he inclined to take with the uk, he said today that the pressure was now on the uk and you heard him saying in the report that he expected the uk to come back and ask for more time, his europe minister today said the problem is uk politicians and they could not agree on anything. who holds the whip hand? i think we see a pragmatic coming together of both and if any thing pragmatism won until now but we will see as the pressure goes on who digs in most and if that deadline continues to creep closer without resolution, people will face some tough choices. this i mentioned earlier that we had some detail on the meeting between nigel dodds, the parliamentary leader of the dup, and arlene foster, talking to the pm about where we go. these are the pictures

of that meeting. arlene foster said ina of that meeting. arlene foster said in a short statement that lessons would need to be learnt from the vote in parliament and the issue of the backstop needs to be dealt with and they would continue to work to that end. many of you will still be confused by what happens now over the brexit withdrawal agreement , the backstop and the irish border. at 8.30pm we'll be putting your questions to allie renison — head of europe and trade policy at the institute of directors, and bbc northern ireland's economics & business editor, john campbell. you can tweet them to #bbcask this — or email askthis@bbc.co.uk get all your questions together and send them in to those addresses and thatis send them in to those addresses and that is just for viewers in the uk, i should stress. i'm christian fraser live at westminster.

the headlines... theresa may is back in the house of commons to face a vote of no confidence in her government. after last night's historic defeat on her brexit deal, the prime minister faces mps once more to fight for her future. this is the scene in the commons — mps have been debating for more than five hours now. they will vote at 7pm. the prime minister has lost control and the government has lost the ability to govern. it would deepen division when we need unity. it would bring chaos when we need certainty. and it would bring delay when we need to move forward. there's been shock in other parts of the eu over the scale of the parliamentary defeat. brussels says it's up to the uk government to clarify how it wants to proceed. so many crying for certainty out

there in the uk and particularly business so we can speak to scottish and philanthropist sir tom hunter who was scotland ‘s first billionaire and he joins who was scotland ‘s first billionaire and hejoins us who was scotland ‘s first billionaire and he joins us from glasgow. share with us your thoughts andi glasgow. share with us your thoughts and i suppose your frustrations. goodness, where do we start?! i think the parliamentary process has broken down and it has let down every single person in the uk. i think we have to go back to basics here. why are we leaving the eu? i think that has been lost in this whole debacle that has came about. and when someone asked me in the office today, what is happening and what is the benefits of leaving the eu?! what is the benefits of leaving the eu? i couldn't actually answer. i

found myself really annoyed because i'm really found myself really annoyed because i‘ m really interested found myself really annoyed because i'm really interested in this and i think it will affect everything a person in the uk, and therefore it has been lost in this farce which is the westminster process. so, what i would like to see happen, i think it is pretty obvious that the government is going to win the vote tonight, but so what? and then what? i think we had to put it back to the people. i think the mps couldn't agree whether it was wednesday or thursday quite frankly, and it is a disgrace. therefore, the only practical solution for me is to actually say, here are the facts now, because, remember, at the time we voted in 2016, we were actually lied to. we were told there would be £350 million a week coming back to fund our nhs. what we actually found

that there is a check going other way for £39 billion. i didn't hear that figure before i voted and i don't know if anybody else did. i'm open to suggestion with all this. if somebody can tell me the key reasons why we are leaving the eu and this is what it needs to look like, that would be brilliant. but not one of these mps has articulated that. it isa these mps has articulated that. it is a disgrace and it needs to be put back to the people. let me ask you about business and the reaction of business in scotland. 0bviously about business and the reaction of business in scotland. obviously a lot of them had been delaying contingency plans but were getting to the point where they cannot delay any further. art some of them pressing the button and what do they make of the situation, that no deal is still on the table? in our business, we had a big decision to make and we debated brexit, what does it mean, what does it mean if a

jeremy corbyn government gets in, and we came to the conclusion that we couldn't work it out. tomorrow we are going to announce a multi—million pound investment and we cannot delay any longer. but some businesses do not have that luxury. i think we have heard nothing else but brexit for the past two years. there are many, many other things important to the people of the uk. the education system, the health service, how we pay for it all, which is business, and the tax we pgy- which is business, and the tax we pay. therefore it is time to draw this to an end. i only think the way we can draw it to an end is to say, here are the facts, do we want it or not? and let the people decide. 0k, sir tom hunter, always gratefulfor your thoughts. these are the live

