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These amendments, tabled by Lord Kerr, would force the government to brief Parliament on steps taken to negotiate a Customs Union with the EU by 31 October.

The problem here is that quite many in the government do not want to be in a Customs Union at all, because, they argue, it would constrain the UK's ability to make other trade deals. These amendments are designed to oblige them to try.

The government opposes the amendment but has briefed that the wording is non-binding. It may let it pass and honour it as a formality in order to avoid inflaming tensions.

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Parliament has a duty to "protect the economy", Sir Keir says, and the only way to do that is to negotiate a customs union with the EU.

He adds that the government has committed to no border infrastructure between the UK and Ireland, but max facilitation does involve additional infrastructure.

Sir Keir says that the UK has "an excellent trade deal with the EU" and with an additional 57 countries through the EU, as well as a considerable number of developing countries.

He adds that the Brexit Secretary has previously said that by March 2019 the UK would have trade deals many times the size of the UK.

Referring to the Good Friday Agreement, he says: "This is more than a technical issue."

It was not designed to just deal with just border infrastructure. He adds that he worked with the Northern Ireland Policing Board for five years immediately after the Good Friday Agreement and he understands the importance of the agreement.

Image source, PA

Sections of the UK car industry face extinction unless the UK stays in the EU customs union, the president of the CBI has said.

Paul Dreschler also said there was "zero evidence" that trade deals outside the EU would provide any economic benefit to Britain.

He blamed a "tidal wave of ideology" for the government's Brexit approach.

But the government said it was "focused on delivering a Brexit that works for the whole of the UK".

Read more here.

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Sir Keir is now reflecting more on amendments 1 and 2, which deal with the government negotiating a customs union with the EU.

Across the UK, thousands of manufacturing businesses rely on the customs union, Sir Keir continues, saying that many businesses currently use the 'just in time' model of ordering, which could cause delays for the sector.

He says the outgoing president of the CBI has today warned that sections of the car manufacturing industry will go "extinct", echoing concerns raised by Lib Dem Tom Brake during PMQs.

Sir Keir says that most people understand that there will "have to be a new arrangement" that "replicates" the work of the current customs union.

He raises concerns that the maximum facilitation model relies on technology that is yet to be invented.

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Image source, HoC

Shadow Exiting the EU Secretary Sir Keir Starmer says the amendments in the group which is headed by amendment 51 consider enhanced protection for EU-derived rights, environmental protections and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

"In many respects that should not be controversial," he states.

Responding to Conservative Simon Clarke, who intervenes to ask if the Labour Party is prepared to accept free movement of people under their customs union amendments, Sir Keir responds to say that the customs union and free movement are not linked.

Conservative Anna Soubry says that the prime minister has stated that an amendment "will be forthcoming" on a meaningful vote for Parliament.

Sir Keir says that from his point of view, it was "clear what was likely to happen in the course of next week".

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The Commons has moved onto the second of two days on the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Shadow Exiting the EU Secretary Sir Keir Starmer is on his feet speaking to the amendment 51 group.

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Image source, HoC

Labour's Anna McMorrin is introducing her ten minute rule bill which would assume responsibility for plastics and packaging to lie with the producers of those items.

In Wales, a 5p carrier bag charge has led to a reduction of carrier bag waste of 71% since 2011, she adds.

She says that the UK's process for dealing with plastic waste can "at best, be described as erratic".

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Image source, hoc

Labour's Dennis Skinner says "as a bit of an expert on being thrown out", he says that there are "various ways" to throw people out.

He says no-one has ever followed him out of the chamber. He adds that sometimes there are variations in how the rule is enforced according to who the Speaker is at the time.

Mr Bercow says the type of exclusion used today was to expel Mr Blackford from the Chamber and the precincts of the Palace of Westminster for the rest of the day.

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Shadow leader of the House Valerie Vaz says she wants to correct "misinformation" being put about that the opposition didn't want to take part in debates about devolution yesterday.

SNP leader Ian Blackford, before he was thrown out of the chamber, said that Labour had deliberately slowed down voting to ensure that there was as little time as possible for debate on devolution related amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Ms Vaz says this is untrue and that Labour voted against the program motion, which set out the timetable for debate, because they wanted more time.

Labour's Margaret Beckett asks the Speaker to outline what the passing of a "sit in private" motion, as called for by Ian Blackford would have done.

Speaker John Bercow says that "people would have had to exit the public gallery at once" if he'd allowed the vote to be held, and that if it had been passed "broacasting would have had to have halted".

He says "it's important that people understand the implications of some of these devices that people use" and calls for MPs to stop the use of "stunts".

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

Image source, hoc

Phew! First a really lively set of exchanges between Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May, then an orchestrated display of SNP fury, culminating in a walkout.

The exchanges between the leaders had a rare level of personal needle – and the stare the PM gave Jeremy Corbyn, when he taunted her with the leaked comments made by Boris Johnson, suggested he had scored a direct hit.

And he then continued with the simple tactic of quoting the Foreign Secretary’s words against his boss. Neither of his targets enjoyed the experience.

Given the government’s current Brexit disarray, he had an open goal before him, but he’s missed before – and this time the ball thundered into the back of the net.

(Conservative Brexiteers will have been pleased, though, by the PM’s later replies to Jacob Rees Mogg and Philip Davies, setting her face against a “meaningful vote” on Brexit that could risk overturning the referendum verdict.)

Then came Ian Blackford. His protest, attempt to force a vote, and subsequent walkout may all be mocked in Westminster, but they may play differently with Scottish voters.

I’m old enough to remember Nick Clegg making a protest in 2008, about the treatment of the then third party, the Lib Dems, (ironically on an amendment calling for an EU referendum) and briefly discomforting Speaker Martin.

His frontbencher Ed Davey was ordered out of the chamber, and Mr Clegg then led a walkout – calling the Speaker’s ruling a “constitutional outrage”.

Third parties traditionally find the way the Commons works, which is carved up between the government and the main opposition party, intensely frustrating.

The SNP are good at using Westminster for clever, social media-savvy political theatre – prehaps because they don’t hold it in quite the same reverence as the other parties; remember them whistling “Ode to Joy” during a division on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill? I would not be surprised if they try to generate a few more YouTube moments.

The other issue that might worry the PM is the trains. Both Conservative Nadine Dorries and Labour’s Jeff Smith raised it – and while Brexit dominates Westminster, many MPs will return to their constituencies at the weekend, to find their voters fulminating about packed or cancelled trains.

Oh, and for the first time, PMQs breached the 1pm mark; it had to happen, I suppose.

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Conservative Douglas Ross asks how Parliamentary devices for emergency debates can be used if someone leaves the chamber.

Mr Bercow says that his "surmise" is correct, adding that Mr Blackford had not given enough notice for an emergency debate, which must have been lodged by 10:30am.

"It would have been heard," but Mr Blackford "chose to put himself in a potion in which he would not be able to persist with his application".

Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael says that the urgency for this emergency debate became apparent after Mr Blackford decided to pull a stunt.

Mr Bercow says this argument "doesn't work" as the urgent matter was based on the Sewel Convention, rather than the tone of the Chamber at the time.

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As the session ends, Speaker John Bercow congratulates a baby, apparently the child of Labour MP Clive Lewis, that has been brought to the public gallery.

"For all the turbulence and discord of today's proceedings, the little bably that has been observing them has been a model of impeccable behaviour from start to finish," he says.