amount of scepticism across the house as we have been reflecting just now about the intentions of the government, the other site of getting through the door. that is why there are some who, whilst their own view might not be 1 million miles away from what is set down individual agreement are sceptical about backing it now, or sceptical about backing it now, or sceptical about backing it now, or sceptical about backing in any circumstance. just to bring you up—to—date on what is going on in the chamber, just a reminder, not that we need it, how finely balanced pollen is, a margin of just three finely balanced pollen is, a margin ofjust three on that margaret beckett amendment of being able to rule out a no—deal brexit, coming within three votes of another defeat for the government. the final vote of the night taking place right now, mps shifting in and out of the chamber as we chat, voting on the motion as amended. in other words, the motion that was down on the order paper at the beginning of the day that allowed this to take place, amended because of that defeat for

the government, about 20 minutes, 30 minutes ago, the potentialfor another government defeat coming up and one that we would expect given that result in 20 minutes ago, and what is the count? three government ministers down, another defeat, and another day emerging on wednesday over which the government has got no control. tim shipman of the sunday times has said is 0liver letwin‘s about a soft exit? tim shipman is the kind of doyenne of west mr journalist, the author author of that extraordinary front page yesterday about the talk going on within the cabinet about potentially toppling theresa may. and the take on that thought from tim, you could be either of those. if you see a situation where there is movement within parliament around endorsing

some the table and crucially, the government expresses its willingness to potentially adopt it, which up to now they have not been willing to back the withdrawal agreement, to put a dirty great big clothes peg on the nose and vote for it in the end because it is better for them than the alternative of a softer brexit so the alternative of a softer brexit so both elements of his thought could prove significant. 0r potentially neither, because we may see in this discussion that is going to ta ke see in this discussion that is going to take place on wednesday that there is a majority or anything or as we have been reflecting on the last few minutes that the commons is a link to a light on a particular option that the government will not wear or the eu has already rejected. let's just show you the house of commons. they are voting at the moment on the motion as amended by that letwin amendment. there were 31

tory mps that rebel this evening. 30 voting against, one abstaining including eight former cabinet ministers according to tom newton dunn of the sun newspaper. the new rebels tonight, caroline spelman and andrew mitchell. ros. lots of people sharing that list of tory rebels on twitter. if you want the full list of all of them. it is worthwhile pausing to reflect on what has been an extraordinary last hour and an extraordinary day in this brexit story. if you are feeling confused, you are in good company. vickijung of the bbc earlier saying... and thatis of the bbc earlier saying... and that is a feeling that few people can relate to —— vicki young. this is the latest analysis from laura kuenssberg. the first line of the article is that westminster is frothy with gossip tonight. there is speculation about what all of these

developments mean for theresa may and brexit. we cannot know the a nswe i’s and brexit. we cannot know the a nswers to and brexit. we cannot know the answers to all of those questions but there are some things we are sure about, that the eu has set april the 12th as the date by which either the uk parliament agrees a brexit plan or if it hasn't, it is going to leave the european union without a deal. we also know the prime minister doesn't think she has the votes to get her brexit deal over the line. at the moment at least. i continue to believe that the right path over this for the united kingdom to leave the eu as soofi as united kingdom to leave the eu as soon as possible with a deal, now in the 22nd of may, but it is with great regret that i had to conclude that, as things stand, there is still not sufficient support in the house to bring back ideal for a third meaningful vote. i continue to have discussions with colleagues across the house to build support so that we can bring the vote forward this week and guarantee brexit.

reminder that so 0liver letwin, conservative mp, brought this amendment that has been voted on in the last hour, which said that on wednesday, mps should take control of what the parliamentary agenda is and there should be what are called indicative votes in order for mps to explore where there may be a majority for one or other option on brexit. it is a defeat for the government. theresa may said she didn't support this option. a number of ministers have resigned. this is jim picard from the financial times saying... and you can see the picture of the letter there in detail. it says that no deal would be part of a giant economics experiment championed by a small minority in the conservative party. it goes on to say the failure to secure a brexit deal has created a sense of ridicule for british business across the world. that's from a former government minister.

