Voting begins in key Brexit vote

MPs have begun to cast their votes on the agreement - and it is widely believed it will be rejected, throwing the Brexit process into further uncertainty.

Theresa May has told senior ministers she believes "passionately" that they must take Britain out of the European Union.

The prime minister told colleagues at the weekly meeting in 10 Downing Street that she will respond "quickly" if her deal is rejected by MPs. She is expected to make a statement immediately following the vote this evening.

Jeremy Corbyn has told Labour MPs he will table a motion of no confidence in the government "soon" after a defeat, in the hope of triggering a General Election.

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Speaking at the end of the debate, the prime minister said: "This is a debate about our economy and security, the livelihoods of our constituents and the future for our children and for generations to come, it goes to the heart of our constitution and no one should forget that it is a democratic process that has got us to where we are."

Mrs May said the result of the 2016 referendum was "clear and decisive".

She said: "Parliament gave the people a choice, we set the clock ticking on our departure and tonight we will determine whether we move forward with a Withdrawal Agreement that honours the vote and sets us on course for a better future.

"The responsibility of each and every one of us at this moment is profound, for this an historic decision that will set the future of our country for generations."

She added: "Our deal delivers certainty for businesses with a time-limited implementation period to prepare for the new arrangements of the future relationship. No deal means no implementation period.

"Our deal protects the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU so they can carry on their lives as before. No deal means no reciprocal agreement to protects those citizens' rights.

"Our deal delivers the deepest security partnership in the EU's history so our police and security services can continue to work together with their European partners to keep all our people safe.

"No deal means no such security partnership, and our deal delivers the foundations for an unprecedented economic relationship with the EU that is more ambitious than anything they have ever entered into with a third country."

"It will give us the benefits of trading with the EU and the ability to forge new trade deals in our own right."

Concluding, she said: "I believe we have a duty to deliver on the democratic decision of the British people, and to do so in a way that brings our country together."

Prime minister Theresa May speaks at the conclusion of the debate ahead of a vote on her Brexit deal in the House of Commons. Picture: House of Commons/PA Wire

But Jeremy Corbyn urged MPs not to back the deal, calling it "a reckless leap in the dark".

He said: "Under this deal in December 2020 we will be faced with a choice - either pay more and extend the transition period or lock us into the backstop.

"At that point the UK would be over a barrel.

"We would have left the EU have lost the UK rebate and be forced to pay whatever was demanded."

Mr Corbyn said the government "spectacularly failed" to deliver the promised "detailed and substantive" document on the Brexit divorce deal.

Confirming Labour would vote against the deal, he said: "Labour will vote against it because it is a bad deal for this country.

"But it's not enough for the House to vote against the deal before us and against no deal - we also have to be for something."

Mr Corbyn said re-opening negotiations with the EU "should not and cannot be ruled out" and called for a general election to allow Labour to take over.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at the conclusion of the debate ahead of a vote on the prime minister's Brexit deal in the House of Commons, London. Picture: House of Commons/PA Wire

Confirming that the 10 DUP MPs will not back the PM's deal, party leader Arlene Foster told a press conference in London: "We said to the prime minister she had to get rid of the backstop and get a Withdrawal Agreement that can be lived with. I don't think she even asked to get rid of the backstop."

In a statement, the DUP said its support was conditional on "legally binding changes" to the Withdrawal Agreement to deliver an end date for the backstop arrangements, designed to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

A no-confidence vote could come as early as tomorrow Wednesday if Mr Corbyn tables a motion as a point of order in the immediate aftermath of the "meaningful vote".

But it appears unlikely that Labour can muster enough votes to force a general election, with Tory rebels and the DUP indicating they would continue to back the government in a confidence vote.

Monmouth's David Davies is the only Gwent MP who has said he will vote in favour of the deal.

Newport East's Jessica Morden, Torfaen's Nick Thomas-Symonds, Islwyn's Chris Evans and Blaenau Gwent's Nick Smith have all said they will vote against it. Newport West's Paul Flynn is too unwell to attend Parliament.

The result is expected between 8pm and 8.30pm.

Protesters outside the House of Commons in London as MPs debate the prime minister's Brexit deal. Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Top Brexit questions answered:

• What is the backstop?

The backstop arrangement outlined in the prime minister's deal would create a single EU-UK customs area to ensure there is no hard border on the island of Ireland.

This means the UK would continue to follow the EU's tariffs and rules on customs, avoiding the need for checks between the EU and UK - including Northern Ireland and the Republic - until a new relationship is decided.

Northern Ireland would need to follow some of the EU's single market rules, including laws on goods, agricultural production, veterinary controls and state aid rules.

It is this point that has led many - including Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party and a number of Conservative backbenchers - to oppose the deal.

• What is Theresa May's Brexit deal?

The 585-page Withdrawal Agreement text will provide the basis of a legally binding treaty.

It covers the future rights of EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, the £39 billion the UK owes in promised contributions, and protocols on Gibraltar and UK sovereign base areas in Cyprus.

It also provides for a transition period after the UK leaves the EU in March, running to the end of 2020, with the option of a one-off extension if more time is needed to conclude an agreement on the future relationship.

Crucially it also covers the backstop, intended to ensure there is no return to the hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic if negotiations on the future relationship have not been completed.

• How many days until Brexit?

As of Tuesday January 15, there are 73 days to go until Britain is due to leave the EU, on March 29.

• Is the UK stockpiling food for Brexit?

Some businesses and families have said they are stockpiling food as a precaution for a no-deal scenario in which it takes a lot longer for cargo to come through customs at the UK border.

Tesco and Marks & Spencer, as well as companies like Premier Foods - which owns Bisto, Mr Kipling and Majestic Wine - have announced plans for stockpiling.

Quick-thinking entrepreneurs are selling so-called Brexit survival kits of freeze-dried food for hundreds of pounds, although a government spokesman said there was "no need" to stockpile items in the box, according to the BBC.

In December, official documents showed the government was drawing up plans to avoid food shortages in hospitals, although the full extent of government plans are not known.

• How many people voted for Brexit?

A little over 17.4 million people voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum, compared with just over 16.1 million who voted to remain.

Turnout was 33.6 million, meaning 52 per cent of those taking part voted to leave.

• What happens if there is a no-deal Brexit?

A no-deal situation arises if the UK quits the EU without an agreement covering issues like the Irish border, expats' rights in Europe, a future trade deal or customs and border checks.

Predictions about the seriousness of leaving the EU without a deal vary, but separate assessments from Whitehall and the Bank of England in November painted a grim picture of the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the UK economy.

The bank warned Britain could be tipped into a recession worse than the financial crash, with an eight per cent cut in GDP, unemployment surging by as much as 7.5 per cent and house prices falling by almost a third.

A cross-government analysis found the UK economy would be 9.3 per cent smaller after 15 years if Britain leaves without a deal.