Victoria Derbyshire

Cabinet ministers are leaving Downing Street after about 40 minutes.

Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, International Development Secretary Alok Sharma and Kwasi Kwarteng, did not respond to questions about the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

Others at the meeting included Home Secretary Priti Patel, Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and the housing minister Esther McVey.

Image source, Leon Neal/Getty Images

Image source, Leon Neal/Getty Images

Image source, Leon Neal/Getty Images

Victoria Derbyshire

VIctoria Derbyshire has been asking the MPs appearing on her show this morning whether or not they've read all 110 pages of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, before Parliament debates it this afternoon.

While Labour's Angela Rayner says she has "had a look at the wording" and will discuss the detail in a shadow cabinet meeting, Conservative MP Tim Loughton says he has almost finished his mammoth reading session.

"I got it late last night and have been going through most of it - and am now ploughing through the [125-pages] explanatory notes," he says.

He repeats what other Tory ministers have been saying this morning - that Brexit has been debated for more than 500 hours over the past three-and-a-half years, and so most MPs will be familiar to the issues in the bill.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

Image source, REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, tells the chamber: “If Britain wants an orderly exit – which is far better than a disorderly exit – then this is the only possible agreement."

He adds: "It seems legitimate to us that this parliament, when it gives its consent, should know without ambiguity what it is that the UK has decided and wishes for its own future.”

MPs are about to vote on Boris Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement Bill. If they back it, they will be asked to approve a three-day timetabling motion, which means the Commons would have three days to consider the legislation.

What will happen if the bill passes? And what will happen if it doesn't? Find out the answers here.

BBC News Channel

One of a select group of people who have actually read the 110-page Brexit withdrawal bill is BBC Reality Check's Chris Morris, who says the hefty document is only the tip of the iceberg.

"A lot of it refers to other bits of law... and so if you really want to understand what some of that 110 pages means, then you've got to go and read other laws to find out. So it's an awful lot to look at," he says.

He says the below video has been described by some as a good analogy for what's left to do in the Brexit process...

European Parliament
Strasbourg

Image source, EBS

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage heaps scorn on Boris Johnson's deal, telling his fellow MEPs it would reduce the UK "to the status of a colony of the European Union".

He says the PM struck the deal because he wants to avoid another extension to the Brexit deadline, which would "damage the Conservative Party in the polls".

"He wants to bounce us into this new treaty before we wake up," he says.

"It's the same story every time - it's about the Tory party, not the country".

Image source, PA Media

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay are arriving at Downing Street.

Mr Hancock tells Press Association: "What a fine morning... Looking forward to voting on a deal."

European Parliament
Strasbourg

Image source, EPA

Speaking earlier, Jean-Claude Juncker said last week's EU summit - his last as European Commission President - was an "emotional moment" for him.

He said the meeting was either the 147th or 148th he has attended - before this, he was a minister and then prime minister of his native Luxembourg.

He added that it has "pained" him how much of his time as Commission president has been taken up by Brexit, "when I have thought of nothing less than how this union could do better for its citizens".

"Waste of time and waste of energy," he concluded.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

The European Parliament's Brexit spokesman Guy Verhofstadt also says the European Parliament should hold its vote on the deal following its "full ratification" by the House of Commons.

He suggests the assembly should give its green light to the agreement, once "problems" with the post-Brexit system for settling EU citizens have been "solved".

He says this is required so "another Windrush scandal in Britain" relating to EU citizens can be avoided.

He adds there is work to be done to help EU citizens who are "vulnerable" to secure their status, as well as for those who might miss the deadline for registration.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

Jean Claude Juncker's call for the European Parliament to wait before it holds its vote on the PM's new Brexit deal is also echoed by the leaders of the assembly's three biggest political groups.

Manfred Weber, the German MEP who leads the biggest group, the centre-right EPP, counsels his colleagues to have a coffee "or tea" and watch events unfold in London.

He says there is "no chance" the European Parliament will be able to take its decision this week, he says, but cautions there is no need for MEPs to "hurry up" their own scrutiny process.

A similar point is made by Romanian MEP Dacian Cioloș, the leader of the liberal Renew Europe group, who says they shouldn't be under pressure to make their own decision this week.

The housing secretary says the PM's bill can and should be debated quickly.

"[MPs have] published bills and voted for them within a single day in the past, including very important ones," Robert Jenrick says, in a reference to the speedy passage of the Benn Act through Parliament last month.

"Parliament has been debating this issue for three-and-a-half years, I think we've had 500 hours of debate. So most MPs, frankly, are very familiar with the vast majority of issues that are in this bill," he adds.

"It comes down to a fundamental question, do you want to deliver Brexit? Do you want the country to move forwards?"