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| Brexit: Theresa May will ask the EU to reopen Brexit deal | Brexit: Theresa May will ask the EU to reopen Brexit deal |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Theresa May has told MPs she will seek to re-open negotiations with the EU over the Northern Ireland backstop. | |
| The PM said she would go back to Brussels to get a "significant and legally binding change" to the controversial proposal, which aims to stop the return of border checks. | |
| The EU has said it will not change the legal text agreed with the UK PM. | |
| Mrs May said she knew there was a "limited appetite" in the EU, but she believed she could "secure" it. | |
| She is expected to have phone calls with key EU leaders throughout the day ahead of a series of Commons votes over the future direction of Brexit. | She is expected to have phone calls with key EU leaders throughout the day ahead of a series of Commons votes over the future direction of Brexit. |
| Mrs May said the vote later would be a chance to "send a clear message" to EU on the backstop. | |
| Senior Brexiteer rebels - who voted down her deal last month - have indicated they would be willing to back the rest of the UK-EU Brexit deal if she gets legal changes to the backstop. | Senior Brexiteer rebels - who voted down her deal last month - have indicated they would be willing to back the rest of the UK-EU Brexit deal if she gets legal changes to the backstop. |
| The backstop is the insurance policy in Mrs May's plan to prevent checks on good and people returning to the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which some MPs fear could leave the UK tied to the EU's rules indefinitely. | The backstop is the insurance policy in Mrs May's plan to prevent checks on good and people returning to the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which some MPs fear could leave the UK tied to the EU's rules indefinitely. |
| MPs put forward a string of amendments to modify the prime minister's Brexit plan after it was voted down by an historic margin on 15 January. | MPs put forward a string of amendments to modify the prime minister's Brexit plan after it was voted down by an historic margin on 15 January. |
| Speaker of the House, John Bercow, has named seven amendments to be debated and voted on, including one from Tory MP Sir Graham Brady calling on "alternative arrangements" to the backstop, and one from Labour MP Yvette Cooper, which could delay the exit date by up to nine months. | Speaker of the House, John Bercow, has named seven amendments to be debated and voted on, including one from Tory MP Sir Graham Brady calling on "alternative arrangements" to the backstop, and one from Labour MP Yvette Cooper, which could delay the exit date by up to nine months. |
| Opening the debate, Mrs May said: "This House has left no-one in any doubt about what it does not want. Today we need to send an emphatic message about what we do want." | Opening the debate, Mrs May said: "This House has left no-one in any doubt about what it does not want. Today we need to send an emphatic message about what we do want." |
| A series of votes on the amendments is expected from 19:00 GMT. | A series of votes on the amendments is expected from 19:00 GMT. |
| Conservative MPs have been instructed by the government to vote Sir Graham's amendment. | Conservative MPs have been instructed by the government to vote Sir Graham's amendment. |
| Mrs May said backing it would "give the mandate I need to negotiate with Brussels an arrangement that commands a majority in this House - not a further exchange of letters, but a significant and legally binding change to the withdrawal agreement". | |
| The Westminster leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) - whose votes Mrs May's government relies on to win key votes - Nigel Dodds, welcomed the announcement and pledged his party's support. | |
| Former foreign secretary and leading Brexiteer Boris Johnson gave a boost to the plan, saying he "gladly" vote for the amendment, if Mrs May confirmed she would re-open negotiations with Brussels. | Former foreign secretary and leading Brexiteer Boris Johnson gave a boost to the plan, saying he "gladly" vote for the amendment, if Mrs May confirmed she would re-open negotiations with Brussels. |
| The Labour Party and a number of Remain-backing MPs are supporting Ms Cooper's amendment that would create a bill enabling Article 50 - the mechanism by which the UK leaves the EU - to be delayed by up to nine months if the government does not have a plan agreed in Parliament by the end of February. | |
| Labour said it was supporting the amendment because the bill it would create could "give MPs a temporary window to agree a deal that can bring the country together". | Labour said it was supporting the amendment because the bill it would create could "give MPs a temporary window to agree a deal that can bring the country together". |
| But they would "aim to amend the Cooper bill to shorten the possible Article 50 extension". | But they would "aim to amend the Cooper bill to shorten the possible Article 50 extension". |
| Mrs May dismissed the amendment in her opening remarks, saying it "does not rule out a no deal, it simply delays the point of decision". | |
| Some members of Mrs May's cabinet, including Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, had called for a free vote on Tuesday's amendments to allow them to back Ms Cooper's proposal, but the government is whipping against it. | Some members of Mrs May's cabinet, including Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, had called for a free vote on Tuesday's amendments to allow them to back Ms Cooper's proposal, but the government is whipping against it. |
| Mrs May is said to have tried to reassure her cabinet this will not be their last chance to vote on the next steps of Brexit, promising to return to the Commons "as soon as possible" with a revised deal and offering a second "meaningful vote" on her proposals. | Mrs May is said to have tried to reassure her cabinet this will not be their last chance to vote on the next steps of Brexit, promising to return to the Commons "as soon as possible" with a revised deal and offering a second "meaningful vote" on her proposals. |
