May confirms she'll defer tomorrow's vote.
She now justifies the backstop and explains her reasoning for accepting it.
May argument is that backstop is only objection to the deal.
"The customs element of the backstop is now UK-wide". This is only just kind of true.
She is now saying tech solutions might ensure backstop never used. Definitely not telling the truth now.
May says she has already spoken to European counterparts and is now going to have further talks. Wants to ensure Commons has chance to vote on it.
Fucking hell what miserable nonsense.
May is actually going to renegotiate before even trying to get support for the deal.
May says House facing bigger question: "Does this House want to deliver Brexit?"
She then says do they want to leave with a deal? If the answer to both questions is yes, they must support her deal.
May: "If you want a second referendum to overrule the result of the first, be honest that this risks dividing the country again." Incredibly hypocrisy.
She properly out fighting though, gunning for Remain, Soft Brexit and no-deal. All the enemies. "I do not believe that any of those courses of action have a majority in this House."
She's stepping up preparation for no-deal. By doing this she is making it far more likely. This is an appalling dereliction of basic patriotic duty.
"On morning after referendum, I knew we'd witnessed a defining moment for our democracy. Places that did not get a lot of attention at elections, were making their voices heard." Is she going to suggest electoral reform. Haha fuck no.
"This deal gives us control of our borders our money and our laws." Even she sounds bored of her bullshit.
Dear lord above what a fucking shambles.
Corbyn heard in respectful silence, which is unusual. Asks if she wants "changes or reassurances". If former, are EU leaders lying?
Corbyn wants clarity on timing - is it coming back next week or in January?
To my mind Corbyn isn't anywhere near outraged or serious enough.
He's reading everything off a piece of paper. No sense of the gravity of the moment. No force to his address.
It could be any old PMQs.
Says if PM can't make fundamental changes required "she must make way for those that can".
May says - correctly, and it does not please me to say it - that Corbyn argument is that PM must change deal but also that EU won't change deal.
She's right. He made no sense at all.
But his questions were pertinent, especially on timing and extent of changes - and unsurprisingly she did not answer them
Bercow is making an intervention, sounds big.
Halting debate after days of it, will be thought by many MPs to be "deeply discourteous". Many MPs have registered that view with him.
He says two ways to challenge: First, and preferable, is for minister to move at outset of debate for debate to be adjourned. This gives House opportunity to express its view in a vote.
Wow. Bercow is seriously doing something here.
He says ministers can also act unilaterally. Doesn't seem to be able to stop got doing this, but is going to make it as embarrassing as possible for them to do it. "Allowing House to have its say on this matter would be the right and obvious course to take."
"Let us see if those who have assured this House and the public over and over and over again that this supremely important vote is going to take place tomorrow without fail is going to rise to the occasion."
That was a massive moment from Bercow. He can't stop govt doing what it wants, but he is going to make sure they come across as shameful as possible if it happens. Proper fucking parliamentary drama there.
If that forces govt into holding a vote on delaying the meaningful vote, and they lose it, it could end up being a historic intervention.
Thornberry asking repeatedly "when's the vote"? May finally answers. She says (rightly) she has until the 21st January according to the legislation.
And that was it in terms of dates. Fucking hell.
She's really going to take this thing down to the wire. And then she says to hold another vote would challenge people's faith in politicians. Bitter laughter.
"We shall go boldly back to the European Union on these issues". Jesus Christ.
Cable: "The govt has lost all authority. I and my colleagues will support the leader of the opposition if he moves to a no-confidence vote."
So what exactly is the prime minister's plan. Is she going to reopen negotiations or not? Unclear. When will she come back with a deal? Unclear.
There is simply no fucking plan at all. Conversations on something which will never happen, cannot ever happen by virtue of logic and language, to an unstated timetable.
About half the questions May gets are about whether she'll hold a People's Vote.
Justine Greening now raising the Commons tweet about the Jan 29th deadline being superseded.
May does not seem to understand, or does not agree with, the argument in that Commons tweet - it is the one I stated earlier, that there is a loophole if May secures deal but doesn't put it to Commons.
It's good that she doesn't. But things are currently uncertain on that front, to put it at its mildest.
Sorry that was meant to read Jan 21st - my bad.
May claims her deal would not make us poorer. That is simply not honest.
Right piece done up on what's happened today. May's pitiful performance, her lack of anything approaching a plan, and an explanation of what's going on in the constitutional debate on no-deal.
Another day of shame: May delays Brexit vote as no-deal suicide pact looms politics.co.uk/blogs/2018/12/…
