Summary

  • MPs back May's plans to offer a vote on an extension if her deal fails to get support

  • The amendment was put forward by Yvette Cooper to make the PM keep her word

  • 20 Tory MPs voted against the plan

  • Labour's amendment was defeated by a majority of 83 and they will now back a further referendum

  • Earlier: Theresa May faced off against Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs

  1. And don’t forget about Labour…published at 11:58 Greenwich Mean Time 26 February 2019

    Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, leaves his home in LondonImage source, Reuters

    Of course the PM's statement today comes after Labour yesterday announced a change in its position – backing another referendum if its own alternative Brexit plan is rejected.

    Jeremy Corbyn told his MPs on Monday night that if - as expected - that plan is rejected, the party will formally throw its weight behind another public vote.

    Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has said this could be achieved either by the party supporting an amendment to that effect, or tabling its own proposals.

    That vote, he added, "ought to be on the option, on the one hand, of a credible leave deal and on the other hand, remain".

  2. Commons kicks off with Foreign Office questionspublished at 11:53 Greenwich Mean Time 26 February 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    House of CommonsImage source, HoC

    Theresa May is due to make her Brexit statement at about 12:30.

    First up however, the Commons has just started its day, with MPs putting questions to Foreign Office ministers as part of a scheduled scrutiny session.

  3. Attorney General Geoffrey Cox leaves cabinet meeting and heads to Brusselspublished at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 26 February 2019

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  4. Today's order of business in the Commonspublished at 11:48 Greenwich Mean Time 26 February 2019

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  5. Rumoured votes on no deal and extending Article 50 if May's deal failspublished at 11:47 Greenwich Mean Time 26 February 2019

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  6. What does Labour's announcement mean?published at 11:36 Greenwich Mean Time 26 February 2019

    Laura Kuenssberg
    BBC political editor

    Campaigners and MPs who have been pushing hard for another go at the EU referendum might be popping corks, you may think.

    It's certainly significant in Labour circles, and satisfying to those who have been cajoling, urging, demanding that the leadership pay more attention to the many members of the party who want another referendum and make a concrete promise.

    If you are one of those people who'd love a chance to stop Brexit via another referendum, beware. Your celebratory drink tonight might go flat rather fast.

    Read more

  7. Good morningpublished at 11:25 Greenwich Mean Time 26 February 2019

    Hello and welcome to our coverage of what looks like another busy day in Westminster – Theresa May is due to update MPs on the Brexit negotiations early this afternoon.

    The PM has just returned from a summit in Egypt where she continued to press for EU leaders to agree changes to the contentious backstop plan for the Irish border.

    MPs are due to debate Brexit tomorrow, with MPs set to vote on a series of amendments to set out proposals for alternative strategies.

    Theresa May has been chairing a crucial cabinet meeting on Brexit this morning, with the PM facing the threat of a revolt by Remain-supporting ministers.

  8. That's it from uspublished at 18:04 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    However that's where we leave our live coverage from the House of Commons today - thanks for joining us.

  9. MPs debate Brexit statutory instrumentspublished at 17:56 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    Brexit Statutory Instruments

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    MPs are now debating a couple of Brexit-related statutory instruments (SIs):

    The Draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 - which aims to ensure that the UK continues to have a functioning financial services regulatory regime in any Brexit scenario.

    The Draft Reach Etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 - it creates a regulatory system for chemicals safety similar to the EU's, but under the UK's Environment Secretary.

  10. Handling of Brexit 'chaotic' - Labourpublished at 17:42 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    EU trade remedies statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Barry GardinerImage source, HoC

    Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner says that Liam Fox has failed to reach agreements to roll over several EU trade deals he said he would be ready for Brexit day.

    The government has not carried out "any impact assessment" of these new trade deals, he adds.

    "The government's handling of Brexit has been absolutely chaotic", he states.

    Liam Fox replies that that the Trade Bill will return to Lords on the 4th March for further consideration.

  11. Fox: 'This is not about picking favourites'published at 17:39 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    EU trade remedies statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Dr Liam FoxImage source, HoC

    International Trade Secretary Liam Fox says the 43 trade measures the UK will be keeping after Brexit will protect firms from "known unfair trading partners".

    They will take effect at the end of the post-Brexit transition period, or on March 29th if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, he says.

    These measures met the department's criteria for retention, he adds, including "sufficient support" from UK business - and on products where British firms produce more than 1% of its UK market share.

    "This is not about picking favorites", he adds, but allowing UK firms to continue competing fairly with international competitors.

  12. Pupils to be taught about relationshipspublished at 17:33 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    Health education for pupils of all ages will be part of the curriculum in England from September 2020.

    Read More
  13. What is being announced today?published at 17:16 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    EU trade remedies statement

    Container ship arriving at Southampton portImage source, Getty Images

    The government has announced plans to drop trade sanctions the EU has taken against 66 products from outside the bloc it said have been unfairly subsidised.

