so i pay tribute to the honourable member for west dorset and a member for honourable member for westmemberfor 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 lo

the amendment in the name of the right honourable member for west dorset seems to provide this process by taking control of the order paper. i continue to believe that doing so would be an unwelcome precedent to set, which

for west dorset, seeks to provide for this process by taking control of the order paper.ng so would be an unwelcome precedent to set which would overturn the balance of our democratic institutions. so the government will oppose this amendment this evening but in order to fulfil our commitments to this house, would seek to provide government time in order for this pi’ocess government time in order for this process to proceed. when she lost that vote the leader of the opposition jeremy corbyn congratulated his fellow mps on taking back control of brexit. i would like to congratulate the house for taking control. the government does make approach has been an abject failure and this house must now find a solution so i pay tribute to the honourable member of west dorset and the member for leeds central and others who have worked to achieve tonight cosmic result. mr speaker, the government must this process seriously. we do not know what the house will decide on wednesday but i know there are many members of this house who have been working for alternative solutions. —— tonight

the amendment in the name of the right honourable member for west dorset seems to provide this processy taking control of the order paper. i continue to believe that doing so would be an unwelcome precedent to set, which would overturn the balance of our democratic institutions. so the government will oppose this amendment this evening, but in order to fulfil our commitments to this house, would seek to provide a government time in order for this process to proceed. let's speak to our chief political correspondent vicki young, who's in the central lobby of the houses of parliament now. mps will vote on these moments later, so can you tell us about what they are and how significant this could prove to be? all eyes are on the one being put forward by oliver letwin, because it's the one that could allow mps to hold this series of so—called indicative votes, going through different brexit options. it is highly unusual, it basically means suspending the rules of the house of commons so that, on wednesday, it will be mps who decide what goes on in this place, rather than the government is. t

the amendment in the name of my right honourable friend, the member for west dorset, seeks to provideor this process by taking control of the order paper. i continue to believe doing so would be an unwelcome precedent to set. hear hear! which would overturn, which would overturn the balance of our democratic institutions. so the government will oppose this amendment this evening but in order to fulfil our commitments to this house, would seek to provide government time in order for this process to proceed. it would be for this house to put forward options for consideration and to determine the procedure by which they wish to do so. but i must confess that i am sceptical about such a process of indicative votes. when we have tried this kind of thing in the past it has produced contradictory outcomes or at no outcome at all. there is a further risk when it comes to brexit, as the uk is only one half of the equation and the votes could lead to an outcome that is negotiable with the eu. ———unnegotiable. no government could give, no government could get a blank cheque to commit to an outco

whip against the amendment from the member for west dorset is that if his amendments were passed itps to vote against a bid bya group of also order tory mps to vote against a bid by a group of mps headed by oliver letwin to hold votes on alternatives to her plan. the government would give mps time to hold such boats, she said, but she also added she was sceptical about the process. we will stay with the house of commons, and huw edwards will continue our coverage on bbc news at five o'clock. same election. if she is serious because she meet with me so we can thrash out a way forward, and london is not lost for ever. otherwise she is not lost for ever. otherwise she is listening to the same old voices. asi is listening to the same old voices. as i indicated in response earlier toa as i indicated in response earlier to a question from the honourable lady ‘s cut honourable friend. i have been meeting neighbours across the house, and i am happy to meet members to discuss these matters. mr speaker, i need to tell the prime minister that having spent time in my constituency this weekend i

mr speaker, i don't wish to paid tribute to the honourable member for west dorset, but since he now seensself as a kind ofjobbing prime minister, could you tell me, mr speaker, how it is that we hold him to account in this house? i think the question was largely rhetorical, but if that gentleman is seeking a response, i think what i would say to him, in all seriousness, from the member for chelsea and fuller, who hadn't the foggiest idea, he was once a whip, he was not a very good whip. it would be better if you keep quiet. that is the reality of the matter. not outrageous at all! no, not outrageous at all. later, the speaker did apologise to the mp for chelsea for what he had said. two days later, sir oliver got to set the agenda, but first, theresa may, as usual, had to answer mps's questions and the speculation that she may agree to stand down if they backed her deal. it was a big if. mr speaker, my constituency voted overwhelmingly to leave the european union, and for the past two years, the prime minister has told my constituents on over 100 occasions that we will be leaving on the 2

