    He says there is an "intellectual case" to be made for both believing in Brexit and liberal internationalism, where openness and co-operation thrive.

  7. Lord Dubs: Vulnerable children are not bargaining chipspublished at 13:44 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Lord dubsImage source, AFP/Getty Images

    Labour's Lord Dubs calls the dropping of his amendment to the Brexit bill, which proposed the UK would continue to enable unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their families, "appalling and deeply distressing".

    In a series of tweets, external, he says the decision by Boris Johnson would affect "the most vulnerable children imaginable - unaccompanied and alone".

    He adds: "We're not talking large numbers. These children simply wish to find safety with their families, who are able and willing to support them.

    "Parliament has already shown it supports family reunion for refugee children and I have faith it will do so again.

    Attempts to strip these children of their right to be with their loved ones will be resisted in the Commons and the Lords."

    Lord Dubs continues: "And I really don't buy the Government's claim that this new position is just for the purpose of negotiation.

    "Vulnerable children are not bargaining chips. We should not be exploiting their misery for political purposes, but defending them as our own."

  8. Grant: When is the government going to listen?published at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Peter Grant

    The SNP's Peter Grant says it is not right for MPs representing Scotland to vote in favour of Boris Johnson's Brexit bill.

    He tells the Commons: "My constituents voted with the majority of four to one for parties that were opposed to this bill. My one nation voted by three to one for parties against this bill.

    "To those who have told any Scottish opposition MPs there is a duty on us to tag along with the prime minister - no.

    "The only duty possible for us to discharge is to vote against this bill, against this Brexit and against a government that shows complete contempt against the sovereign status of the citizens of Scotland."

    Mr Grant also criticises the PM, saying he has "broken promises" since the referendum.

    "We do not believe you, we do not trust you, we will not allow you to take our nation out [of the EU]," he adds.

    "When is this government going to listen?"

  9. Benn: Pro-EU voices 'still need to be heard'published at 13:36 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    The World at One
    BBC Radio 4

    Labour MP Hilary Benn says the “country remains divided” over the issue of Brexit, despite Boris Johnson’s emphatic victory in the election.

    Mr Benn was chair of the Brexit committee in the last Parliament, and was one of the authors of what became known as the Benn Act, which prevented the UK leaving the European Union at the end of October without a deal.

    Asked if all the Brexit debates in the last Parliament were a waste of time, Mr Benn said: “Standing up for what you think is right – how can that ever be for nought?”

    He says the government has got its way and the UK will be leaving the EU at the end of January but those people who don’t support Brexit should still be heard in the House of Commons.

    He says the country is "divided down the middle" over Brexit and "we should work very hard to mitigate the impact of what I still believe is the wrong decision".

    The government is taking a “big gamble” with the future of the economy, he says, because if it doesn’t achieve a deal by December next year then it will be a no-deal Brexit.

  10. Labour MP: PM is 'posh bloke version of Vicky Pollard'published at 13:27 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Ruth Cadbury

    Labour's Ruth Cadbury says the prime minister "may have the majority of the house but not in the country", citing numerous polls about his popularity.

    She says "Brexit is a process not an act that can be done quickly", so on behalf of both Remain and Leave voters, "we have a duty to scrutinise this bill".

    Ms Cadbury also gets a giggle in the Commons with a swipe at Boris Johnson.

    "He spends so much effort avoiding scrutiny, we have seen over recent weeks, when he cant avoid a question, he responds with a posh bloke version of Little Britain's Vicky Pollard, [saying] 'yah but no but yah'."

  11. European values at threat from 'Trumpian government'published at 13:21 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Anna McMorrin lists the reasons why she can't vote for the bill, saying it strips Parliament of a meaningful role in scrutinising the next stage of the Brexit process and determining the kind of relationship the UK and EU have in future.

    More generally, she says Brexit threatens many of the values she holds dear and associates with European co-operation, such as tolerance, inclusivity, equality and a striving for the public good.

    These, she suggests, are now under threat from a "Trumpian, populist government" and, to jeers from the Tory benches, from "bigots everywhere".

    The Cardiff North MP insists that Brexit will not strip her of her "Welsh and European identities".

  12. Speaker has 'different style' to Bercowpublished at 13:11 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    HoyleImage source, PA Media

    While Sir Lindsay Hoyle is talking about his diabetes diagnosis, the BBC asks him about his new job as Speaker of the Commons - and how he might compare to his predecessor John Bercow.

    He says: "I think every Speaker has had a different style, haven't they? There have been 158 speakers - I am the 158th - each one would have had their own style, the way they deal with things.

    "My way is I want to try and bring the House together. We've lots of people who work here, lots of MPs, and I want to make sure people have a great experience when they come to work here, whether it is an MP or somebody whop keeps the House going."

    He is pushed on whether he plans to be less controversial than Mr Bercow.

    "It is about working with everyone who is involved with the House of Commons, but it is more about saying let's have a great Parliament where we debate, lets ensure we get quality debate, but let's make sure we don't have bear-pit politics.