scenes from the house of commons. we will take you to that debate when tom watson stands up to close the labour side of the debate and then we will hear from michael gove as well before they go out to vote. but before that, we can go to the lobby because vicki young has some gas with her. the chat is that everybody thinks the government will win this —— some guests. there is more talk about the defeat last night because people are trying to see what is the route out of this. we understand theresa may is likely to stand up if and when she wins that vote and say something a little more, i don't know how detailed it will be but i think the tone of what she says and what she talks about reaching out and having meetings with other parties, that seems likely. i am joined by the former conservative cabinet minister grant shapps. is the way through this parliament are seizing control of the agenda? maybe

load votes seizing control of the agenda? maybe what .oad votes seizing control of the agenda? maybe what .oad are votes seizing control of the agenda? maybe what .oad are in - votes seizing control of the agenda? maybe what.oad are in - ' of? ; seizing control of the agenda? maybe what load‘ are in - v of? i the is that say that is true, not an are arm; ”man" ' and are" , fl forward. i forwar even if we give a mishmash of that mighbgive a mishmashafvates that mightgive a mishmashafvates different if we that mightgive a mishmashafvates different - if we went down with different views if we went down that route, it still would not pass the legislation to put it in action and particular not if it was something that downing street did not want to see happen. as you say, you still need a government. a lot of people saying, could the prime minister move towards a customs union, something that labour might well accept? is that a possibility? some have said that would split your party. i think it would. you already saw last night 118 colleagues who voted against the prime minister's deal. in december you saw 117 voting

against the prime minister herself. i think it would be easy or possible for her to cuddle up to the labour side if you like, maybe get them on board with a custom union, single market, but she will find that when she brings it back to the house she cannot get it through and you are back to square one. we are talking about the numbers and a general election is the one where you could change the numbers, or you could go for another referendum of folsom are either of those likely?” for another referendum of folsom are either of those likely? i think the relentless logic that nobody has really been talking about since last night because we have moved on to this vote of no confidence, the relentless logic is that we are, although people don't realise it, on the route towards an early general election. nothing else is going to sort out the maths in this parliament to sort out this brexit mess that the country is in. but who activates that? you need a government to do that or a lot of tory mps to vote for it. the law is now, with the fixed term parliament

act, the same thing we are voting on with this vote of no confidence, that says that if two thirds of parliament vote for an early general election, you can have one and that is what happened in 2017. in that case it happened because the prime minister herself said, let's have that early election. every opposition party would always vote for one. when the prime minister says, come on, let's vote for it, parliament will and you get to that two thirds threshold. i think it is also not impossible, although i think unlikely, that, with the same size rebellion, if you like, as last night, you could potentially get to a general election even if downing street was not pushing it directly. what we saw last night would put you into a two thirds majority and therefore a general election. more likely, and i don't think this is for one moment what theresa may or anyone in damning things, particularly given their experience in 2017, with the really difficult

general election for her, but i think the logic eventually, whether it is three months, six months, nine months, is that we have to break this impasse somehow and changing the numbers in here, through a general election, that is the way to do that. if they feel they are slightly ahead in the polls, that is more likely to happen. thank you very much. back to you, christian. we are going to the house of commons. tom watson has taken to his feet. it is an unenviable task to summarise this debate today and to ask members of this house to pass judgment on her stewardship of our country. first, let me say very clearly that i am not one of those people who questions her motives. i agree with the honourable member for stirling who claimed she was motivated by public duty. i don't doubt that she has sincerely attempted to fulfil the task given

to us by the voters in this referendum. i have no doubt as well that she has tried her best and given it her all. but she has failed. and i'm afraid the failure is hers. and it is hers alone. and i'm certain that every member of this house admired her resilience, to suffer the humiliation is on a global stage that she has done would have finished off weaker people far sooner. yet the reality is that if the prime minister really sat down and thought carefully about the implications of that defeat last night for our country, she would have resigned. throughout history, 5: their 5:5 is i their is this prime minister has fl last act of defiance. not “ust

one last act of defiance. notjust defying the laws of politics but defying the laws of politics but defying the laws of politics but defying the laws of mathematics. and it was disraeli who said, a majority is always better than the best repartee. she is a prime minister without a majority for a flagship policy with no authority and no plan b. 432 policy with no authority and no plan b. a32 to policy with no authority and no plan b. 432 to 202. mr speaker, that is not a mere flesh wound! no one doubts her determination, which is generally an admirable quality, but misapplied, it can be toxic. and the cruellest truth of all is that she does not possess the necessary skills, the political skills, the empathy, the ability and, most crucially, the policy to lead this country any longer. now, i know

there are many good people in the government. they will be examining their consciences as the clock runs down on these brexit negotiations. because she has refused to resign, we now face a choice, between a general election to sort out this mess, or continued paralysis under her leadership. but now the anti—has been raised. the government has been defeated on a brexit plan that has been its sole reason for existing for the past two and a half years. it has not just for the past two and a half years. it has notjust been defeated on the most crucial issue facing our country, it has suffered the worst defeat of any british government in history and the clock is ticking. mps have shown that they are ready to ta ke mps have shown that they are ready to take back control over what has been, from start to finish, a failed brexit process. the question facing

