As it happenedended

Brexit news - live: Theresa May travels to Brussels for crunch EU talks hours after Tory MPs quit party over Brexit then savage her record

Follow live updates from Westminster

Benjamin Kentish

Political Correspondent

,Ashley Cowburn,Lizzy Buchan

Wednesday 20 February 2019 18:43 GMT

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'We now all need to hold our nerve and deliver Brexit on time' Theresa May says Brexit talks are at 'cruicial stage'

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Theresa May was dealt a major blow ahead of a crucial trip to Brussels when three Conservative MPs dramatically quit the party over Brexit.

Pro-European Tories Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen resigned minutes before prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, citing Ms May’s “disastrous” handling of Brexit as their motivation for joining the new Independent Group.

In an emotional press conference, Ms Allen said the prime minister had been bullied into submission’’ by the European Research Group (ERG) and was “dragging the country and parliament kicking and screaming to the edge of a no deal abyss.’’

She also claimed ministers “at all levels” of government were sympathetic to their project, which saw the 11-strong group reach equal footing in the Commons with the Liberal Democrats and overtake the DUP, who prop up Ms May’s administration.

Meanwhile, Ms May said she held “constructive” talks with European Commission boss Jean-Claude Juncker as she scrambles to secure changes to her Brexit deal. She said that “we have made progress” and that talks would continue “at pace”.

And Labour was plunged into fresh controversy when it suspended ex-Militant member Derek Hatton over an allegedly antisemitic tweet – just two days after he was allowed to rejoin the party.

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Welcome to today's live coverage from Westminster.

Benjamin Kentish20 February 2019 08:48

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Theresa May will travel to Brussels later today in a fresh bid to break the deadlock over Brexit, ahead of a key Commons vote next week

Theresa May heads to Brussels in hope of breaking Brexit deadlock with new planThe PM managed to maintain the support of Tory Brexiteers for now by promising to make some of their proposals the basis for future discussions on trade

Benjamin Kentish20 February 2019 09:00

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Speculation is swirling around Westminster that three Conservative MPs will resign from the party this morning in order to join the new Independent Group.

Pro-EU MPs Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen are all reported to be on the verge of quitting. They are refusing to comment, but some reports suggest their resignations could be announced around 11am.

Benjamin Kentish20 February 2019 09:17

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Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, is speaking in Brussels this morning. He will tell EU leaders they share a 'heavy responsibility' to help finalise a Brexit deal.

EU leaders they have 'heavy responsibility' to help secure Brexit deal, Jeremy Hunt warnsForeign secretary warns that leaving EU without an agreement would be 'deeply damaging, economically and politically'

Benjamin Kentish20 February 2019 09:27

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Veteran Conservative Ken Clarke said he believed some Tory MPs were considering joining the new Independent Group.

"Certainly some Members of Parliament are getting very fed up," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"There are some, I think - not including me - who probably are contemplating leaving if the party moves too far to the right and no longer represents what they regard as the mainstream Conservative views they have held for all the previous years.

"I hope that doesn't happen. I hope it doesn't come to that."

Ashley Cowburn20 February 2019 09:40

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Labour calls for greater powers to trigger by-elections if MPs defect from political partiesLabour is calling for constituents to be given greater powers to trigger by-elections if their MP defects from the political party whose banner they were elected under.The defiant action comes in response to an eighth MP - Joan Ryan - quitting the party in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's leadership as she claimed Labour had become "infected" by antisemitism and had "aided and abetted a hard Brexit". Under existing legislation, voters can call for a petition for the recall of their MP, but only under certain circumstances, including an MP receiving a jail sentence of a year or less.

Ashley Cowburn20 February 2019 09:48

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Labour MP Joan Ryan resigns from party to join Independent GroupSpeaking about her decision this morning, Ms Ryan delivered a withering attack on the Labour leader, telling the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "I can no longer ask people to vote for Jeremy Corbyn to be prime minister of this country because I don't believe he is fit to be the prime minister of this country." She said that Mr Corbyn has "introduced or allowed to happen in our party this scourge of antisemitism", adding: "It has completely infected the party and at every opportunity to deal with it he has not done so. "We have had a whitewash report, we have had unprecedented actions of Jewish people feeling they have to demonstrate against the Labour Party in Parliament Square."

Ashley Cowburn20 February 2019 09:49

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Tory Party being 'hollowed out' by former Ukip members, John Major saysSir John Major has launched a scathing attack on “zealot” Tory Brexiteers, accusing ”extreme” Conservative MPs of acting as “a party within a party”.In a move likely to fuel Tory warfare over Brexit, the former prime minister accused some members of the European Research Group (ERG) of Conservative MPs of having “little or nor affinity to moderate, pragmatic and tolerant Conservatism”.He said the Conservatives and Labour were both being “mainpulated by fringe opinion” and claimed right-wingers in his own party were shaping government policy “simply by being intransigent”.Sir John urged moderate Conservative MPs to stay in the party rather than join the new Independent Group, insisting Tory and Labour MPs need to force their parties towards the political centre.

Ashley Cowburn20 February 2019 10:18

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Conservative MP Philip Lee - a backer of a second referendum - has told Sky News he is not quitting the party amid speculation that three MPs could do so.

"I'm staying to fight," he said.

Ashley Cowburn20 February 2019 10:25

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Ashley Cowburn20 February 2019 10:26

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Brexit news - live: Theresa May travels to Brussels for crunch EU talks hours after Tory MPs quit party over Brexit then savage her record