Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

Interestingly, Jeremy Corbyn steers clear of Brexit, preferring his core theme of austerity – a rather venomous exchange follows.

After a constant diet of Brexit, this may be a relief, but it allows the discussion to move onto familiar tribal ground, with familiar charges and counter-charges.

It is hard to imagine these exchanges shift opinion in the world outside Westminster.

It will be for other Labour MPs to try and make capital out of the government’s defeats yesterday.

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The Leader of the Opposition tell the House that the chief economist of the Bank of England describes the last decade as a "lost decade" for wages.

He adds the prime minister might laugh "but it is the reality of people's lives".

He continues that two years ago that a UN committee found a "grave and systematic" violation of disabled people's rights.

Has the situation improved? he asks.

Theresa May replies that her government has a key commitment to help disabled people into the work place.

Too many people not been able to earn an income for their families, she adds.

The prime minister says the disability confident arrangements are helping disable people into work.

She tells the House that the last decade has meant "difficult decisions" because of Labour party "mismanagement" of the economy.

Remember "no money left", she adds.

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Jeremy Corbyn says food banks are in "record demand" this December and they "are not just a photo opportunity for Conservative MPs, all of whom supported the cuts in benefit that have left to the poverty in this country".

He says the Rowntree Foundation analysis has shown that "in-work poverty is rising faster than the overall employment rate, and the UK has the weakest wage growth of all the G20".

Jeremy Corbyn says that "living standards are falling" and questions "what is wrong with our economy that our pay growth is so much worse than other nations in the G20?"

The prime minister says: "Wages are growing faster than before and employment is at record levels."

She says the leader of the opposition "wants to go back to square one" which means "going back to a system that left 1.4 million people spending a decade of their lives stuck on benefit".

"This cost £3,000 per household, and as ever it was ordinary people paying the price," she concludes.

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Jeremy Corbyn says that if the prime minister is not prepared to scrap Universal Credit, she should end the initial five-week period for claiming the first payment under the new system.

The Trussell Trust has warned about the effect this could have on food bank use, he says.

Universal Credit is being rolled out in various areas, and people entering the new system "risk being left with no money at Christmas", he says.

In reply, Theresa May accuses the Labour leader of not understanding how the system works - and says the government has made it easier for people to get advance payments.

"No one has to wait for money if they need it," she adds.

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Jeremy Corbyn says it could be she doesn't agree with the report because it is the "unpalatable truth".

He adds that the work and pensions secretary has created a "hostile environment" for those in receipt of benefits.

He calls for the halt of Universal Credit.

Theresa May replies that the government has made changes to Universal Credit as it has been rolled out.

The Labour party wouldn't support those changes, she says

The PM says it is time Labour recognised that more people are in work and that poverty is at record lows.

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Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn says while we debate the critical issue of Brexit we must not neglect the crisis facing millions of people across the country.

"As of now, I have received no reply from the prime minister to the UN's report on poverty," he says.

He asks what shocked the prime minister more, "the words the UN used, or the shocking reality or the rising number of poverty in Britain?"

Theresa May says "we do not agree with this report - absolute poverty is at record lows, more people are in work than ever before and wages are growing."

"This is a Conservative government delivering for the British people," she adds.

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Theresa May gets the question session under way.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury says "this deal must be in the interests of those who will be here for the long term."

"The result of the referendum must be implemented," he says "with that responsibility there is a moral agency and a moral choice for Parliament to take."

He says the country "must be brought back together" and "the greatest risk is an accidental leaving without an agreement".

The Archishop of Canterbury says if this happens "there is a significant danger of adverse economic effect and greater poverty."

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Chair Angus Brendan MacNeil jokes that government resignations not withstanding, he hopes to see the International Trade Secretary again.

The committee comes to a close.

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Conservative Julia Lopez says it is her understanding that no Brexit at all would require government legislation.

It would "entirely be possible" for amendments to Brexit legislation to "achieve that effect", replies Dr Fox.

Ms Lopez asks if the secretary of state would consider pulling the Trade Bill if he thought "a cheeky amendment" could "kill Brexit".

The international trade secretary tells the committee he will be taking advice on what the other potential routes are for achieving what the government needs.

It is my understanding that the Government Procurement Agreement part of the bill could not be achieved by any other legal means available to the government, he says.

The MP then asks if Dr Fox is aware of any other major economy that has done a services only trade deal.

It would not be a service only deal, Liam Fox replies, adding that free trade agreements have to cover all elements.

The UK would have freedom on tariffs, he says.

The international trade secretary says it would be a "democratic affront" if MPs stop Brexit.

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Crossbench convenor Lord Hope says he voted to remain but understands the people made a decision and that he supports the result of the referendum.

Lord Hope says: "It is certain that we will be leaving the EU on 29 March, so we have to find the best way out that we can.

