This is bbc news. Im Christian Fraser live at westminster where, the debate continues on the Withdrawal Agreement. Lets look at the latest headlines in the next half hour, two crucial votes. The first to see if borisjohnsons brexit deal has the support of parliament. The second to see if mps will agree to fast track the legislation in just three days. The deal is here on the table, the legislation to deliver it is here before us. A clear majority in the country is now imploring us to get brexit done. Page after page of one amounts to nothing less than a charter for deregulation and a race to the bottom. What on earth are we doing . What on earth are we doing . Pushing this legislation through over a couple of days. We will bring you the vote live from the house, along with key moments in the de tait and reaction with a special programme in half an hour. A warm welcome to westminster, there is half an hourfor two crucial votes that could dictate the future of brexit. The bill at the moment is limited to just three days of debate. Many mps feel this is insufficient, given the complexity of the legislation, but the Prime Minister said if a time table is rejected and he is faced with another long delay offered be by the eu he will withdraw the bill and call a general election. So what will happen at 7 oclock, first of all we will have the vote on the Withdrawal Agreement bill, which iu ns Withdrawal Agreement bill, which ru ns to Withdrawal Agreement bill, which runs to 110 pages. It ratifies Boris Johnsons deal with the eu. If mps are to back the bill, they will vote on what is called a programme motion, setting out the parliamentary time table going forward. If that motion is lost, the Prime Minister, as we were saying, has warned that an election might be needed, possibly before christmas. Has warned that an election might be needed, possibly before christmaslj will in no way allow months more of this. If parliament refuses to allow brexit to happen and instead decides to delay everything untiljanuary or longer, in those circumstances can the government continue with this and with regret i must go to the point the honourable gentleman raises, with great regret i must say the bill will have to be pulled and we will have to forward, much as the honourable gentleman may not like it, we will have to go to a general election. I will argue at that election. No mr speaker, i will argue at that election, lets get brexit done and the leader of the opposition will make his case to spend 2020 having do referendums, one on brexit and one on scotland and the people mr speaker will decide. Jeremy corbyn, the leader of the opposition, has set out labours policy on the governments brexit bill, saying it would be a disaster for the uk. We warned on saturday that if the house passes the governments deal, it would be a disaster for our country. Now, as we look through the details of the bill, we see just how right we were. Page after page of what amounts to nothing less than a charter for deregulation and a race to the bottom. A deal and a bill that fails to protect our rights and our natural world. Fails to protectjobs and the economy. Fails to protect every region and nation in the United Kingdom. This bill confirms that Northern Ireland is really in the Customs Union of the eu and goods will be subjected to tariffs. Jeremy corbyn speaking earlier. Lets ta ke Jeremy Corbyn speaking earlier. Lets take you to the house of commons and show you the live scene. We have a conservative mp on his feet and in the next 15 minutes we expect michael gove to wrap up things for the government ahead of the vote and we will hear from the shadow brexit secretary, keir starmer. The chamber is starting to fill up ahead of that vote. Poly mckenzie is the chief executive for a political think tank. If Boris Johnson pulled the bill, where would we be then . we would be in the quagmire. He says, calla we be then . we would be in the quagmire. He says, call a general election, but he has tried that twice. He does havent the power to call a general election. So it would bea call a general election. So it would be a weird tactic to blame the others for delaying brexit by delaying brexit himself. It will be a strange choice. We have had a letter from nick brown, a strange choice. We have had a letterfrom nick brown, the opposition chief whip, he says, we will meet you in the middle if youre prepared to compromise. Some people would say it would be odd if the government, having secured a vote on the bill itself, which is much further than theresa may got to say, well, we are whipping it away, because you want a few more weeks . We have seen two borisjohnsons since he became Prime Minister, dr jekyu since he became Prime Minister, dr jekyll and mr hyde. He was angry and accusing mps of. I have forgotten the word, but being dreadful. Now we have seen a different borisjohnson. He has been conciliatory. He offered some compromises with labour with concessions on workers rights. What is weird, that was working. He was so close getting the deal through and suddenly it is like he has drunk the potion again and we have mr hyde and he is issuing threats. Going back to the conciliatory approach is the only thing thats worked. Does he look at the polls and say, we are ina good he look at the polls and say, we are in a good position, they said i wouldnt get a deal and i got a deal and the polls are going up, labour seems to be going back, maybe he is putting them on note is if we have an extension we are back to chaos. There there isnt an argument for a general election if he wins the vote. If he gets brexit through that will look great, until he has to beg foran will look great, until he has to beg for an extension next year when he has not secured a trade deal with the eu. For the moment he will look like a victor if he gets the labour votes. But if this Parliament Passes