Summary

  • Earlier: Theresa May questioned on Brexit by senior MPs

  • Labour granted urgent question on Brexit legal advice

  • Minister says attorney general will give statement on advice next week

  • Labour MP reveals he is HIV positive during debate on World Aids Day

  • Lords debate school funding and tackling violent crime

  1. Good morningpublished at 09:57 Greenwich Mean Time 27 November 2018

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

    First on the agenda today, a committee session from the Environmental Audit Committee, looking at the sustainability of the fashion industry.

  2. May defends Brexit deal amid MPs' attackspublished at 19:48 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    The PM faces criticism of her deal in the Commons - as Labour's leader calls for a "plan B".

    Read More
  3. What did the PM tell MPs?published at 19:34 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    Theresa May defends proposed Brexit deal

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Theresa May made a statement in the Commons, defending her proposed Brexit deal.

    But she faced criticism of the proposed terms and plans for the future from the opposition and many Conservative MPs.

    What happened?

    • She said MPs will vote on the deal - the "meaningful vote" - on 11 December
    • Mrs May said the agreement delivered Brexit for the British people
    • She admitted she was not "entirely happy" with the "backstop" contingency plan to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

    What was the response?

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said "ploughing on" with a deal opposed by the public and MPs was an "act of national self-harm".

    Many former Tory cabinet ministers, including Iain Duncan Smith, Boris Johnson, Owen Paterson, Sir Michael Fallon and Remain-supporting Dominic Grieve, also said the deal was unsatisfactory.

    She received qualified support from Treasury Committee chair Nicky Morgan, who urged MPs to study the deal carefully.

    And Caroline Flint, one of the few Labour MPs who has signalled she could vote for the deal, urged Mrs May and Mr Corbyn to hold face-to-face talks to reach an accommodation acceptable to both parties.

  4. Reality Check: Theresa May's Brexit letterpublished at 19:33 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    The prime minister has written a "letter to the nation", to sell her Brexit deal.

    Read More
  5. That's where we leave our coveragepublished at 19:28 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    MPs will continue to debate the 100 year anniversary of the RAF this evening, but that's where we are going to leave our coverage of Parliament this evening.

    We'll be back tomorrow - thanks for joining us.

  6. Labour: Now is the time to inspire the futurepublished at 19:26 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    RAF Centenary Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Nia GriffithImage source, hoC

    Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith pays tribute to the women in the Royal Air Force.

    She says the RAF today is far "outpacing" the other armed forces in terms of recruitment of women, with 20% of regulars and 40% of reservists now women.

    She asks what is being done by the MoD to increase pilot training, as well as developing new technology, which is "future to our defence".

    She criticises the government's decision to scrap Nimrod without a replacement, as it has left the UK reliant on its allies. She asks when the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier will be sufficiently equipped.

    Now is the time to inspire the future, she says. The Royal Air Force has made an immense contribution to the defence of the nation and she has no doubt that they will continue to do so.

  7. Communities minister: 'More could have been done'published at 19:13 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Children Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord BourneImage source, HoL

    Concluding the debate, Conservative peer and Communities Minister Lord Bourne says this is a "very important area" which rightfully is being commemorated.

    He says the commemoration of Kindertransport is part of a bigger conversation as he expects "the number of displaced people to grow in future years".

    Lord Bourne says genocides around the world have not stopped, and more must be done to promote peace.

    He says the government is committed to working with other countries to tackle humanitarian issues, and that everyone should learn a lesson from Kindertransport that "more could have been done".

    Lord Bourne says that today, a good job is being done by local authorities "but more can be done".

    "There is a responsibility on us all, and the global position should worry us very much," he says.

    With the conclusion of the debate, the House of Lords adjourns until tomorrow.

  8. Labour peer: Spirit of Kindertransport 'must be rekindled'published at 19:02 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Children Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord BeechamImage source, HoL

    Summing up the debate, Labour peer Lord Beecham says he shares the "profound sympathy" for those who could not be saved by the Kindertransport, and perished in the Holocaust.

    Lord Beecham recalls the recently recounted story, that Clement Attlee took a Kindertransport recipient into his home "without seeking any publicity".

    He says 500,000 people are dead in Syria, and millions displaced and "more needs to be done by every one of us."

    Lord Beecham calls for more support for the thousands of asylum seekers in the UK.

    He asks what efforts the government is making to diversify the placement of asylum secrets in the UK to ensure "the spirit of the Kindertransport is rekindled across the UK".

  9. Conservative peer: 'We should never take our freedom for granted'published at 18:51 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Children Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord PopatImage source, HoL

    Conservative peer Lord Popat says the Kindertransport represents Britain's compassion for those who are suffering, which is "part of British culture".

    He adds that we should learn from the Jewish community in the UK that "no matter the pain of the past, the future is yours to share, and that we should never take freedom for granted".

    Lord Popat says it pains him that the UK is celebrating Kindertransport when members of the Jewish community "feel under great threat" and that we all "have great responsibility to embrace equality for years to come".

  10. Defence secretary: RAF creation one of our finest achievementspublished at 18:51 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    RAF Centenary Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Gavin WilliamsonImage source, HoC

    Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson says the Royal Air Force has made a huge and important contribution to the United Kingdom and he's delighted MPs are getting the opportunity to mark the centenary.

    The decision by MPs to create the RAF 100 years ago was one of the House of Commons's finest moments, he says.

    The RAF is currently involved with campaigns all over the world, across 23 countries and 5 continents he says, protecting "not just those nations but also Britain".

    He appeals to the chancellor, suggesting the "best birthday present a service can have is perhaps a little more cash".