prejudge or preempt the outcome of the process run by my watch honorable friend the member for west dorset in fact for those options being considered approval of this with drawl agreement is a pre requisite. and third in the next phase of negotiations we've committed to give parliament a significant and ongoing role in the eyes of. the speaker. mr speaker if you had selected it if you had selected the amendment in the name of the honorable member for so-called trent central and others the government would have accepted it and. if this motion carries today we will bring forward a withdrawal agreement bill that will include commitments to implement that amendment i will discuss the specific drafting of that with those who supported the amendment . so by voting for this motion members are not closing any dogs they will still have the ability through the withdrawal agreement bill to influence that future relationship. today's motion is not about a blind grex it it is about a guaranteed. today we can give the public and businesses the certain. today we can give the public and businesses the cer

the amendment in the name of my right honourable friend, the member for west dorset, seeks to provideaking control of the order paper. i continue to believe doing so would be an unwelcome precedent to set which would overturn the balance of our democratic institutions. so the government will oppose this amendment this evening but in order to fulfil our commitments to this house, would seek to provide government time in order for this process to proceed. when she lost that vote the leader of the opposition jeremy corbyn congratulated his fellow mps on taking back control of brexit. i would like to congratulate the house for taking control. i know there are very many members of this house who have been working for alternative solutions and we must debate those to find a consensus. must debate those to find a consensus. this house must also consider whether any deal should be put to the people for a conch —— confirmatory vote. the european commission has warned that it looks ever more likely that britain will leave the eu without a deal. they've been preparing for a no—deal brexit for ov

and to use his analogy, my right honourable friend, the new prime minister for west dorset, hasn't yet that manifesto, nor indeed has the right honourable member for leeds central indicated his manifesto. so i think we need to wait for that advice. that was, she said, a joke. but andrea leadsom wasn'tjoking when she said that any options agreed by mps had to be negotiable with the eu and deliverable. the leader of the house had a real lack of clarity as to whether a meaningful vote would come back this week, next week and perhaps the week after. any question sessions beginning the 8th of april and the week beginning the fourth, 15th of april on the parliament member will she confirm what we know to be self—evident, that the recess is cancelled? i think the honourable lady's question is with regards to recess. so as she will know, i have announced the dates for easter recess. but as is always the case, recess dates are announced subject to the progress of business. we will need time in the house, either to find a way forward or to pass the withdrawal agreement bill. and i think the coun

state thanks to the european union put it was a further twenty points of order from the member for west dorset the house. today considered a wide variety of options as a way forward and a dildo straits that there were no easy options here there is no simple way forward the deal the government has negotiated is a compromise both with the e.u. and with members across this house that is the nature of complex negotiations here the results of the process this house has gone through today strengthens our view that the deal that government has negotiated is the best option headed. for the no mr speaker. must be heard the secretary of state. furthermore mr speaker though this was not a significant feature of today's debates any deal must include a withdrawal agreement it is the government's first wish to get the ritual agreement approved by this house and all members no matter the view and what the future relationship should be if you believe in delivering on the referendum results by leaving the you with a deal then it's necessary to back that we draw all agree met and if we do not do that then there

so i pay tribute to the honourable member for west dorset and the member for leeds central, and othersed to achieve tonight's result. 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 of 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. letsjoin our colleague lets join our colleague chris mason. mps have been filing out of the chamber in the last couple of minutes. business still going on but not as high octane as it has been, a dozen mps still in there towards the end of business for the series of votes we have been reporting on the last hour, now coming to a conclusion. we heard from a conservative mp a couple of minutes ago. let's bring in andy mcdonald, leader —— labour mp. good evening to you. your reaction to what has just happened.

thanks to the european union put it was a further twenty points of order from the member of the west dorset the house.