| If no new deal is reached by 13 February, the PM will make a statement to Parliament that day and table an amendable motion for debate the following day, re-opening discussions on how to move forward with Brexit. | If no new deal is reached by 13 February, the PM will make a statement to Parliament that day and table an amendable motion for debate the following day, re-opening discussions on how to move forward with Brexit. |
| Will MPs find agreement in their plans? | Will MPs find agreement in their plans? |
| The government's ambition is so low - or its hurdles so high - that what No 10 seeks to do on Tuesday is not to win (326 is a majority in the House of Commons), but to reduce the scale of resistance to their central policy that, in the words of another cabinet minister, only the "hardliners oppose", so that Theresa May can get the rebels down to a "few dozen", so then they can crack on. | The government's ambition is so low - or its hurdles so high - that what No 10 seeks to do on Tuesday is not to win (326 is a majority in the House of Commons), but to reduce the scale of resistance to their central policy that, in the words of another cabinet minister, only the "hardliners oppose", so that Theresa May can get the rebels down to a "few dozen", so then they can crack on. |
| Separately, Conservative MPs on both sides of the Brexit argument have been planning for a no-deal scenario. | Separately, Conservative MPs on both sides of the Brexit argument have been planning for a no-deal scenario. |
| Former Remainers, including ex-Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and government ministers Stephen Hammond and Rob Buckland, have been working with Brexiteers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker on the plan - in talks co-ordinated by Conservative MP Kit Malthouse. | Former Remainers, including ex-Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and government ministers Stephen Hammond and Rob Buckland, have been working with Brexiteers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker on the plan - in talks co-ordinated by Conservative MP Kit Malthouse. |
| According to a leaked document, the proposal drawn up by the rival factions would extend the transition period - during which the UK would continue to follow EU rules and pay into its budget - from the end of 2020 to December 2021, to allow more time to reach a free trade deal. | According to a leaked document, the proposal drawn up by the rival factions would extend the transition period - during which the UK would continue to follow EU rules and pay into its budget - from the end of 2020 to December 2021, to allow more time to reach a free trade deal. |
| EU citizens rights would be guaranteed during this time, there would be no customs checks on the Irish border and the UK would pay the £39bn so-called "divorce deal". | EU citizens rights would be guaranteed during this time, there would be no customs checks on the Irish border and the UK would pay the £39bn so-called "divorce deal". |
| The DUP also endorsed the "Malthouse" proposals. | |
| DUP leader Arlene Foster said the plan could "unify a number of strands in the Brexit debate" and was a "feasible alternative to the backstop proposed by the European Union". | DUP leader Arlene Foster said the plan could "unify a number of strands in the Brexit debate" and was a "feasible alternative to the backstop proposed by the European Union". |
| But the EU was "standing tough" on its position of no renegotiation and they were "mesmerised" with what was happening in Parliament, BBC Europe editor Katya Adler said. | But the EU was "standing tough" on its position of no renegotiation and they were "mesmerised" with what was happening in Parliament, BBC Europe editor Katya Adler said. |
| Senior EU representatives have repeatedly ruled out reopening negotiations with the UK over Brexit, and have insisted the backstop must be included in any deal. | Senior EU representatives have repeatedly ruled out reopening negotiations with the UK over Brexit, and have insisted the backstop must be included in any deal. |
| And Ireland's European Affairs Minister, Helen McEntee, said: "There can be no change to the backstop. It was negotiated over 18 months with the UK and by the UK." | And Ireland's European Affairs Minister, Helen McEntee, said: "There can be no change to the backstop. It was negotiated over 18 months with the UK and by the UK." |
| The European Research Group, led by Eurosceptic Mr Rees-Mogg, had initially said the group would not back the amendment. | The European Research Group, led by Eurosceptic Mr Rees-Mogg, had initially said the group would not back the amendment. |
| But Mr Rees-Mogg told the BBC on Tuesday that if the Brady amendment had government support and if it meant reopening the withdrawal agreement - the part of Mrs May's deal that lays out how the UK will leave the EU - it would be "very different" from a backbench plan. | But Mr Rees-Mogg told the BBC on Tuesday that if the Brady amendment had government support and if it meant reopening the withdrawal agreement - the part of Mrs May's deal that lays out how the UK will leave the EU - it would be "very different" from a backbench plan. |
| "Let's see what the prime minister says at the despatch box today and what the Brady amendment really means," he said. | "Let's see what the prime minister says at the despatch box today and what the Brady amendment really means," he said. |
| Will Brussels budge on the Irish backstop? | Will Brussels budge on the Irish backstop? |
| By Katya Adler, Europe editor | By Katya Adler, Europe editor |
| The EU certainly never intended to budge on the backstop - painfully negotiated with the UK over 18 months and signed off last November by Mrs May and her cabinet. | The EU certainly never intended to budge on the backstop - painfully negotiated with the UK over 18 months and signed off last November by Mrs May and her cabinet. |
| But Europe's leaders didn't imagine the UK would still be in such flux over Brexit so very close to B-day on 29 March. | But Europe's leaders didn't imagine the UK would still be in such flux over Brexit so very close to B-day on 29 March. |