House of Commons
Parliament

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Summarising the debate, the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford says "it is clear that members across this chamber have significant concerns about the challenges that lay ahead of us."

Mr Blackford says this government "has no regard for the citizens across the UK" and that there is "no good Brexit for the people of the United Kingdom".

"It is an utter travesty that the prime minister chose to sit out this debate despite the importance of its substance," he says. "Maybe it is the case that the prime minister should sit out the rest of the debate on Brexit."

Mr Blackford calls for "the prime minister to step aside before a second referendum", saying "a second referendum would be an opportunity to remain in the EU, and with the 29th March fast approaching, that is where our efforts are focusing."

"It is time for the prime minister to go," he concludes.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Earlier today, the Lords approved the Voyeurism Bill at report stage. This means, once third reading has been passed (a formality in the Lords, which will happen in the new year), the bill becomes law.

The bill was introduced following Conservative MP Christopher Chope's objection to a private member's bill proposed by Liberal Democrat MP, Wera Hobhouse. Her bill would have outlawed upskirting.

This new bill makes upskirting a specific offence, and it also applies to men wearing kilts.

Offenders can receive a prison sentence of up to two years.

This bill applies to England and Wales only. Upskirting has been a specific offence in Scotland since the Criminal Justice and Licensing Act 2010 was passed, external.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Tory MP James Heappey points out that today's emergency debate is almost exactly the same as the one held last week, suggesting it is an "even greater waste of time" when other issues could be being considered.

"I find that we are have these debates again and again," he says. "I did not come to parliament to constantly debate Brexit."

He says it was clear last week that the deal was met with considerable opposition, but it is still the best chance of a clear decision being made.

He criticises calls for a second referendum, as it would take a long time to deliver, during which time Brexit would continue to dominate and no solution would be reached: "It is not a solution."

"We know what the options are in front of us, we have got to make a decision, a second referendum is a soft way out that leads to more division, it solves nothing other than more parliamentary process and more dominance of the Brexit debate."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Plaid Cymru Brexit spokesman Hywel Williams says opposition parties have no confidence in the government, no confidence in the prime minister and no confidence in the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, who he says has tabled a "motion of no consequence".

"This is no more than a pretence at opposition," he says.

His party have - with others - tabled an amendment to "this sham motion", he explains. They will work together to ensure that "the people of these islands get the political leadership that they deserve".

Image source, EPA

The cabinet has decided to "ramp up" preparations for a no-deal Brexit amid uncertainty over the fate of Theresa May's proposed EU exit deal.

Ministers approved £2bn to go to government departments to help if the UK leaves the EU on 29 March without a formal agreement.

They will also send letters to 140,000 firms advising them about preparations.

Read more here

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour MP Geraint Davies says a second referendum is not a matter of winners and losers, as "Britain will lose if we Brexit".

He warns that "we are walking slowly along the road to fascism", with the UK facing a choice between "impoverished and isolated" with Brexit or the "sunny uplands" of a return to the EU.

Whether or not MPs give the people a vote on the Brexit deal will condemned or thanked by future generations, he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Tory MP Justine Greening says the government has no plan, no vote, and no plan B for Brexit, but the most "depressing" thing is that many people outside Parliament just see it as "party politics".

She says Labour's confidence motion in the prime minister was "shambolic", lacking the confidence to table a proper confidence motion, and there is a sense of drift in Parliament at the very moment when decisions are needed.

It is "inevitable" that the UK will continue to debate its relationship with the EU and she says this should be accepted as normal and not used as a reason to not hold a second referendum.

Parliament must have a vote, and then when it is clear MPs cannot agree it should be put to the people in a vote. She cannot see the rationale for a general election, "that is self serving".

There is no excuse for any further delay, she says.

MPs would be happy to delay recess, she adds, and she would be happy to sit through Christmas and the new year to ensure the vote happens as soon as possible.

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP MP Marion Fellows says the prime minister is "clinging to the life raft of her sinking ship while her Cabinet plot against her", while the EU is not shifting or willing to renegotiate.

Sterling, stock prices and growth are all "plunging", she says, but Theresa May is not acknowledging the consequences of her actions.

MPs must have the chance to reject the deal as soon as possible, she says - there is no majority for anything except defeating it, with Parliament broken down into factions, rather than political parties. She points to a 'People's Vote' as a way out.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Tory MP Anna Soubry says "if the opposition are going to do its job, we will tomorrow see an urgent question being asked about the government’s plans for no deal?" - and she calls for the opposition to "put their money where their mouth is".

She says the government has made "a grave error" in taking the deal away from Parliament and delaying it for at least a month.

"I am afraid to have to say this, but the government is playing the ultimate game - and it's deeply irresponsible - of brinkmanship," she says.

Ms Soubry adds that a no deal needs to be taken off the table as "the people do not support it and it is the worst possible outcome."

"Going back to the people is the only right and proper thing to do," she says, as "people understand far more now what Brexit means, and younger people who could not vote before demand a say."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer says "it is obvious that we have reached an impasse" and that as the EU have "made it abundantly clear" that the withdrawal agreement is not open for negotiations, it is "wholly unacceptable" to delay the meaningful vote further.

"There are no new negotiations," he adds.

"The reality is the government is running down the clock, but running down the clock is not governing, and it is certainly not governing in the national interest."

He says that "rather than having this debate today, the vote should have been put to the House, so that if it is defeated, we can all work in the national interest."

On the headlines today that £2bn has been put aside by the government for no deal planning, he says "a no deal would be irresponsible and would see every region of the UK worse off" and is therefore "not a viable option".

"If the government had ever been serious about no deal, it would not be panicking like this at the 11th hour," Sir Keir Starmer says, asking for clarification from Mr Barclay that no deal is not an option.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay says "there's a third risk to the House, the risk of no Brexit at all," and therefore the choice is not a binary one of deal or no deal as Mr Blackford suggests.

