House of Commons
Parliament

Responding to Mr Johnson, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accuses the Conservatives of "mishandling" Brexit over the past three-and-a-half years.

Mr Corbyn says this has caused "political gridlock, chaos and economic uncertainty."

He adds it has "paralysed our political system, divided communities and countries" and "become a national embarrassment on an unprecedented scale."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is now on his feet explaining why his party will not be backing Boris Johnson's bill.

House of Commons
Parliament

Concluding his opening remarks, Mr Johnson says he is "absolutely determined this great project will not be of one government or party, but of the British nation as a whole".

The PM adds: "We should be fortified by a renewed sense of confidence that, while our democratic institutions have been tested as never before, if this House comes together now to support this bill... history will record that the first act of this new Parliament was to break the ice flows and find a new passage through to oceans of new opportunity.

"It is time to come together, to write a new and exciting chapter... and to begin the healing for which the whole people of this country yearns."

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Joanna Cherry questions the PM on the removal of the so-called Dubbs amendment from the bill - which sees a promise to protect unaccompanied child refugees in Europe who seek to reunite with their families in the UK.

She quotes Lord Dubbs, who says removing it is "mean spirited and nasty".

Labour MP Lisa Nandy, who is considering a run for the leadership of her party, also asks about it, saying Mr Johnson has "not earned the right to shoehorn into this legislation that is a direct attack on some of the most vulnerable children in the world".

But Mr Johnson says the conclusion is wrong, and that the government "remains absolutely committed" to help child refugees, but that this bill is not the vehicle for it.

Mr Johnson employs his usual creative language to compare recent times to a Charlie Brown cartoon, with Lucy snatching away the football before the eponymous hero can kick it.

But he focuses back on his bill, saying it "learns the emphatic lesson of the last Parliament... and rejects any further delay".

He adds: "It ensures we depart on 31 January. At that point Brexit will be done, it will be over.

"The sorry story of the last three years will be at an end and we can move forward."

Mr Johnson says it also "paves the way" for a "ambitious free trade deal" with the EU.

"The oven is on, it is set at gas mark four, we can have it done at lunchtime and the new deal I negotiated will restore our great institutions," he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Boris Johnson is now on his feet to move his Brexit bill.

He says it will give the country an opportunity to move forward.

But the PM warns MPs that it "must not be seen as a victory" for either side.

"This is the time we move on and discard the old labels of Leave and Remain," he says.

"Now is the time to act together as one reinvigorated nation and one United Kingdom."

Image source, Getty Images

In more Labour Party news, Laura Parker has stepped down from her role as the most senior staff member of Momentum.

The grassroots campaign group has been a dedicated backer of Jeremy Corbyn.

But despite saying she is "proud" of Momentum's work, Ms Parker said it was "entering a new phase" and it was time for her to move on.

"We must reflect upon and reassess how Labour can win," she said.

"We must work to support a new party leader who will take forward our transformational programme.

"And we must do the patient work of building a deep, embedded movement which organises in all communities and builds power to resist the Tories."

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Parliament

The final MPs are finishing the swearing in process and the debate will soon be kicking off...

Image source, Getty Images

Meanwhile, things are hotting up in the Labour leadership contest.

We already knew shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry would be running.

But last night shadow Treasury minister Clive Lewis added his name to the mix.

In an article for the Guardian, external, he said he feared "necessary truths may go unspoken" if he didn't put himself forward.

Jeremy Corbyn announced on election night he would not lead the party into another poll.

Others who have said they are considering a pitch for the leadership include Sir Keir Starmer, Yvette Cooper and Lisa Nandy.

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, thought to be the favoured candidate of the current party leadership, has yet to say whether she will stand.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

It is a huge day - but the funny thing is, after all the blood and guts of the past three years, with bodies all over the Parliamentary chamber and the tussle over the Brexit bill, today will probably be a bit of a whimper.

That's because we know with Boris Johnson's huge majority this bill can sail through the Commons and there is really not much anyone can do about it.

The bill has been changed in fairly significant ways, which suggest Mr Johnson is no longer minded to reach out to critics or opponents, or to try and meet concerns.

Ending the right of Parliament to oversee the government's negotiating strategy in the next phase and taking out all the concessions on employment rights which Theresa May had to put in suggests to me that Mr Johnson just sees no need to accommodate his critics anymore.

It also probably disproves a view held by some that once Boris Johnson won the election and got a majority he would turn his back on the hard-line Europsceptics in the European Research Group and emerge as a much more soft Brexit prime minister.

That is not the case. He is ploughing ahead with route one, the ERG love what he is doing.

The other thing that is worth saying is this bill isn't going to be going through at high speed.

There is not going to be any dilly dallying around so after the key vote is today, the scrutiny of the bill will take place as soon as MPs come back in January with only three days set aside for it.

I think ministers can be pretty confident they can get the bill to take us out of the EU through Parliament, and approved by the European Parliament, by the end of January.

