Brexit news: Theresa May tells MPs to ‘get on with it’ as she turns up pressure on parliament to force through deal

See how The Independent covered the day's political events

Brexit: Theresa May puts blame for what she has called a national 'crisis' on MPs

Theresa May has risked the anger of MPs after she blamed them for forcing her to ask the EU for a "short delay" to Brexit.

In a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk, the prime minister asked for a three-month extension to Article 50 negotiation process, pushing the scheduled date to leave the EU from 29 March to 30 June.

However Mr Tusk put his foot down, saying he would grant the delay but only if MPs backed Ms May's Brexit deal.

Some hours later Ms May used a televised address to accuse the Commons of having tried everything to avoid making a decision on whether it wanted to leave the block with a deal, crash out without one or not leave at all.

From Downing Street she told voters she was "on your side", adding that she believed "You're tired of the infighting, you're tired of the political games and the arcane procedural rows, tired of MPs talking about nothing else but Brexit when you have real concerns about our children's schools, our National Health Service, knife crime."

"You want this stage of the Brexit process to be over and done with. I agree," she said.

In response the PM was accused of being "toxic" and even of risking her colleagues' safety.

It meant that Ms May must now find a way of putting her deal before parliament for the third time, with no clear evidence that MPs will back it after twice voting it down by crushing margins.

If the deal fails again there is a significant chance she could resign, having told MPs earlier in the day she could not be the leader to impose a lengthy delay to Brexit.

See below how we covered the day's events live

Key Points

• Theresa May asks for Brexit delay until 30 June in letter to European Union
• ...but Donald Tusk says delay would be conditional on MPs backing her deal
• 'I'm on your side,' PM tells voters she says are 'tired of political games'
• Labour secures emergency debate on decision to delay Britain's departure
• Celebrities agree to fund coaches for Final Say referendum march

[20 March 2019 22:56 · Jon Sharman]

Here's a round-up from yours truly on the less-than-enthusiastic reaction to Ms May's address from MPs:

[20 March 2019 23:17 · Jon Sharman]

Our political editor Joe Watts weighs in, saying that Ms May's address tonight may have come at a very particular moment.

[20 March 2019 23:36 · Jon Sharman]

Our sketch writer Tom Peck has written on what he dubs "the single worst speech" Ms May has ever given.