brexit, there is no reason for an election and huge numbers in the labour party are frightened of an election. So he might get to look good for a few months and not be able to turn that into vote and stumble on for months on end. Thank you for being with us. We have been watching a heated debate with a lot of questions about 110 pages of Withdrawal Agreement bill and some complex Withdrawal Agreement bill and some co m plex stuff Withdrawal Agreement bill and some complex stuff in there. The leader of the snp, Ian Blackford had this message for Opposition Mps who are considering volting with the government. Be careful. Be careful. Because what youre doing is youre writing a blank cheque to the Prime Minister and the Vote Leave Campaign that runs this government to drive the United Kingdom out of European Union on a no deal basis at the end of next year and friends, friends, there is nothing you can do to stop it. The dups mp sammy wilson, remember the unionists of Northern Ireland, told the commons that he wa nted ireland, told the commons that he wanted brexit, but couldnt vote for this bill. I do not, nor do my party indicate we have any desire to stay within the eu. But what we do demand is that since we are part of the United Kingdom, since we took part in the United Kingdom wide referendum, that as part of United Kingdom we leave on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom and that is not the case with this particular bill today, nor with this agreement. Lets speak to a former special advisor to amber rudd. Nice to see you. Where do you think we are tonight with the voting . Lets talk first about the second reading, introducing the bill into the commons, do we think the governments going to get that through . I think it will. A lot of mps dont want to be seen to vote against a brexit deal. That is probably the least of the two bills thatis probably the least of the two bills that is worrying the government. The second vote, perhaps even more crucial than the first, that is the time tabling, the bill is set down for three days at the moment, a lot of mps have said that is way too tight. Where is the voting on that . I think that is much closer and as things stand it looks as if the government will lose by a small margin. The Prime Minister has called about calling an election if that falls, that will be focussing a few peoples minds. Oliver letwin, the person behind the amendment at the person behind the amendment at the amendment at the weekend, he has signalled support for the government. There are people who wa nt government. There are people who want this go through at break neck speed. But i think they would say you have had three and a half years of this, parliament have debated this for nearly 500 hours, is there anything new that ones said or done before . That will look close. But there has been a lot of behind the scenes hammering and whispering to get that through. If the bill, the motion that the time tabling motion is voted down, we know about the threat, we have talked about the threat, we have talked about the threat that Boris Johnson has threat, we have talked about the threat that borisjohnson has made, but what happens behind the scenes, could there be a compromise struck . That is an interesting point. The Prime Minister said today he wouldnt entertain months more of delay. That led to questions about what a shorter delay, say a ten day extension, where it is more technical. This is not without risk, the Prime Minister will have to eat his words, his end of october deadline, he will have to have humble pie on that. If that means getting it through, that could be an option. The other risk is it could be so heavy amended by opposition parties, that the deal is nothing like the deal the Prime Minister has already negotiated with the eu 27. Then the other side of it is the election and that is quite a attractive prospect to some people around the Prime Minister, because it is about governing. It isntjust about the vote, the Prime Minister has a majority of minus a5. If you have an election you have a chance to clear the decks of parliament and get more mps and get on with delivering the things he said he wa nts to delivering the things he said he wants to do. An election i dont think is that bad an outcome for the Prime Minister either. Thank you. I am being told michael gove will not be wrapping up for the government in fa ct, be wrapping up for the government in fact, in fact it will be Robert Buckland. Lets go to vikki young who is watching events in the lobby. I was just saying a few minutes ago, we shouldnt underestimate that if the Prime Minister got a positive vote on the the second reading tonight, that would be quite historical . Yes after three and a half years, and everything thats happened, it would be the first time this place has voted for something if it were to happen. So the second reading of the bill which implements his deal would be a sign, im sure the government would point to that, that there is a majority for a brexit deal. It is not an easy path, it is the first stage of a bill that can be changed and amended. So it is only the beginning, but it is something borisjohnson only the beginning, but it is something Boris Johnson could only the beginning, but it is something borisjohnson could point to if it were to happen and then i think we are going to go, we are going to to go to commons, because theyre are winding up. This is the Labour Party Spokesman speaking. Why should we believe a word he says now . That is why the tuc, unison, unite and the gmbc recognise his comments are worthless. My honourable friend is speaking well, doesnt he agree there are no mention of environmental rights in this bill and we will have no surety at all around the environment. Shouldnt that be put back right . My honourable friend is right and the truth is the damage this bill does to workers