Theresa May admits she has failed to secure legally-binding time limit on backstop from EU, just a day before pivotal vote in parliament
Follow live updates on the eve of the meaningful vote
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May made a last-ditch attempt to convince MPs to back her Brexit deal, as she warned that parliament could block Britain's withdrawal from the EU.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow's "meaningful vote" on her proposed agreement, the prime minister admitted she had failed to secure a legally-binding time limit on the controversial Northern Ireland backstop.
But she insisted her plan was the only way to avoid a no-deal Brexit and guarantee that Britain exits the EU as planned.
Delivering a speech at a factory in Stoke, Ms May claimed some in Westminster would use “every device available to them” to “delay or even stop Brexit”.
She hailed letters of clarification on the backstop that were published by EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk on the eve of the vote, but admitted she "did not achieve" a time limit on the controversial backstop.
“What if we found ourselves in a situation where parliament tried to take the UK out of the EU in opposition to a Remain vote?” she said.
“People’s faith in the democratic process and their politicians would suffer catastrophic harm.”
As it happened...
↵ Andrea Jenkyns, the Tory MP for Morley and Outwood, has claimed she received a messaged from a minister's partner ahead of tomorrow's vote.
Esther McVey says Theresa May needs to be ready to renegotiate with the EU if her deal is voted down or prepare for no-deal.
"We voted to come out on the 29 March. The default position is no-deal, which is a deal on WTO terms," she said on Sky News.
Theresa May has been accused of "utter hypocrisy" after it emerged that she voted against the implementation of the referendum approving the creation of the Welsh Assembly.
In a speech later today, Theresa May is expected to say that the result of the Welsh referendum of 1997 was "accepted by both sides", despite being carried by a wafer-thin 0.3% majority.
However, parliamentary records show that Mrs May was among 144 MPs who voted for an amendment which would have blocked the Government of Wales Bill giving effect to the referendum result.
'This is not Dunkirk' Cabinet minister Liam Fox says no-deal Brexit would not be 'national suicide'
Hotel giant Travelodge is to target unemployed parents as it looks to address a Brexit recruitment crisis amid a decline in applicants from EU countries.
The firm's boss saying Travelodge can no longer wait for Theresa May to come up with a plan and instead will be launching its own hiring programme to help parents return to work.
Chief executive Peter Gowers said:
We've become more proactive. We can't wait around like two men on a park bench waiting for Godot for the Government to decide what the post-Brexit machine is going to be.
We are preparing in earnest for post-Brexit Britain. With thousands of new jobs to fill, we need more new colleagues than ever.
New: Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, is to summon the Iranian ambassador to the Foreign Office to voice fresh concerns about the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is beginning a three-day hunger strike today.
The dual British national has been imprisoned in Tehran since April 2016, accused of spying for the UK, which she and the government strongly deny.
Theresa May's Brexit speech in Stoke is due to get underway shortly. It will be interesting to see whether she drops the line comparing Brexit to the 1997 referendum on Welsh devolution.
The parts of the speech that Downing Street released in advance included a claim that all parties had accepted the result of the Welsh people's vote in favour of setting up a devolved assembly. She was due to say:
“When the people of Wales voted by a margin of 0.3 per cent, on a turnout of just over 50 per cent, to endorse the creation of the Welsh Assembly, that result was accepted by both sides and the popular legitimacy of that institution has never seriously been questioned.
That quickly unravelled when it emerged that Ms May herself voted against devolution, despite the referendum result, and the Conservatives' 2005 manifesto pledged to hold another referendum on whether to keep the Welsh Assembly or abolish it.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments