Brexit news: Boris Johnson suffers day of disaster as MPs vote to explode his parliament plan and anti-EU kipper rules tirade exposed as false
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Your support makes all the difference.MPs have voted to stop future prime minister from suspending parliament, as Boris Johnson's anti-EU kipper rules tirade has been exposed as false.
The motion would ensure that parliament is kept open in the days leading up to the 31 October Brexit deadline. A similar amendment was approved last week by just one vote, and a similarly tight result is expected when the Commons divides this afternoon.
The latest bid to avoid no deal comes as Boris Johnson, the favourite to become prime minister next week, faced questions over his claim that EU rules were responsible for UK fisheries having to pay more to transport their products. Brussels rejected the suggestion, insisting the regulations were actually introduced by the UK.
Elsewhere, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said Theresa May’s agreement was the only way to withdraw in an “orderly manner”.
Follow the latest developments in the live blog below
If you were wondering when MPs will vote on the amendments designed to stop a no-deal Brexit - it's at 1.22pm. We'll obviously bring you the result as soon as it happens.
In the Commons, former Tory minister Alistair Burt says he will support the amendment designed to keep parliament open in the run-up to the 31 October Brexit deadline.
He says:
"The implications of every decision taken by the United Kingdom in relation to Brexit is obviously highly significant both for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
"For us to be in the run-up to October 31 without those considerations being in front of the House seems to me to be genuinely very difficult."
He added:
"If we felt under the weight of any pressure up until now, I would venture to suggest to the House it will be as of nothing in the days leading up to 31 October if it is not clear where the country is going, either because a deal has been agreed or because the consequences of no-deal have been sufficiently spelt out that everybody has been able to take a view.
"And that we would not be here in order to reflect those concerns and take our own view on what those circumstances might be seems to me to be not only highly unlikely, undesirable and, actually, preventable."
Boris Johnson’s claim that British kipper producers are being hit by EU food safety rules has been rejected by Brussels, who said the regulations had been imposed by the UK government.
The Tory leadership favourite dramatically waved a smoked herring above his head as he told Tory activists at a hustings on Wednesday that producers were “furious” at the extra costs caused by EU red tape.
MPs are now voting on the amendment to prevent Boris Johnson suspending parliament in an attempt to push through a no-deal Brexit if he becomes prime minister next week. Result in around 10 minutes.
This is from the Daily Mail's John Stevens
This is the motion MPs are voting on in full, via my colleague Lizzy Buchan
BREAKING
MPs have defeated the government and voted to prevent a future prime minister from suspending parliament in order to force through a no-deal Brexit. They voted 315-274 - a thrashing defeat for the government.
Speculation is rife that several cabinet ministers have abstained on the amendment, and one minister, Margot James, has already resigned.
Digital minister Margot James was among those voting against the Government, independent MP Nick Boles said.
Mr Boles said he was "proud" to accompany the minister and Conservative MPs Steve Brine, Richard Harrington and Alistair Burt "through the Aye lobby".
"Heroes all of them," he said.
More on the latest vote in the House of Commons here from The Independent's political editor Andrew Woodcock.
The final version of a study hailed by Boris Johnson as the solution to the Irish border crisis has concluded he must drop his insistence that Theresa May’s Brexit deal is “dead” and sign a reworked version.
The U-turn is recommended in a report on hi-tech solutions to avoid border checks, which calls for the existing deal to be beefed up – not ripped up, as the likely next prime minister wants.
Mr Johnson had hailed the “abundant” solutions in its interim report into so-called “alternative arrangements” as proof that the Irish backstop could be taken out of the divorce deal altogether.
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