rights is the tip of the iceberg. It will create a border in the irish sea and impose burdens on Northern Ireland and british trade, something the Prime Minister promised would never happen. Clause 21 makes it explicit, but the Prime Minister continued to deny it today. What did he talk about . Light touch measures to illegal trade and ban firearms, that contradicts what the secretary of state for exiting the eu said at the house of lords yesterday that there will be exit summary declarations. That is what the bill says. The Prime Minister should read the bill. In addition, the bill will reduce parliament to, i will give way. I thank him for giving way. You cant trust the Prime Minister and he mentioned the tuc, is he disappointed so many labour backbenches seem to be agreeing, seem happy to take the Prime Ministers word and they look like theyre going to go through the lobbies and vote for this . |j like theyre going to go through the lobbies and vote for this . I have respect for all members who wish to try and change this bill in committee, but that only reinforces the point that a Proper Committee stage should be allowed. Because the bill reduces parliament to the role of observer in the next face of negotiations, read claws 31 clause 31, it says nothing would be inconsistent with the existing political declaration and it includes clause 30 is the trap door to no deal. Anyone thinking this bill is a way to end no deal should read that clause and think again. Mr speaker, this is a flawed bill, implementing a fundamentally bad deal. It would open the door to a low regulation, low wage economy. This deal can only lead to a bare bones Free Trade Agreement, or no deal at the end of next year. Now the Prime Minister puts his agreement in front of house and asks everyone to look away while he pushes it through. If he is so confident, why is he so afraid of scrutiny of it . For working people, the rights and protections in our laws have been hard won. Rather than put this at risk by putting this bill through, they need to be secured. The country deserves more than this botched bill and that is why we will be voting against it tonight. Mr Robert Buckland. Mr speaker there comes a time in politics when all of us have to look at ourselves in the mirror and asked us at ourselves in the mirror and asked us the following question, me included. Are we up to the level of eve nts . Included. Are we up to the level of events . Are we truly going to serve the people who put us here . Now, i have the honour of speaking last in what i think we would agree is the most pivotal of debates. There is a symmetry, because of the Long Association i have had in supporting our membership of the eu. I was supporting our membership of the eu. Iwasa supporting our membership of the eu. I was a proud remainor. Somebody who campaigned for membership. And for whom the result ofjune 2016 was a bitter blow. And i have heard a word across the chamber, traitor. That concerns me, and it should concern all of us, because i do not believe that anybody in this place is a traitor. I do not believe that anyone, whatever view they might have,is anyone, whatever view they might have, is somehow disloyal or dishonest or below the standards we would expect here, because i believe not only do we call ourselves honourable remembers, we are honourable remembers, we are honourable men and women and we come here with the best of intentions. We come here to try and find a way through for the people who we represent. To make a decision. A hard, a fast and a specific decision at that. It is not easy, but we are here to do difficult, mr speaker, thatis here to do difficult, mr speaker, that is ourjob. We are sent here by each of our constituents to get on with it. And over the last few months, the voices that i hear in my constituency, as right across the country, come out loud and clear, whether we will leave or remain, for the love of god, get on with it is what im being told. And i want to just deal a moment with the speech from my honourable friend the member for winchester, who put it extremely well. He in many respects has found himself in the sort of moral dilemma that a lot of lot of us have been placed in. He resigned from government because of his convictions and i think that is an act that speaks volumes. But he put it well, when he said that the best way in the circumstances, the only way in the circumstances, the only way to avoid what he would regard as the problem of a no deal brexit is to vote for both these motions this evening. And i say both these motions, because the one will not work without the other. We are left mr speaker with a fixed date a date that was not chosen by us. It was never the subject of an application that we made to extend article 50. But it was a date that was chosen by our friends but it was a date that was chosen by ourfriends in the European Union. That was the 31st october. The 3 is october was not a mere caprice, its was Something Realfor october was not a mere caprice, its was Something Real for the 27. In was Something Real for the 27. In was in their interests, it was important for them and backed by proper reason and therefore it is something that we should respect. For a moment, let us put ourselves in the shoes of our negotiating partners. They want certainty. They wa nt to partners. They want certainty. They want to be able to move on and they wa nt to want to be able to move on and they want to know that in their negotiating partner they have somebody who they can trust and rely upon. I will give way to the honourable gentleman. On that point, so how does he feel our negotiating partners look at this parliament that was prorogued at a time we could have been debating this decision. We would have had more than 21 days in that circumstance. Decision. We would have had more than 21 days in that circumstancelj than 21 days in that