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| Brexit bill set to become law after clearing parliament with Lords amendments all voted out – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happened | |
| The government’s EU (withdrawal agreement) bill has now cleared parliament. MPs voted this afternoon to remove the five amendments to the bill made when it was in the House of Lords, and peers have just voted to accept these changes. They did not try for a second time to insist on any of their amendments, mindful that the government won every vote with a large majority. This is the legislation that will implement the withdrawal agreement negotiated by the UK and the EU. Theresa May’s failure to get this deal through parliament led to her resignation, and Boris Johnson was only able to get it onto the statute book after performing a significant U-turn on Ireland (effectively, he has now accepted a customs border down the Irish Sea) and fighting a general election. The bill will get royal assent before the end of the week, paving the way for the UK to leave the EU next Friday, after nearly half a century of membership. | The government’s EU (withdrawal agreement) bill has now cleared parliament. MPs voted this afternoon to remove the five amendments to the bill made when it was in the House of Lords, and peers have just voted to accept these changes. They did not try for a second time to insist on any of their amendments, mindful that the government won every vote with a large majority. This is the legislation that will implement the withdrawal agreement negotiated by the UK and the EU. Theresa May’s failure to get this deal through parliament led to her resignation, and Boris Johnson was only able to get it onto the statute book after performing a significant U-turn on Ireland (effectively, he has now accepted a customs border down the Irish Sea) and fighting a general election. The bill will get royal assent before the end of the week, paving the way for the UK to leave the EU next Friday, after nearly half a century of membership. |
| Lisa Nandy has become the second candidate to make it on to the final ballot in the Labour leadership contest, after picking up a nomination from Chinese for Labour, on top of the endorsements she has already received from the NUM and GMB unions. | Lisa Nandy has become the second candidate to make it on to the final ballot in the Labour leadership contest, after picking up a nomination from Chinese for Labour, on top of the endorsements she has already received from the NUM and GMB unions. |
| Nandy has defended the Duchess of Sussex against Piers Morgan’s claims that she has not suffered racism, asking the TV presenter “how on earth” he would know about the prejudice experienced by people of colour. | Nandy has defended the Duchess of Sussex against Piers Morgan’s claims that she has not suffered racism, asking the TV presenter “how on earth” he would know about the prejudice experienced by people of colour. |
| The chancellor, Sajid Javid, has insisted that the UK will go ahead with plans for a tax on giant tech companies this spring despite intensifying pressure from the US to drop the idea. | The chancellor, Sajid Javid, has insisted that the UK will go ahead with plans for a tax on giant tech companies this spring despite intensifying pressure from the US to drop the idea. |
| Boris Johnson’s new post-Brexit immigration regime is likely to mean an end to the controversial £30,000 salary floor for skilled workers, government sources have confirmed. | Boris Johnson’s new post-Brexit immigration regime is likely to mean an end to the controversial £30,000 salary floor for skilled workers, government sources have confirmed. |
| Nicola Sturgeon has said it is “morally indefensible” to focus purely on growth as the measure of a nation’s success, arguing: “Some of the measures that create that growth in the short term are doing lasting and arguably irreversible damage to our planet in the longer term.” | Nicola Sturgeon has said it is “morally indefensible” to focus purely on growth as the measure of a nation’s success, arguing: “Some of the measures that create that growth in the short term are doing lasting and arguably irreversible damage to our planet in the longer term.” |
| The government does not consider Extinction Rebellion to be an extremist organisation, the security minister has said, after counter-terrorism documents featuring the climate emergency activists were revealed in the Guardian. | The government does not consider Extinction Rebellion to be an extremist organisation, the security minister has said, after counter-terrorism documents featuring the climate emergency activists were revealed in the Guardian. |
| That’s all from me for today. | That’s all from me for today. |
| Thanks for the comments. | Thanks for the comments. |
| Peers have now voted to accept the Commons’ changes to the bill. | Peers have now voted to accept the Commons’ changes to the bill. |
| That means that the bill has cleared parliament. It will get royal assent, and become law, very soon. | That means that the bill has cleared parliament. It will get royal assent, and become law, very soon. |