anna soubry was a tory mp, now with the independent group, she says... we also have this from the guardian correspondentjessica elgot. we also have this from the guardian correspondent jessica elgot. she said... we can definitely agree things are looking bad for the prime minister. whatever authority she had a taken another major blow. let me just bring in more. this is from the sun. let me just work out what that is referring to, for a second. let's try this one, here. the prime minister has indicated for the first time she would consider resigning in exchange for mps passing a brexit deal. that is from the sun. the

department for exiting the european union says... this amendment upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future. let me read that to you again. this is extraordinary language from the department for exiting the european union. this amendment upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future. in the context of this usually controversial statement from the primer is the last wednesday, when she essentially blamed mps for not passing her brexit deal, for creating this impasse. thisjust deepens their sense of huge tension between parliament and between the prime minister. let's bring in chris mason. strong language in that

statement, chris. sorry, christian is like with us, chris mason may be on later. the language in that statement, very strong stuff. we will come back to that in a second. the tellers are coming back with the result on the government amended motion. order! order. the ayes to the right, 327, the noes to the left, 300. the ayes to the right, 327, the noes to the left, 300. so the ayes have it, the ayes have it, unlock. order. point of order, mr jeremy corbyn. thank you, mr

speaker. on a point of order i would like to congratulate the house were taking control. the government approach has been an abject failure and this house must now find a solution. so i pay tribute to the honourable member for west dorset and a member for honourable member for west dorset and a memberfor leeds honourable member for west dorset and a member for leeds central and others who work to achieve the result tonight. mr speaker, the government must take this process seriously. we do not know what the house will decide on wednesday. but i know there are many members in this house who have been working for alternative solutions, and we must debate those, to find a consensus. and this house must also consider whether any deal should be put to the people for a confirmatory vote. mr speaker, where this government has failed, this house must and i believe will succeed. cheering order. point of order,...lj

cheering order. point of order,... i don't wish to pay tribute to the honourable member for west dorset but since he seems to have installed himself as a kind ofjobbing prime minister will he tell me how it is that we actually hold him to account in this house. order, order. iwill move the honourable gentleman alone. order, please. i have known the honourable gentleman a long time, and he is not disorderly. but there is something to be said for observing the precepts in terms of moderation and good humour in parliamentary debate and the right honourable gentleman, the member for we st honourable gentleman, the member for west dorset, is always unfailingly courteous. i think the question was largely rhetorical but in so far as

the honourable gentleman is seeking a response i think what i would say to him in all seriousness is that the effect of today... order... the memberfor the effect of today... order... the member for chelsea and fulham hasn't the foggiest idea where to start. he was once a whip, he wasn't a very good whip...! uproar. i will... iwill... i i will... i will... i will happily... uproar. it won't make any difference. order, order! the right honourable gentleman, if he wants to speak from

a sedentary position he has to expect that there will be a response. and what i say... what i say... what i say to the honourable... what i say to the honourable... what i say to the honourable gentleman is that these matters will be aired further in debate on wednesday and, if you want to subject his right honourable friend the member for west dorset to appropriate scrutiny, the opportunity is there, for him to do so. point of order, mr ian blackford. tonight is an important decision for the house and let me commend members across this house that have given us the opportunity to have indicative votes on wednesday. this house is seeking to find a way forward when the government has failed to provide leadership. can i ask you, mr speaker, in the light that the house

does come to a determination on wednesday evening, what can we do to make sure that the government and the prime minister listened to the determination of this house? the right honourable gentleman, the answer is to that is that it is for him, andl answer is to that is that it is for him, and i think he knows this, to probe the ministers who will be on the treasury bench in the course of debate, to airthe the treasury bench in the course of debate, to air the issues and to say, if by, y or z happens, what will the minister do? that isn't a matter that can be adjudicated by the chair, but they are matters of debate. i'm sure that they will be ventilated and the right honourable gentleman will be in the forefront of making sure that that ventilation takes place. point of order, sir patrick mclaughlin. mr speaker, mr speaker, a few weeks ago you sent out a message and a letter to all members of parliament asking them to

