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Brexit: MPs to resume debate on PM's plan Brexit: MPs to resume debate on PM's plan
(about 4 hours later)
MPs will begin debating Theresa May's Brexit plan again on Wednesday, nearly a month after she postponed the crunch Commons vote on her agreement. Theresa May is launching a fresh push to convince MPs to back her Brexit deal as they begin five days of debate.
There will be five days of discussion on the terms of the UK's withdrawal and future relations with the EU ahead of an expected vote next Tuesday. The prime minister cancelled a vote on her deal last month at the last minute to avoid a humiliating defeat.
The PM cancelled the original vote on 11 December as opposition from Tory MPs and Labour pointed to a heavy defeat. She is hoping new proposals on Northern Ireland will change enough MPs' minds to save the deal.
She has since sought extra written assurances from the European leaders. But the DUP have already rejected the plans - and rebel Tories are planning a move that could give MPs more say over what happens if her deal is rejected.
Ministers are expected to publish a document later offering measures aimed at easing concerns about the implications of Mrs May's plan for the future of Northern Ireland. The MPs, headed by former Tory ministers Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve, helped inflict a defeat on the government on Tuesday on an amendment aimed at making it more difficult to leave the EU without a deal.
BBC political correspondent Vicki Young said they were understood to include giving the Northern Ireland assembly the power to vote against any new EU rules if the so-called backstop arrangement comes into force. Now they are planning to table another amendment that could open up alternatives to Mrs May's deal if she loses next week's vote.
Labour has, meanwhile, said it will table a motion of no confidence in the government if Mrs May's deal is voted down next week.
It comes as ministers publish plans to give the Northern Ireland assembly in Stormont the power to vote against new EU rules if the border backstop comes into force after Brexit.
Mrs May is hoping that giving a greater role to the devolved government, which is currently suspended, will help her win the support of the Democratic Unionist Party for her Brexit deal.
But the DUP's Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said the proposals were "meaningless" and had "no real significance".
Mrs May's de facto second-in-command David Lidington said he "would have been surprised had this document of itself been sufficient to shift their position".
But he said the government would be coming forward with further proposals in the run-up to next week's vote.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he was "confident" Mrs May's Brexit deal would pass the vote, arguing that the only alternatives were a no-deal Brexit which would cause economic damage or "no Brexit".
The UK Parliament passed legislation last year stating that the UK would leave the European Union on 29 March - two years after negotiations on its exit began.
As things stand, the UK will leave without a deal if Mrs May's deal is rejected.
Brexiteer Conservatives argue that this would be better than Mrs May's deal, but a cross-party group of MPs are attempting to use Parliamentary tactics to prevent it.
On the eve of Wednesday's debate, the government suffered an embarrassing defeat when 20 Tory MPs joined forces with Labour to signal their opposition to a no-deal Brexit.On the eve of Wednesday's debate, the government suffered an embarrassing defeat when 20 Tory MPs joined forces with Labour to signal their opposition to a no-deal Brexit.
A host of former ministers, including Michael Fallon, Justine Greening and Sir Oliver Letwin, voted to amend the finance bill to restrict the ability of the Treasury to make tax changes in the event of a no deal - and threatened to target other legislation in the coming months.A host of former ministers, including Michael Fallon, Justine Greening and Sir Oliver Letwin, voted to amend the finance bill to restrict the ability of the Treasury to make tax changes in the event of a no deal - and threatened to target other legislation in the coming months.
The UK Parliament passed legislation last year stating that the UK would leave the European Union on 29 March - two years after negotiations on its exit began. The same alliance of cross-party MPs will later seek to push through an amendment that would oblige Mrs May to return to the Commons within three days with a fresh plan.
The withdrawal agreement finalised in November includes guarantees over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and British expats on the continent, the terms of the UK's £39bn "divorce" settlement and a proposed transition period lasting until the end of 2020. It would also enable MPs to table their own alternatives to Mrs May's plan, which could include another referendum or measures to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
These and other legally-binding measures will not come into force unless MPs approve the agreement and an accompanying declaration on future trade and security relations. The amendment to a procedural business motion, which must be selected for debate by Commons Speaker John Bercow, is due at about 13:00 GMT, after Mrs May faces Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions.
Before last month's vote was pulled, scores of Conservative MPs voiced their opposition to the plan and few have publicly given any signal they have changed their mind since then. If MPs approve the business motion, the debate on the terms of the UK's withdrawal and future relations with the EU will continue on Thursday, Friday and Monday before concluding on Tuesday, when Mrs May is expected to address MPs before the vote.
Former Brexit minister Suella Braverman told BBC's Newsnight that she could not back the plan "unless something changed democratically" and many of her colleagues felt the same way. The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said ministers were under no illusion about the scale of opposition they face - but hoped to gradually chip away at the numbers ranged against them with a series of reassurances over the Northern Ireland backstop.
The Democratic Unionist Party, on whom Mrs May relies for her Commons majority, has said there is "no way" that it can vote for the agreement as it currently stands. Further measures are expected to guarantee access to British markets and minimise any divergence between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Its 10 MPs strongly object to the backstop, a contingency plan agreed by the UK in December 2017 which the EU has said is necessary in case the two sides do not agree their future relationship or another solution by the end of 2020. The DUP and many Tory MPs object to the backstop, a contingency plan agreed by the UK in December 2017 which the EU has said is necessary in case the two sides do not agree their future relationship or another solution by the end of 2020.
The DUP and many Tory MPs want the backstop to be removed entirely or a legal guarantee that the UK will be able to leave it unilaterally at a time of its choosing. They want the backstop to be removed entirely or a legal guarantee that the UK will be able to leave it unilaterally at a time of its choosing.
Without that, they say the UK faces being bound indefinitely to EU rules, curbing its freedom to strike trade deals and result in Northern Ireland being treated differently from the rest of the UK.
The Irish government has said it is willing to give further "written guarantees" to reassure MPs that the UK will not be "trapped" - although it has said the agreement cannot be changed.
Wednesday's session, due to begin after prime minister's questions at about 13.00 BST, will be opened by Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay.
If MPs approve the procedural business motion, the debate will continue on Thursday, Friday and Monday before concluding on Tuesday, when the PM is expected to address MPs before the vote.
Mrs May has said the UK will be in "uncharted territory" if the agreement is rejected and this could put Brexit at risk - although she has not ruled out asking MPs to vote more than once.
The prime minister has said the "perfect deal" is not on offer and while it involves compromises, British firms will get tariff and quota free access to European markets, freedom of movement will end and the UK will exit the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy.