this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines at four: scotland's first minister takes westminster by surprise as she announces plans to trigger another independence referendum. nicola sturgeon says a second referendum should be held between autumn next year and the spring of 2019, once the terms of the uk's exit from the eu become clear. i believe it would be wrong for scotla nd i believe it would be wrong for scotland to be taken down a path that it has no control over regardless of the consequences for oui’ regardless of the consequences for our economy, oui’ regardless of the consequences for our economy, our society, our regardless of the consequences for our economy, oursociety, our place in the world, our very sense of who we are as a country. instead of playing politics with the future of oui’ playing politics with the future of our country, the scottish government should focus on delivering good government and public services for the people of scotland. politics is not a the people of scotland. politics is nota game. the announcement comes as mps at westminster prepare to vote again on whether to give the prime minister the power to trigger the brexit process. this is the scene live in the house

of commons and we will be bringing you the debate as it happens. i am live in westminster where we will have continuing reaction to that surprise announcement from scotland's first minister. the other main headlines this hour: thousands of commuters are hit by a 24—hour rail strike as union members from three train companies walk out. and the queen launches the baton relay for the 2018 commonwealth games in australia, a 388—dayjourney around the world. scotland's first minister says she

wa nts to scotland's first minister says she wants to trigger a second independence referendum in scotland. nicola sturgeon sichuan to devote between autumn next year 2018, and spring 2019, when the terms of the eu exit for britain are clearer. she said scotland was being taken down a road to ha rd said scotland was being taken down a road to hard brexit over which she had and scotland had no control. everyone was caught by surprise by the announcement. downing street announced it as divisive. theresa may has been a lot stronger in her reaction. this report from lorna gordon. nicola sturgeon has long signalled that a second independence referendum was highly likely. today she said that time had come. i believe that it would be wrong for scotland to be taken down a path that it has no control over regardless of the consequences for our economy, for our society, for our place in the world, for our very sense of who we are as a country.

the first minister and the prime minister met here injuly to discuss scotland's role in the brexit process, with theresa may now on the brink of triggering article 50, ms sturgeon said those negotiations had failed. over the past few months, we have worked hard, really hard to find agreement. the prime minister and her government have been given every opportunity to compromise, but today, as we stand for all we know on the eve of article 50 being triggered, not only is there no uk—wide agreement on the way ahead. but the uk government has not moved an inch in pursuit of compromise and agreement. the tunnel vision the snp has shown today is deeply regrettable, setting scotland on a course for moral uncertainty division, creating huge uncertainty, and this is at a time when the

evidences the scottish people, the majority of the scottish people, do not want a second independence referendum. so instead of playing politics with the future of our country, the scottish government should focus on delivering good government and public services for the people of scotland. the first minister will seek authorisation from the scottish parliament next week for what is called a section 30 order, handing power to hold a referendum from westminster to holyrood. she says she wants the right to hold a referendum between autumn 2018 and spring 2019. the main unionist parties are signalling that, unlike last time, they will campaign separately, not together to keep the uk in tact. it's a little over two years since the people in scotland last voted on whether they wanted independence. expect a very different campaign this time around. lorna gordon, bbc news, edinburgh. let's go to edinburgh to talk to journalist

and author david torrance. here we go again. indeed, if i were to describe the atmosphere it is one of deja vu. it was only two and a half years ago that we were supposed to have settled this question once and for all, and of course various things that were said on both sides will now be thrown back at various counts, not least the promise made by alex salmond and nicola sturgeon that the decision in 2014 was once ina that the decision in 2014 was once in a generation. the difficulty is the divisions those arguments have barely healed. of course there are varying accounts of this. there are two broad narratives, some people argue it was incredibly unpleasant, spilling over into near violence, very divisive. 0thers paint a picture of happiness and democratic

engagement. the truth falls somewhere in between the two. i covered it extensively at the time, it was enormously engaging, but yes, it was enormously engaging, but yes, it points it was also very divisive. it lingers, it has shaped every election since then, not least the general election 2015 when the snp w011 general election 2015 when the snp won all but three seeds. the hollywood election last year, and we have local government elections in may which will doubtless be shaped by this question as well. there was a view nicola sturgeon would only do this if she we re sturgeon would only do this if she were to be pretty sure of winning such a referendum, has she been very brave or did she have no choice? of course she had a choice but her own framing of the question, the rhetoric of highly likely, ever more likely, all but inevitable, it meant this was all but inevitable and really i'm quite surprised downing street and others appear to have

been taken by surprise on this. of course, however nicola sturgeon had a choice, but as she said, however unlikely a compromise agreement seemed, she nowjudges perhaps a little later than she could have done that that is not forthcoming and therefore she has no choice but to hold a referendum. given that this is the snp‘s mantra, how much of this is to do with brexit? this is the snp‘s mantra, how much of this is to do with brexit7m this is the snp‘s mantra, how much of this is to do with brexit? if you know anything about the history of scottish nationals, there tends to bea scottish nationals, there tends to be a conclusion in search of an argument. in the 1970s it was oil, in the 1980s it was thatcher, the decade after that it was opposition to the iraq war or tony blair, and 110w to the iraq war or tony blair, and now it is apparently all about brexit. 0f now it is apparently all about brexit. of course i think underlying it all is a nationalist impulse which simply wants scotland to be independent as it once was and for

scotla nd independent as it once was and for scotland to make most of the decisions that affect it. so yes, i think there is a degree of disingenuousness about some of the arguments they latch onto, but nevertheless, brexit is a pretty good boost to the nationalist cause and a lot of people are saying they don't have a mandate, but to be fair to the snp their manifesto was quite clear last year, that if there was a material change, such as brexit, they would go for another referendum. thank you for your time. all of this comes at a time where brexit could be on the verge of it, some talk that even tomorrow theresa may could begin formal negotiations and trigger article 50. there is a debate scheduled here in the building behind me, scheduled to begin any moment now, which it is thought could give theresa may the green light to go ahead. with the

latest, here is alex forsyth. westminster is gearing up for a fight, but whilst there are protests outside the real battle will take place inside parliament. today, mps and lords will decide whether to sign off the brexit bill. theresa may and her government want it passed today with no changes and those who back brexit agree. we've got to the stage where there are no new arguments being made, no new suggestions being made, so i expect, but we'll have to wait and see, the bill to be passed clean, with no amendments and we will get on with the serious business of our negotiations with our eu friends. the house of lords has already proposed changes to the bill, to protect the rights of eu citizens in the uk and give parliament a say on the final terms of the uk's brexit deal. this afternoon the bill is back before mps who will vote on whether to accept or reject the lords amendments. 0nce they've decided, the bill goes back to the lords this evening. they also have to approve it

and once it is signed off by mps and peers, it gets royal assent. this is just a formality. labour wants changes to the bill before that happens. we will be pushing hard. i hope the government rethinks, and i hope some of the tory mps who are really concerned about these issues will vote with us because that is the only way we can win these amendments. some tories might oppose the government if they don't get a promise that parliament will be able to intervene if the uk doesn't reach an exit deal with the eu. i think we will hear a definite commitment for a vote if we get a deal but many of us will be probing the issue about if we don't get a deal. despite the threat of some tory rebels, it is unlikely there will be enough to defeat the government, and many in the house of lords don't want a prolonged tussle. so, by the end of today, the prime minister could have the power to start the brexit process. some still oppose it. it won't be a smooth road. but our departure from

the eu is getting closer. alex forsyth, bbc news, westminster. so that debate getting under way shortly. let's get more now with our chief political correspondent vicki young. she is in the lobby of the houses of parliament. in fact let's go straight in because the debate has just started. so that actually is a vote taking place in the house of commons on the timetable programme, this is because they want to get through the debates on these two amendments quickly, they will now have a vote so the

debate won't start for 15 minutes while they get that vote out of the way. then there will be around two hours of debate before the votes on the changes, the mp is very likely to boot those out. it will go back to boot those out. it will go back to the house of lords tonight, then a formality, so it clears the way for theresa may to trigger article 50, get the brexit talks under way as soon as tomorrow, but i understand that is incredibly unlikely for it to be this week. downing street have always said it will be by the end of march so i think not this week. next week there are issues because there is a big celebration of the rome treaty going on andi celebration of the rome treaty going on and i don't think it would be wise for the uk government to spoil that party by saying we are leaving the european union and triggering it now, so we are looking towards the end of march before she formally kick—start the process. end of march before she formally kick-start the process. there is an irony, they don't want to start the

whole process because the european union is celebrating. in terms of that timing, the choreography, why was tomorrow ever on the agenda in that case? because it does seem very unlikely now. who knows, downing street have said all along and very clearly, privately, that no decision had been made because of the uncertainty of what is going on in parliament. we have had the defeats by the house of lords, going back to the house of commons these things a lwa ys the house of commons these things always add an element of uncertainty andi always add an element of uncertainty and i think theresa may, not wanting to be pushed into it when there is no need to be, she has always said by the end of march. they already have faced some derailment, they didn't want this process, the bill at all, it was the supreme court that ordered the government to do it this way, but actually by the end of all of this she will still have met the promise, the promise she has been making for so many months, to trigger by the end of march. of

course then how quickly things get under way in course then how quickly things get underway in any course then how quickly things get under way in any serious manner is another unknown because we have french and german elections, some suggestions that actually the real negotiations could still be some months away. the first of these two amendments they are speaking about this evening, the future of eu citizens living in this country and whether they should be guaranteed their positions in this country, thatis their positions in this country, that is something, there is a lot of pressure on theresa may to act on sooner rather than later. is there a chance that once article 50 is triggered she could make a unilateral offer to the eu and say thatis unilateral offer to the eu and say that is our position, we will guarantee our eu citizens in this country and therefore probably, even if she doesn't say it, expect the same back from the eu? it is hard to know how she will deal with this. she and other eu countries have said it will be a priority but the relu cta nce it will be a priority but the reluctance on the half of the uk

