No deal Brexit tracker LIVE: May's Brexit talks with EU branded ‘FANTASY’ as NO DEAL looms
PRIME Minister Theresa May has opened talks with the House of Commons ahead of a series of crunch votes, shortly after confirming she planned to reopen talks with the EU as the scramble to avoid a no-deal scenario continues.
Brexit: Bercow selects amendments to be voted on
As it stands, the UK is due to leave the EU at 11pm on March 29. But after two years of gruelling negotiations with the EU, the deal presented by Theresa May was voted down in a shocking defeat in the House of Commons. Today, MPs will vote on a series of amendments in an attempt to wrestle some control of the situation, with panic growing over an inevitable ‘cliff edge’ departure.
Put simply, a no-deal Brexit scenario would mean Britain would leave the EU immediately, with no agreements in place about the future relationship.
This casts uncertainty on numerous fronts, ranging from trade to citizens rights, and has long been touted as an undesirable option by the government.
But, under increasing cross-party pressure to rule no-deal out, the government has pushed on, with Chancellor Philip Hammond saying the pressure is a good thing, that the “ticking clock” would “focus minds”.
Follow us below as we bring you all the updates as the situation progresses, into this evening’s 7pm vote. All times BST.
READ MORE: What could a no-deal Brexit really mean for you and me?
FOLLOW EXPRESS.CO.UK FOR LIVE NO DEAL BREXIT UPDATES BELOW
8.40pm update: MPs back call for deal to be passed if backstop removed
The Brady amendment has passed by 317 votes to 301 - a majority of 16.
8.28pm update: Spelman/Dromey amendment PASSES
The amendment proposed by Conservative MP Dame Caroline Spelman and Labour MP Jack Dromey - which rejects the UK leaving the EU with no deal - passes.
318 vote for and 310 against
8.11pm update: Reeves amendment defeated by majority of 32
The Reeves amendment has been defeated by 322 votes to 290 - a majority of 32.
8.02pm update: MPs vote on Rachel Reeves amendment
MPs are now voting on the Rachel Reeves amendment.
7.56pm update: Yvette Cooper amendment DEFEATED
The Government has defeated an attempt by Labour MP Yvette Cooper to avoid a no-deal Brexit.
MPs voted 321 to 298 against her amendment - a majority of 23.
7.45pm update: MPs vote on Yvette Cooper's amendment
Yvette Cooper’s amendment which could scrape through and cause major problems for Theresa May’s Brexit plan.
7.38pm update: Grieve amendment voted down
Dominic Grieve's amendment has been rejected by the Commons.
MPs voted 321 to 301 against it.
The amendment sought to grant Parliament control over Brexit by holding a series of indicative votes to sound out what MPs would be willing to support.
7.28pm update: SNP amendment REJECTED
The SNP amendment has been defeated by 327 votes to 39 - a majority of 288.
Brexit: We have 'NOTHING' without no deal says Tory MP
7.20pm update: MPs vote on SNP amendment - full text of amendment
"Line 1, leave out from “House” to end and add “notes that the Scottish parliament, national assembly for Wales and House of Commons all voted overwhelmingly to reject the prime minister’s deal; calls for the government to seek an extension of the period specified under article 50(3) of the treaty on European Union; agrees a no deal outcome should be ruled out; and recognises that if the UK is an equal partnership of nations, the 62% vote to remain at the EU referendum on 23 June 2016 in Scotland should be respected and that the people of Scotland should not be taken out of the EU against their will.”.
7.12pm update: MPs REJECT Labour amendment
The Labour amendment is defeated.
MPs have voted down the Labour leadership amendment by 327 to 296 - a majority of 31.
6.18pm update: Brady amendment a ‘fake clause’
Tory MP Ed Vaizey has warned the Brady amendment will only serve to “neuter” Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
The MP attacked the plan to replace the Irish border backstop with “alternative arrangements”, saying: “Because I support the PM I cannot support the Brady amendment.
“I back the Prime Minister’s withdrawal agreement and unlike some people in this House I will not turn my back on it and neuter it with a fake clause pretending that it is amending an agreement when it is doing no such thing.”
5.52pm update: What time is the Brexit vote today?
The Brexit vote will take place this evening from 7pm.
However, exact timings depend on how long the amendments are voted on before.
Speaker John Bercow has said seven amendments will go to a vote, including the Yvette Cooper and Graham Brady amendments.
Each amendment will be allowed 15 minutes of discussion before a vote takes place, which could indicate Mrs May’s deal could get voted on between 8.30 and 9pm tonight.
The result is expected shortly after.
Pound higher against US dollar ahead of Brexit vote
5.35pm update: DUP accused of telling people to "go to the chippy instead" if there were food shortages caused by a no-deal Brexit
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said intervened during a speech by the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford to say: "I'm grateful for him giving way and he's making a very powerful case for what no deal will look like, and amongst that he said that there could be food shortages, and crucially that food prices could go up.
"Does he share my anger with the voices behind me that he perhaps didn't hear, but when he was talking about food prices going up and the fact there could be food shortages, the people behind me were saying 'well let them go to the chippy instead?'
"Does he share my anger about the way our constituents would be affected by a no deal?"
Mr Blackford replied: "I'm sorry to hear that that was a remark that was made.
"You know this is a really important debate and I think there is a responsibility that we take these matters seriously, each and every one of us."
5.18pm update: Tory eurosceptics to discuss amendments at 6pm
Conservative Eurosceptic backbenchers will meet at 6pm to discuss how they will vote on the amendments, according to a Eurosceptic Research Group.
4.39pm update: Yvette Cooper makes case for her amendment to prevent no deal Brexit
Labour MP Yvette Cooper has made the case for her amendment which she says will “make sure there is a safety net to prevent no deal on March 29”.
Cooper said she had previously believed Theresa May would never allow Britain to leave the EU without a divorce deal but that she now thought a hard Brexit could happen because the PM is “trapped”.
She told MPs in the Commons: “I am really worried that the delay and drift and chasing of unicorns mean we could now end up with a no deal by accident.”
The Cooper amendment would grant MPs a vote on extending Article 50 and delaying Brexit at the end of February if no deal has been agreed.
4.09pm update: NHS cancels blood donations due to Brexit
The NHS has said it will cancel blood donation sessions in Dover and Folkestone for eight weeks while Britain exits the EU.
3.50pm: Brexit negotiations KEY POINTS today
Members of Parliament will hold critical votes on amendments related to Brexit from 7pm tonight
Theresa May demands EU to reopen negotiations on key part of her Brexit deal
Labour is expected to support bid to take no deal Brexit off the table
Brexit plan C emerges after Jacob Rees-Mogg joins forces with Tory Remainers
3.20pm update: EU will not reopen talks on Brexit deal
The EU is refusing to renegotiate on Britain's withdrawal agreement.
The news agency cited an unnamed EU diplomat as saying the bloc will not re-open talks into the legally binding element of Theresa May's Brexit deal.
Amalie Henden takes over live reporting from Kate Whitfield
3pm update: May asking EU for 'significant and legally-binding' change to withdrawal agreement'
Mrs May said she is aware things need to change significantly.
She said there need to be changes to the backstop, and achieving this would require a “significant and legally-binding change to the withdrawal agreement”.
This will not be easy, she says. But she says she thinks it can be achieved with “a mandate from this House”.
Hammond: UK will be better off under EVERY Brexit scenario
2.45pm update: May confirms another ‘meaningful vote’
Theresa May said in the Commons MPs will have another chance to vote on February 14 if a deal still hasn’t been accepted.
She said she knows some MPs are concerned about the risk that they might not get a chance to vote against no deal.
2.30pm update: May says extending article 50 WOULD NOT rule out no-deal
She said it would just delay the point at which the decision on how to leave would be made.
However, she said MPs may be able to vote for an extension to buy some more time.
2.20pm update: This evening’s amendments announced
John Bercow has announced which amendments will go to a vote this evening.
Here they are:
- A - Labour’s
- B - Yvette Cooper’s
- G - Dominic Grieve’s
- I - Caroline Spelman’s
- J - Rachel Reeves’
- N - Graham Brady’s
- O - The SNP’s
READ MORE about what they all mean HERE.