Image source, Getty Images

Sir Lindsay Hoyle has spoken of his shock after being diagnosed with diabetes days before the general election.

The Speaker of the Commons said he had lost three stone in recent months and was urged by family to go to the doctors.

Sir Lindsay said the symptoms were so severe that medics wanted him to stay in hospital, but he refused to miss the election campaign.

He is now receiving treatment and awaits further tests, but he believes it to be Type 1 diabetes.

“I’m on tablets, as well as having to inject insulin, but it doesn’t stop me carrying on and nothing is going to be a barrier to me,” said Sir Lindsay.

"I’m going to cope with it. I’m going to manage it. I’m going to get through this.

“The House of Commons elected me to be the Speaker and there’s nothing that’s going to stop me from doing that.”

Former Prime Minister Theresa May also has Type 1 diabetes, and the Speaker says she is an inspiration to him.

He has also been thanked for speaking about the condition by charity Diabetes UK.

Chris Askew, chief executive of the charity,said: “Living with type one diabetes can be hard, but as Sir Lindsay’s experiences have shown, with the right support from your healthcare team – and careful management – people can live full and healthy lives following their diagnosis."

Image source, PA Media

The SNP's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, says Boris Johnson is "blindly hurtling towards the cliff-edge with his devastating Brexit plans that will leave us all poorer and worse off".

Speaking ahead of the vote - which, perhaps unsurprisingly, the party will not be supporting - Mr Blackford says the bill is "flawed and deeply damaging".

He adds: “Scotland voted to remain in the EU, and in last week's general election Scotland voted decisively to escape Brexit and to put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.

"Our voice and democratic vote must be respected."

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Bailey has been named as the new Bank of England governor.

Chancellor Sajid Javid is making the announcement in London as we speak.

He says Mr Bailey - currently chief executive of the City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority - has "the experience, the record and the character" to do the job.

Mr Javid adds: "Without doubt he is best candidate for the job and I am very much looking forward to working with him over the years to come."

Mr Bailey will take over when the current governor, Mark Carney, steps down in March 2020.

New Bank governor announced

Image source, UK Parliament

Labour's Shadow Treasury minister Anneliese Dodds tells BBC Breakfast the Brexit bill "goes against some of the previous assurances that we've had".

That is due to a number of changes made by Boris Johnson before bringing the bill to the Commons, including:

• Legally prohibiting the government from extending the transition period - during which a trade deal between the UK and EU will be discussed - beyond 31 December 2020
• The removal of a specific clause on workers' rights
• Allowing more UK courts to reconsider European Court of Justice rulings that have been retained in UK law after Brexit

The workers' rights clause was added when the previous minority Conservative government was trying to get the support of Labour MPs for the legislation. They no longer need that.

Ms Dodds says it is "clearly quite a poor bill so it's not one I can support".

But she concedes the government's majority means Labour is unlikely to be able to prevent it going through.

There are going to be attempts by opposition parties to make their voices heard in the Commons today.

The DUP, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats are all putting forward amendments saying the PM's Brexit bill shouldn't be given a second reading.

But this is no longer a minority government with rebels joining the opposition to back such moves - this is a strong majority government behind their prime minister.

And the amendments won't be voted on unless they are chosen by the Speaker.

So don't expect the fireworks we have been used to in recent months.

It is a day that Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay may have thought would never come - a Brexit vote his side look set to win!

He tells BBC Breakfast it is an "historic day" in the process.

"The reality is the British people in the general election made clear they want Brexit delivered, but also they want us to bring the country back together - to start the healing process and to move on to the many other issues in the manifesto that we want to focus on," says Mr Barclay.

"Today... is an opportunity after three years of dither, of delay, of divisiveness, to actually deliver and step forward and move this legislation to leave by 31 January, and be able to then start bringing the country back together."

House of Commons
Parliament

What time is everything going to happen during today's debate and Brexit vote?

The Commons starts sitting at 09:30 GMT.

There is no other business to kickstart the day - they can't start everything else until the Queen's Speech has been approved by MPs - so it will be straight to debating the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill.

Boris Johnson is set to open the debate, with Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay to close it.

When it gets to 14:30, we can expect a vote.

Both Labour and the SNP have said they won't support the bill, but remember the government has that big majority of 80, so there shouldn't be any problems with it passing.

It will then return to the Commons in the New Year for its final stages.

To end the day will be the return of the often quirky adjournment debate.

Today's morsel comes from Sir David Amess and his continuing campaign to get Southend city status.

Image source, UK Parliament

Welcome to what Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay is calling an "historic day" in the Brexit process.

MPs are heading into the Commons for the second reading of the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill.

They will debate the bill, which would implement the Brexit agreement the prime minister reached with the EU in October, before having a vote to see if it gets to its next stage.

But with an 80-strong Conservative majority, Boris Johnson will be feeling pretty confident.

You can follow all the build up here ahead of the debate and the results as they come in.