Summary

  • Private members' bills in the Commons

  1. Heidi Allen urges Dubs rethinkpublished at 16:54 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative Heidi Allen says she will abstain on the EEA amendment in the hope that it may be a "lifeboat" option for the UK.

    "Family is everything," she says, as she citicises the government's opposition to aspects of the Dubs amendment on child refugees. She urges it to "think again" and sits to murmurs of "hear, hear".

  2. Votes more interesting tonight than previously thought?published at 16:50 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    Political correspondent, The Guardian, tweets

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 2

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 2
  3. Cooper: Can't keep kicking the can down the roadpublished at 16:49 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Yvette CooperImage source, HoC

    Labour's Yvette Cooper tells the House that in a recent meeting with a German minister she was asked what she thought the government's next move would be on customs and trade, but says as well as not having any idea what the government would do she had no idea if the Brexit Secretary would still be in place by the end of the meeting.

    She says the government's approach to Brexit is creating "embarrassment" across the world.

    She lays out a case for EEA membership as a backstop option and says that reforms to free movement would be possible within it.

    She criticises the government for rejecting the EEA and the Customs Union because "we don't know what it wants instead" despite having had 18 months or so to decide.

    The Labour front bench is asking its MPs to abstain on the EEA vote today, and Yvette Cooper says she will do so, but "feels very uncomfortable". She asks her party to look at the the EEA "very seriously" because we "can't keep kicking the can down the road".

  4. Grieve to defy government on EEA and rightspublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Dominic Grieve says he is still negotiating a compromise with the government on a meaningful vote.

    He then turns to retained EU law and human rights and says he is grateful for the government's replacement amendment.

    He moves on to Baroness Hayter's scrutiny amendment. He says many of the UK's equality and human rights laws will lose protection. He says he does not believe that the government wants to overturn them, but that protection is key.

    He criticises the government's position of opposing the amendment, and says he will have to rebel on the issue.

    On the EEA and customs union, Mr Grieve says he "despairs".

    He refutes the idea that the rules of these institutions curtail British sovereignty, as the UK accepts a myriad of international rules because it is a law-abiding nation. "We cannot see the wood for the trees." he says.

    Mr Grieve argues that the UK cannot deny that it belongs in the European economic zone.

    "You have to stand up and be counted," he says, and says he will be voting for the EEA amendment.

  5. Benn: UK should join EEApublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Hilary BennImage source, HoC

    Brexit Committee chair and Labour MP Hilary Benn says that the "consequences of getting this wrong will be deeply damaging" and it is "difficult to overstate" how much is at stake in Brexit.

    He says the people of Britain have "had enough of management in the party interest; what we desperately need now is leadership in the national interest".

    He says he wants to support the EEA amendment, which would make remaining in the European Economic Area a negotiating objective. He notes that the EEA still requires free movement but he says it would be possible to "seek some changes" to the way it works.

    He says joining the EEA has a number of advantages including that it is available "off the shelf" and "could be negotiated relatively quickly".

    Some argue that remaining in the EEA would be de-facto remaining in the EU. But Hilary Benn asks if "anyone [is] seriously arguing that Iceland, which is an EEA member, is a member of the European Union? It is not. That argument holds no strength at all".

  6. 'Customs arrangement' amendment 'meaningless'published at 16:06 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Ken Clarke also attacks an amendment due to be voted on later today.

    He calls it "utterly meaningless [which] probably explains why it has been tabled by an extraordinary number of government MPs". The amendment was tabled by David Davis but has the support of ultra-Brexiteers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Sir Bill Cash as well as Remain leaning Tories Nicky Morgan and Stephen Hammond.

    "I know all these people and I don't believe they agree on anything that's got anything to do with the European Union," says Mr Clarke.

    The amendment, calls for "a customs arrangement" which, Ken Clarke says, could cover "anything".