government to do it unilaterally is because they say there are many brits living abroad and we need the same guarantee for them, but it could be that once she triggers the formal process, that is what has held this up. some countries saying we cannot discuss this, it is in your hands, you are the ones that can your hands, you are the ones that ca n start your hands, you are the ones that can start negotiations formally and you need to do that. but there is a chance she will make this generous offer. 0n the other hand it is the kind of thing they can get sorted pretty quickly because there is a clamour here amongst tory mps and others, the house of lords were very agitated about it, that it simply wasn't fair on these 3 million people who have come to this country and have settled here, they need some certainty, they need that guarantee. let's have a look at what is happening in the house of commons. you reckon what, ten or 15 minutes before the debate gets under

way? yes, this is simply to say they will get through this in the next two hours, so it will be some time after six o'clock. thank you very much. rebecca, iwill after six o'clock. thank you very much. rebecca, i will hand after six o'clock. thank you very much. rebecca, iwill hand back after six o'clock. thank you very much. rebecca, i will hand back to you, but you will be back with us at half past. we will look forward to it. the headlines on bbc news: nicola sturgeon announces plans to trigger a second independence referendum in scotland. theresa may accuses her of "playing politics" with the future of the uk. it comes as mps at westminster prepare to vote again on whether to give the prime minister the power to start the brexit process. and the queen launches the baton relay for the 2018 commonwealth games in australia. in sport, durban will not host the 2022 commonwealth games. it had been facing financial problems after being awarded the event two years

ago. chris froome says he is sorry for the way team sky have handled questions on his record on doping. dave bra ilsford questions on his record on doping. dave brailsford said without him there is no team sky. and chelsea and jose mourinho's manchester united compete for the final fa cup semifinal place tonight. royals led by the queen and prince philip are at westminster abbey for the commonwealth service. it's the annual celebration of the commonwealth of nations held in march each year. they are now processing out of the

abbey. there will be a procession of commonwealth flags, where the queen and other members of the royal family will meet people involved in the service, but the service which started at about quarter past three this afternoon is the largest annual interfaith gathering in the united kingdom. the commonwealth of course 52 countries, and comprises 52 billion people. each year there is a theme, and this year the theme is at peace building commonwealth. 0ur correspondent has also been watching the service. the commonwealth of course very important to her majesty the queen, daniela, but she is also

very important to the commonwealth, isn't she? yes, it is very much a mutual relationship i suppose, in terms of the queen and the commonwealth itself. today is commonwealth itself. today is commonwealth day and this service at westminster abbey which is just finishing is very much about celebrating what the commonwealth represents and what can be achieved by all these separate nations working together, but also i think in some ways celebrating the queen's role in the commonwealth. as head of the commonwealth, her ability to ride any diplomatic problems, any rivalries between countries and be this figurehead and symbol of solidarity when it comes to those commonwealth nations. she has been head of the commonwealth since she ascended to the thrown. then there we re ascended to the thrown. then there were seven commonwealth nations, now there are 52 in all. she has been a

great supporter of it as an organisation, as the bells ring to mark the end of the service. she has been a great advocate of what the commonwealth can achieve and what can be done by working together. she has visited all of those 52 commonwealth countries bar just has visited all of those 52 commonwealth countries barjust two, cameroon and rwanda. she hasn't quite managed to get there but she has been to all of the other countries, including remote pacific island nations, and she has been a great supporter of the commonwealth. during the service we saw in the order of service her commonwealth message, released today, which gives a flavour of how she views the commonwealth. she talks about collaborating with other nations in the spirit of goodwill, about peace and understanding, looking out for one another, using consensus and cooperation to manage any difficulties that any countries may have. she leaves here following the commonwealth service at westminster abbey. as you speak we are watching

pictures from inside the abbey of the queen meeting various dignitaries and other people who took part in the service. there was 2000 people in the congregation, can you give us a 2000 people in the congregation, can you give us a sense 2000 people in the congregation, can you give us a sense of who was there? as you mentioned earlier this is the largest interfaith service held over any year so it is enormously important in terms of representing different faiths. represented here was thejewish community, sikh, hindu, buddhist, many faiths represented here, many who took part in the service is reading a prayer or contributing in other ways. we also heard an address from the prime minister of malta,

and also in the congregation a number of celebrities and ambassadors, and 800 schoolchildren representing the different nations of the commonwealth. a varied congregation amongst those 2000 people who are here. and the queen just emerging onto the steps of the abbey, accompanied by the dean. she has been presented, as we can see, with a bouquet of flowers. what happens for the rest of the day? there is a reception this evening at buckingham palace, again to recognise commonwealth day. the queen isn't due to be attending that but it will be attended by other senior members of the royal family including the prince of wales, prince harry, the duchess of cornwall, the duke of york, the earl of wessex, prince edward, and they will be involved in that reception tonight. 0ne added element to what

