Brexit: Corbyn compares Theresa May's deal to 'Frankenstein's monster' amid ridicule over lorry test
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Your support makes all the difference.Jeremy Corbyn has compared Theresa May's Brexit deal to "Frankenstein's monster" as the prime minister faced pressure on all sides ahead of a crunch Commons vote.
As MPs returned to Westminster after the Christmas break, rival Brexit factions turned up the heat on Ms May over her blueprint, which is expected to be voted down in a parliamentary showdown on January 15.
The Labour leader said there could be "no more hiding and no more running away" from holding the long-promised meaningful vote on Ms May's deal, with only three months left until exit day.
He accused ministers of pushing a "Frankenstein's monster of a deal" and criticised "shambolic" no-deal Brexit preparations by transport secretary Chris Grayling.
His comments came as the government faced ridicule over its first major tests of plans for no-deal chaos at UK borders, when scores of lorries travelled from Manston Airport, near Ramsgate, in Kent, to Dover, to trial contingency plans to ease congestion on the roads and at ports.
To follows events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below
Theresa May spoke to a series of EU leaders during the course of Christmas and New Year, Downing Street has said.
They included German chancellor Angela Merkel, French president Emmanuel Macron, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, as well as European Council president Donald Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
She was also said to have been in contact with Irish premier Leo Varadkar.
The PM's official spokesman said: "This process is ongoing but I think you have seen in public comments from some of the leaders that they are prepared to carry on having conversations about what further assurances and clarifications they can provide."
There are currently no plans for either PM or Brexit secretary to go to Brussels, he said.
No10 also did not give confirmation the meaningful vote will be on 15th, which depends on business motion laid tomorrow.
Parliamentary rules will prevent Theresa May bulldozing her Brexit deal through by staging multiple repeat votes until the Commons surrenders, MPs believe.
The tactic – increasingly seen as the prime minister’s only hope of rescuing her unpopular agreement – is explicitly barred by procedures to stop the government bullying the legislature, they say.
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Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger, a supporter of the People's Vote campaign, said that the venue for the launch of the 10-year plan was rebuilt using financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB), of a kind which will no longer be available after Brexit.
Alder Hey Children's Hospital is one of 18 British hospitals over the past 10 years to receive financing from the EIB, with £56 million going towards its reconstruction in 2013, said Ms Berger.
"It is beyond parody that the Prime Minister has the audacity to claim that Brexit benefits our NHS, standing in a hospital that was built using over £50 million of financing available to the UK because of our EU membership," said Ms Berger.
"Access to this funding is vital. NHS trusts across the country rely on European investment in order to build the health facilities we need. The Government willingly cutting off access to this - especially with absolutely no plan for how to replicate it - amounts to a dereliction of duty.
"This is further proof that Brexit means less money for our NHS, not more. The fibs people were told during the referendum in 2016 are proven wrong every day. This is why we need a People's Vote."
MPs will begin debating Theresa May’s Brexit deal in the dark about any changes made, after she abandoned hopes of an early breakthrough in talks with the EU.
No 10 has accepted the “reassurances” it is seeking on the Irish border backstop will not come before the withdrawal agreement returns to the Commons on Wednesday, The Independent understands.
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Amber Rudd is due to answer questions from MPs at 2,30pm. It comes as plans to extend universal credit to another 3 million claimants have been shelved because of fears the new benefit is pushing people into poverty and homelessness.
Amber Rudd, the new work and pensions secretary, has bowed to pressure to delay the next stage of the flagship programme, after a cross-party revolt.
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A minister has said the UK may have to delay Brexit if MPs reject the deal agreed between Theresa May and the European Union.
Margot James admitted there could be too “little time” to create an alternative before Brexit day, if the vote now expected on January 15 goes against the prime minister.
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MPs are grilling Amber Rudd, the new work and pensions secretary, over the disastrous universal credit rollout.
Labour MP Rupa Huq shares the case of Paulette Reed, a mum-of-three from Acton, who was left with £10 to her name throughout Christmas. Apparently she was told to visit a food bank by the DWP, rather than being offered an advance payment - which the government has promised to offer everyone.
"It seems like I, Daniel Blake is becoming a reality in Ealing," she says.
DWP minister Justin Tomlinson apologises and says this should not have happened. He will look into this particular case.
Tory MP Anna Soubry has faced taunts from Brexit protesters outside parliament, who are chanting "Soubry is a Nazi" repeatedly.
She said: "Apparently MPs & politicians are meant to accept it as part of the democratic process.
"I fail to see why journalists and technicians should be subjected to the same abuse & intimidation as the police stand by and do nothing. They tried to stop me getting into parliament."
Back in the Commons, Amber Rudd has played down reports of a slowdown to the rollout of universal credit.
MPs were due to vote on whether to move three million benefit claimants onto universal credit in the next few weeks.
But this vote has been pushed back and Parliament will instead be asked to vote on transferring just 10,000 people to the new benefits system.
Ms Rudd, speaking at work and pensions questions in the Commons, said: "I will want to consider carefully when I bring to the House the vote for the three million managed migration, which is scheduled for 2020. I'm still considering when to do that."
She added: "The 10,000 pilot as always, which was announced some time ago, informs us how we do that."
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