House of Commons
Parliament

Former Tory leader and Brexit supporter Iain Duncan Smith, who has criticised the PM's deal, tells the Commons he will be voting with the government later.

He says: "I am going to do it for a very simple reason. That I think nothing has hugely changed in the nature of the bill... but I do think what has changed is the balance of risk.

"As politicians, not lawyers, we need to appraise ourselves of what that balance means."

He adds: "I genuinely believe the way to stand up for the 17.4m [who voted for Brexit] is now to get to the bill

"We can then still make a judgement as to whether this bill represents the way in which we think we should leave."

Image source, Getty Images

The Independent Group (TIG) has applied to be a political party, it has been confirmed.

TIG say it is in case they need to put forward candidates for the European elections in May should there be a delay in Brexit.

They will call themselves Change UK.

Former Tory MP Heidi Allen will be the interim leader and former Labour MP Chuka Umunna will be the lead spokesman.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Ian Blackford says that he cannot believe that any leader could take us to this place", adding: "It is a disgrace".

He says the PM has "run down this clock, only to ignore the wishes of Parliament, the wishes of the people and engage in a game of blackmail and trickery to win support".

He adds: "It is an absolute outrage

"Those who go through the lobbies in support of the prime minister will be guilty of aiding and abetting the greatest act of self harm in the United Kingdom."

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith says the "fiery and passionate debate" in the Commons so far has highlighted divisions within both the Labour and Conservative parties.

Particularly notable he says, are the Labour MPs in Leave-supporting constituencies, like Gareth Snell, who have challenged their own leadership on issues like how long a delay to Brexit they would be willing to accept.

“That may yet provide Mrs May with an escape route if she can get those Labour MPs on board," he adds.

Image source, PA

Irish premier Leo Varadkar will travel to Paris next week for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, it has been announced.

It has also been confirmed that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Dublin next Thursday.

A spokesman for the Irish Government said that both meetings will focus on the latest developments on Brexit.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Varadkar said: "Both leaders have been strong and consistent allies of Ireland in responding to the unique challenges we face from Brexit.

"I will again express the government's gratitude for their continuing solidarity.

"We will take stock of the latest developments on Brexit when we meet, efforts to secure ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and no-deal planning."

Image source, UK Parliament

Theresa May is attempting to get MPs to back part of her Brexit deal later, but how many does she need for it to pass?

• There are a total of 634 votes in play - so the government needs 318 for a majority
• The last time MPs held a vote on the government's Brexit deal on 12 March, 242 voted in favour, 391 against (with one MP absent)
• So the government needs to find 76 more votes to reach 318. Even if every Tory MP (311) voted in favour, that would not be enough
• With the 10 DUP MPs already committed to voting against, the government will need votes from Labour and independent MPs to see them over the line

The withdrawal agreement to be voted on by MPs, at around 14:30 GMT, is a legally-binding document setting out the terms of the UK's departure from the EU. It includes:

• Details of the UK's £39bn financial settlement with the EU
• Guarantees about the rights of EU and UK citizens
• Details of "transition period" until the end of 2020
• Controversial arrangements for the backstop, which seeks to prevent the return of customs infrastructure at the Irish border in the event no UK-EU trade deal is enforced.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Ian Blackford says the prime minister is a politician "obsessed with power but powerless".

He adds: "Instead of serving the interest of all these islands, this prime minister is seeking to serve the interests of no-one but the Tory party - and that hasn't even worked

"The rest of the UK will pay a price for that failure [of the PM] to seek a broader consensus.

"It is time [she was] stopped."

Mr Blackford appealed to Labour rebels not to be the "midwives of Brexit" by backing the withdrawal agreement.

"Have some backbone and make sure all of us are united".

House of Commons
Parliament

As the SNP's Westminster leader stands up to deliver his comments, Theresa May is seen leaving the chamber.

House of Commons
Parliament

Independent MP for North Down in Northern Ireland, Sylvia Hermon, said she wanted to "gently remind" the Commons that the DUP "do not speak for the majority of people" in the country she represents.

Lady Hermon adds: "The prime minister cares deeply about the United Kingdom. She cares so deeply about the United Kingdom that the Good Friday Belfast Agreement and the consent principle are protected in her withdrawal deal in black and white.

"Therefore the constitutional state of Northern Ireland remains the same - it remains in the hands of the people of Northern Ireland voting in a border poll."

But the DUP's leader in Westminster, Nigel Dodds, hits back.

He tells MPs: "Every single unionist party in Northern Ireland... agree with the position that [the backstop] is a problem for the union.

"Let not people pretend that it is otherwise.

"That is why we have worked very hard with the prime minister to get the changes to the backstop that would have allowed us to vote for this agreement.

"Sadly we have not made sufficient progress but lets not pretend we don't speak for the unionists of Northern Ireland."

BBC Radio 5 Live

5 Live correspondent Phil Mackie has returned to Birmingham Indoor Markets, where he reported from the morning after the 2016 referendum.

Greg Pearce runs a shellfish stall: “I think we should get out," he said.

"We should have followed the best deal there was possible and stopped all this party political fighting and just get out of it”.

Will Brexit happen? “I hope so”

Kathy Harding runs a health food shop: “I think it’s a total farce, but we’ve landed ourselves in a situation where we voted to come out, and nobody seems to know what they’re doing to get us out of there.

“I think Theresa May is doing a fantastic job… the stamina of the woman is amazing, but she can’t seem to pull everybody together and get them to agree on… something.”

Have your say: Text 85058 @bbc5live, external

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The DUP is sticking to its guns by voting against the withdrawal agreement today over the inclusion of the backstop.

The policy is aimed at preventing a hard border return to the island of Ireland, but they believe it will see Northern Ireland being treated differently from the rest of the UK.

DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr says in the Commons that the backstop will cause "irreversible damage" and "will be lasting on our precious union forever".

Tory backbencher Sir Bill Cash agrees, adding the backstop "drives a coach and horses through the idea of a precious union".