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Brexit: MPs to vote on Boris Johnson's deal in 'super Saturday' Commons session – live news
Brexit: MPs meet to vote on Boris Johnson's deal in 'super Saturday' Commons session – live news
(32 minutes later)
And here’s confirmation that the hardline Brexiters of the ERG have broken from the DUP – Steve Baker and Mark Francois say they and their colleagues will vote for Boris Johnson’s deal:
It is “nonsense” to say this is the only way of blocking no deal, says Corbyn.
The ERG meeting has just broken up on the committee corridor.ERG chairman Steve Baker says: “The advice of the ERG steering group and the officers is to vote for the deal.”ERG vice chairman Mark Francois: “No colleague in the meeting said they would vote against the deal.”
It would lead to a race to the bottom in regulations, insists the Labour leader.
Tory MP Bernard Jenkin seems to be confirming that the ERG will vote for the deal, albeit not wholeheartedly:
He wants the PM to confirm that if a free trade agreement is not done, the UK will revert to trade under World Trade Organisation rules.
This deal is hundreds of miles from perfect. It has terrible elements, but we are where we are. At least @BackBoris has substantially improved it and it now points in a far more positive direction for our country.
Concluding, Corbyn dubs it a “sell-out” deal.
The Sunday Times’ political editor, Tim Shipman, quotes an unnamed “No 10 source” saying the government will abandon the vote on the deal if the Letwin amendment – which would allow parliament to withhold its approval until the legislation to implement Brexit has passed – goes through today.
Moving on to workers’ rights, Corbyn warns “we cannot give the government a blank cheque”.
BREAKING: If Letwin passes No 10 will pull the vote pic.twitter.com/RyvdxtV3MT
It would hammer the economy, cost jobs and sell workers down the river, says the Labour leader quoting Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the TUC.
The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg says that if that happens, MPs will be asked to vote on the deal on Monday instead:
He was jeered as he mentioned her name. Corbyn responded by saying she represented 6 million voters.
No 10 plans to send MPs home if they vote for Letwin - but govt will introduce the bill on Monday
Corbyn says he understands the fatigue and frustration in the House but we simply cannot vote for a deal worse than that which was voted down three times.
Rebecca Long Bailey, Labour’s shadow business secretary, described Boris Johnson’s deal as a “sellout”. She told the BBC:
Corbyn says the PM is not being honest about the effect of this deal on manufacturing and jobs. He says a vote for the deal would be a vote to cut jobs all over the country and usher in a “Trump trade deal … exposing our families to chlorinated chicken”.
It’s actually far worse than Theresa May’s deal, which was voted down repeatedly in the House of Commons. It’s a sellout, it sells out industry, it sells out our rights and protection, and it potentially sells off our NHS in future trade deals to Donald Trump – and that’s not something we can condone.”
Johnson says his deal is “a great prospect and a great deal” and urges MPs to vote for it.
She called on the government to provide stronger commitments on workers’ rights:
Now it’s Jeremy Corbyn’s turn. He begins by thanking parliamentary staff who have come in on their day off to facilitate this session.
The protections that have been offered are simply, as I understand it … pretty similar to what Theresa May’s proposed, with the ability for parliament to review any changes in EU law when it comes to workers’ rights and environmental protections then vote on them that is … dependent on a Tory majority, who at the best of times would vote against any improvements in workers’ rights.
But he says Johnson has negotiated a deal that is even worse than the original withdrawal agreement:
What we want to see is a legal lock … so we don’t fall behind improvements in workers’ rights and environmental standards, so if the government was serious about that then they would make more robust legal protections.”
These benches will not be duped.
While Long Bailey wouldn’t comment on Labour’s whipping arrangement for the Letwin amendment, she did say:
There is “very little appetite” among EU27 leaders for any further delay, Johnson says, even of “one single day”.
We don’t trust Boris Johnson at all and we need to protect as much as we possibly can, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we were supportive of this amendment.”
He urges MPs to “get Brexit done”.
MPs present and past have been out and about on the airwaves this morning setting out their positions.
He says even if he is compelled under the Benn Act to write a letter requesting an extension, he will never believe that delay is a good idea. It’s time to get this thing done, he says, “to end this debilitating feud”.
Former chancellor Philip Hammond – ejected by Boris Johnson after he voted for the Benn act – told the BBC he would vote for the Letwin amendment:
“Our National Health Service will not be on the table” in future trade talks, Johnson tells MPs. (The threat of a Trump-led US grab on NHS contracts is a concern for many.)
This cannot be the final vote today because we do not know the full shape of the package. The Letwin amendment gives us an insurance policy that prevents us having to look at this bill against the constant threat of the government to pull the plug and crash us out on 31 October.
The Speaker, John Bercow, has announced that MPs will vote on Oliver Letwin and Hilary Benn’s amendment, in which the House of Commons would withhold support from Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal until the relevant legislation has been passed.
We have to remove any risk of leaving on 31 October 31 with no deal.”
If it passes, it would force the prime minister to request an extension to Brexit by 11pm tonight, the deadline set in the Benn act.
Tony Blair told BB Radio 4’s Today programme MPs should defeat the deal:
Some MPs see it as extra insurance against a no-deal Brexit, in case MPs supported Johnson’s deal today – fulfilling the requirements of the Benn act – and then voted against the withdrawal bill. Without an extension in place, they feared the government could still take Britain out of the EU without a deal on 31 October.
