Summary

  • MPs continue debate on the government’s Brexit deal

  • They will vote on whether to approve the deal next Tuesday

  • MPs usually debate private members' bills on a Friday

  1. 'Many failures of leadership' over Brexitpublished at 15:19 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Conservative peer the Earl of Liverpool says that there is a mandate for a "managed no deal", as Brexit withdrawal legislation has with "substantial majorities".

    He refers to this as MANDATE: "Managed No Deal And Timely Exit".

    Labour peer Baroness Blackstone, the final speaker for today, says there have been "many failures of leadership" in deciding how to leave the EU.

    With "just over a half" of the electorate voting to leave, she says the government should have worked to bring the country together.

    She calls those who favour leaving the EU without a deal as "the Brexit militant tendency".

    Baroness BlackstoneImage source, HoL
  2. 'This is a very bad agreement that suits neither side'published at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    John RedwoodImage source, HoC

    Sir John Redwood says the people were promised the government would get on with the task of leaving the EU "and now they say do just that".

    Many leave voters are "extremely angry" that MPs think they got their decision wrong, were stupid and should have to do it again, he says.

    He asks MPs to consider that "democracy works by the majority making decisions".

    "This is a very bad agreement that suits neither side," he adds, and calls for the government to urgently reveal the tariffs schedule that will sit alongside Theresa May's Brexit deal.

    Sir John calls for more detail on the UK's fishing policy post-Brexit, an industry which, he says, "has been gravely damaged by our membership of the EU".

  3. Labour MP warns against 'polarising' debatepublished at 14:59 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Caroline FlintImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Caroline Flint speaks in support of an amendment she has signed, along with Labour Leaver John Mann, which it has been reported the government may accept.

    The amendment says Brexit should not allow the UK to lower existing EU employment, environmental and health and safety standards “provided for in the withdrawal agreement”.

    Earlier John Bercow warned that no amendment can be accepted at the moment because he has not officially decided which ones will be put to a vote.

    Caroline Flint says she disagrees that good standards have only come about because of EU membership, adding the UK has a "long history of being at the forefront of higher standards".

    "I believe they exist as a result of 100 years of the Labour party and trade union movement [...] these are achievements of this House over many decades, not imports from Brussels or Strasbourg."

    She warns against "polarising" the debate into one in which the EU does all good, and the UK bad, calling for a "different approach" and a "less confrontational politics".

  4. Denying a second vote 'is to deny democracy' - Lib Dem peerpublished at 14:49 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord TaverneImage source, HoL

    Liberal Democrat Lord Taverne says that "no further negotiations" can solve unhappiness with the withdrawal agreement reached.

    "To deny the change of opinion [in the UK] is to deny democracy" he says.

    He asks where the evidence is that all of the 52% of voters who voted to leave wouldn't mind the economic impact of leaving the EU.

    He asks why "so many Conservatives no longer seem to care about our standing and inference in the world".

    He says that he believes that there will be a second referendum.

  5. EU 'must no longer be in control of our country' - Tory MPpublished at 14:48 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Priti PatelImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Priti Patel says the deal "gives the EU license to dominate us for years to come".

    The deal does not secure certainty for the agrifood and fishing industries, she says, noting it "does not deliver Brexit", as it ensures the UK still relies on the EU for trade deals.

    "The future of our destiny will no longer be in our own hands with this deal," she says, noting that the people want "decision-making that is free from the unnecessary constraints of the EU".

    "The EU must no longer be in control of our country," she says.

  6. 'Brexit a response to problems for which Brexit is not the solution'published at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness BullImage source, HoC

    Crossbench peer Baroness Bull points out that since the original debate, the government has published its immigration white paper, which "has its own elements of TBC" but does "provide some clarity of intention".

    The proposals do not address the reality of the issues faced by the UK, she says.

    She says the vote for Brexit was a "response to problems for which Brexit is not the solution".

  7. UK's future 'doesn't necessarily lie outside of the EU' - Labour MPpublished at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    George HowarthImage source, HoC

    Labour MP George Howarth says he wants a general election, but if that doesn't happen "there almost certainly has to be another referendum".

    This country is crying out for change, Mr Howarth says, "but we don't need to leave the European Union to do that".

    He says key issues of the Brexit campaign were immigration, opportunities for young people, and the regeneration of seaside towns, but suggests that if a plan of action could be made to reassure people on these key issues, and show the government cares, people may not still want to leave the EU.

    "Our future lies in our hands, but it doesn't necessarily lie outside of the EU," he concludes.

  8. 'First public switcher'published at 14:28 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    BBC Political Editor tweets:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  9. Tory MP will support May's deal 'with a heavy heart'published at 14:26 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    George FreemanImage source, HoC

    Tory MP George Freeman says that although people voted to leave, there is no majority to "unilaterally pull ourselves out of all the European institutions, including cutting ourselves off from the single market".

    He calls for MPs to put country before party to find a solution, adding he was "appalled" to hear ministers have not reached out to shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer for his thoughts.

    No-deal would be a "woeful" with costs going up dramatically, he says, adding: "this is not 'Project Fear', it is project business".

    He says that "with a heavy heart" he will support the prime minister's deal.

    Last month he wrote on his website, external he could not "in good conscience" support the agreement.

  10. 'My big toe is better than no-deal' - SNP MPpublished at 13:57 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Pete WishartImage source, HoC

    SNP MP Pete Wishart says he loathes Brexit and the deal is "totally and utterly unacceptable to me, my constituents and this country".

    "My big toe is better than no-deal", he says, adding that voting for the prime minister's deal because it's better than no-deal "is the only reason that we seem to be given".

    Mr Wishart says the history books will conclude that Brexit is "the greatest example of political, cultural and economic self-harm a country has ever inflicted onto its own nation".

