Select Committee
Parliament

We're getting started in the Boothryod Room with Hilary Benn and his Exiting the EU Select Committee holding a session on the progress of the UK's negotiations.

Due to give evidence are Allie Renison, Head of Europe and Trade Policy at the Institute of Directors, Henry Newman, Director of Open Europe, Michael Dougan, Professor of European Law and Jean Monnet, Chair in EU Law at the University of Liverpool.

Welcome to our coverage of today's events in Westminster.

We're crossing over to the select committee rooms shortly, for a session with the Exiting the EU Committee.

MPs are taking evidence from representatives from Open Europe and the Institute of Directors.

Maria Caulfield and Ben Bradley quit in protest at Theresa May's Chequers Brexit compromise plan.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Commons had a long day yesterday, and made up for it with a shorter day today.

The day kicked off with Defence questions, before approval was granted to the Non-Domestic Rating (Nursery Grounds) Bill, external, which will now head to the Lords for their consideration.

The afternoon saw a debate on the progress of negotiations with the European Union, tabled by the Liberal Democrats.

The government, Tory MPs and some Labour MPs said that there should not be a second referendum, as it would undermine confidence from the electorate. The Liberal Democrats, SNP and Caroline Lucas, the Green MP insisted that public opinion was changing.

The Commons returns at 11:30am tomorrow with Scotland questions, then Prime Minister's Questions at midday.

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The results are in.

Ayes - 13

Noes - 299

Majority - 286

MPs have voted against a Liberal Democrat Brexit motion calling for a "people's vote on the deal".

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Image source, hoc

MPs have divided to vote on a Lib Dem motion on the government's handling of negotiations to leave the EU.

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Image source, HOC

After a brief point of order from Labour's Graham Stringer, accusing the Lib Dems of "misleading the House of Commons" over their past stance on an EU referendum, Brexit minister Robin Walker approaches the despatch box to offer the government response to this opposition day debate.

He raises a few groans from the opposition benches with the suggestion that the Cabinet reached an agreed position at Chequers on Friday.

Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake then intervenes to break to the minister that Tory vice chairs Maria Caulfield and Ben Bradley have just resigned over the prime minister's compromise plan.

"They are individuals' decisions," says Mr Walker.

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Image source, HOC

Wera Hobhouse continues the procession of Lib Dems standing up to expound on their anti-Brexit credentials. The German-born MP calls the EU "the greatest peace project in the modern era".

The MP for Bath takes an intervention from Labour's Gareth Snell, who describes her suggestion that the UK struggles with people who have "multiple national identities" as "ridiculous".

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Christine Jardine criticises the government over this week's cabinet resignations, to the tune of "hear hear" from her Liberal Democrat colleagues.

She says: "Every time I think this Brexit chaos can't get any worse, I discover I am wrong. It can and it does."

Image source, HOC

The MP for Edinburgh West accuses the Conservatives of "narrow infighting and self-interest" during an anecdote about learning of Boris Johnson's resignation at a graduation ceremony at the University of Edinburgh yesterday.

The former foreign secretary followed David Davis in resigning from the Cabinet amid concerns the Cabinet's Chequers agreement on Friday would lead to a watering down of their preferred Brexit visions.

Westminster Hall

Concluding the debate with a very brief point, Mr Hammond praises the quality of speeches made by Members on each side, and says he hopes the government acknowledges the benefits and drawbacks of the various systems discussed over the last 90 minutes.

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Image source, HoC

Labour's Gareth Snell says that the prime minister should have considered what all parties wanted from Brexit and produced a policy from there.

The prime minister took "a very narrow view" and tried to "placate" two warring factions within her own party, he states.

He believes that a second referendum is a "folly, is a nonsense." He adds that nothing has changed in his constituency in the past 18 months.

He adds that his seat voted 70 30 to leave, and his constituents just want to get on with it, saying he sees "no appetite" for a second vote.

Theresa May warns her party it must unite after a string of resignations over Brexit forced a reshuffle.

Westminster Hall

Treasury minister Mel Stride steps up to give the government response to this debate.

He outlines the details of the "facilitated customs arrangement" agreed by the cabinet at Chequers on Friday. Mr Stride says it will allow for the UK to act as an agent for the EU at UK borders and will ensure there is no regulatory misalignment on goods through the use of a common rulebook.

Responding to fears that a 2-minute delay in checking vehicles could lead to a 17-mile tailback at Dover, he says the Chequers plan dispels those concerns.

Image source, HOC

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Image source, HoC

Conservative Steve Double says that "British people simply want us to get on with this".

People are "tired of debating the process" in the Westminster Bubble, he states.

He adds that a lot of his constituents can't understand why the UK has not left the EU already.

He says it would be "bad for our democracy" to carry out a second referendum.

He adds that the EU will make a terrible offer if there is a vote on the final deal, knowing that people would then reject leaving.

Westminster Hall

Shadow Treasury Minister Jonathan Reynolds says "at this stage we shouldn't even be having this debate". He hits out at the "delay and dithering" of the government since the referendum and says they should "by now have come up with a credible and comprehensive customs plan" for the UK after Brexit.

Image source, HOC

He says Labour's plan for a new customs union with the European Union will ensure:

• there are no tariffs with Europe
• current customs systems can continue
• a hard border is avoided in Northern Ireland

Westminster Hall

The SNP's deputy leader in the Commons, Kirtsy Blackman, begins by thanking present Members for the tone of the debate and makes reference to a number of young members of the public attending the session.

Image source, HOC

Citing the Scottish food industry, she says that even an extra hour in the customs process could ruin products such as langoustines on their way out of the UK.

Ms Blackman adds that the advertised benefit of being out of the customs union - free trade agreements with other countries - would not make up for the lost GDP.

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Image source, HoC

The SNP's Stephen Gethins says the government "is falling apart" while the "clock is ticking" and it still has "no idea what comes next".

He says that Brexiteers "bear a huge amount of responsibility" for the situation the UK is currently in, and he complains about their lack of suggestions on how to solve the current problems.

He criticises Labour and says "there is no such thing as a jobs-first Brexit". He says that "Labour needs to step up to the plate a little bit more".

Every analysis under any Brexit shows Britain being poorer and losing jobs, he adds.

He says he finds it astonishing that the government continues to pursue a policy which will damage the economy.

"We are in this mess because of a Conservative civil war," he states.

Westminster Hall

The DUP's Jim Shannon says with increasing uncertainty over what the UK will look like after Brexit, "it's more important than ever that we remember what people voted for in the referendum".

Image source, HOC

Mr Shannon says he doesn't believe recent reports that the UK could have rotting food at ports in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit.

Last week, the British Retail Consortium warned that with 50,000 tonnes of food passing from EU through to UK ports each day, a slower customs process could lead to rotting food.