Welcome to bbc news. The government has been narrowly defeated in a key brexit vote, after a rebellion by tory mps. After a rebellion by tory mps. Mps backed a change to the eu withdrawal bill which called for the terms of a final deal between the uk and the eu to be approved by a new law passed by parliament. Earlier the Prime Minister had offered a concession and promised that mps would have their say before the uk left the eu in march 2019. The amendment, which was proposed by the conservative former attorney general, Dominic Grieve, was approved by 309 votes to 305 a majority of four. The ayes to the right, 309. The noes to the left, 305. Cheering. Order. Im sure you want to hear the result to make sure it is correct. The ayes to the right, 309. The noes to the left, 305. The ayes have it, the ayes have it. Unlock. 0ur chief Political Correspondent vicki young has more for us now. A bloody nose for the Prime Minister and potentially down the road, huge headaches having to deal with this . Yes, if you look back to friday, theresa may had secured the preliminary deal with the eu, everybody talking about her success. Now she is going to brussels having been defeated by the house of commons, have the not persuading many of her mps to go along with what she wanted. Some mps have said this amendment, this change and this vote will put mps in the driving seat when it comes to brexit. But it does show is how difficult it is to get tricky legislation through the house of commons when you dont have a majority. I am joined house of commons when you dont have a majority. I amjoined by the justice minister, dominic raab, who was part of getting this bill through. You must be disappointed . We dont want any defeats but we have had seven days a Committee Stage with multiple votes, we have woii everyone stage with multiple votes, we have won everyone but this, and we lost this by four votes. It is a minor setback and wont upset the Brexit Process. The key balance is getting the legislative detail in place so we have a smooth brexit and parliament has transparency and accountability. This is a minor setback but it will not stop was leaving the eu in march 2019. Some mps felt the government were just making sure ministers could make sure to legislation without proper scrutiny in this place, the kind of scrutiny, that you have argued for for a long time . That is a nonsense. We announced a meaningful vote, we announced a sifting committee to make sure parliament looks properly at the most important Statutory Instruments. We have a huge amount of legal changes to make, whether you voted leave or remain, that we have a smooth brexit. This is a minor setback, from that point of view, but we look again at report stage, which is after christmas. It isa stage, which is after christmas. It is a setback, but it wont stop was leaving the eu next year. But will it mean you will have more difficulty getting things through this place . He talks about the parliamentary arithmetic. The reality is, it is the first time weve lost a vote in seven days a Committee Stage with several votes on each day. They are legitimate issues around the balance between scrutiny and the volume of legislation we have got to get to. A setback, yes, but nothing that will scupper or observe the process of leaving the eu. The tory rebels on your side have talked about this being a key issue for them. You came up being a key issue for them. You came up with a last minute concession but it was too late . My speech, which i gave earlier in the debate, i made the same assurances that we agreed later to do it in the debate, which was to put it on the face of the bill. We have had quite constructive dialogue and we did think, and i stand by the fact this amendment has been made to deflect it. Its not a good amendment, it is flawed. It will take some time to reflect on that. We will get the balance on getting the legislative work done on getting the legislative work done on getting the legislative work done on getting the transparency right. The Prime Minister goes to the eu council this week and the good news is, we have a first phase agreement and we are open up to trade talks so this is a minor setback compared to the big picture. The eu will be looking at this and they will say, she is weak, she cannot get stuff to parliament but she wants. They can basically come up with any deal they like because she isnt Strong Enough . I do think this place, the house of commons and politicians think very carefully and closely to the message you sent to eu friends and partners. We have just completed the first favour agreements and we will move onto the trade talks and we will get this legislation through. We have had countless votes, we have them every day and we lost this one by the narrowest of margins, by four votes. Lost this one by the narrowest of margins, by fourvotes. Sometimes the government needs to take stock, look again to see if we have the balance right and im not afraid to be willing to do that. For all the drama in the chamber of the house of commons, every day there is lots of detail, dialogue and constructive conciliation going on on both sides. 