House of Commons
Parliament

The attorney general says today's vote is not a "meaningful vote".

"What this choice will mean is that it will bring certainty to thousands of businesses and millions of individuals throughout this country," says Mr Cox.

"And to one million citizens of our country residing in the European Union.

"That is not an inconsiderable benefit."

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

BBC assistant political editor says Theresa May's future could also be at stake if she loses the vote on her withdrawal agreement later.

He says it would be very difficult for the prime minister to go back to the EU and ask for a longer delay to Brexit if her deal is defeated.

“I don’t think she could carry off that sort of U-turn," he adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

When granting an extension to the UK, the EU set the rule that the UK government would have to agree the withdrawal agreement by 23:00 GMT on 29 March to secure a new leaving date of 22 May.

Mr Cox tells MPs: "This is therefore the last opportunity to take advantage of our legal right.

"And the government has taken the view that it would have been wrong to allow that time and date to expire without giving this House the opportunity to consider whether it should avail itself of the legal right, or whether it should move into the position where any further extension would be in the hands of the 27 European leaders."

Flanked in the Commons by the prime minister and solicitor general Robert Buckland, the attorney general tells MPs: "The reasons why we are convening today are partly to be found in the fact today is 29 March.

Geoffrey Cox says: "It is today that this House voted some months and years ago should have been the day we left the European Union.

"However, we are, today, where we are.

"I do not intend to review how and why we have arrived at this point but to explain the motion which the government is placing before the House."

House of Commons
Parliament

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is opening the debate in the Commons.

He is putting forward the motion on behalf of the government to try and secure support for Theresa May's withdrawal agreement.

Speaker John Bercow has not selected any amendments.

Leading Brexiteer and Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg says it is a "great failure" that the UK is not leaving the EU later today.

He says: "We should have left without a deal at 11 o'clock, that's what people expected.

"I'm not giving any message to people. It's a very difficult decision and people will make up their own minds according to their feeling as to whether Theresa May's deeply unsatisfactory deal is closer to Brexit than potentially a two-year delay, and that's the dilemma facing people."

Mr Rees-Mogg said on Thursday he would be backing the prime minister's deal "reluctantly".

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom has urged her colleagues to support Theresa May's Brexit deal later as it is "the last chance".

She says: "This really is such an iconic day. It is 29 March - we’re due to be leaving the European Union today.

"I just urge all colleagues to approve the withdrawal agreement which is what the EU needs to have us approve in order to give us the extension to get the legislation done.

"This really is the last chance. I urge all colleagues to take it."

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The Independent Group's Chuka Umunna says the prime minister is attempting to "railroad through" what he describes as a "flawed deal", ignoring the problems with it.

He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What the House of Commons is being asked to do today, it is being asked to pay a whopping big divorce bill of up to £50bn with no future trading relationship nailed down with any certainty whatsoever."

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox says voters would feel "betrayed" if the prime minister's deal is not passed and Brexit is not delivered.

He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is a great historic moment for our country, this is about whether Parliament does what Parliament wants or whether Parliament does what the people want.

"I fear for the consequences if Parliament chooses to utterly ignore a promise that they made directly to the voters."

He adds: "I think there would be a chasm of distrust that would open up between voters and the current political system."

Mr Fox also says "there are a lot of Labour MPs in seats that heavily voted Leave who would like to do... what they believe is their democratic duty, but party politics has got in the way of that".

Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab says he doesn't feel guilty for refusing to back the prime minister's withdrawal agreement.

He also says he doesn't want to be drawn on a potential leadership contest.

He says: "Today is the day to be thinking about the future of our country and none of the political ramifications of the PM’s decision to step down and announce her departure once the withdrawal agreement goes through.

"We’re going to make a success of Brexit and this country will go from strength to strength."

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

If MPs don't pass Theresa May's withdrawal agreement, BBC Brussels reporter Adam Fleming says the European Council would call an emergency summit in the days before 12 April.

He says in that meeting leaders would have to decide "if the conditions have been met for an extension lasting until end of 2019 or slightly longer".

However, he adds that the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said if MPs voted in favour of a permanent customs union then it might only take 48 hours to update the political declaration.

The Metropolitan Police has rejected a claim by UKIP leader Gerard Batten that a water cannon would be deployed at pro-Brexit protests in Westminster.

Mr Batten is due to speak alongside Tommy Robinson at UKIP's "Make Brexit Happen" rally in Whitehall later.

The Met's events team says reports a water cannon would be deployed "are indisputably false".