Brexit vote result - LIVE : Theresa May offers Tory MPs free vote on no deal after her revised plan suffers second crushing defeat

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Theresa May's Brexit deal defeated in the House of Commons

MPs have inflicted a devastating defeat on Theresa May's Brexit deal after last-minute assurances from the EU failed to convince Brexiteers and the DUP.

On a day of high drama in Westminster, parliament voted against the prime minister's blueprint by 149 votes.

Ahead of the Commons showdown, a hoarse Ms May desperately appealed to MPs to back her blueprint after she secured “legally binding” changes during an eleventh-hour trip to Strasbourg on Monday night.

But attorney general Geoffrey Cox dealt a significant blow to her efforts, issuing legal advice that said the UK could still be trapped in the Irish backstop, which is so despised by Tory Brexiteers.

The prime minister must now let MPs decide whether to rule out a no-deal Brexit and has been forced to allow her ministers to vote.

It means over the next 48 hours cross-party groups of MPs will probably table plans for delaying Brexit for different periods; for leaving on different terms; and for giving the British public a Final Say referendum.

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Key Points

• Attorney general Geoffrey Cox publishes damning legal advice, saying UK can still be trapped in backstop
• Ex-Brexit secretary David Davis says May's agreement is 'a way to deliver a proper Brexit'
• .. but Brexiteer Tories and the DUP say they cannot accept May's deal
• Michel Barnier warns against 'dangerous illusion' that UK can have transition without deal
• No deal Brexit will trigger food shortages, price hikes and border delays, government says

[12 March 2019 07:49 · Shehab.Khan]

On what is set to be a momentous day in British politics, welcome to The Independent's live coverage.

[12 March 2019 07:59 · Shehab.Khan]

May's deal has not been well received by pro-European Tory Dominic Grieve.

He said he will vote against the prime minister because the deal "bears no resemblance" to what was debated in the 2016 referendum, and that the "proper thing" to do was back a second people's vote.

The former attorney general told BBC Breakfast:

To drag the country out of the EU on these terms seems to me a very unsatisfactory and undemocratic thing to do.

If the public want to leave on these terms... so be it. But for us to leave on these terms, which I have to say take us into a second-rate relationship for the future and one which I think will do this country economic harm, I am unwilling to do without the public confirming their view.

I'm not prepared to see someone sign off something which in my view is going to be very damaging for our country's future."

[12 March 2019 08:00 · Shehab.Khan]

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has tweeted his response to May's deal: 

[12 March 2019 08:08 · Shehab.Khan]

Reaction from Tory backbenchers are coming in - Damian Collins confirms he will not be voting for Ms May's deal: 

[12 March 2019 08:19 · Shehab.Khan]

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, has also reacted to the news, claiming the prime minister has "recklessly run down the clock". 

[12 March 2019 08:23 · Shehab.Khan]

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon responded to Mr Starmer's tweets, saying "he's right", and called on MPs to vote against the deal.

"Though the bigger problem with the Withdrawal Agreement, in my view, is that it takes Scotland out of the EU against both our will and our interests - and with no clarity on what comes next. A bad, blindfold deal. The Commons should reject it."

[12 March 2019 08:24 · Shehab.Khan]

Everyone is waiting for the reaction of the DUP - Sammy Wilson speaking on LBC has given an indication of what they might say later today. Speaking about May's new agreement he said: 

It seems to fall short of what she herself has promised. But we want to give due diligence to what has been said."

[12 March 2019 08:27 · Shehab.Khan]

David Davis is currently on TalkRadio and appears to be putting his weight behind Ms May's deal. 

This is a way to deliver a proper Brexit - it’s a lot worse than what I would have hoped for - it’s significantly better than what was presented in December."

[12 March 2019 08:37 · Shehab.Khan]

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has described the outcome of last night's meeting  between the Prime Minister and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as "positive".

[12 March 2019 08:38 · Shehab.Khan]

The Taoiseach said the deal agreed on Monday night was "complementary" to the Withdrawal Treaty, which could not be re-written.

Mr Varadkar said: "The further agreement yesterday provided additional clarity, reassurance and guarantees sought by some to eliminate doubt or fears, however unreal, that the goal was to trap the UK indefinitely in the back stop.

"It is not, these doubts and fears can be put to bed."