circumstance. think the honourable gentleman who has been here a good few years, has lived like all of us through this process and the hours, the days, the months, the years that we have debated this issue are ones that amply demonstrate that everyone of 650 members have had their say. Take this Withdrawal Agreement, the elements that have of course have been significant and different relate to the provisions on Northern Ireland and the future relationship. But i think we would be kidding ourselves if we do not admit that large elements of the agreement are elements that we have known about and debated and aired and analysed over the last few months. More than the last few months. The better part ofa the last few months. The better part of a year. And therefore i think with respect. I will fwif give way. Will he agree with me that you dont have to love this deal, you dont have to love this deal, you dont have to love this deal, you dont have to love the programme motion, you might even think its a very bad deal, but for those of us who wish to avoid the worst, it is better than the worst. Well, the honourable gentleman, my honourable friend in his nuanced way makes an important point that in the pursuit of perfection, we are in danger of losing the entire house. And none of us, the majority of us have made it clear that the one thing we do not wa nt clear that the one thing we do not want is a no deal brexit. So all the debates and all the decisions that we have had, that one thing has been clear. I will give way. We have had, that one thing has been clear. Iwill give way. I we have had, that one thing has been clear. Iwill give way. Lam grateful to my honourable friend for giving way. One concern many of us still have is that we may end up for Great Britain with a no deal exited. Exit. Can he assure me that on the face of the bill we will make sure that parliament has an opportunity to vote before 1st july on whether the implementation period should be extended, whether for one or two years, if the negotiations do not look like we are going to get a Free Trade Agreement by the end of the year and the government will abide by that vote. Studio Robert Buckland bringing to an end a heated day of debate, ahead of that crucial first vote on brexit legislation. This debate will go on for another few minutes. We expect the vote in around 10 minutes. Youre watching bbc news. That would allow parliament of its say on the merits of an extension of the implementation period and the government will abide by that. Now, there is an example of Representative Democracy working well, because one of the things that well, because one of the things that we british are prided for is our ability to compromise. To listen to each other. To learn from each other. To respect each other. And to come to a reasonable compromise. Ive done that i can in my political career to reflect those values and i believe and i see many other members who share that view and i will give way to the member for bath. who share that view and i will give way to the member for bath. I have many times here made the argument for a compromise. I will vote for the governments deal, although i think its rubbish, but i will vote for the deal if he will vote for a peoples vote at the same time. have to commend the honourable lady for her persistence. But to re open theissue for her persistence. But to re open the issue in that way would be with the issue in that way would be with the greatest of respect to my friends who support it the ultimate cop out for this parliament. Discussioning turning to the discussions turning to the amendments. Will we even get to the amendments . These are the closing state m e nts amendments . These are the closing statements at the end of a heated day of debate. We are going to follow events here on the news channel. Stay us with as we join huw edwards for a bbc news special. Good evening from westminster, and welcome to this bbc news special where the house of commons is preparing to hold two crucial votes which will determine the future of the brexit process. The Prime Minister, borisjohnson, has pledged to make brexit happen by the end of this month, but that depends to a large extent on the outcome of tonights votes. Hes asking mps to back his brexit deal by voting for the legislation the government has drafted but hes also asking them to push the legislation through the commons in just three days. Many mps are very uncomfortable with being asked to rush through a piece of legislation thats so important and complex. It was earlier today that the debate started at westminster with the Prime Minister making his case to mps, but threatening in effect to withdraw the bill if he lost the timetable motion and was faced with another long brexit delay. Well be here to help you make sense of both of tonights votes, with the help of my panel, and our correspondents inside the palace of westminster and beyond. Inside the commons chamber, we will expect the first vote in a few minutes time. Justice secretary Robert Buckland is closing for the government, so why dont we join this now . I commend this bill to the house. Order the question is that there will be read a second time. As many as are of that opinion say aye. On the contrary, no division clear the lobby so, we joined the commons just at the right moment, that is the speaker getting up after the final speech, announcing this first division. Now, this first vote, mps now filing out into the voting lobbies either side of the commons chamber. Now, this is on the bill itself, this is the piece of legislation, iio itself, this is the piece of legislation, 110 pages of it, that is based on the bill, the deal, struck by borisjohnson in brussels last week. And thats what the substance of this vote is about. We will then move on, after that, to possibly an
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