the house tonight is whether it is the hedse tenight is fihethfefr it'is - giving tbs hsdse tsnight is fihsthfsr it'is - giving this tbs hedse ts’night is fihsthfsr it'is - giving this failed prime worth giving this failed prime minister another chance to go back: brussels, another pleading to brussels, another opportunity to if??? the united opportunity to humiliate the united kingdom. ‘ few opportunity to humiliate the united kingdom. ‘few weeks opportunity to humiliate the united kingdom. - few weeks to waste kingdom. another few weeks to waste precious time. our answer tonight must be a resounding no. and let me remind you why. it was this a prime minister who chose to lay down red mieiste' babe chose to !a!.! date"! red ,,,z — — that mibiete' babe cbeee te tab debab red ,,,z — — that never commanded the lines that never commanded the support of parliament. i % this support of parliament. it was this prime minister who refused to the ‘eu guarantee the rights of eu nationals who have made their lives and their homes in this country. it was this prime who time homes in this country. it was this prim to who time homes in this country. it was this prim to ¥=rh=eeef out, to meaningful refusing to gebeeee -_ legal the deal. she has treated advice to the deal. she has treated this place and its members on all sides with utter disdain. mr

speaker, it was the member for gainsborough who said the road to tyranny is paved with executives ignoring parliament and yet that is what she has done and so parliament is having to assert its rightful authority. and at every turn, she has chosen division over unity. she has chosen division over unity. she has not tried to bring the 17 million people that voted leave and the 16 million that voted remain together. she should have tried to assure those who voted remain but instead she chose to placate most of her colleagues on the leave side of the debate. that has left the nation more divided than it was injune 2016. out on the streets, in homes, in schools, in hospitals, people are struggling and take no hope and no strength from this ailing government. what happened to those

burning injustices she said it was her mission to fight when she came into office? racism, classes, homelessness, insecurejobs. they have all grown and burned brighter than ever before. and for so much of this, she is responsible. if the house declares its no confidence in the government tonight it will open the government tonight it will open the possibility of a general election and a decisive change in direction for our country on brexit, a decisive change in direction for workers, for young people, and for our vital services. mr speaker, the right honourable lady will forever be known as the nothing has changed prime minister. something must change. 0ur prime minister. something must change. our only choice left is to change. our only choice left is to change her and her government in a general election. we know she has worked hard, but the truth is she is too set in her ways, too aloof to

lead, she lacked the imagination and agility to bring people with her, she lacks the authority on the world stage to negotiate this deal. ultimately, she has failed. it is not through lack of effort. it is not throbgh lack, of effort—the through lack of dedication. and not throbgh lack of dedication: and think the country recognises not throbgh lack of dedication: and think in! country recognises not throbgh lack of dedication: and think in fact, 1try recognises not throbgh lack of dedication: and think in fact, the recognises not throbgh lack of dedication: and think in fact, the country;es not throbgh lack of dedication: and think in fact, the country feels sorry . the prime 2st “e minister. i sste “e minister. i feel is? “e minister. i feel sorry for the prime minister. i feel sorry for the prime minister. but she cannot confuse pity for political legitimacy. sympathy for sustainable support. the evidence is clear. and i know that out of loyalty to party, members opposite will want to support the prime minister in the vote this evening, but everyone in this chamber, no matter which lobby they go through tonight, they know

in their hearts that this prime minister is not capable of getting a deal through. the members on the opposite benches know it. they know, we know that they know it. the country knows it. which is why we must act. that is why we need something new, that is why we need a general election. i commend this motion to the house. mr speaker, as you know, having sat throughout this entire debate, it has been a passionate debate characterised by many excellent speeches and i commend the members for tiverton and humming bolton west, mid norfolk, broxtowe,

stirling, dudley south, stoke entree datum at stoke—on—trent south for a series of outstanding speeches on my site. it has also been the case, as the shadow secretary of state pointed out, that they have been many powerful speeches from the opposition benches as well and like him,| opposition benches as well and like him, iwant opposition benches as well and like him, i want to pay particular tribute to the members for warrington north, ilford north and birmingham hodge hill for moving and passionate speeches. their constituencies are lucky to have them as advocates for their concerns and needs. perhaps the bravest and finest speech from the opposition benches was given by the member for barrow—in—furness. it takes courage and he has it, having been elected ona labour and he has it, having been elected on a labour mandate, representing working—class people, to say that the leader of the party that you joined as a boy