Mr Barclay says it would be "dishonest" to not honour the result of the original referendum, and that the SNP "want to say no to the result of the referendum, but yes to giving them another decision".

"We cannot revoke Article 50 as a temporary measure," Mr Barclay confirms, noting that he would "prefer not to be spending money on no deal planning".

Mr Barclay adds that the meaningful vote will return on the week beginning 14 January and at last week's EU Council "the EU leaders could not have been clearer - they do not want to use this backstop."

"The reality is between the certainly of a deal and the uncertainty of the alternatives," he says, stating that "like it or not, a no deal Brexit is a risk that this house runs if it does not support a deal."

He says he hopes MPs will back the deal when it returns to the House.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Ian Blackford says he wants MPs to have the chance to debate the discussions the prime minister had at the December European Council with her European counterparts as "there is no new negotiation".

He adds that "this government are still in office but not in control... we are sleepwalking to a disaster," and calls the prime minister's failure to attend the debate this afternoon "a disgrace".

Mr Blackford says "the risk of crashing out of the EU on a no deal basis has greatly increased", and calls for a meaningful vote to be held this week.

He adds that the prime minister's actions are "the height of irresponsibility", noting that there is "no good Brexit" and that "the SNP will support any second referendum with remain on the paper," and will seek Scottish independence.

The current situation is a "constitutional crisis", he says, noting that Jeremy Corbyn has become "the midwife of Brexit as yesterday's stunt was an embarrassment".

He is referring to Labour's motion of no confidence in the prime minister - SNP MPs are calling for a motion of no confidence in the government.

"I am saying to the leader of the Opposition, based on the risk to real people, we must put down a motion of no confidence against the government today... it is in the interest of the country to do that," he says.

Mr Blackford calls for no deal to be "removed from the table" and says "the prime minister's time is up".

Select Committee
Parliament

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Business Minister Claire Perry says that oil and gas will continue to be part of the energy mix in the UK, particularly as coal will go "offline" in 2025.

She says the oil and gas sector in Scotland supports many jobs, 50% of them in Scotland and 50% of them in England.

The government has approved 17 developments on the continental shelf this past year, in comparison to seven last year, she states.

The sector is a "poster child" for what the industrial strategy is trying to achieve in other areas, she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP Westminister leader Ian Blackford is now opening the emergency debate on Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU.

(Just before that, with points of order concluded, Labour MP Geraint Davies tables his European Union (Revocation of Notification of Withdrawal Bill). This is a presentation bill, so is introduced without debate, but is unlikely to go any further without the government supporting it.)

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow leader of the House Valerie Vaz raises a point of order with the Speaker John Bercow.

She says Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has tabled a motion of no confidence in the prime minister, but MPs have not heard whether the government will be making a statement or business motion to deal with it.

The motion is clear that the situation is the PM's failure, she says, and the government has not had the courtesy to come to the House to advise of its plans, despite making an announcement to others.

She asks if the Speaker has heard from the government that they have agreed to find a time.

Mr Bercow says he has "had no such indication". He adds that while there is a "strong convention" that time must be provided for a confidence motion in the government, "no such convention applies in relation to this motion" as it is not a conventional no confidence motion.

Backbench contributions

Tory MP Sir Edward Leigh says the motion of no confidence has not been tabled as Jeremy Corbyn does not want one, as it would lead his party to supporting a second referendum.

Labour MP Chris Leslie says "many of us are unhappy" at the "frustrating" lack of no confidence motion in the government and asks whether another MP can table a vote of no confidence in government.

The Speaker says it's open to other members to table a motion, but that's different to having the assurance of time for a debate on it.

SNP Angus Brendan McNeil asks if it's possible table for a backbench MP to table a motion of no confidence in the official opposition.

House of Commons
Parliament

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson says that in the event of no deal Brexit, "there are 3,500 service personnel held at readiness in order to support any government department on any contingencies they may need."

He says that as of today, the Ministry of Defence has "not had any formal requests from any government department" to help out with a hard Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson says the Modernising Defence Programme is "full of incredibly positive steps".

Acknowledging the speculation last year of capability cuts in the defence sector, he adds "we are not making those capability cuts and we are investing in defence".

In terms of Galileo, an £8bn satellite navigation system to be fully operational in 2020, Mr Williamson says a report is being produced externally on the UK's satellite strategy.

He adds that "it does not make sense to hand over money to the EU for a satellite strategy we are to receive no benefits from" and that the UK are better placed to "work on new strategies".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith says she's relieved the review has finally been published, "all 28 pages of it, 10 of which are photos or graphics".

Given the amount of time it's taken, and the commitment to a "major programme of top down reform" by Mr Williamson, she says its "staggering" the review is so underwhelming.

It does nothing to resolving the MoD's affordability crisis, she says, and questions how promises to put the department on "an enduringly affordable footing" can be met when there is no new funding.

There is clearly a choice to be made between providing additional funding for where there are gaps, she says, something the government has so far failed to do, or whether to be honest about the difficult decisions that need to be made.

The department is "over reliant" on projected efficiencies which don't materialise, she says - it's time to accept savings can't simply be made through efficiencies. She asks for confirmation that the £160m comes from existing budgets and is not new money, and asks where the further required £340m is.

The National Audit Office has published a damning report on Capita's handling of army recruitment, she says it's time to bring that "back in house".

She says the UK's withdrawal from the EU Galileo satellite programme is "immensely concerning" and asks where the funds for the proposed new satellite system will come from.

Labour recognise that threats to the UK have evolved and increased, she says, but that doesn't get away from the fact difficult decisions need to be made.