  7. Electric vehicles bill approved by peerspublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, which aims to introduce charging points more widely, passes third reading in the Lords without controversy and will now go for Royal Assent.

  8. Clarke: referendum never addressed trade issuespublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Ken ClarkeImage source, HoC

    Conservative backbencher Ken Clarke says today's debate is a "ridiculous situation" and criticises both the amount of time given and the wide variety of topics to be covered.

    He says he wants to confine his speech to future trading arrangements, subjects which are covered by a number of the amendments to be debated today.

    He says he rejects the idea - pushed by some of his colleagues - of erecting new trade barriers with the EU 27 while having an "open and exotic free trade approach to the rest of the world".

    He goes on to say that he doesn't think the referendum "remotely addressed the important subjects we are debating here today" and calls reporting on the issues by the media "pathetic, it was all about Turks and the amount of money that would go to the health service".

    In support of staying in a customs union with the EU, he says that people who advocate for new trade deals outside the EU ignore that bilateral trade deals won't do any less damage to UK sovereignty.

    They are "mutually binding obligations", he says, just like the agreement we have entered into with the EU.

  9. UK government hails 'important step' towards denuclearisation of North Koreapublished at 15:52 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    Private notice question

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    CourtownImage source, HoL

    Crossbencher Lord Alton of Liverpool is asking the equivalent of an urgent question on the impact of the US-DPRK Singapore Summit on security and human rights on the Korean Peninsula.

    Kim Jong-un and President Trump met on Tuesday, signing a brief declaration on denuclearisation and reducing tensions.

    Lord Alton says we should be mindful of "broken promises" made by North Korea in 1994 and 2007 but give the summit a "cautious welcome", highlighting the opportunity to "turn hope into substance".

    He asks the government to confirm UN sanctions are still in place.

    Foreign Office spokesman the Earl of Courtown says this is "an important first step towards denuclearising North Korea" which "we hope is the beginning of a substantive process".

    He notes the government "continues to have grave concerns on human rights" and sanctions will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

  10. What happens here has a significant impact outside this House - SNPpublished at 15:44 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Stephen GethinsImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Europe spokesperson Stephen Gethins says "there is a huge strength of feeling about this issue across the House of Commons," adding that "what happens here has a significant impact outside this House".

    The government "are not even making much of a job of convincing their own MPs," he says, adding that "every Brexit scenario is damaging," and stating that the "least worst option" is "staying in the single market and the customs union".

    He says that the government lost their majority in the general election last year and this was in part due to the hard Brexit they were proposing.

    "The UK has no better friend than Ireland," right now, he adds. Adding that the government is getting away with its plans because of the "ineffective" opposition.

    "The UK is on the cusp of becoming a failed state," he finishes.

  11. What happens for the rest of today?published at 15:24 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Commons has six hours of time allocated for debates on the remaining amendments to the bill made in the House of Lords. Debate today started at 1:30pm so votes should begin from 7:30pm.

    Today's amendments cover issues including negotiating a customs union with the EU, making remaining in the EEA a negotiating objective and transferring the Charter of Fundamental Rights into UK law.

    The Labour Party's team of whips have tweeted that they expect Amendment 51, on the EEA, to be the first division, and for there to be eight votes overall.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    If there are eight votes it could take the Commons two hours to get through them all.

    Today isn't the end of the bill, however. Because the Commons has disagreed with some of the Lords amendments peers will now have to give their opinion on the changes.

    Or reverse them and ask the Commons to think again, as part of the process known as "ping pong". Only when both houses are happy with a bill can it pass into law.

    The Lords is due to have their say on the bill on Monday.

  12. Home Office rejects link between youth service cuts and crimepublished at 15:21 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    Oral questions

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    ManzoorImage source, HoL

    At question time in the Lords, Lib Dem Lord Paddick asks what impact reductions in local authority funding have had on crime levels.