happened at westminster abbey today was the fact that dame jessica ennis—hill took in that commonwealth baton. we saw today the commonwealth baton. we saw today the commonwealth baton ahead of the commonwealth games in australia leaving buckingham palace as part of its year—long journey to the gold coast, but also as part of the service today dame jessica ennis—hill took it to the abbey and speaking to her earlier she said she was incredibly nervous about the role she had today, just as nervous as entering an olympic stadium. as you say, it has been a busy day for the queen because she started the baton relay, this is ahead of the 2018 games in australia, and am i right inside that baton there is a special message? that's like, a special personal message from the queen inserted into a separate section at the side of the baton which won't be

opened until next year when it reaches the gold coast in australia. it has been written on some special paper to make sure it doesn't disintegrate over the year as the baton is taken around the commonwealth nations. i should say about the commonwealth games itself that it about the commonwealth games itself thatitis about the commonwealth games itself that it is an important significant sporting event but it is also an important event for the commonwealth asa important event for the commonwealth as a kind of showcase for these commonwealth nations, what they achieve, what they do, what their sporting success could be, there are idiosyncrasies in many ways as well, so it is an important platform for the commonwealth itself. next april during the commonwealth games the queen will be almost 92 so it is unlikely she will go to the commonwealth games, but we can expect to see senior members of the royalfamily there. expect to see senior members of the royal family there. we are watching as the queen leaves westminster abbey and i think the baton leaves the uk in the next few days for the

first leg of its commonwealth tour. as you say, it is going to visit all of the commonwealth territories. give us a sense of its routes. yes, it is going round every single one of those 52 commonwealth nations, some of them will be expansive countries like canada, some will be much smaller island nations that make up the commonwealth. the route ta kes make up the commonwealth. the route takes it up mountains, across rivers and land, it has a 388 dayjourney to the gold coast in australia, arriving in april next year. ok, we will go straight to the house of commons, where mps are beginning what is expected to be their final examination of a short bill that will give theresa may the power to trigger brexit. we will consider lords amendment number two and the government motion to disagree, to move the notion to disagree with lords amendment number one i call

the secretary of state for exiting the secretary of state for exiting the european union. secretary david davis. we introduce the most straightforward possible bill necessary to respect the supreme court'sjudgment. this necessary to respect the supreme court's judgment. this bill necessary to respect the supreme court'sjudgment. this bill has a simple purpose, to allow the prime minister to notify under article 50 and start the two year negotiation process. indeed the house of commons has already accepted this, voting overwhelmingly to pass the bill on amended last month. the house accepted the majority of people now wa nt accepted the majority of people now want the prime minister to get on with the job want the prime minister to get on with thejob in hand want the prime minister to get on with the job in hand without any strings attached. despite the simple purpose of this bill it has generated many hours of debate across both houses and quite properly so, i should say, to those who debate that. 0ver properly so, i should say, to those who debate that. over the last five weeks we have seen parliament at its best. 0n weeks we have seen parliament at its best. on all books and right

honourable members and peers have spoken with passion, sincerity and conviction. however i was disappointed the house of lords voted to amend this bill, which is just the next step in a long democratic process surrounding our exit from the european union. it will continue with legislation ranging from a bill converting existing european law into uk law, toa existing european law into uk law, to a range of specific bills we expect to introduce such as on immigration. parliament will be closely involved in all of these important discussions and decisions. as we embark... 0ne second. as we embark on the forthcoming negotiations, we will not do anything which will undermine the national interest including the interests of british citizens living in the eu, and we will not enter the negotiations with our hands tied. this is not to say i don't appreciate the concern that lie

behind the amendments, it is not the ends we disagree on but the means andi ends we disagree on but the means and i will attempt to address these individually after i have given way. many members in this house have wanted to have a meaningful vote on the government's terms of negotiation which he defined yesterday. when does he expect this vote to come to this place, and indeed to the other parliaments it will come to? when roughly within the two year period does he expect the two year period does he expect the house to get a vote even on his terms? i will come to the detail of the answer to that later, but in broad terms it is impossible to predict when by the month, but the formal words i crafted before was we intend and expect it to be before the european parliament votes on the same matter, so it will fit within the ratification process at the

beginning, but as soon as we get the negotiation and it is soon to know when that will be. amendment 16 to require the government to act unilaterally to bring forward plans within three months to secure the status of european union and eea citizens and their family members living in the uk. 0n citizens and their family members living in the uk. on this matter, the government has been clear, we wa nt to the government has been clear, we want to secure the status of eu citizens already living in britain and the status of british nationals living in other member states as early as we can. i will give way to the honourable gentleman, but there is going to be a time limit. many people want to speak so i will limit the number of interventions i take. as somebody who is married to an eu citizen without a british passport, cani citizen without a british passport, can i say i wholeheartedly support this government's approach to it and it is right we get reciprocity before we go ahead with any agreement with the rest of the eu. before we go ahead with any

agreement with the rest of the eui thank the honourable gentleman both for his intervention and for warming the house up. european citizens already resident in the united kingdom make a vital contribution to our economy and our society, including working in crucial public services like the national health service. without them we would be poorer... in a moment. however, the european union has been clear that we cannot open these discussions until the prime minister has given formal notification that the uk wishes to withdraw from the european union. that, mr speaker, is why we must pass the straightforward bill without further delay, so the prime ministers can get to work on the negotiations and we can secure a quick deal that secures the status of both european union citizens in the uk and also uk nationals living in the eu, of which there are around