0ne conciliation going on on both sides. One of yourmps conciliation going on on both sides. One of your mps has said it was very confusing because our lunchtime the Prime Minister said one thing and then you get up and offer concession which seem to contradict it . Thats not right. I had given an assurance, it was no Statutory Instruments under clause nine will enter into force until the meaningful vote. We said we would write it on to the face of the bill if that would give mps extra assurance. There was some frustration we hadnt done it earlier but a lot of mps were asking for a lot of things. Including Dominic Grieve. I have kept my word. I will not lose my temper or lose my cool over this. We will look at it again, look at the legislator toolkit to make sure we get the smooth brexit, which will happen in march 2000 and 19. Thank you very much forjoining us. Mps have been voting in succession tonight but all eyes we re on voting in succession tonight but all eyes were on the original one just after 7pm which was brought forward by Dominic Grieve, a senior conservative, former attorney general who has been pushing this issue for the whole time and earlier, i had a chat with him. Lam i am pleased with the outcome because i felt it was a vote that had to be taken, particularly in view of the intransigence and difficulty we had in trying to reason with the government over the la st reason with the government over the last few days. Delight otherwise feel good about it . No. It is the first time i have had to rebel on an issue of, National Issue and i think i have only ever done it once in respect of high speed 2. It is one of the most unpleasant things an mp can do. The clause for in this bill, the biggest henry viii power confirmed on government without there being any properjustification for it and indeed, a large number of mps on my side of the house, who eventually voted with the government, pointed out it shouldnt be there at all. My amendment had been carefully tailored, both trying to move its worst aspects, and at the same time to encourage the government to come forward and have a tangible discussion. Although we had a sensible discussion to begin with, it petered out last week despite my best endeavours. The only thing open for me to do was this. It doesnt stop brexit in any way. It actually was intended to try to make sure brexit takes place in an orderly manner, which is what i regard as absolutely key. There was a last minute concession, were you surprised it came last so many . Yes iwas, we surprised it came last so many . Yes i was, we had surprised it came last so many . Yes iwas, we had been waiting surprised it came last so many . Yes i was, we had been waiting the whole afternoon for a concession. We had been suggested at one stage, the government might give up on clause night at the moment, which was a sensible thing to do, i would have accepted that. Then they could have brought Something Else back at report stage. This is Committee Stage of the bill. But to find yourself at the last minute, landed with a concession with what the government should have done all along, which was to table their own amendmenta along, which was to table their own amendment a Committee Stage. They we re amendment a Committee Stage. They were told constantly it was needed, and in my view it wasnt sufficient. But we have got to get over this, cooperate to make sure this bill is ina proper cooperate to make sure this bill is in a proper state to do what people want, which is to deliver a smooth and effective brexit. We will do that and i will get together with my colleagues and we will continue the work. I will be glad when its over. Do you think it will add to tensions within the party and obviously some already saying theresa may is off to an eu summit tomorrow and you inflicted defeat on how . The Prime Minister isa inflicted defeat on how . The Prime Minister is a very resilient lady. From the point of view of our eu partners, the key thing is seeing a structure for brexit which is coherent and stable. The difficulty was, the structure we were putting together didnt appear to be coherent or stable. I know the Prime Minister will thank me this evening, but in the long term, i think she might realise i had done her a long time good turn. Dominic grieve saying with a heavy ca rty voted Dominic Grieve saying with a heavy carty voted against the government, had only ever voted against them one on high speed 2. 18 had only ever voted against them one on high speed 2. 18 conservative rebels, the last minute concession from the government persuaded a couple of them to vote with the government or to abstain. 0thers couple of them to vote with the government or to abstain. Others did government or to abstain. Others did go through with what they had been talking about, they are determined there is to be a meaningful vote, not one that is too far down the process it cant make any difference. I spoke to Stephen Hammond earlier, another conservative mp on the rebels site. We are hearing tonight he has been sacked as vice chairman of conservative party. I did speak quickly to a couple of conservatives about this and they say, that is really going to help, isnt it . They are fearful this will deepen the divisions within the conservative party, which have been there for a very long time and of course, have opened up with this referendum. Stacking Stephen Hammond as of the party will, some people think, just add to the antagonism there has been when people like Stephen Hammond said he didnt want to be in this position. He had been talking to the government about this and he hoped there could be some kind of concession, they could get together and sort it out. That didnt happen and sort it out. That didnt happen and he felt he was put in an impossible position where he felt he was forced to vote against his own government. That is concerning about Stephen Hammond, dominic raab was saying this will not stop brexit, it was a saying this will not stop brexit, it wasa minor saying this will not stop brexit, it was a minor defeat and everything was a minor defeat and everything was still going according to plan. Yet, we are seeing retribution already . What it does show is the realities of the parliamentary arithmetic. We know to reason may decided to go to the country, to have the general election, hoping to boost her majority in order to make this Brexit Process easier. As it happens, she lost the majority, is ina deal happens, she lost the majority, is in a deal with the dup, which, as