Brexit news: Theresa May 'plans to force fourth vote on deal next week' after Tory MPs' latest bid to oust her fizzles out

Politics news as it happened in Westminster

Sir Graham Brady says rules will not be changed to allowed second no-confidence vote in Theresa May

Theresa May is said to be considering forcing MPs to vote on her Brexit deal for a fourth time next week after she saw off the latest attempt to oust her from office.

The prime minister is planning to bring forward a law to enact her withdrawal agreement, even though it has been rejected by MPs three times, reports suggest.

The law is expected to include new guarantees that the government hopes will entice both Tory Eurosceptics and wavering Labour MPs to vote for the deal.

A Brexiteer attempt to force a second vote of no confidence in Ms May was scuppered on Wednesday after senior Tories decided not to change party rules to allow another ballot to be held.

Here's how we covered the day's developments:

Key Points

• Fury at unprecedented National Security Council leaks over Huawei
• Speculation mounts that PM could hold votes on Brexit deal next week
• Tory MPs latest bid to topple Theresa May fails

[25 April 2019 08:39 · Benjamin Kentish]

Welcome to today's live coverage from Westminster.

[25 April 2019 08:52 · Benjamin Kentish]

Theresa May is reportedly planning to hold more votes on her Brexit deal as early as next week. According to Sky News, the prime minister is looking to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which enshrines the exit deal in law, in the coming days.

MPs have already rejected the deal three times, but the government is expected to introduce the bill nonetheless and urge MPs to vote it through as the only way to deliver Brexit.

The legislation is likely to include new guarantees on the Northern Ireland backstop and on workers' rights as ministers attempt to win over Eurosceptic Tory rebels and wavering Labour MPs.

[25 April 2019 08:59 · Benjamin Kentish]

Theresa May saw off the latest attempt to topple her this week as a committee of Tory MPs rejected calls for party rules to be changed to allow another vote of no confidence in her 

[25 April 2019 09:14 · Benjamin Kentish]

This is interesting from ITV's Robert Peston, who is reporting that the government is considering removing the controversial Northern Ireland backstop from the withdrawal agreement before asking MPs to vote on it again next week.

The move would be an attempt to show the EU that the deal would be approved if Brussels agreed to make changes to the backstop, which would see the UK enter into a customs union with the bloc if no other way is found to maintain an open border in Northern Ireland. 

[25 April 2019 09:34 · Benjamin Kentish]

Opinion: Tory panic might just hand Nigel Farage victory in European elections again, writes political commentator Andy Grice...

[25 April 2019 09:49 · Benjamin Kentish]

There will be THREE urgent questions in the Commons today, including one on the role of Chinese company Huawei in providing 5G services in the UK.

The government is reportedly planning to allow the deal to go ahead despite fears about national security risks.

The leak of that decision has prompted fury from government ministers and security chiefs and calls for an official inquiry into the source of the leak. Expect to hear a lot more on this later today.

[25 April 2019 10:03 · Benjamin Kentish]

Food bank use has hit a record high after the number of emergency supply packages given out passed 1.5 million last year, according to new figures from the Trussell Trust charity 

[25 April 2019 10:22 · Benjamin Kentish]

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve, who chairs parliament's intelligence and security committee, has said the leak of the National Security Council's decision to allow Chinese company Huawei access to the UK's 5G network was "deeply worrying".

The leak has infuriated ministers and intelligence officials and prompted calls for an official inquiry into who was responsible. 

Mr Grieve said that if a minister was found to be behind the leak, they should be sacked immediately.

He told the BBC:

"The principle that what is discussed at the NSC is kept totally confidential is really important.

"That that should have been breached in this fashion - and I can't think of any occasion where it has happened before - I think is deeply worrying.

"If it turned out that it was a member of the cabinet - or indeed a minster who was attending the NSC - they should be sacked immediately."

He suggested the leak could have been a result of prospective Tory leadership candidates ramping up their campaigns to succeed Theresa May, saying: 

"There has certainly been some posturing around on a whole range of issues. I can't pretend that there aren't people who appear to be preparing themselves for leadership bids. None of this is in the national interest in my view."

[25 April 2019 10:36 · Benjamin Kentish]

Labour has pledged to spend £1.3bn reinstating thousands of bus routes that it says have been 'devastated' by austerity 

[25 April 2019 10:53 · Benjamin Kentish]

MPs are now debating the role of Chinese company Huawei in providing 5G infrastructure in the UK after Labour's shadow minister Jo Platt asked an urgent question on the matter.

Responding, culture secretary Jeremy Wright says the government is determined to "strike a difficult balance between security and prosperity". He says security considerations are "preeminent" and insists that the deployment of 5G in the UK will be "safe and secure".

Referring to the leak of the National Security Council's decision to approve the Huawei deal, he says NSC discussions "must be confidential".

Ms Platt says that if a minister is found to be behind the leak then "they are not fit to serve in the cabinet". She calls for a full inquiry into the leak and for whoever is found responsible to be sacked immediately.