1 million. we take very seriously, i ta ke very 1 million. we take very seriously, i take very seriously our moral responsibility to all 4 million united kingdom and european union citizens. the prime minister being clear that this is one of the top priorities for the immediate negotiations. i also welcome the encouraging words from across the channel, particularly from poland and sweden which filled me with confidence that we will reach a swift agreement with our european partners. as indeed the polish prime minister said: of course these guarantees will need to be reciprocal. it is also important to guarantee that british citizens living and working in other european states will have. i did undertake to give way to the honourable gentleman there and then i will come back. is he aware of the survey by the general medical council showing two thirds of eu doctors are thinking now of leaving and in general, eu

citizens tend to be younger and working relative to their cou nterpa rts working relative to their counterparts who are older and more retired abroad. so wouldn't he accept there is an immediate need to unilaterally act in good faith to set the agenda to get reciprocation rather than holding out until the final moment? i hear what the honourable gentleman said and as i said before these issues are serious and importantand said before these issues are serious and important and people hold these views passionately and with good reason. but the government has been very plain and what it intends. it intends to guarantee the rights of both british and european citizens, and it will do that as quickly as possible which i will return to in a second. i'm extremely grateful to my right honourable friend and i am interested to hear what he has to say about prioritising the negotiations as far as eu citizens and british citizens are concerned. he has said that the negotiations could stretch up to two years, but there is no reason at all why an agreement should not come a lot

earlier as far as the eu and british citizens are concerned. will he give a guarantee that once agreement is made, that it will be made public in order to put out of misery the trauma that these people may be facing at this moment in time? he makes a good point because it may be that we need treaty change to actually putting law the guarantees we wa nt actually putting law the guarantees we want to put in place, but i would aim to get all of the member states, andindeed aim to get all of the member states, and indeed the commission and the council to commit, even if it is an exchange of letters, so that everybody knows what their rights are and what their rights would be, and therefore deal with the issues the honourable gentleman raised quite properly over people being afraid of things they should not be afraid of things they should not be afraid of. and this is very dependent, of course, on the commitment of other member states as well as ourselves, and as i said, the polish prime minister has made

the polish prime minister has made the point publicly here, but every single minister, of every single member state that i have spoken to on the continent, in their countries are here visiting, have reinforced the point they want this to be at the point they want this to be at the top of the agenda. they want this to be dealt with first, and thatis this to be dealt with first, and that is what we intend to do and it would help to achieve that. forgive me, because i do have to make some progress. this amendment may well force the uk, sorry, the amendment being proposed may force the uk to set out unilateral plans in any case. such an approach would only serve to undermine the very tense i have been talking about, and hamper a quick resolution for those concerned. i also want to reassure people that parliament would have a clear opportunity to debate and vote on this issue in future, before anything else happens. the great

repeal bill will not change our immigration system. this will be done through a separate immigration bill and subsequent secondary legislation. so nothing, nothing will change for any eu citizen in the uk, without parliament's explicit approval beforehand. i give way to the honourable lady. explicit approval beforehand. i give way to the honourable ladylj explicit approval beforehand. i give way to the honourable lady. i am very grateful to the secretary of state for giving way, and given this government's track record on contingency handling is as bad as the brexit process, i want to ask that if it is the case that the government is not going to protect the position of eu nationals, and it then becomes the case that the position of eu nationals is not protected, has the secretary of state given consideration to a deportation process than? the honourable lady knows me very well. well, that is the point. i

think it is frankly incredible to me that anyone would imagine that me, i for people, would sign up to a deportation process. the answer here is simple. and i make the point again, itake is simple. and i make the point again, i take as a moral responsibility the future guarantees of the future of all 4 million citizens, european union and uk together. now, ifi citizens, european union and uk together. now, if i may move onto the next issue. i will now discuss issues created by the second clause of this bill. let me be clearfrom the outset, this does not seek to put what we promised on the face of the bill, it in fact seeks to go much further. let me begin with sub clauses 123 which do simply seek to put our commitment to vote on the face of the bill. i will repeat here our commitment. the government will

bring forward a motion on a final agreement to be approved by both houses of parliament before it is concluded. we expect and intend that this will happen before the european parliament debates and votes on the final issue. this commitment could not be clearer, and so sub clauses 1-3 not be clearer, and so sub clauses 1—3 are wholly and necessary. —— unnecessary. this is our clear intention, and intentions stated more than once at this dispatch box and it is far more likely that we will bring a deal back to the houses of parliament for them to approve. i give way to the honourable lady. i'm grateful to the secretary of state for giving way. if you're so confident about this, why can't he allow the rest of us to be confident by agreeing to amendment two from the house of lords? because i said last week it is unnecessary. when a minister gives an undertaking at this dispatch box that this house, thatis this dispatch box that this house, that is binding on the government.

