Theresa May up in the Commons parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/66…
Christ alive, she's really doubling down on the 'spend it on the NHS instead' lie.
Message tailored specifically to Brexiters - FoM, borders, our own laws, taing back control of our money etc. No real reach out to Labour MPs/Remainers yet.
Usual lies on backstop and extending transition.
Termination clause allows backstop to be turned off when we've fulfilled agreement on NI border - she doesn't mention what that would entail.
"There is no deal that comes without a backstop and without a backstop there is no deal."
Hard to find a single sentence in what she's saying that doesn't fall apart if you poke at it.
"I can say to the House with absolute certainty that there is not a better deal available... We can back this deal, move on from the referendum, or this House can choose to reject this deal and go back to square one."
"The British people want us to..." So many people seem so amazingly certain what the British people want.
Corbyn up now.
What I wouldn't give to have Starmer up on his feet making this reply rather than sat there beside him.
The Tory front bench looks like an animal you find the woods weeks after it died.
Quite good from Corbyn. Focuses on fact we'd pay whatever EU asks in summer 2020 when debate starts on extending transition.
"Ploughing on is not stoic, it's an act of national self-harm."
"There is a sensible deal that could win the support of this House, based on customs union, a strong single market deal..." Aaand now we're back in fairy land.
Corbyn's description of his single market deal looks a lot like the level playing field we already agreed on backstop, minus state aid.
Corbyn listing why Remainers and Leavers don't like the deal, but he's given us nothing but clouds when explaining what he would do differently.
Still, that was one of the best performances I've seen from him. Probably about 5/10.
May now responding to his nonsense with her own nonsense. Like watching people with no hands playing scissors-paper-stone.
Christ that was pointless.
May loves talking about the end of free movement more than any other subject. On and on she talks about it. She saviours saying she'll end it "once and for all". It's all she really believes in here.
As @rolandmcs said: This is not really a Brexit policy. It's an end-free-movement policy with Brexit tacked on.
@rolandmcs May asked if she'll debate @NicolaSturgeon in a TV debate. No answer.
Hilary Benn: By refusing to make choices now about the future relationship, she's put it off until when the EU has much great leverage over us, as each European member state will have a veto.
Not actually a convincing point. EU can't provide legal text on future relationship under A50. He's right that she is passing the buck, but the EU leverage remains similar. Right now it is no-deal, later it will be backstop. We will fight to avoid either.
May refers to a 'People's Vote' then quickly corrects herself and says 'second referendum'.
Once again, not a single supportive comment for the prime minister so far.
William Cash trying to claim the deal would be unlawful because it maintains EU law during transition, and so contravenes the Withdrawal Act, which repeals 72 Act. That makes no sense surely? The treaty would be translated into primary legislation.
Fuck knows what he's on about.
The only thing that makes me sympathetic to Theresa May is the sight of Boris Johnson. He really is a dreadful little man.
Ah, May admits there are "concerns" about our ability to negotiate free trade deals in these arrangements. Says House will "want to consider" things like "animal welfare standards" in those circumstances.
That's interesting. It's a response to point that we won't be able to alter regulations to secure a deal.
It is a lie, in its way, because we won't be able to lower them anyway, unless we want to separate ourselves from NI. But it is a more sophisticated lie than what we usually get from her.
Michael Fallon making same point to Yvette Cooper, from the other direction: There's no certainty in future relationship, so this is a big risk.
Kate Hoey, arguably the worst MP in the Commons, asks a question but it was so pointless I cannot be bothered to repeat it.
Justine Greening: How can the PM assure the House this debate is based on facts and evidence and not more false promises which if broken will damage trust in politics even more?
May says economic forecasts can't really be based on facts. Such a pitiful response.
Yes well done, predicting events in the future is uncertain. No that does not make it a pointless endeavour.
It is not a 'fact' that I will be hurt if I walk into oncoming traffic. But it is still a very shitty idea.
"There's a balance between rights and obligations". Closest you get from May to stating the future relationship. Then refers, amazingly, to the white paper. Chequers Lives! It rises from the grave!
It's looking a bit fucked up mind. Covered in worms, half-decomposed. Wouldn't want to take it for a date in a posh restaurant. But it lives!
May just said she is offering a "better comprehensive trade deal than Canada". Presumably she means the way Canada has regions directly governed by EU law with no MEPs, negotiated by a pulverising timetable, with a cliff edge on the other side.
"The House of Commons has never ever surrendered to anybody and it won't start now". Blithering sexually-frustrated nonsense from the Tory benches. But notable for how badly it is going for May.
Just one. Will just one MP stand up for the prime minister. This is awful for her.
Jo Johnson: Which region of UK will have higher GDP per capita under her deal? "That depends on a whole variety of decisions"
Stella Creasy asks May to guarantee that she will not force a second vote if the deal is voted down. "I will be working to persuade members of the House that this is the deal on the table." Yep, no guarantee there.
Luciana Berger: "If the prime minister really believes the majority of the nation wants that outcome can I politely suggest she isn't knocking on enough doors?"
May apologises for using 'skip-the-queue line. "I should not have used that language in that speech."
She defends her record, saying she tried to get an early deal on citizens right, and defends trying to end free movement.But she was clear in that apology.
Came after Philippa Whitford said PM managed to "insult and upset" 3m European citizens, including her German husband.
Closest thing we've had to a positive comment, from Nicky Morgan. Says it's easy to oppose deal you haven't worked on.
The braver thing is to "challenge ourselves on our views of Brexit... and to give this deal the scrutiny it needs, to read the economic forecasts the govt is going to publish and to recognise that what will cost us more is a no-deal Brexit."
It's not a full-throated defence exactly, but closest thing May has had.
It's been over an hour btw.
Dominic Grieve: May's letter at the weekend to the British people "sets out a vision of the future which seems to me at clear variance with any rational analysis of the text in relation to the future declaration".
That's about as damning as Grieve gets.
Ok I think I'll call it quits there. Debate has fizzled out a bit. Summary: there are no signs of support for May and some signs of opposition spreading.