    Losing the vote is unavoidable next week, Mr Wishart adds, noting there are two things the government can then do next: revoke Article 50 or extend it.

    "We do not have to go down with this Tory ship," he says.

  11. Farming unions in no-deal Brexit warningpublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    UK farm leaders warn that leaving the EU without a deal could have "severe impacts" on farms.

    Read More
  12. Backstop makes trade agreements 'essentially impossible' - Tory MPpublished at 13:53 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    John WhittingdaleImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP John Whittingdale says he doesn't like the fact that "the UK appears to be signing up to pay £39bn no matter how we leave" and the powerful role the ECJ will still have over the UK.

    He says he is willing to accept an ongoing payment for leaving the EU, "as long as there is an eventual leaving date", but the problem is the backstop, which cannot legally changed.

    The backstop makes trade agreements "essentially impossible", Mr Whittingdale says, adding: "the problem is that the backstop is in the agreement and the agreement cannot be changed".

    He calls for the government to take it out and "put it into those issues we attempt to resolve over the next two years" and says then he will be "not happy, but more satisfied".

  13. Brexit risks setting back environmental progress - Labourpublished at 13:52 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sue HaymanImage source, HoC

    Shadow Environment Secretary Sue Hayman says "we have warm words but no substance to underpin them", and calls for "a powerful environmental watchdog with real power, independence and scope".

    The prospect of importing food produced at lower standards is "no kind of prize", she says, and calls for a general election if the deal is defeated next week.

    Ms Hayman adds that only one paragraph in the withdrawal agreement explicitly mentions upholding standards, which she says "shows where the government's priorities are".

    Brexit risks setting the UK back on improvements to environment standards, she says, noting that Brexit cannot be used as an excuse for lower standards.

    Ms Hayman calls for an explicit plan to be drawn up by the government detailing how the UK's environmental standards will be upheld and improved after Brexit, and says she cannot back a deal until this has been done.

  14. Gove ridicules Labour position on Brexitpublished at 13:45 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Michael GoveImage source, HoC

    Michael Gove accuses Labour of "chasing a whole carnival of unicorns across the European plane, none of which are capable of being delivered".

    Perhaps referencing an exchange yesterday when an MP brought up an anti-Brexit sticker in the car of the Speaker's wife which derides Brexit in colourful language, he adds:

    "I know Mr Speaker that there are some distinguished citizens of this country who have put on their cars a poster or sticker saying: 'Bollocks to Brexit'.

    But we now know, from Labour's own frontbench, that their their official Brexit position is bollocks".

    In April Labour's shadow international trade secretary used the term to rubbish the party's pledge to secure the exact same benefits as the single market after Brexit.

  15. Tory peer criticises 'hysterical' no-deal warningspublished at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord FramlinghamImage source, HoL

    Conservative leaver and former MP Lord Framlingham says that all great issues "are essentially very simple," but that people make them complicated when "we don't want to face them".

    He says that the judicial review, 'meaningful vote', and calls to extend Article 50 are all distractions.

    "There is little point in pursuing any of these ideas any further," he says.

    "Can we please slay the last big bogeyman that leaving without a deal would be disastrous?", he asks, identifying the BBC as the "worst offender" when it comes to "hysterical talk" on a no-deal exit.

  16. 'The clock is at five minutes to midnight'published at 13:21 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord Armstrong of IlminsterImage source, HoL

    Former cabinet secretary Lord Armstrong of Ilminster says that it is "probable that there will be no majority" for the deal suggested by the prime minister.

    He says there is only a majority for not leaving on the 29th March.

    "It is widely accepted that there would be serious economic consequences" if the UK were to crash out of the EU, he tells peers.

    "The clock is at five minutes to midnight," he states.

    "The immediate priority is to move back from the cliff-edge" by either extending Article 50 or by revoking it, he adds.

  17. Grieve amendment: How did your MP vote?published at 12:58 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    The government was defeated on Wednesday over its Brexit plans for the second time in 24 hours, see how your MP voted.

    Read More
  18. Brexit 'has sucked the life out of British politics'published at 12:57 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord DubsImage source, HoL

    Labour's Lord Dubs says Brexit has "sucked the life out of British politics", adding that "there's no thinking going on" and problems are not being solved.

    He says a number of EU countries are "knocking spots off us" when it comes to trading with China, and are "not at all constrained" by membership of the EU.

    He adds that it takes two minutes to clear a container from inside the EU, whereas it takes one and a quarter hour to clear a container coming from outside the bloc.

    He says that Dover does not have the capacity to deal with these delays.

    He states he "honestly doesn't believe" that it undermines democracy to have a second vote. He says when you buy a house, you may get the results of a survey and decide to back out of buying it.

  19. Will the Italians be jealous?published at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    Deputy Political Editor of the Mail on Sunday tweets:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  20. Gove: UK can be 'environmental superpower' after Brexitpublished at 12:43 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2019

    EU Withdrawal Agreement Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Michael GoveImage source, HoC

    Opening the debate, Environment Secretary Michael Gove says a no-deal Brexit "would create frictions, costs and turbulence for parts of the UK" in certain areas.

    He adds that a no-deal Brexit would lead to checks on animal exports and the imposition of tariffs, which will impose "short-term costs on farmers".

    Mr Gove says the UK has often adopted higher environmental standards than those imposed by the EU, which the UK will be able to explore if the deal is backed.

    "It is not the case that we need to be in the EU to provide high-standards of workers rights," he says, adding the withdrawal deal also contains a "non-regression principle" in these areas.

    "We can have higher levels of protections but, crucially, democratic accountability," he says, noting the UK can be turned into "an environmental, economic superpower".