that point? binding on the government. and on a more general point here, on a more general point on votes, we should not underestimate, i say this with some personal interest, we should not underestimate the mechanisms that parliament's disposal to underestimate the mechanisms that pa rliament‘s disposal to ensure underestimate the mechanisms that parliament's disposal to ensure that its voices heard. to paraphrase lord howard posner wise words in a debate on this matter on the amendment being debated in the other place, this place will have its say and will have its way. we do not need to put this into legislation and making legislation where none is required only benefits lawyers. i give way. cani only benefits lawyers. i give way. can i thank my right honourable friend for giving way? he is a member of long standing in this house and he recognises, as i think to other members, that parliament will find a way to have a say, whether a deal is reached or whether

no deal is reached. if he recognises that, would he agree with me that it would be better of the government officially recognised that position from the dispatch box?|j officially recognised that position from the dispatch box? i will reiterate the point. of course parliament can, if it wishes, have a debate on any issue, that is a matter for parliament. it is not for a minister to try and constrain that, least of all this minister who has used those opportunities before this day. but let me get to the point behind this, i agree with her on that, but what we cannot have, which is where i am coming to the second aspect of this amendment, is any suggestion that the votes in either house will overturn the result of the referendum. that is the key point. i give way. mr speaker, isn't that exactly the point, it would completely cripple the government trying to get a really good dealfor the government trying to get a really good deal for the the government trying to get a really good dealfor the uk? this is

the time for parliament to get behind the country who made the decision and get the best deal. you cannot do that if the eu thinks they cannot do that if the eu thinks they can undermine us? on that point this brings me to sub—clause four. this clause effectively seeks to prohibit the prime ministerfrom clause effectively seeks to prohibit the prime minister from walking away from negotiations, even if the priming us to think the european union is offering her about very bad deal. even the intent goes far beyond what we have offered or could accept. the government would be undertaking these negotiations and must have the freedom to walk away from a deal which sets out to punish the uk for the decision to leave the eu, as some in europe have suggested. 0f eu, as some in europe have suggested. of course, we are seeking a mutually unofficial relationship that we believe can and will work for everyone, but tying the government's hands in this way, could be the worst way of trying to achieve that deal. let us not

forget, in december, this house passed a motion that nothing should be done to try and undermine the negotiated position of the government. i give way to the honourable gentleman.” government. i give way to the honourable gentleman. i thank the minister. the minister is asking us to ta ke minister. the minister is asking us to take him at his word on trust. given the record of the party opposite on manifestos doesn't the same principle of trust applied?” said before and i will say it again, i'd take statements at this dispatch box as binding. the point that is important here is the idea that parliament could force the government to accept a bad deal will only incentivise those on the other side of the negotiating table to deliver such a bad deal. as the lords european union select committee said it self, the

government will conduct the negotiations on the half of the united kingdom and like any negotiator it will need room to manoeuvre if it is to secure a good outcome. i will give way.” manoeuvre if it is to secure a good outcome. iwill give way. iam manoeuvre if it is to secure a good outcome. iwill give way. i am most grateful to my right honourable friend for giving way. no one in this house as far as i'm aware, wishes to better the government's hand in negotiation, or indeed the government's right to walk away from the negotiations. the issue in sub—clause four, is about the question about whether the government comes back to this house to explain its plan and policy in the event of that happening. i would expect that to be inevitable, and yet curious to, when we have sought assurances from the government, that they would do that, which seems to need to be blindingly obvious, to keep on being told that they won't give that insurance. i do find that a bit odd and i wonder if he could

clarify? my right honourable friend and old friend makes a good point. the simple truth here however, as i have said before, is that nothing can constrain it has‘s right to debate and vote on anything it sees fit. what i am dealing with here is sub—clause four. there are even bigger problems with sub—clause four. during a debate on this issue in the other house, the author of this amendment admitted he did not know what would happen if parliament voted against leaving the eu without a deal. this uncertainty is a strong argument against putting this amendment into statute. however, a significant number of lord supported this amendment, lords such as lord wigley and baroness kennedy and they made their intentions clear. but if parliament word to vote against