| In the House of Lords peers are currently debating the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill again, and the government’s decision to reject all five amendments to the bill passed when it was in the Lords. Peers are expressing disappointment about the government’s decision, and particularly its refusal to accept the Dubs amendment offering a safeguard for unaccompanied child refugees, but they are not planning to pass new amendments to try to get the government to think again. | In the House of Lords peers are currently debating the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill again, and the government’s decision to reject all five amendments to the bill passed when it was in the Lords. Peers are expressing disappointment about the government’s decision, and particularly its refusal to accept the Dubs amendment offering a safeguard for unaccompanied child refugees, but they are not planning to pass new amendments to try to get the government to think again. |
| Earlier Lord Dubs posted this on Twitter. | Earlier Lord Dubs posted this on Twitter. |
| In his “People’s PMQs” on Facebook Boris Johnson falsely claimed that the proposed cut in national insurance contributions would disproportionately benefit people on lower incomes. He said: | In his “People’s PMQs” on Facebook Boris Johnson falsely claimed that the proposed cut in national insurance contributions would disproportionately benefit people on lower incomes. He said: |
| This is not true. This is what the Institute for Fiscal Studies said in an analysis it published during the election campaign covering the proposed Tory national insurance cut. It said (bold type added by me): | This is not true. This is what the Institute for Fiscal Studies said in an analysis it published during the election campaign covering the proposed Tory national insurance cut. It said (bold type added by me): |
| And here is the IFS chart showing the distributional impact of Johnson’s tax plan. | And here is the IFS chart showing the distributional impact of Johnson’s tax plan. |
| Rebecca Long-Bailey, the Labour leadership candidate, has given a lengthy interview to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg. Long-Bailey is seen as the Corbynite candidate in the contest (although she is trying to play down the idea that she would be continuity Corbyn - see 11.02am), but she has also talked about aspiration and at one point she ended up sounding uncannily like Tony Blair. | Rebecca Long-Bailey, the Labour leadership candidate, has given a lengthy interview to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg. Long-Bailey is seen as the Corbynite candidate in the contest (although she is trying to play down the idea that she would be continuity Corbyn - see 11.02am), but she has also talked about aspiration and at one point she ended up sounding uncannily like Tony Blair. |
| It came when she was talking about why she thought Labour should have done more at the election to tell people that it wanted to help them improve their lives. She said: | It came when she was talking about why she thought Labour should have done more at the election to tell people that it wanted to help them improve their lives. She said: |
| Does that sound familiar? In 1996, in his last speech to Labour conference before the election that made him prime minister, Blair said: | Does that sound familiar? In 1996, in his last speech to Labour conference before the election that made him prime minister, Blair said: |
| Even though Blair did not use the phrase, that 1992 voter became known as “Mondeo man” and finding a message, and polices, that appealed to Mondeo man became key to New Labour’s success. It sounds as if Long-Bailey has met him too. | Even though Blair did not use the phrase, that 1992 voter became known as “Mondeo man” and finding a message, and polices, that appealed to Mondeo man became key to New Labour’s success. It sounds as if Long-Bailey has met him too. |
| Here is this week’s Guardian Politics Weekly podcast. My colleague Rowena Mason is joined by Katy Balls, Stewart Wood and Lisa O’Carroll to discuss the latest on the prime minister’s Brexit withdrawal bill, and Jess Phillips’s decision to drop out of the Labour leadership race. Plus Larry Elliott rings in from Davos, and Kate Proctor sits down with Gina Miller. | Here is this week’s Guardian Politics Weekly podcast. My colleague Rowena Mason is joined by Katy Balls, Stewart Wood and Lisa O’Carroll to discuss the latest on the prime minister’s Brexit withdrawal bill, and Jess Phillips’s decision to drop out of the Labour leadership race. Plus Larry Elliott rings in from Davos, and Kate Proctor sits down with Gina Miller. |
| Q: Do you prefer tea or coffee? | Q: Do you prefer tea or coffee? |
| Johnson says he is drinking tea. But he has nothing against coffee. | Johnson says he is drinking tea. But he has nothing against coffee. |
| Q: Will five year be enough? | Q: Will five year be enough? |
| Johnson says he wants to crack on. | Johnson says he wants to crack on. |
