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| Brexit bill close to becoming law after MPs vote to remove Dubs amendment protecting child migrants – live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen |
| The chief executive of the Civil Service, Sir John Manzoni, is to step down “at some point” this year, the Cabinet Office has said. As the Press Office reports, a spokesman said that the departure of Manzoni, who is also the permanent secretary at the Cabinet, had been planned for “some time”. Manzoni’s five-year tenure in the post had been due to end in October last year, although such senior appointments can be extended for a short period. | |
| When the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill returns to the Lords this afternoon, peers are not expected to insist on any of their amendments (ie, to vote to put them back into the bill). They are expected to accept the bill as it is, meaning it should be able to become law very soon. Sometimes the Lords does sent a bill back to the Commons again with an anti-government amendment included, but after a round or two of “ping pong” it almost always backs down, letting the elected house have its way. On this bill the pressure to give in is particularly acute because Boris Johnson has just won a near-landslide on a manifesto committing him to passing this bill. | |
| The fifth and final Lords amendment to the Brexit bill has been defeated by the government by 349 votes to 246 - a majority of 103. | |
| The bill will now returns to the Lords where peers can either accept the bill as it is, or else try again to insert some or all of their amendments. | |
| The Home Office has announced police funding for 2020 to 2021 in England. It says funding “will increase by more than £1.1bn, totalling £15.2bn, if police and crime commissioners (PCCs) take full advantage of flexibility to set the police precept”. | The Home Office has announced police funding for 2020 to 2021 in England. It says funding “will increase by more than £1.1bn, totalling £15.2bn, if police and crime commissioners (PCCs) take full advantage of flexibility to set the police precept”. |
| We have just has the result of the fourth Commons vote. MPs rejected the Dubs amendment which put the government under a duty to negotiate with the EU for unaccompanied child migrant refugees to be admitted to the UK by 342 votes to 254 - a majority of 88. | We have just has the result of the fourth Commons vote. MPs rejected the Dubs amendment which put the government under a duty to negotiate with the EU for unaccompanied child migrant refugees to be admitted to the UK by 342 votes to 254 - a majority of 88. |
| Earlier, in the third vote, MPs rejected Lords amendment three by a majority of 103. | Earlier, in the third vote, MPs rejected Lords amendment three by a majority of 103. |
| The government won the second vote on reversing a Lords amendment to the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill by 348 votes to 246 - a majority of 102. This was an amendment about the ability of the British courts to depart from European Court of Justice judgments. | The government won the second vote on reversing a Lords amendment to the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill by 348 votes to 246 - a majority of 102. This was an amendment about the ability of the British courts to depart from European Court of Justice judgments. |
| They are voting on the third Lords amendment now. | They are voting on the third Lords amendment now. |
| Jess Phillips, who withdrew from the Labour leadership contest yesterday, has said she is backing Ian Murray for deputy leader. In a statement she said: | Jess Phillips, who withdrew from the Labour leadership contest yesterday, has said she is backing Ian Murray for deputy leader. In a statement she said: |
| Phillips is also backing Lisa Nandy for leader. See 10.47am. | Phillips is also backing Lisa Nandy for leader. See 10.47am. |
| The government has won the vote by 338 votes to 252 - a majority of 86. Lords amendment 1, on citizens’ rights, has been taken out. | The government has won the vote by 338 votes to 252 - a majority of 86. Lords amendment 1, on citizens’ rights, has been taken out. |
| MPs are now voting to reverse the next Lords amendment. | MPs are now voting to reverse the next Lords amendment. |
| Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has told ITV Border that she still intends to hold a referendum on independence this year. | Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has told ITV Border that she still intends to hold a referendum on independence this year. |
| Sturgeon intends to set out more details of her plans next week. Boris Johnson has said he will not give the Scottish government the permission it needs to hold a referendum that would be legally valid. One option would be to hold a referendum anyway, despite it not having any legislative standing, but in the past Sturgeon has dismissed this as an option. | Sturgeon intends to set out more details of her plans next week. Boris Johnson has said he will not give the Scottish government the permission it needs to hold a referendum that would be legally valid. One option would be to hold a referendum anyway, despite it not having any legislative standing, but in the past Sturgeon has dismissed this as an option. |
| MPs are now voting on the first Lords amendment to the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill. | MPs are now voting on the first Lords amendment to the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill. |