leaving without a deal, the uk should seek to remain in the eu and reverse the results of the referendum. and i should say to my honourable and right honourable friend is, that the european union member states and the european union institutions read the proceedings of this house very closely and they will have read that and it will have raised their interest, because that is precisely what they would like to see happen. whilst this has been badged as a meaningful vote, the reality is some would seek to use this to overturn the results of the referendum. the government and prime minister... good idea comes from across the floor. that is exactly what concerns us. the government and the prime minister have been crystal clear, the people of the united kingdom have seeped to leave you —— have sought to leave the european union. we seek to do this in a way which is most beneficial. what we

will not do is accept anything that will not do is accept anything that will put the intention to leave the european union in doubt. will my honourable friends forgive me, any prospect that we might actually decide to remain in the european union would only serve to encourage those on the other side to give us the worst possible deal in the hope they will do exactly that. so this amendment not only restrains the negotiating power of the government, it creates uncertainty, complications and lessening the chances of a mutually beneficial deal that we are seeking. i reiterate the three points. first, the bill is brought forward to represent the referendum result, respect the supreme court and nothing else. second, these amendments are necessary as the government has already made a firm commitment to both of the issues, third these amendments will undermine the government's position in negotiations to get the best deal for britain and that cannot be in

the national interest. therefore, it is clear to the government that we should send back to the house of lords clean bill in this house has already expressed its support and i asked to repeat that support once again. the question is that this house disagrees with the lords in amendment numberone. so keir starmer. thank you, mr speaker, i rise to support both amendments which have been passed in the other place. they started life as labour amendments that the committee stage and labour peers led on them and voted on them in the other place and they will be supported by labour mps here today. the question, mr speaker, is whether honourable members opposite are willing to listen to the arguments in favour of the amendments which i know many are sympathetic to and have concerns about, or will they go along with the prime minister's

increasing of session to pass a clea n increasing of session to pass a clean bill on amended, even if that means ignoring amendments which will improve the bill and provide much better protection? i willjust make some progress. i know lots of members want to speak and the more i give way now, the more irritating it is for those who want to make their own contribution. mr speaker, the government is about to embark on the most complex and challenging undertaking of any british government since the second world war. the deal is the government make will have a profound effect on british life. it is essential the government does not take the country down the wrong path, starting with guaranteeing the rights of eu nationals and ending with having a meaningful vote will guard against that phase. let me turn to the amendment on eu nationals. my question is, what is the problem? this is not about delay. the way to

prevent delay is to accept the amendment and get on with it. secondly, what is the amendment? the amendment is to bring forward proposals within three months of exercising the power to trigger article 15. the secretary of state says would we want an early deal? if it is within three months, no problem with the amendment. the amendment only affects the government's approach. if it doesn't getan government's approach. if it doesn't get an early deal, and that is why it is so important, and to convey this or portray this as a delaying tactic is not to read the amendment and not to appreciate what it says, within three months to bring forward proposals. i will give way. i have listened carefully to the argument he is making. 4 million people are affected by this. i would put to him that all 4 million should be dealt with fairly and on a level playing field and you can only get that from this atrocity. this

amendment is not bad. -- read bristol... this is a matter of principle. are we prepared. i have not even set out the principle yet. are we prepared to use one set of people, those who are here, as a bargaining chip to get the right settle m e nt bargaining chip to get the right settlement for people? that is exactly what it is. 0nce settlement for people? that is exactly what it is. once the whole argument about reciprocal rights is about bargaining. it says we will not do what we should do by this group of people, until we get something for it. i will give way. the minister seeks to persuade us that simply because he has stated from the dispatch box that this will all be fine and dandy, that that is the end of the matter, because as he

said several times, quite inaccurately, a ministerial statement from the dispatch box is legally binding. surely the truth is, it's no more legally binding when a minister says something from the dispatch box than to say it is legally binding from the dispatch box? the secretary of state said it was binding as faras the secretary of state said it was binding as far as he was concerned. that is not the same as a legal commitment and the secretary of state can change and governments can change. that is why we need a commitment on the face of this. let me fast forward to the second amendment on that point. if there is really no problem with clauses one, two and three, why not accept them with an amendment to clause four and put them on the face of the bill.

this is becoming an obsession with a clea n this is becoming an obsession with a clean bill, our bill must not be amended even when it is right and proper to do so. i'm going to make progress because it is not fair... i will give way. i'm very grateful to my learned friend. how does he a nswer my learned friend. how does he answer the brexit secretary's point this afternoon, and that was if and when we pass this bill, and it is given royal assent, the first priority of the government will be to negotiate both the rights of people here who are from europe and also our citizens abroad ? people here who are from europe and also our citizens abroad? does he not accept that if we pass this tonight, and give those rights to european citizens here, there is no incentive whatsoever for the other european countries to actually see the two hours? —— to actually

proceeded to hours?” the two hours? —— to actually proceeded to hours? i think it is important to focus on the words in the amendment which is to bring forward proposals in three months. that is not tie anybody‘s hands. if this is resolved within three months, and i hope it is for the sake of eu citizens living here and uk citizens living abroad, then this makes no problems. this only causes problems in the government does not succeed. the labour party has been pushing the government guaranteed eu rights for months. the right honourable member for league first tabled an amendment on this injuly that the government has refused to ta ke that the government has refused to take unilateral action. i do remind the house the words of the international trade secretary when he said last year, to guarantee these rights to eu scissors and would be to hand over one of our main cards in the negotiations. i am