"People have given up with the detail and are willing to pay the price of the consequences just to move on," he adds.

Lord Hope says that trying to get the prime minister to re-negotiate a deal "is barking in the wind" and "it is unclear how much of the original deal would survive if we did so."

He adds that "the best way out of this maze is to accept the deal as it is" and that "whilst parts of me regret this, stability is what matters in the long run".

"It is an imperfect deal, but it is all we have, and I am prepared to swallow my misgivings in order to get on with it," he concludes.

The international trade secretary says the Commons, with a Remain majority, may be aiming to stop Brexit.

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Liberal Democrat leader Lord Newby says "this country finds itself in the most dangerous position it has faced in 80 years, purely to resolve factions in the Conservative Party."

"The prime minister knew this deal would leave us poorer, less secure and with less global presence than we have now," he adds. "The only debate now is about how much poorer we will become."

Lord Newby said this is "simply an agenda for future discussions" and calls the facilitated customs arrangement "fundamentally impractical".

He adds that there are three options; the government attempts to re-negotiate the deal "with little chance of success", we have a general election "fought by at least three Conservative parties and two Labour parties - which would not end well, or we allow the people to have their say".

Lord Newby says those who argue against a "People's Vote" for fear it is undemocratic are "guilty of the perversion of intelligence".

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

MPs will have had just half an hour to scrutinise the Attorney General’s advice on Brexit, by the time the prime minister takes to the dispatch box…

So if there are any unheralded embarrassments lurking in the unexpurgated version of Geoffrey Cox’s text, they might not make it into PMQs….but the morning after the night before, the PM will be braced for yet another Brexit monstering, with Labour poised to say that Tuesday’s triple Commons defeat leaves her unable to govern.

She should at least get a gentle start to proceedings, with former health minister Philip Dunne expected to highlight new jobs in life sciences in his Ludlow constituency – and the list of questioners does not include many obvious hard core Brexiteers.

But that does not mean it is without peril – Labour’s Kevin Brennan is down to ask a question, and he is a sharp political operator (and lurking a bit further down the order of questioners, he might have time to ask about the Cox advice).

Then there’s the SNP’s Joanna Cherry, one of the MPs involved in the Article 50 case before the Court of Justice of the EU, who is also listed.

The case explores the ability of the UK to simply cancel Brexit, without needing approval from the other EU member states, and it is a fair bet that she will raise that possibility.

Perhaps the factor to watch out for is the extent to which Conservative backbenchers attempt to help their leader, with supportive questions.

There have been times, recently, when very few helping hands have been extended, so if some now appear it might imply that the backbench mood has shifted, or at least that the whips office is getting organised.

With MPs beginning to murmur about the possibility of an early election, some may raise constituency issues – the Lib Dem Jamie Stone will be focusing on ensuring jobs from a UK spaceport in his Caithness constituency go to local people - and there will be plenty of opportunity for MPs with a point to make to “bob” and seek to catch Mr Speaker’s eye.

And what of Jeremy Corbyn?

His position and tactics remain a mystery to many of his troops.

So will he simply attack the PM, will he solidify Labour’s policy, or will he remain studiously uncommitted and seek to keep all tactical options open, as the government teeters?

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DUP MP Emma Little Pengelly says the backstop is not UK wide as there are particulars to Northern Ireland.

She asks if it is factually the case that under the agreement there would be full alignment to the EU for Northern Ireland and that would severely restrict trade deals.

Liam Fox replies that during the backstop, the application of regulatory alignment would not make it possible to introduce those elements of any free trade agreement that related to those areas.

He adds that would be mandatory for Northern Ireland but for the rest of the UK it would be a political decision.

The international trade secretary says it would be for the government to decide whether to apply aspects of trade deal to Great Britain or wait for full application alongside Northern Ireland after the backstop.

His preference is for the latter.

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In the Commons, MPs are questioning the ministers for the Wales Office.

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Shadow leader of the House Baroness Smith of Basildon encourages peers to be "analytical and forensic" in their review of the withdrawal agreement.

Baroness Smith says Labour's amendment is to base the debate over the next few days around three key issues; that Parliament must accept a deal for it to be carried, that no deal should not be an option "as it would be grossly reckless and irresponsible" and that the prime minister's proposed deal cannot be supported as it "is inadequate and empty".

She calls for "breathing space" to improve a deal that offers "zero certainty", adding that the prime minister's deal is "a wish list with the details to be decided later".

"If only there was an existing organisation which would allow the UK to maximize its potential in global affairs," she says.

Baroness Smith says this has been "an impressive example of mismanagement" and that "no responsible government should ever talk up the chance of falling off a cliff edge which would be detrimental to the UK economy and job."

"The prime minister is wrong to impose the choice between her deal and no deal."