Thread by @lewis_goodall

Ok here we go. The Prime Minister has returned to the chamber.

PM shaking his head as Nick Thomas Symonds (winding the debate up for Labour) points out the extra checks his own Brexit Sec will be necessary on NI-GB trade.

Thomas Symonds: “This country deserves more than this botched deal and that’s why we’ll vote against it tonight.”

Oliver Letwin says “you don’t have to love the deal, you don’t have to love the programme motion”, even says you might consider them “bad” but they’re better than “the worst.”

It’s not an argument which has gone down brilliantly in the House, on either side...

.@RobertBuckland talking about “need to compromise.” This is a theme repeated by Conservative MPs and I think many genuinely think the govt’s deal is that. The problem is that virtually none of their opponents agree.

Voting now underway on the second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. Think v likely to pass but the majority will be interesting. Gives us some idea of how much margin govt will have to play with for latter stages (some MPs bound to fall away).

The vote after this one, on the programme motion, is the really big one.

WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT BILL (SECOND READING)

AYES: 329
NOES: 299
Maj: 30

Govt win. With a pretty big majority too. You don’t see that every day.

We should take a moment and consider this. Boris Johnson has managed to get the second reading of the WAB past Parliament. He’s done it by uniting the Tory Party around a deal. It’s no mean achievement.

But now for the really big one, the programme motion. I’ve a feeling the future of this country and Brexit hangs in the balance of the next few minutes.

Calm down everyone. The DUP aren’t abstaining. They just took their time riding from the benches. They’ve gone to vote now.

PROGRAMME MOTION

AYES: 308
NOES: 322
Maj: 14

It’s almost certain we won’t be leaving on October 31st

Corbyn says he’ll work with PM to agree a “sensible timetable”

PM says it’s “joyful” that the House “has embraced a deal”

Of course, it hasn’t done that. It’s just passed the Withdrawal Agreement Bill at second reading.

PM says govt must up preparations for a “no deal outcome”. Opposition MPs with heads in their hands.

PM confirms the Withdrawal Agreement Bill “will now be paused”

PM says we will “definitely be leaving the EU with this deal.”

He pointedly did not say, however, that we’d be leaving on October 31st.

Basically, Westminster has ground to a halt. This Parliament cannot deal with Brexit.

It’s all up to Brussels now.

Bercow says Jacob Rees Mogg is going to make a business statement shortly, outlining govt plans.

Nigel Dodds punctures govt hubris, reminding everyone that many MPs voted for the second reading but wishing to see changes and that it does not mean the House has passed the deal.

Oh dear God. This is peak Brexit House of Commons. All arguing about whether or not the second reading of a bill constitutes any sort of defeat.

Can we just be clear.

It’s an achievement to have passed the second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. It’s further than the govt has gone before.

But it is *not* the Commons passing the PM’s deal.

PM has now left the chamber.

.@angelaeagle says PM “is behaving like a two year old.”

Many people, quite naturally, will never have heard of a programme motion before today. It’s worth being clear, they very rarely fail.

Jacob Rees Mogg says he must now make a business statement as a result of the programme failure’s loss.

Says tomorrow and Thursday will now have debates (and presumably votes) on the Queen’s Speech...

Ooh.

These are votes the govt might lose. Which would be big.

If govt loses QS votes will be pressure on Corbyn to table motion of no conf, of extension is agreed.

Several Labour MPs who voted for the WAB urging Rees Mogg to give more time to the bill. Rees Mogg declining to say govt will.

.@IanLaveryMP: "The issue is taking an election off the table. Once that's done we will undoubtedly support a general election."