treat each other with respect. do you think your comments to the memberfor you think your comments to the member for chelsea reflected that? what i would say to the... what i would say to the... what i would say to the right honourable gentleman, if you will let me... order! if i come if i, if i have caused offence i will very happily apologise. i have no difficulty with that. i have no difficulty in apologising to the right honourable gentleman. i did not think it was a person of tender sensibilities but i am very, i am very... i'm very happy to apologise to the right honourable gentleman. he is normally a most genial

character. most of our exchanges are in that vein and i am happy to tender that apology. doesn't cause me any difficulty whatsoever. another damaging defeat, two damaging defeats, in fact. first, the letwin amendment which went through by a majority of 27 which will create space in the parliamentary calendar to hold those indicative votes, and then the motion as amended by that letwin amendment went to a vote, and that, the government lost by the same 27. the government has put out a statement saying this amendment between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future, and you will sense how high the emotions are running from the comment there from david davies, on the backbenches asking oliver letwin, the memberfor

west dorset weather as the new jobbing prime minister, as he put it, he would, how he would be held scrutiny. so there are the divisions within the conservative party. let's go to the lobby, get some reaction and chris mason is there for us. trivial as they were, round the remarks the speaker made about greg hands, about the extent to which there is a lot of hostility towards there is a lot of hostility towards the speaker quite frankly, you heard that. let's see where we are after a series of votes, another government defeat, three ministers resigning in the process and as she reflected, christian in that statement i will do it, a clear anger and frustration, they have lost control of the order paper on the house of commons on wednesday not necessarily of the brexit process. let's bring in andrew bridgen, conservative mp

and brexiteer, and is it unpersuaded that the prime minister's deal. your reflections on tonight. one that oliver letwin amendment and the government being defeated again.|j think it is not a surprise, the size of the defeat was larger than the government would have expected. and there were three surprise resignations. by formally remain supporting ministers. which leaves some of us with a question that, if asa some of us with a question that, if as a prime minister as indicated, if no deal off the table, why would these remain minded ministers be resigning? from your perspective, given that we will have these boats about potential solutions given that no deal has been rejected twice in parliament doesn't like the idea of no—deal, is they are not a risk from your perspective as a brexiteer, that any solution that the comments might be able to come up with is a

softer version of brexit than the one the government has on the table? no, because the withdrawal bill will not lead to brexit. that is going to be remaining in the european union bill. i can see a situation on the withdrawal agreement, if it were past, that ten years after the vote we still wouldn't have left the european union. we would be stuck in the backstop. we would have paid the £39 billion. the european union believe that the prime minister has negotiated badly. she is in a weak position and they want to bank that. they are so desperate for us to sign this withdrawal agreement because it will not matter who the next five minister is. they will be completely hamstrung going into those negotiations. final thought, eve ryo ne negotiations. final thought, everyone is guessing, but what do you think is going to happen, separate from what you might want to happen? i think we will get to the 12th of april and we will be in exactly the same position as we were heading into the 29th of march. i don't believe the withdrawal

agreement is going to pass. do you think brexit will happen?” agreement is going to pass. do you think brexit will happen? i think it has to happen because that genie is out of the bottle. there is no way that the british electorate with a great history of democracy are going to allow this parliament to steal brexit away from the british people. even people who voted remain respected result that the majority voted to leave the european union, and i'm very disappointed with this house of parliament, as i'm sure the country is. thank you, we appreciate it, andrew bridgen, the conservative mp, and back to you, ros. thanks to chris in the lobby and christian outsider palace of westminster as well. after a frantic couple of hours, we have two more government defeat in the house of commons, three government ministers have resigned and once again, theresa may has seen her authority struck by

mps. tomorrow is another day. we will have it covered. see then. —— see you then. this is bbc news. the headlines at 11:00pm: the ayes have it — the ayes have it. mps vote to allow themselves to take control of the commons timetable and let them stage a series of indicative votes on alternatives to the prime minister's brexit deal. three ministers resign to vote for the commons talking control of the timetable away from the government. after chairing cabinet, mrs may told mps that approving her deal was still the best way to avoid a no—deal brexit. it is with great regret that i have had to conclude that,