Brexit news - live: Government postpones key no-deal bill vote to avoid humiliating tax havens defeat

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Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a vote on key bit of Brexit legislation to avoid a humiliating Commons defeat over rules governing tax havens.

Labour grandee Dame Margaret Hodge had tabled a cross-party amendment to the Financial Services Bill, which would have compelled UK overseas territories to be more transparent about business ownership.

It came as Labour MPs from Leave-backing areas dismissed Theresa May's "Brexit bribe" of £1.6bn for run down towns, saying their "vote is not for sale".

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said it “smacks of desperation from a government reduced to bribing MPs to vote for their damaging flagship Brexit legislation”.

Beleaguered transport secretary Chris Grayling also came under fire on Monday for failing to personally answer questions from MPs about the botched Brexit ferry contracts.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said: “He leaves a trail of destruction in his wake, causing chaos and wasting billions of pounds yet he shows no contrition… the transport secretary has become an international embarrassment.”

Here's how the day unfolded:

Key Points

• MPs brand Theresa May's £1.6bn fund for run-down towns an 'utter disappointment'
• Ministers under fire for pulling Commons bill over bid for transparency in tax havens
• Chris Grayling avoids questions on Brexit ferries fiasco as health secretary to face MPs
• PM hints at weakening stance on Irish backstop, jeopardising support for her deal
• Man charged over egg attack on Jeremy Corbyn at north London mosque

[4 March 2019 19:40 · Adam Forrest]

Irish premier Leo Varadkar says his government and the EU are happy to offer clarifications and assurances on he Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and the backstop to help get the accord over the line.

The Taoiseach said the Republic of Ireland has been “very flexible and very reasonable” over the proposed deal.

Mr Varadkar said: “We are entering quite a sensitive phase now over the next week or two as we approach the next round of votes in the House of Commons and the European Council meeting the week after that.

“We are happy to offer further clarifications and further assurances if that can help the UK government get the agreement over the line.”

[4 March 2019 19:50 · Adam Forrest]

More from this evening’s Labour PLP meeting. Labour general secretary Jennie Formby has explained Lord Falconer – who could be set to lead an audit of the party’s complaints procedure for antisemitism – would be given all the information he needs.

[4 March 2019 21:28 · Adam Forrest]

The UK is at “peak banana republic”, according to the SNP’s Angus MacNeil, who earlier attacked the government’s new fund for struggling towns was attacked by MPs across the chamber.

He said the failure to announce how much, if any, of the £1.6bn pot of cash will go to the devolved regions showed communities secretary James Brokenshire was “making it up as you go along”.

The member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar said: “This is UK at peak banana republic, it’s make it up as you go along at the despatch box.”

Calling for money to help the towns in his constituency off the west coast of Scotland, Mr MacNeil asked: “Will we see our fair share or is this peak zenith banana republic from that despatch box?”

[4 March 2019 21:50 · Adam Forrest]

French president Emmanuel Macron has urged citizens across the EU to use their votes in the upcoming European Parliament elections to protect and strengthen an “endangered” Europe.

Macron called Brexit a symbol of the problems plaguing Europe, claiming “lies” and “irresponsibility” had led to Britain’s scheduled departure from the EU at the end of the month.

His column appear in newspapers in various EU member countries, he advised voters in the May 23 to 26 elections to reject nationalist parties that “propose nothing.”

[4 March 2019 22:15 · Adam Forrest]

Speaker John Bercow has said he would do “everything in my power” to protect MPs threatened for their Brexit stance.

Responding to a point of order brought by Tory MP Nicky Morgan in the Commons earlier, he said: “What seems to have happened is people who violently disapprove of the opinion of an MP think it’s somehow proper to write in quite the most horrific and obnoxious terms, to post blogs on the matter, to tweet in the most offensive terms, and either in person to threaten or worse still to inflict violence.

“With the help of the House authorities, conscientious reporting to the police and, above all, effective action from the police two things are obviously necessary.

“First, that such people should be brought to book and made to realise that that behaviour is not acceptable and, second, that MPs as a result should feel that proper safety net around them to which frankly anybody is entitled.”