House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP and Treasury Committee interim chairwoman Catherine McKinnell raises the issue highlighted by her committee of a lack of economic analysis from the government.

She says MPs will have to "vote blind", echoing her response to Chancellor Sajid Javid's letter earlier.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay replies that the House will have "opportunities to debate".

He says the "reality is one can't do a forecast on these things" but "the House will have a chance to discuss" issues.

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Parliament

Father of the House and former Tory MP Ken Clarke says he would "personally would be quite happy to conclude a withdrawal agreement".

But he says the 31 October date "was a compromise" and "plucked out of air".

"What matters is we get the right withdrawal agreement, carried with the tenuous majority the government may have, through second reading and third reading so its form is actually settled," he says.

"And then we can proceed in a way which future generations, if we get it right or if we get it wrong, will regard as much more important than whether we actually made it for a particular day in October 2019."

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford criticises the PM's decision to send his Brexit delay letter to the EU over the weekend unsigned and on non-headed paper.

The gesture, he says, was "childish" and showed "disrespect" to its recipient, European Council President Donald Tusk.

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Parliament

Image source, HoC

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay says the Brexit withdrawal bill will be published later, and the urgent question from the Labour leader to demand its publication has only delayed that.

"Genius," he adds sarcastically.

"The sooner this urgent question and the next urgent question are concluded, the sooner it will be available to members," he adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has asked his question on the PM's Brexit extension letters.

"I am reassured that despite his pledge he is not to be found anywhere in a ditch," Mr Corbyn jokes, referring to Boris Johnson's remarks that he would "rather be dead in a ditch" than ask for a Brexit delay.

"The request [for an extension] is not only legally necessary... but the extension allows this House to scrutinise the PM's Brexit deal," Mr Corbyn says.

The prime minister's official spokesman says Boris Johnson is "disappointed" the Speaker "has denied the chance to deliver on the will of the British people".

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Parliament

Conservative MP Sir Robert Syms says he thinks John Bercow's ruling is "probably right", but that there is "limited time" left to approve a deal.

In trying to get MPs to approve its deal, the government is only attempting to "stick to a process set out by Parliament", he says.

In reply, John Bercow says his decision was "principled" rather than simply "pragmatic".

Given that MPs will also get a vote on the Brexit withdrawal bill, he says, his ruling does not prevent MPs expressing their view before the end of the month.

As points of order continue, Dr Marc Geddes, lecturer in in British politics at Edinburgh University, evaluates how the points of order often unfold after a ruling from the chair.

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Parliament

Tory MP Crispin Blunt says he is among the MPs who have "formally recorded my anxiety about your partiality in the chair".

But he says he has noted the "narrow terms" the Speaker referred to in making his judgment.

"I think those terms are reasonable in coming to your judgment," Mr Blunt says.

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Parliament

John Bercow replies to Mr Jenkin, saying that he can't count "the number of times I have granted urgent questions and emergency debates of people who were then called a Eurosceptic position, now called a Brexiteer position".

He continues: "I don't recall the honourable gentleman complaining that I was giving him too many opportunities to make his point.

"He's grumbling now because he doesn't like the judgment.

"I'm trying to do the right thing for the House as a whole."

House of Commons
Parliament

Tory Brexiteer Bernard Jenkin criticises the Speaker's decision, saying: "It is remarkable how often you please one lot and not the other.

"It is most unusual for a Speaker so often to prevent the government having a debate on the matters which the government put before the House."

He says John Bercow has "denied the opportunity for the House to express its view".

"This motion was never voted on on Saturday," he says.

Mr Jenkin says his committee will be holding a hearing on the role of the Speaker.

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Parliament

Reacting to a point of order from Tory Brexiter Sir Bill Cash, John Bercow cites the Letwin amendment passed by MPs on Saturday to explain his ruling.

That amendment, he says, "explicitly specified" that consent for the PM's Brexit deal should be withheld until the legislation to implement it has been passed.

That legislation - the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) - has not yet been passed, although ministers say they will publish it later today.

Mr Bercow says there will always be MPs who agree or disagree with his decision, but he has only done "what I believe to be right".

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Parliament

Tory Brexiteer Peter Bone questions the Speaker, saying: "When we were debating on Saturday nobody knew the prime minister was going to send a letter or not.

"Would it not be as you’ve always said to let the House decide on this matter?

"It would give the country the opportunity to know whether the House approves or disapproves of the PM’s deal."

Mr Bercow replies: "I did not consider in reaching a judgment on this matter whether a letter would be sent. The letter was sent on Saturday evening.

"I think I have made the argument for and explained the rationale in the judgment that I have made."