| He says he has to go now to a meeting. | He says he has to go now to a meeting. |
| But he will do this again next week, he says. | But he will do this again next week, he says. |
| And that’s it. | And that’s it. |
| Q: What will you do to fix potholes? | Q: What will you do to fix potholes? |
| Johnson says the government is spending £2nb on potholes. | Johnson says the government is spending £2nb on potholes. |
| Q: How will you keep police on the streets? | Q: How will you keep police on the streets? |
| Johnson says he wants to keep police numbers on the streets high. | Johnson says he wants to keep police numbers on the streets high. |
| Johnson says he wants to improve mental health services. | Johnson says he wants to improve mental health services. |
| Q: Why won’t you give the NHS the funding it needs? | Q: Why won’t you give the NHS the funding it needs? |
| Johnson says he is giving record sums to the NHS. It is getting the biggest ever cash boost it has had. | Johnson says he is giving record sums to the NHS. It is getting the biggest ever cash boost it has had. |
| (That is misleading. In real terms, the NHS spending increase is only the biggest since the mid-200s.) | (That is misleading. In real terms, the NHS spending increase is only the biggest since the mid-200s.) |
| And he is building 40 new hospitals, and upgrading another 20, he says. | And he is building 40 new hospitals, and upgrading another 20, he says. |
| Q: Do you support lower tax for working people? | Q: Do you support lower tax for working people? |
| Yes, says Johnson. He says he will cut national insurance for everybody. He says that will disproportionately cut tax for people on lower incomes. | Yes, says Johnson. He says he will cut national insurance for everybody. He says that will disproportionately cut tax for people on lower incomes. |
| (That is not true. Average and higher earners gain the most. I will post the data later.) | (That is not true. Average and higher earners gain the most. I will post the data later.) |
| Q: Will the next budget cut VAT on tampons? | Q: Will the next budget cut VAT on tampons? |
| Johnson says he cannot say what will be in the budget. But he appreciates the importance of keeping period products low. He says an MP asked about this in the Commons today. When the UK leaves the EU, it will be able to cut VAT on tampons. That is one of the advantages of Brexit, he says. | Johnson says he cannot say what will be in the budget. But he appreciates the importance of keeping period products low. He says an MP asked about this in the Commons today. When the UK leaves the EU, it will be able to cut VAT on tampons. That is one of the advantages of Brexit, he says. |
| Q: Can you commit fully to the union? | Q: Can you commit fully to the union? |
| Yes, says Johnson. He says he commits to it 1,000%. He says when he criticises the SNP, he is not criticising Scotland. He says Scottish education is legendary. It produced Michael Gove, he says. It is a fantastic system. But recently Scotland has been slipping down the Pisa rankings, he says. The SNP should focus on the priorities of the people of Scotland. | Yes, says Johnson. He says he commits to it 1,000%. He says when he criticises the SNP, he is not criticising Scotland. He says Scottish education is legendary. It produced Michael Gove, he says. It is a fantastic system. But recently Scotland has been slipping down the Pisa rankings, he says. The SNP should focus on the priorities of the people of Scotland. |
| He says the SNP have got no really clear idea of how breaking up the union would work. | He says the SNP have got no really clear idea of how breaking up the union would work. |
| (Some might say that criticism could be applied to other breaking up long-standing political unions.) | (Some might say that criticism could be applied to other breaking up long-standing political unions.) |
| He says people were told that the 2014 referendum was a once in a generation event. He says five years does not constitute a generation. Nor does 10 years, he says. | He says people were told that the 2014 referendum was a once in a generation event. He says five years does not constitute a generation. Nor does 10 years, he says. |
| Q: What shampoo do you use? | Q: What shampoo do you use? |
| Johnson says he does not know. But it is blue. And it comes in a plastic tube. | Johnson says he does not know. But it is blue. And it comes in a plastic tube. |
| Johnson is reading out his own questions. | Johnson is reading out his own questions. |
| Q: Will we take back control of fishing? | Q: Will we take back control of fishing? |
| Yes, says Johnson. He says the UK will not trade away its fishing rights. | Yes, says Johnson. He says the UK will not trade away its fishing rights. |
| Johnson says he does not accept that he won’t be able to get a good trade deal from the EU. | Johnson says he does not accept that he won’t be able to get a good trade deal from the EU. |
| Boris Johnson is now hosting his People’s PMQs on Facebook from Downing Street. | Boris Johnson is now hosting his People’s PMQs on Facebook from Downing Street. |