Brexit: Theresa May sees off Tory rebellion over 'meaningful vote' - as it happened
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has won a crunch Commons vote on a key area of Brexit policy after Tory rebels fell into line at the last minute.
Pro-EU Conservatives had threatened to rebel to ensure parliament is given a greater say in the case of a no-deal Brexit, but their ringleader, Dominic Grieve, voted against his own amendment after declaring himself satisfied with the assurances he had been given by ministers.
With the vote thought to be too close to call, MPs who were heavily pregnant were forced to traipse through the division lobbies. Others who have been ill, including Labour's Naz Shah, also had to drag themselves to the Commons after the government refused to honour a convention that unwell MPs can be counted in the Palace of Westminster car park.
Earlier, Ms May clashed with Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs over her announcement of more funding for the NHS, with the Labour leader claiming the prime minister's figures were “so dodgy they belong on the side of a bus”.
As it happened...
Welcome to today's live coverage from Westminster as MPs prepare for a crunch vote on Brexit.
Welcome to today's live coverage from Westminster as MPs prepare for a crunch vote on a key area of Brexit policy.
First up this morning, the European Parliament's Brexit lead, Guy Verhofstadt, is giving evidence to the House of Commons Brexit committee. You can follow it live here:
https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnline/videos/10156158788946636
Jeremy Corbyn is a "friend of Brexit", an anti-EU Labour MP has said.
Graham Stringer told a meeting of the Eurosceptic Bruge Group:
“I have no reason to believe that Jeremy privately has fundamentally changed his view.
“In one sense we’ve got a friend in the leadership who is resisting the pressure that was put on him on his first day by Hilary Benn who went to see him and basically said ‘we are all leaving if you don’t agree to campaign for a ‘yes’ vote’.
“When I voted against the Lisbon Treaty, Jeremy and John McDonnell were in the same lobby as Kate Hoey, Frank Field, and I."
My colleague Rob Merrick is following Guy Verhofstadt's appearance in front of the Commons Brexit committee
There's a lot of speculation in Westminster about today's Commons vote on a House of Lords amendment that would ensure Parliament has a "meaningful vote" on what should happen if there is a no-deal Brexit.
The government won a vote on a similar amendment last week with a majority of 26. However, significantly more Tory MPs are expected to vote against the government today. 13 would need to switch in order for the amendment would pass.
That, though, is before you factor in what Labour MPs will do. The vast majority will follow orders to vote for the amendment, but I'm told more than last week will not: at least 10 are expected to either vote with the government or abstain. That increases the number of Tories who would need to rebel to at least 15 - beyond, we think, their current size...
This afternoon's vote is expected to be so close that MPs who are about to give birth are planning to trek to Westminster to vote. The Liberal Democrats' deputy leader, Jo Swinson, is already past her due date but has vowed to be in the Commons, with a doctor by her side if necessary.
Labour's Cat Smith, however, is unable to be in Westminster after being advised by doctors not to travel. She's been paired with a Tory MP, so her absence won't change the outcome of the vote.
It looks like the government is trying to avoid a straight vote on the "meaningful vote" amendment and has bundled it up with a series of other issues that it wants MPs to vote on at the same time.
In response, Tory rebel Dominic Grieve, who tabled the original amendment on this, has put down a last-minute motion called a manuscript amendment that will, he hopes, ensure there is a separate vote on the issue of the meaningful vote.
It's all getting very technical, but feel free to tweet me at @BenKentish if you have any questions on today's events (or anything else for that matter!)
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