If this deal had been put before the British parliament a year ago, or two years ago, there is absolutely no way it would pass. The only reason the government can try and get it passed now is frankly … people are completely fed up with Brexit. They want it over. They want it done with.”
Other backers of the Letwin amendment would like to support Johnson’s deal, but regard it as securing extra time to scrutinise it, and perhaps secure amendments.
But the culture secretary, Nicky Morgan, tweeted that MPs should get onboard with the plan:
Government sources are suggesting this morning that if Letwin passes – as appears highly likely – the whips will simply order Conservative MPs to go home, effectively boycotting the vote on the motion as amended. They are not making clear whether they will request an article 50 extension.
The PM has negotiated a new deal -something many said was impossible. Today we’ve a chance to end uncertainty to people & businesses; heal the divides & come together as a country; deliver on referendum result & leave the EU on 31st October -with a deal. So let’s get this done. https://t.co/XM79vW4ELu
Johnson moves on to concerns around workers’ rights and protections. No one believes in lowering standards, he says, to loud heckles from opposing benches.
Sky News reports that Steve Baker, who chairs the hardline Brexiter ERG, has said the group will back the deal today:
Animal welfare standards could be higher post-Brexit, he says.
NEW: Steve Baker says the advice of the ERG is that the group’s MPs should vote for the agreement
DUP MPs not looking too impressed as Johnson says his deal is great for Northern Ireland, Sammy Wilson shaking his head
With the DUP definitely against the deal, and a number of the former Conservative MPs who lost the whip last month seemingly onboard, two groups will be vital.
Johnson now sets out the details of his new deal, struck with the EU this week. For those wondering how much it differs from Theresa May’s deal, here’s a handy visual guide:
First are the so-called “Spartans”, the most hardline of Tory Brexiters. Some of these have already come onboard, and others could follow – but with the DUP opposed, this is still a finely balanced decision.
How much of Johnson's 'great new deal' is actually new?
The other group set to be endlessly pestered by Johnson’s team are Labour MPs from leave-voting areas who support a deal, such as Caroline Flint, Stephen Kinnock and others. They face intense Labour pressure to vote against it, but could still potentially be persuaded the vote the other way. These MPs might be more likely to back the deal if it is amended via the Letwin-Benn plan.
And here’s a point-by-point breakdown of the key changes:
Key players
How is Boris Johnson's Brexit deal different from Theresa May's?
Steve Baker: the Tory hard Brexiters’ club, the European Research Group (ERG), is meeting first thing on Saturday. Whichever way Baker, its chair, chooses to vote will be a key indicator for the choice of other Spartans.
Johnson says his deal allows the UK “whole and entire” to leave the EU, but preserves the ties of friendship and cooperation.
Philip Hammond: on the other side of the Tory divide, the former chancellor is prominent among the sizeable group of rebel MPs who lost the whip last month, and could go either way.
He praises the EU for its flexibility in reopening the withdrawal agreement.
Caroline Flint: co-leader of the “MPs for a deal” grouping, Flint is a leading member of the Labour contingent that believes the UK should leave sooner rather than later. If she backs Johnson’s deal, she could take others with her.
And he says he will listen to all MPs speaking in the Commons today.
Norman Lamb: while the rest of the Liberal Democrats are firmly against the deal, Lamb – who will step down at the next election – has long been much more Brexit-minded than his colleagues. He is believed to still be deciding, and while it will only be one vote, this could be crucial.
Johnson says the UK has over the years been a “backmarker” in the EU, opting out of schemes such as the euro.
Welcome to our live coverage of the vote on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. The decision MPs make today could determine whether the UK leaves the EU, as Johnson has promised, on 31 October, or instead faces the prospect of requesting an extension from the European Union – and a possible general election.
He says we have been “halfhearted Europeans”, but adds that this means “part of our hearts” are with Europe.
Peter Walker has written a guide to see you through the day. Here are the key moments:
It is our continent. It is precisely because we are capable of thinking both things at once … that the whole experience of the last three and a half years has been so difficult for this country and so divisive.
The Commons convenes at 9.30am with a statement from Boris Johnson on the Brexit deal he has negotiated with the EU, followed by questions.
Johnson says his deal “can heal the rift in British politics”:
The actual motion on the deal follows afterwards, to be opened by another minister. It is only when this debate begins that we will know which amendments have been selected for a vote by the Speaker, John Bercow.
Now is the time for this great House of Commons to come together and bring the country together today.
The number of amendments will affect the length of the process, so the key vote could come any time from mid-afternoon to early evening.
Bercow says he has selected the Letwin amendment for debate, and also Kyle-Wilson amendment to the second motion.
Also on the order paper is the European Union (Withdrawal) (No 2) Act – better known as the Benn act. This is the backbench-created law that would compel Johnson to seek a Brexit extension if his deal is not passed.
And now Boris Johnson is on his feet to present his deal to the Commons.
The Lords is also sitting to consider the same two issues.
Speaker John Bercow is welcoming MPs to this extraordinary Saturday session.
Brexit 'super Saturday': your guide to the big day