    The Department for International Trade (DIT) said after Brexit punitive tariffs would be dropped on sweetcorn from Thailand, as well as tinned mandarins and solar glass from China.

    The DIT said the trade measures taken “do not significantly benefit British industries and only increase costs for consumers”.

    However the department said the higher tariffs would be kept on 43 imports, including tyres, aluminium wheels, ceramic tiles and kitchenware from China.

    So-called trade remedies will also be maintained against steel products from countries such as Belarus, Brazil, China, Russia and the United States.

  14. Fox to update MPs on post-Brexit trade remediespublished at 17:06 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has now joined MPs for an update on which of the EU’s trade remedies the UK will keep after Brexit.

    Ministers have previously committed to keep relevant trade sanctions on unfairly subsidised imports, but have been consulting on which need to be maintained.

    Under ‘anti-dumping’ powers, the EU has a process for applying higher than normal import taxes on products from outside the bloc it deems unfairly subsidised.

    It revised its procedure in 2017 in response to a demand from China that it should be granted market economy status at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

  15. MP expresses concern over mandatory relationships lessonspublished at 17:05 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    Sex education statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Philip HolloboneImage source, HoC

    Conservative Philip Hollobone says he has had messages from parents saying that some would like to withdraw from the new relationships part of the curriculum.

    Education Secretary Damian Hinds says that withdrawing from sex education has been a "long-standing right" for parents, but the view by Parliament was that relationships education should be compulsory under the new guidance.

    "It is important that every child" has the right to learn about relationships, Mr Hinds replies.

    The relationships education starts with sharing and helping friends, and turns to more intimate relationships later on, he adds.

  16. Hinds: Children 'face different world today'published at 16:45 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    Sex education statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Damian HindsImage source, HoC

    Education Secretary Damian Hinds tells the Commons that the "world [children] face today" is different to what it was when the guidance was last updated in 2000.

    "There is little distinction today for many young people between their online lives and offline lives," he adds.

    "There are understandable and legitimate areas of contention," he says, but the main principles are to "seek to keep children safe" in an "inclusive way".

    These new lessons will be taught in schools from September 2020, he adds.

    The government will be encouraging schools to teach it from this September, he says, in order to trial what works best for schools.

    Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner says that Labour "welcome this direction of travel", but raises concerns as to what faith-based schools will be able to opt out of.

    Mr Hinds replies that there will be a core section of relationships education, and then faith schools will be able to opt-out of some extra topics, or weigh them against religious teachings.

  17. MPs debate new sex education guidelinespublished at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    Secondary school in GlasgowImage source, Getty Images

    Education Secretary Damian Hinds now giving a statement on new guidelines for relationship and sex education in schools.

    Under changes due next September, primary and secondary pupils in England will learn about relationships, keeping safe online and looking after their mental health.

    The Department for Education has also said that students above the age of eleven should be taught about honour-based abuse, as well as grooming, forced marriage, and domestic abuse.

    A petition calling for parents to have the right to opt their child out of these lessons has attracted more than 106,000 signatures , external- and will debated in Westminster Hall today.

    That other debate will be starting shortly - you can watch by clicking on the live stream at the top of this page.

  18. Labour calls for compensation for indebted claimantspublished at 16:06 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    Urgent question on repayments of ESA disability benefits

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Marsha de CordovaImage source, HoC

    Shadow work and pensions minister Marsha de Cordova calls for the government to pay compensation to those who have been pushed into debt as a result of the errors.

    She asks what help will be provided to the 20,000 ill and disabled people who are owed money from underpayments but have since died, "before justice was done".

    Work and Pensions Minister Sarah Minister says she is "happy to apologise again" for "something that should never have happened".

    "We're only part the way through, and we don't know as yet the total numbers of people who have deceased and would have been eligible for additional payments," she says.

    "It is vitally important we get on and sort this out as swiftly as possible," she says, pledging that it will be completed this year.

  19. 'Mistakes should never have happened' - Ministerpublished at 16:02 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    Urgent question on repayments of ESA disability benefits

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sarah NewtonImage source, HoC

    Work and Pensions Minister Sarah Newton says it is important to "fix" past underpayments of ESA which arose when people moved on to the benefit.

    She says "mistakes should never have happened", but the government is "on track" to review the "majority" of 320,000 cases by April.

    She says 300,000 claimants "have started the reassessment journey".

    More staff have been moved on to ensuring that repayments are resolved, she adds, noting that this will allow the issue to be resolved "at pace".

  20. MPs debate repayments of ESA disability benefitspublished at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2019

    A person using a mobility scooter

    Home Office questions come to an end.

    Labour’s Marsha De Cordova is now asking an urgent question on repayments to people who were underpaid sickness benefits due to government errors.

    The errors occurred when moving people on to the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – most of the errors occurred between 2011 and 2014.

    In October the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimated that around 180,000 people could be owed arrears payments.

    In an update issued last week, external, the DWP said that based on a new assessment of the data, around 210,000 could be affected.