going to make progress. we do not believe eu nationals are bargaining chips andi believe eu nationals are bargaining chips and i think many members agree. there are 3.2 million eu nationals who have made their homes and careers in the uk. thousands defied a job in the nhs and our universities and public services. they are friends, colleagues and neighbours. it is often said they make a contribution to a society. they are also our society. this is a matter of principle and decency and we should not bring any unnecessary uncertainty in distress into their lives but that is the result of what is happening to the government —— as a result of the government's approach. let me read an extract from the brexit report which says they have heard wide range of concerns from eu nationals including stress, anxiety and feelings of

oppression to practical concerns pensions, health care, children being abused in school playgrounds and worries over the ability to work in the future.". what have we come to this week cannot deal with those levels of anxiety and stress. many members of the house will have seen this in their own constituency surgeries, i certainly have, families coming to me in tears because of the situation they find themselves in. it is time for the government to act and increasingly, it is only the prime minister and the government who think otherwise. trade unions and other campaigns have made a powerful and compelling case for this to be dealt with now, as has the brexit select committee in its conclusions. labour support this amendment not only because it is the right thing to do in principle but because it would help with the negotiations by setting the right tone. we have to make it clear

to our european partners that although we are leaving the eu we are not severing our ties. we want to have a collaborative uncooperative future with our european parliament. we want our closest a nd european parliament. we want our closest and nearest allies to be strong and for the uk to prosper. we know that in the future citizens will be rich and happier if we work together with our eu partners to meet common challenges. that message is vital in securing our nation's future. i think -- thank my honourable friend forgiving way. doesn't he agree that given the mixed record out of our foreign secretary, and with the commitment to save for the nhs, and does he think it is right that we should show commitment by landing up for eu migrants and supporting this amendment? i'm grateful for that

intervention and i agree the tone the government sets is very important as the go up to the beginning of the negotiations. from my are discussions with representatives from brussels, i can tell the house about some of the jokes which have been made about the reasons why our eu partners fill so strongly about the eu have not been well received. passing this amendment tonight would help set the right tone. mr speaker, i'm going to move on to the question of the meaningful vote in the second amendment. i remind the house that as recently as december, the prime minister was refusing to guarantee that parliament would be able to agree on whatever agreement the government reaches with the eu commission. under pressure, that position changed earlier this year, but it was only when labour tabled an amendment to the bill that the

government made a set of commitments to the floor of the house. they were set out by the men of the fluid west and repeated now by the secretary of state first —— the member of fluid west. second that parliament would get a vote on not only the so—called divorce settlement but also on an agreement with the future of the european union and thirdly that the votes in this parliament would take place before any vote in the european parliament. the lords amendments that we are considering simply put these commitments onto the face of the bill and that is why it is so wrong in principle for the government to accept them.” it is so wrong in principle for the government to accept them. i thank my honourable friend forgiving way. is he aware of the poll published in the last two hours which show a clear majority of the british public support meaningful vote on this with 5296 support meaningful vote on this with 52% supporting a vote and only 27%

saying other way? studio: we are going to leave that debate. the two amendments which have come back from the lords are being discussed there. keir starmer saying it would be wrong to use eu citizens living in the uk as bargaining chips and saying the prime minister was obsessed with having a clean brexit bill. plenty more on that coming up at five with huw edwards and also more from the scotla nd huw edwards and also more from the scotland first minister on her plans to trigger a second independence referendum in scotland. now time for the weather. hello, we have seen some sunshine. there will be some outbreaks of rain running through northern scotland. this area of light and patchy rain spreading through the west of scotla nd spreading through the west of scotland and northern ireland reaching parts of northern england by morning. plenty of cloud to start

the day tomorrow. misty and murky in the day tomorrow. misty and murky in the west. you will encounter some patchy light rain. it could turn down later in the afternoon. plenty of heavy showers across northern scotla nd of heavy showers across northern scotland with gusty winds. as we look to england and wales, there will be a few brighter breaks, especially to the east and far south—east where some may get to 18 celsius. it is a mild day once again. it looks pretty quiet for wednesday and thursday. by the end of the week it will be cooler, windy and wet. —— wet turf. today at 5: nicola sturgeon says scotland must hold another

referendum on independence. theresa may says it's a case of tunnel vision. scotland's first minister says a referendum should take place by the spring of 2019 once the terms of the final brexit deal are clear. i believe that it would be wrong for scotland to be taken down a path that it has no control over, regardless of the consequences for our economy, for our society, for our place in the world, for our very sense of who we are as a country. but the response from downing street is forthright — accusing the scottish government of losing sight of the main issues.