far as we know, did vote with the government tonight, but it makes the whole thing precarious. We are in the very early stages of this, parliament will have numerous votes in the next months and years and it does show how difficult it will be for the government to get through what they want. 0pposition mps and those conservative rebels do feel this will make a difference, it will mean mps can, to some extent, dictate a bit more about exactly what kind of brexit we have. Many on the tory side said we dont want a so called hard brexit, that we leave without any deal. They want to stay much more aligned to the european union. They wa nt to want to do it in a different way. I think i am about to bejoined by keir starmer, who is labours brexit secretary. What is your reaction to this vote . It is an important and significant vote. The Prime Minister walked into this defeat. For months we have said you have got to listen to parliament and four months she has been pushing parliament to one side. Parliament will now have a vote on the terms of brexit and that is hugely significant. She and other ministers will say, and if you read today what david davis letter said, there are numerous occasions where they will give mps vote, why werent you happy with that . What they had offered today was a resolution. Thats not binding in the way that a statute is, its not legislation. We have had plenty of resolutions the government has ignored and its not appropriate for an issue as important as the terms upon which we will leave the eu. It is difficult to think of anything as significant as this in recent decades. It is right parliament has a vote backed up right parliament has a vote backed up in legislation. The timing of this seems to be another factor. Will there be time to get a bill to parliament before brexit . Of course they will. The vote tonight was was not intended to derail brexit. It is simply whether things should be decided by the Prime Minister or should parliament have a say. We are used to getting legislation quickly but on an issue as important as that, it is important we have a statute to deal with it. Does it mean anything more given there were 12 conservative mps tonight he did rebel against their own party, do you think it means anything in the months and years ahead about what kind of brexit we have . It is important for the Prime Minister, to have in the back of her mind when she is negotiating, how she gets the confidence of the house for a vote in due course and to make sure she returns with a deal that is a cce pta ble returns with a deal that is acceptable to the majority in the house. It is important in that respect as well as the final vote. You are a labour politician and i dont expect you to support the Prime Minister, but given she is going to brussels tomorrow, given she is trying to negotiate a good dealfor the united she is trying to negotiate a good deal for the united kingdom, she is trying to negotiate a good dealfor the united kingdom, isnt this place just weakening dealfor the united kingdom, isnt this placejust weakening her . We know people in eu will be watching this and seeing her vulnerability . Not at all, the role in the opposition is to challenge the government at every twist and turn and it is also to act in the National Interest. We want the successful negotiation to move onto phase two. It is right we scrutinise and question the Prime Minister. We are acting in the National Interest and we are wanting negotiations to succeed. What matters is whether the Prime Minister comes back with a deal that has the confidence of parliament . If she doesnt, then its probably the wrong deal. She has her own problems within her party, but on the labour side, you have had dozens of labour mps go against what they have been told, particularly when it goes to voting to stay in the single market. There have been a number of obscure amendments that we have dealt with in the last few months, but the labour party is united on the approach we are taking to brexit. We are united about the sort of future we want. I wont pretend their arms differences of opinion, that is obvious but there are more fundamental divides on the governments side, which were played out today. The Prime Minister doesnt appear to be listening to either parliament as a whole, or mps on her own side. The Prime Minister could have handled this very differently, it was very badly handled and she walked into this defeat. Do you think she has been listening to much to those who were on the leave side of the argument, those in her party who want a certain kind of brexit and more clea n b rea k certain kind of brexit and more clean break from the certain kind of brexit and more clean breakfrom the eu . Certain kind of brexit and more clean break from the eu . We all want the right approach to the 100 , despite the referendum result, but getting an approach which has the consensus support around it. I dont think the Prime Minister has been doing that, she has been held hostage to the right of her party. Todayis hostage to the right of her party. Today is an important reminder it is parliament as a whole that will be looking at this from now on. Keir starmer, thank you forjoining us. Mps taking in the results this evening, the first defeat on this bill for theresa may on the eve she goes to brussels to talk about the next stage of the negotiations. Vicky young, many thanks for that. Vicky young, many thanks for that. Vicky was just talking to keir starmer, the shadow brexit secretary, his boss, Jeremy Corbyn has been speaking about the vote. He says this is a humiliating loss of authority for the government on the eve of the European Council meeting. Labour has made the case for a meaningful vote in parliament on the terms of britains withdrawal from the european union. Theresa may has resisted democ