    He says young people turn to gangs because they "seek a sense of belonging" and alternatives which could have been provided by youth services are "no longer there" as funding has been reduced by 49% in real terms since 2010.

    Home Office spokesperson Baroness Manzoor tells peers that the rise in serious crime is linked to changes in the drugs market driven by increased demand for cocaine and use of crack cocaine.

    "Local authorities are responsible for allocating funding to youth services in line with local needs," she adds.

  13. Government 'cannot accept' amendment 3published at 15:20 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Robert BucklandImage source, hoc

    Solicitor General Robert Buckland says the government will bring forward "an environmental principles and draft bill" in December this year, and he says the Lords amendment number 3 has the best intentions "but we cannot accept it".

    "Amendment 3 would create a risk-averse approach to the better upholding of environmental standards," he states.

    The environment body proposed by the government will focus specifically on national government, rather than the nations and regions, to avoid "unintended consequences".

    The government has subsequently put its name to an amendment by Sir Oliver Letwin in lieu on environmental protections, which Mr Buckland says that the government will have to provide details within six months of Royal Assent on environmental law.

  14. SNP MPs walk out of Prime Minister's Questionspublished at 15:10 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    SNP MPs have walked out from Prime Minister's Questions in protest after their Westminster leader was thrown out of the chamber in a row with the Speaker John Bercow.

    Read More
  15. Charter of Fundamental Rights is 'intrinsically linked' to EU membershippublished at 15:01 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Solicitor General Robert Buckland says the government believes "it just wouldn't be right" to keep a Charter of Fundamental Rights which is more aligned with EU law after the UK has left.

    This Charter is "intrinsically linked" with the UK's membership of the EU.

    It would create a "confused" statute book at a time when the UK will be "bringing back" a "dwindling body of law".

    "Certainty has to trump other considerations here," he says, adding that the Charter is a catalogue of rights, rather than "integral" to how institutions work.

    "We have listened to concerns" on rights, and "we want to get the balance right," he adds. The government has struck "a reasonable and fair compromise", he says.

  16. Flurry of Atkinspublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    Politics and history enthusiast tweets

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  17. Prime Minister's Questions: The verdictpublished at 14:48 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    Theresa May clashed with Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit and the SNP walked out - here are the key bits.

    Read More
  18. Amendment 51: the EEApublished at 14:48 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    Lord Alli's amendment stipulates that the government must make remaining in the European Economic Area (EEA) an aim in its negotiations with the EU.

    The government disagrees, not least because a condition of EEA membership is the free movement of people. The government has interpreted the Brexit vote as a vote to limit migration.

  19. Minister asks MPs to reject commitment to EEA membershippublished at 14:36 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    BucklandImage source, HoC

    Solicitor General Robert Buckland opens for the government, arguing against the Lords amendment which makes continued EEA membership a negotiating objective.

    He says this "doesn't pass our test of respecting the referendum result" as it would mean accepting "all four freedoms of the single market including freedom of movement".

    He insists he doesn't want to see a "cold Brexit" but to pursue "a willingness to trade that embodies what it is to be British".

    The government proposes an amendment in lieu which would require a minister to publish a statement outlining the steps taken in negotiations to seek a new customs arrangement with the EU.

  20. Prime minister's commitments 'a mistake' - Starmerpublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 13 June 2018

    EU Withdrawal Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sir Keir says that the commitments of the prime minister to leave the customs union was, in his view, "a mistake".

    He says that a vote to leave the EU was not a vote to harm businesses in the UK from doing business. He says that between Sweden and Norway, there are checks on goods travelling between the two countries.

    He states that the only reason why the government wants to reject scrutiny of secondary legislation relating to people's rights is if they want to change these rights without Parliament overseeing the process.

    "Human rights develop over time," he says, "Brexit should not be used...to reduce our human rights protection in the UK."

    The EU's environmental principles are "hard-wired" into treaties, these must be "retained and replaced" if the UK does not want to see a reduction in environmental protections.