  11. Crossbench peer: UK's asylum policies 'must be seriously looked at'published at 18:50 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Children Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord AltonImage source, HoL

    Crossbench peer Lord Alton of Liverpool asks what Kindertransport organisers would think of the UK's action towards child refugees today.

    "Children are being kept like caged animals and tortured in detention centres," he says.

    "We must seriously look at our asylum policies."

  12. Tory peer: Combating anti-Semitism 'best tribute to the Kindertransport'published at 18:37 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Children Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord ShinkwinImage source, HoL

    Conservative peer Lord Shinkwin says he is "an indirect beneficiary of the Kindertransport".

    He says had his orthopedic surgeon not made it onto the last train before the Germans closed the border in 1939, "the chances are, I would not have made it here."

    Lord Shinkwin says if he had grown up in Germany during the 1930s he would have been considered as "subhuman" and have been "destined for extermination" for being disabled.

    He adds that more conversation about the Kindertransport is needed and that it is "always important to remember and learn from the painful lessons".

    Lord Shinkwin says there is "no more fitting tribute" to the Kindertransport than "to combat the racism that is anti-Semitism".

  13. Lib Dem peer: UK 'has an obligation' to help all childrenpublished at 18:22 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Children Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord RobertsImage source, HoL

    Liberal Democrat peer Lord Roberts of Llandudno says "the UK has an obligation to help any child, anywhere."

    Lord Roberts adds that he believes in building a world where "every child has an opportunity".

    "We can close the borders but the children in need are still there," he adds.

    Lord Roberts says "there are so many people looking for hope, and we must be preparing for them, we must have a strategy."

  14. MPs begin debate to mark 100 year anniversary of Royal Air Forcepublished at 18:21 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    100-Year Anniversary of the Royal Air Force Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The prime minister's statement on the EU withdrawal agreement comes to an end after more than two and a half hours of questioning.

    Business now turns to a general debate to mark the 100 year anniversary of the Royal Air Force.

    Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is opening the debate.

  15. Scottish Tory expresses concern that backstop could strengthen nationalistspublished at 18:14 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    EU Withdrawal Agreement statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Scottish Conservative MP Ross Thomson says that as unionist, he cannot support a backstop that leaves Northern Ireland in a separate regulatory regime and under the jurisdiction of a foreign court.

    He says this would strengthen the arguments of nationalists and threaten to break up the United Kingdom.

    Mrs May says she's also a passionate unionist and is committed to protecting "our united kingdom".

    Some regulatory differences already exist, she says, and the government has given commitments that there wouldn't be regulatory divergence during the backstop period.

    Some have suggested that during a temporary backstop period Northern Ireland would actually be at an advantage, she says, and that's one of the reasons why the EU is so keen to avoid the UK being kept in the backstop.

  16. Labour peer: UK 'cannot sit back and watch' humanitarian crisispublished at 18:11 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Children Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord JuddImage source, HoL

    Labour peer Lord Judd says "the 80th anniversary of Kindertransport is a reminder of acts of kindness and the strive forwards for a better world."

    "When there is something that can be done, we should do it" he says, and "the best way we can honour those who were courageous enough to stand up and organise this transport is to remember those who were not able to come."

    He reminds peers that millions died in concentration camps, and calls for the government "to commit themselves to an overriding drive to ensure that things do not happen again by working effectively internationally".

    Lord Judd says there are 39 million displaced people in the world and "we must remember that these distressing scenes are being repeated all over the world on a scale past our imagination."

    He says many of these people are "extremely intelligent and able people" and the UK "cannot just sit back and watch this humanitarian crisis".

  17. Peers commemorate 80th anniversary of Kindertransport children coming to UKpublished at 18:05 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Children debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord DubbsImage source, HoL

    Peers have now concluded their discussion on Theresa May's statement on leaving the EU.

    Labour peer Lord Dubs is now introducing a general debate on plans to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the decision to allow Kindertransport children to come to the United Kingdom.

    The Kindertransport rescue was organised after the anti-Jewish violence of Kristallnacht in Germany in November 1938 and took place in the nine months prior to the Second World War.

    An evacuation of mostly Jewish children to Britain took place, with the first arriving in Harwich, Essex 80 years ago this December.

    Over the period, the UK took in nearly 10,000 children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Free City of Danzig.

    Lord Dubs, who was a Kindertransport child himself, says the best way to commemorate this 80th anniversary is for the UK to agree to take in 10,000 refugee children over the next ten years. He says this amounts to "one thousand per year or 3 per local authority, a very modest request indeed".

    Lord Dubs says these refugee children should be from both Europe and the wider world.

    He says "more should be being done for refugee children than we are doing now", and that there should be "no public opinion to be afraid of".

    Lord Dubs urges the government "to make a positive contribution" and to respond to the 80th anniversary of the decision to allow Kindertransport children to come to the United Kingdom "in an appropriate and effective way".

  18. Tory MP: Criticism of backstop 'overblown and wrong'published at 17:57 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    EU Withdrawal Agreement statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Nick Herbert says it is the case that the backstop can only be temporary as it is a pathway to a future trade deal, so therefore descriptions of it leading to the UK becoming a vassal state or even a colony are "overblown and wrong".

    He commends the PM for having negotiated such a deal, which he says delivers on the promise made that the UK would leave the European Union.

    Mrs May says she absolutely agrees with him.

  19. Not just the vote: bill also needs to get through Parliamentpublished at 17:51 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

    New Statesman's special correspondent and Institute of Government expert tweet

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  20. 21 days later...published at 17:49 Greenwich Mean Time 26 November 2018

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    Under the terms of the EU Withdrawal Act, the government has 21 days to come back to Parliament to explain what actions it will take, should the meaningful vote not go the government's way.