Brexit: Theresa May vows to delay EU departure to secure a deal and reaches out to Jeremy Corbyn
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has reached out to Jeremy Corbyn to find a way through the Brexit deadlock as she vowed to delay the UK’s exit to secure a deal.
In a statement from Downing Street, Ms May said: “This is a decisive moment in the story of these islands and it will require national unity to deliver the national interest.’’
Mr Corbyn, the Labour leader, said he was “very happy” to meet the prime minister to discuss a way forward.
It comes after Ms May gathered her cabinet for seven-hour crisis talks after MPs once again failed to unite around any Brexit option during a late-night session of indicative votes.
Recap our coverage of the day's developments
Despite Ms May’s departure plan having been rejected by MPs three times in the House of Commons, it is believed she may try to put it to the house for a fourth time.
The meetings come amid growing speculation the prime minister could call a snap general election if a fourth attempt to pass her deal fails.
It sounds like the cabinet meeting is starting to finish up, after a whopping 7+ hours.
Away from Brexit, the Home Office has been accused of “failing to learn from the mistakes of Windrush” after planning to announce a long-awaited scheme to compensate those affected by the scandal behind closed doors.
Scores of Windrush victims were left off the invitation list for the event on Wednesday night, as were prominent immigration lawyers, and press were barred.
However, news of its scheduling caused an angry backlash – after which the department said home secretary Sajid Javid would make a statement about compensation in the Commons on Wednesday.
Our social affairs correspondent May Bulman has written a piece here
Thirteen people arrested after climate change activists staged a semi-naked protest in the House of Commons gallery have been released on bail, Scotland Yard said.
In a statement, the force said: "12 people (six women and six men) were arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency and criminal damage.
"Another woman was arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency and Section 5 of the Public Order Act.
"All 13 individuals have been bailed to return to a police station in late April."
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt was the first minister seen leaving the cabinet meeting, but she left quietly via the Cabinet Office rather than Downing Street.
It is understood she had to attend another meeting. She does not look happy in these snaps by Sky News.
There's a lot of unsubstantiated chat about a possible statement from Theresa May inside Downing Street (as its raining outside).
Important to stress that we haven't had confirmation of this - so don't panic yet.
There's also a suggestion that the government is filibustering the adjournment debate in the Commons. Could they be planning to lay a Brexit motion tonight and trying to buy time?
It seems the government managed to table some amendments to the Yvette Cooper bill, which was laid at 5pm. So MPs rabbited on for a while to give them time to achieve this.
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner tweeted: "Hearing the PM is to do another speech, we all use to get excited in the past when a PM did a speech, but now we know it will be another non-entity Groundhog Day bore with absolutely nothing of substance in it.
"My deal only way, national interest, best way to deliver Brexit."
"PM statement now delayed, surely it cannot take that long to jot a few lines down on the back of a fag packet?"
Westminster is abuzz with rumours - and panic - over an imminent statement from Theresa May.
It's not 100% confirmed but sources are suggesting she will make a live address from No10 following today's mammoth cabinet session.
Her top team have been locked in Downing St since 9.30am for a 3-hour political cabinet, then a cabinet session with civil servants present.
Ministers have to surrender their phones when they enter No10 - so none of them have been able to leak what was discussed in the meeting.
What could this statement be about?
It could be to announce a general election, though that seems unlikely. May will probably have one last heave at getting her Brexit deal through the Commons before pressing the nuclear button.
She could be announcing changes to her Brexit deal, perhaps a softening of some of her red lines.
But we've been here before with Ms May - last time she made a statement at No10 she managed to upset MPs by effectively blaming them for the delay.
Theresa May is up. She says she has spent seven hours chairing cabinet to find a way through.
She says there should be an extension to article 50 to allow for a plan to be worked out.
"I have always been clear that we could make a success of no-deal in the long term but leaving with a deal is the best solution.
"So we will need a further extension of Article 50 - one that is as short as possible and which ends when we pass a deal.
"And we need to be clear what such an extension is for: to ensure we leave in a timely and orderly way.
"This debate, this division, cannot drag on much longer.''
She says she will sit down with Jeremy Corbyn to find a way through the Brexit impasse.
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