can i thank the honourable member for west dorset for that business of the house motion... young. what do you make of that? that is not a huge surprise. they do not want to have backbench mps in control of what goes on in parliament. not surprisingly the government will not back it. but with the numbers earlier in the week, you would expect the numbers are still there in order to make this happen today. the interesting thing that is being pointed out as it is important to remember that the options mps are to be voting on is all about the future relationship with the eu there. iam going with the eu there. i am going to stop you there. a lot of people are confused. they think this is instead of. we need to clarify what we are talking about. this is why downing street is so frustrated by all of this because the point they keep making, and they are right, you still need a withdrawal agreement. there withdrawal agreement talks about that money that the uk is going to pay to the eu, it talks about rights of eu citizens, all of that needs to be sorted out. frustration is that mps

we now come to an amendment operative in the name of the right honourable gentleman for west dorset,dment a be made. as many as are of that opinion say aye, contrary no division! clear the lobby! the division! clear the lobby! the division for the first vote of the evening. we have to smack amendments. labour have not brought their amendment forward. —— we have two amendments. we are on amendment a, seeking to take control of business in the commons away from the government to allow mps to bring forward business motions relating to brexit to vote on the whole gamut of brexit to vote on the whole gamut of brexit options, so let's bring in, from thejill rutter, amand menon and laura hughes. what are indicative votes? they are processed to try to discover what parliament thinks about an issue. the normal ways of voting, sort of up and down, they would put forward potentially a series of motions offering mps different motions and options and see which gets enough support to suggest that is something that might form the basis of consensus in the house. consensus is the word, that is what

prejudge or preempt the outcome of the process run by my right honorable friend the member for west dorset. in fact for those options being considered approval of this with draw agreement is a pre requisite. and third in the next phase of negotiations we've committed to give parliament a significant and ongoing role in our eyes. mr speaker. mr speaker if you had selected if you had selected the amendment in the name of the honorable member for so contrite central and others the government would have accepted it and. if this motion carries today we will bring forward a withdrawal agreement bill that will include commitments to implement that amendment i will discuss the specific drafting of that with those who supported the amendment . so by voting for this motion members are not closing any doors they will still have the ability through the withdrawal agreement bill to influence that future relationship. today's motion is not about a blind breck's it it is about a guaranteed access. to day we can give the public and businesses the search and see. today we can give the public and businesses

west of the uk. best thing this morning, there is some fog around, so across parts of devon, cornwall, somerset, dorset around the london area we could hit 16 or even 17. through the evening and overnight, for many there will be clear skies and another cool night in prospect with pockets of frost and patchy mist and fog forming, particularly in wales and the south—west and quarter. at the same time, weather front in across the north west of scotla nd front in across the north west of scotland will introduce some rain. that rain tomorrow will slowly sink south, getting as far as far as the great glen. ahead of it when we lose the patchy mist and fog, we are looking at a drier weather and lengthy sunny spells but it is a cold front bringing the rain and behind it, look at the difference in temperatures. temperatures coming down and feeling fresher but ahead of it, especially in any sunshine, it will feel pleasantly warm with high temperatures of 17 or even 18. as we move from friday into saturday, this weather front continues to journey further south. we can see the blue following on behind, indicating t

have just said to the necessary for the house to consider, as i havejust said to the member for west dorsetther of the house, does the prime minister not realise that in her answer she is the roadblock to this house reaching a majority, not the facilitator of it? it is blindingly obvious, and i believe including members of the cabinet, that the house needs to have a series of indicative votes precisely so it can express it‘s will about what it is for, not simply what it is against. why doesn‘t the prime minister agreed to that and she will be doing to a service —— a service for the country if she did? obviously i have made clear that we will bring forward the motion that is required under the legislation under section 13 —— four, but could i say to the right honourable gentleman that it is not the case that it gentleman that it is not the case thatitis gentleman that it is not the case that it is not possible for the house to bring forward votes of the sort that the right honourable gentleman is talking about. it has been open to this house. in some cases the house has brought forward such