This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/oct/29/brexit-latest-news-general-election-debate-boris-johnson-faces-backlash-from-tories-over-plan-to-hold-election-before-passing-withdrawal-bill-live-news

The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Brexit: Boris Johnson fails in bid to limit debate as MPs start considering early election bill - live news Brexit: Boris Johnson fails in bid to limit debate as MPs start considering early election bill - live news
(31 minutes later)
Corbyn is wrapping up now. He says Labour is ready for this election. It wants to give people hope. He will go out there and give that message, whenever the election takes place. Swinson says she would always vote to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote.
Anyone sceptical about this should look at what happens in Scotland. She says in Scotland you see sixth formers leaving school in the afternoon and going to the polling station. It is “a sight to see”, she says.
Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, is speaking now.
She says Boris Johnson “had a cheek” talking about the whole UK in his opening speech. Johnson has not been acting in the interests of the whole of the UK. He has let Northern Ireland down. He said no Conservative PM would accept a border in the Irish Sea. But that is exactly what he has done, she says.
I’ve beefed up some of the earlier posts from the opening of the debate with direct quotes from speeches, including from Boris Johnson’s. (See 2.41pm.) To get the updates to show, you may need to refresh the page.
Blackford is still speaking. He says the government should extend the franchise to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, and EU nationals to vote in general elections.
He says EU nationals are on the electoral register already.
At the end of his speech Blackford receives applause from SNP MPs.
The full text of the bill is now here (pdf), on the UK parliament website.
And the explanatory notes are here (pdf).
Amendments to the bill would normally be on this page too, but they are not, because the bill was only published today and the amendments are only going in now.
The Labour MP Stephen Doughty says he has tabled an amendment to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote.
I have now tabled my simple and straightforward #VotesAt16 Amendment. Thanks to all colleagues who have signed. The Government have unfortunately tried to make it as difficult to table, select and vote on amendments as possible. pic.twitter.com/xzxkKoDv6n
Reminder: just because an amendment has been tabled, that does not mean it will be put to a vote.
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, is speaking now.
He says the SNP has been accused of trying to obstruct Brexit. “Guilty as charged,” he says.
Corbyn is wrapping up now. He says Labour is ready for this election. He wants to give people hope. He will go out there and give that message, whenever the election takes place.
Whatever date the house decides the election will be, I’m ready for it, we’re ready for it.
Because we want to be able to say to the people of this country there is an alternative to austerity. There is an alternative to inequality. There is an alternative to sweetheart trade deals with Donald Trump.
There is an alternative of a government that invests in all parts of the country, a government that’s determined to end injustice in our society.
And a government that is determined to give our young people a sense of hope in their society rather than the prospects of indebtedness and insecure employment in the future, which is sadly all the Conservative government and their coalition with the Lib Dems ever brought.
I’m very ready to go out there and give that message in any election, whenever it comes.
If Sky’s Kate McCann is right, Labour backing votes at 16 and votes for EU nationals (see 2.46pm) will not make any difference because the amendments will not be called.If Sky’s Kate McCann is right, Labour backing votes at 16 and votes for EU nationals (see 2.46pm) will not make any difference because the amendments will not be called.
Three Labour-backed amendments set to be tabled (although other MPs will table more) 1. Changing election date to 9 December 2. Votes for EU nationals 3. Votes for 16/17 year olds. The last two are not expected to be ruled in order even though they have support.Three Labour-backed amendments set to be tabled (although other MPs will table more) 1. Changing election date to 9 December 2. Votes for EU nationals 3. Votes for 16/17 year olds. The last two are not expected to be ruled in order even though they have support.
Corbyn says Labour will be supporting votes at 16, and also supporting the right of EU nationals to vote in the general election. He says, if EU nationals have made their future in this country, they should have the right to vote here too.Corbyn says Labour will be supporting votes at 16, and also supporting the right of EU nationals to vote in the general election. He says, if EU nationals have made their future in this country, they should have the right to vote here too.
In response to an intervention from a Scottish MP, Corbyn says the idea of making election day a public holiday, so as to increase turnout, is a good one.
He also says he favours extending the franchise to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote.
Jeremy Corbyn is responding to Johnson. He says he is looking forward to campaigning all over the country. And he says he will campaign against Johnson in Johnson’s constituency, Uxbridge and South Ruislip - if Johnson is still the candidate there.
Corbyn is referring to rumours that Johnson might switch to a safer seat.
Boris Johnson opened the debate. His speech was very like the one he delivered last night, although it also sounded as if he had written it before Labour confirmed that it wanted an early election.
I will post some quotes here an an update later.
How significant is the government defeat on the Stella Creasy amendment? (See 2.23pm.) At this point it is hard to tell. As ITV’s Robert Peston reports, government sources are saying that, if an amendment to the bill giving EU nationals the right to vote in the general election gets passed, the government will pull the bill, and the December election will not go ahead.
Government is now threatening to pull the general-election bill if Labour insists on amendment to enfranchise 3.4m EU citizens. It all gets crazier
Presumably the same would apply if an amendment were passed to give the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds - although enfranchising EU nationals would be easier, because they already can vote in local elections.
The fact that the Creasy amendment has been passed means that it is possible that amendments on these topics could now be put to a vote.
But we don’t know yet whether they will be put to a vote. The clerks would have to accept that they were “in scope” (ie, relevant to the subject of the bill). And the chair would have to decide to call such amendments (which is never a given).
Even if there are votes on these topics, it is not clear that they would pass. Opposition MPs would vote in favour, but the opposition is only winning votes at the moment with the support of the ex-Tory independents, and people in that camp tend not to be the sort of people who favour introducing major constitutional change in a rush.
And, finally, if Labour actually does want an early election – and this morning Jeremy Corbyn looked as if he did, although many of his colleagues obviously have their doubts – then it would make sense for the party to let these amendments fail.
We will find out later today. The final votes should take place at about 7.45pm.
Boris Johnson has lost the first vote. The Stella Creasy amendment has been passed by 312 votes to 295 - a majority of 17.
This means that, during the main debate, opposition amendments can be accepted.
The business motion as amended goes through on the nod.
From the official Labour whips Twitter account
MPs are currently voting on an amendment which would allow more than one amendment to be debated and voted upon at commuter stage. Pretty incredible the Govt are opposing this. Result by 14:20
MPs are now voting on Stella Creasy’s motion.
If passed, this would ensure that during the main debate on the bill MPs can propose amendments in the usual way. Under the government’s plan, only amendments from the government would be put to a vote.
Labour’s Stella Creasy is now moving her amendment. (See 11.20am.) She says the government has tried to rig the debate. That is because the programme motion takes away the right of the chair to select any amendment for debate. She says that is “not cricket”.
If this programme motion is allowed to stand, it would set a precedent for future debates, she says.
She says if the bill is to pass, it should do so via fair play.
The SNP’s Pete Wishart says, if Labour is going to oppose this programme motion, this bill might not progress.
He says Boris Johnson has failed to deliver his key promise to deliver Brexit by 31 October. He says the “Kippers” (Ukip supporters), Faragists and rightwing Tories must feel like mugs.
He says a December election is not ideal. He says in parts of his constituency in December it gets dark at 3.30pm. But he says this is a risk worth taking for the sake of having an early election.
Valerie Vaz, the shadow leader of the Commons, is now speaking. She criticises the way the government has introduced this bill, saying MPs have had very little time to implement it.
She says the programme motion is “unacceptable” and deliberately designed to frustrate the Commons.