    "I am trying to take people with me, with a great atmosphere. I want to inspire the people who work here who didn't quite feel people were standing up for them and what I want to do is stand up for everybody."

  13. Kyle wants Jess Phillips to standpublished at 13:07 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    BBC Politics Live
    BBC2's lunchtime political programme

    Peter KyleImage source, BBc

    Labour MP Peter Kyle says he hopes Jess Phillips will stand in the contest to replace Jeremy Corbyn as leader.

    He says: “I’m encouraging her to enter the race because I think she is a politician who is firmly rooted in the realities of everyday life, beyond the Labour Party.”

    He says he spoke to her yesterday and will be speaking again later today, adding that “she is looking into it”.

    “I’m encouraging her actively to do it because I think hers is a voice that needs to be heard,” he adds.

    Stephen Bush, political editor at the New Statesman, says Ms Phillips has “got a difficult path to the ballot”.

    He says she has the support of other Labour MPs, but she also needs backing from the trade unions and the membership.

    If she achieves that, he says, she has “a watchable quality” and is someone who could cut through to voters.

    Brexit Party MEP Lucy Harris says none of the potential Labour candidates would be competition for Boris Johnson.

  14. Labour MP to vote with the governmentpublished at 13:05 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Emma Lewell-Buck speaking in the CommonsImage source, UK Parliament

    Emma Lewell-Buck has become the first Labour MP to publicly confirm they will defy the whip and vote for the government's Brexit bill later.

    The South Shields MP, who backed the previous withdrawal bill in October, said she did not "want to oppose for opposition's sake".

    "The party opposite have a mandate they did not have before," she said. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I cannot vote with my party today but I will also put my constituents first."

  15. WATCH: Wallace calls PM a 'left-wing Tory'published at 13:04 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

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  16. The chronic campaigners of Westminster on manoeuvrespublished at 13:03 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Mark D'Arcy
    Parliamentary Correspondent

    Almost without missing a beat normal parliamentary politics has resumed.

    With a variety of plum internal posts up for grabs, the chronic campaigners of Westminster are already visibly on manoeuvres, with assorted candidates for the three deputy speakerships laying out their wares, and battening onto any Commons newcomers who cross their path.

    The permanent deputy speakers (three temporary deputies were named on Thursday) will be elected on Wednesday 8 January, but there are other glittering prizes on offer.

    The chairs of select committees will be elected rather later, and the prime minister will have to appoint a new chair for the parliamentary intelligence and security committee, following the defeat of Dominic Grieve (who probably would not have been re-appointed, anyway). Will former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt get the call?

    A number of select committee chairs lost their seats - Sarah Wollaston, Frank Field and Mary Creagh - but others may not be confident of being re-elected to their chairs by MPs.

    The political balance of the new Commons may result in some being rejected, and so there is much anxious sniffing of the new atmosphere, with several of the previous crop of chairs wondering whether it might be better not to stand again, if they face defeat.

    Read more from Mark here.

  17. Watch: 'You can't take PM at his word', says Labour MPpublished at 13:02 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    BBC Politics Live presenter tweets...

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  18. You reap what you sow - Caroline Flintpublished at 13:02 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    Labour's Caroline Flint is not in the Commons today - the former MP for Don Valley lost her seat at the election - but she is still making her presence felt on social media.

    The ex-minister, who backed the previous Brexit bill when it first came before Parliament in October, has been scathing in her criticism of colleagues, who she says have been trying to stop the UK leaving.

    She has been exchanging messages with Tom Baldwin, former director of the People's Vote campaign, about guarantees on workers' rights after Brexit.

    The government has taken these out of the bill after the Tories' victory, although ministers are promising separate legislation to enshrine existing protections.

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  19. Latest headlinespublished at 13:01 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    What's happened so far?

    Parliament

    It's lunchtime in Westminster and we thought we would catch you up with what has happened so far today.

  20. Kyle: Labour 'shouldn't cave in' and vote for dealpublished at 12:42 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2019

    BBC Politics Live
    BBC2's lunchtime political programme

    Brexit Party MEP Lucy Harris and Labour's Peter Kyle
    Image caption,

    Brexit Party MEP Lucy Harris and Labour's Peter Kyle

    Labour’s Peter Kyle say he accepts that the prime minister has the majority in Parliament but it is not Labour’s job to “cave in and vote for everything”.

    “You don’t change your values and your principles, just because you’ve been defeated.”

    He adds that Boris Johnson has gone back on his word by removing workers’ rights from his Brexit bill.

    He says when he has spoken to the Labour MPs who lost their seats at the election, such as Ruth Smeeth and Anna Turley, they all say “antipathy towards Jeremy Corbyn” was the primary reason for them not backing Labour – rather than the party’s Brexit position.

    “The idea that this was a stonking great endorsement of Boris Johnson’s Brexit policy is simply not there.”

    However, Brexit Party MEP Lucy Harris says Mr Corbyn’s decision not to support the bill shows he is out of touch with “ordinary people”.

    She says: “The majority of people that used to vote for him have supported it. It just shows he’s going off on a tangent.”