| Just before the debate ended the SNP’s Phillipa Whitford challenged a point made by Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, earlier. Barclay said EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit could always print out the Home Office email saying they had settled status. (One of the Lords amendments said they should be given a physical document proving they have the right to be in the country.) But Whitford told MPs that the email specifically says it is not proof of someone’s status. | Just before the debate ended the SNP’s Phillipa Whitford challenged a point made by Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, earlier. Barclay said EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit could always print out the Home Office email saying they had settled status. (One of the Lords amendments said they should be given a physical document proving they have the right to be in the country.) But Whitford told MPs that the email specifically says it is not proof of someone’s status. |
| These are from my colleague Lisa O’Carroll. | These are from my colleague Lisa O’Carroll. |
| According to ITV’s political editor, Robert Peston, senior figures in Downing Street are strongly opposed to the former Labour cabinet minister James Purnell, who is now head of radio and education at the BBC, or anyone like him becoming the corporation’s next director general. In a blog Peston says: | According to ITV’s political editor, Robert Peston, senior figures in Downing Street are strongly opposed to the former Labour cabinet minister James Purnell, who is now head of radio and education at the BBC, or anyone like him becoming the corporation’s next director general. In a blog Peston says: |
| It is not unusual for governments, or anyone else in politics, to brief on an unattributable basis, but since Boris Johnson became PM there has been an increase in the number of unattributable briefings coming out of No 10, often involving threats to Johnson’s opponents. Quite often what is being threatened never actually happens. For example, we were told that Johnson would do anything to avoid having to request a Brexit extension from the EU in the autumn, but in the end he meekly complied with the legislation saying he had to. | It is not unusual for governments, or anyone else in politics, to brief on an unattributable basis, but since Boris Johnson became PM there has been an increase in the number of unattributable briefings coming out of No 10, often involving threats to Johnson’s opponents. Quite often what is being threatened never actually happens. For example, we were told that Johnson would do anything to avoid having to request a Brexit extension from the EU in the autumn, but in the end he meekly complied with the legislation saying he had to. |
| That might mean that the threat was bogus in the first place. Or it might meant senior source making the threat subsequently got over-ruled by Johnson himself. | That might mean that the threat was bogus in the first place. Or it might meant senior source making the threat subsequently got over-ruled by Johnson himself. |
| Some people think journalists should not be reporting this stuff. But if this is what someone important is saying in private, and the journalist who hears it to be at least half serious, then it does seem as if there is quite a good case for letting the public know. Anyone who doesn’t realise that there are some in No 10 who harbour deep hostility towards the BBC should read my colleague Rowena Mason’s scoop about Dominic Cummings. | Some people think journalists should not be reporting this stuff. But if this is what someone important is saying in private, and the journalist who hears it to be at least half serious, then it does seem as if there is quite a good case for letting the public know. Anyone who doesn’t realise that there are some in No 10 who harbour deep hostility towards the BBC should read my colleague Rowena Mason’s scoop about Dominic Cummings. |
| Lisa Nandy has welcomed the nomination she has received from Chinese for Labour. (See 1.14pm.) | Lisa Nandy has welcomed the nomination she has received from Chinese for Labour. (See 1.14pm.) |
| Boris Johnson is doing another of his Facebook People’s PMQs this afternoon. | Boris Johnson is doing another of his Facebook People’s PMQs this afternoon. |
| He has done at least two of these before. I missed the August one, but I did watch the September one. It was dire. | He has done at least two of these before. I missed the August one, but I did watch the September one. It was dire. |
| It was also a very poor guide to what Boris Johnson was doing to do next. “We will not accept a Northern Ireland-only backstop,” Johnson told his Facebook audience in September. But in the end he did end up proposing a Northern Ireland-only Brexit arrangement that, while not technically a “backstop”, is as good as. | It was also a very poor guide to what Boris Johnson was doing to do next. “We will not accept a Northern Ireland-only backstop,” Johnson told his Facebook audience in September. But in the end he did end up proposing a Northern Ireland-only Brexit arrangement that, while not technically a “backstop”, is as good as. |
| In the Commons MPs are now debating Lords amendments to the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill. | In the Commons MPs are now debating Lords amendments to the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill. |
| Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, is speaking for the government. He confirms that the government wants to overturn the defeats inflicted on the government when the bill was on the Lords. | Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, is speaking for the government. He confirms that the government wants to overturn the defeats inflicted on the government when the bill was on the Lords. |
| He insists the government remains committed to maintaining protections for unaccompanied child migrants who want to come to the UK to join family members. | He insists the government remains committed to maintaining protections for unaccompanied child migrants who want to come to the UK to join family members. |
| But he says there is no need for the amendment from the Labour peer Lords Dubs that was passed in the Lords committing the government to maintaining these arrangements. | But he says there is no need for the amendment from the Labour peer Lords Dubs that was passed in the Lords committing the government to maintaining these arrangements. |