The Queen formally agreed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request to end the current parliamentary session, the government said Wednesday.

The move to “prorogue” parliament will effectively lock lawmakers out of the building for several days in early September, possibly preventing them from making laws that would force Britain’s exit from the European Union to be delayed or even canceled if a deal cannot be agreed.

Britain is scheduled to leave the E.U. on Oct. 31, but currently has not accepted a withdrawal agreement which would lessen the shock of its departure. Johnson has pledged to leave on Halloween with or without such a deal — but many lawmakers are opposed to the shock economists say a so-called “no deal” Brexit would bring.

What is prorogation?

The prorogation of parliament is when the Queen ends one parliamentary session so that another can begin.

Prorogation can only happens when the Queen says so — which, in the modern era, is only after the Prime Minister has requested it. Lawmakers do not have a say in preventing prorogation.

In practice, it means sitting lawmakers will not meet for several weeks, meaning they cannot pass laws. Prorogation also gives the government an opportunity to set out its new agenda for the coming session, which is announced by the Queen in a speech to lawmakers amid great pomp and ceremony.

A Queen’s speech, in which she addresses lawmakers in parliament amid great pomp and ceremony setting out the agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session, is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Why is Johnson proroguing parliament now?

Johnson’s opponents have accused him of proroguing parliament in order to make a “no deal” Brexit more likely. But his government says a new parliamentary session is overdue. Normally a parliamentary session lasts for around a year. But the current session began in 2017, extended to give time to complex Brexit legislation.

The Johnson government announced the plan to prorogue parliament as a “plan to bring forward a bold and ambitious legislative agenda,” arguing that the current session of parliament had gone on for too long. “This is clearly the defence [the U.K. government] is going to run against charges of carrying out a constitutional outrage,” said Laura Kuennsberg, the BBC political editor who first broke the news, on Twitter.

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But there is a political explanation, too. Lawmakers have been on their summer break since July 25, just one day after Johnson became Prime Minister. On Sept. 3 they are due to return. They were due to sit for around two weeks until Sept. 14, when, in keeping with annual tradition, Parliament would be suspended until mid-October to allow for party conferences to take place.

Those two weeks were shaping up to be crucial for efforts by lawmakers to legislate against a “no deal” Brexit. But prorogation means lawmakers will only sit until Sept. 9 at the earliest and Sept. 12 at the latest, reducing the amount of time they have to agree on a law which could make it illegal for the U.K. to leave the E.U. without a deal, forcing Brexit to be delayed or even canceled.

Source – https://time.com/

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Ms Rees-Mogg, the sister of Tory Brexiteer Jacob, said he fully supports her decision to stand for a different party and says the pair ‘get on extremely well’. 

Speaking at the event alongside leader Nigel Farage, Ms Rees-Mogg, who has twice stood unsuccessfully for the Conservatives, said: ‘I think our politics is broken. 

‘It’s been very clear that we have got a Remainer parliament trying very ineffectually to represent the Leave vote.ADVERTISING

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Ms Rees-Mogg, who has twice stood unsuccessfully for the Conservatives, said the Tory party is ‘confused’

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Annunziata Rees-Mogg will stand in the East Midlands for the European elections on May 23

‘We need Leave representatives to fight the corner of our democracy.’

Asked why Labour and Tory Brexiteers should switch their allegiance to the newly-formed party, she replied: ‘When it comes to Labour, Lord Adonis has said it better than I could – if you supported Brexit, don’t vote Labour.

‘For the Conservatives, they are in such a confused place. There is no leadership from the top.

‘Theresa May has succumbed to the Remainer will of some of her party and ignored the rest of her party.

‘If you want your voice to be heard, vote for the Brexit Party.’

Asked if she had spoken to her brother about her decision to stand for the Brexit Party, Ms Rees-Mogg replied: ‘Of course I have. My family is incredibly important to me, and Jacob and I get on extremely well.

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Around 700 activists came to the campaign rally in Nottingham to see Ms Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage

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Ms Rees-Mogg said the Remainer wing of the Conservative party has drowned out the voice of the Brexiteers

‘He understands that I feel this is the only way to get everyone’s voices heard – to get us out of Europe for the good of our democracy, for the sake of our country.’

Ms Rees-Mogg said it had yet to be confirmed where she would be ranked on the Brexit Party’s list of candidates in the East Midlands.

For European elections, parties compile a list of candidates where MEPs are elected by proportional representation in specific regions.

‘Obviously I hope to be reasonably high up and I hope we get as many votes as possible so that there as many representatives in order to make sure we’re heard.’ 

Afterwards, Nigel Farage said he intended to fight and win the European elections and insisted he was not a career politician.

He said: ‘We have not formed this party just to protest, just to stick two fingers up to the establishment on May 23, just to get our own back and tell them what we think of them. 

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The Prime Minister spent a little more than an hour in a question and answer session at the emergency meeting in Brussels tonight before being kicked out while they decide the UK’s fate over a lavish dinner.

The other 27 leaders of EU nations are deciding whether to give her what she wants – an extension to Article 50 to no later than June 30 – or, as seems more likely, impose a humiliating longer delay to leaving the trade bloc.

She addressed the European Council session in the Belgian capital after Emmanuel Macron had warned her that he was  ‘impatient’ and that a long Brexit delay was not guaranteed.ADVERTISING

The French president appeared to wink today as he arrived in the EU’s core – after being urged not to ‘humiliate’ the Prime Minister. 

He was set to demand the UK is subjected to a number of punitive conditions with a Christmas deadline to finally quit the trade bloc, but also raised the spectre of a no-deal Brexit, possibly on Friday.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the start of the emergency meeting of national leaders he warned that ‘nothing is settled’, including a long delay, and he was ‘impatient’ to hear what Mrs May had to say.

‘We must understand today why this request, what is the political project which justifies it and what are the clear proposals?’ he said. 

‘It is 34 months since the British referendum, and the key for us is that we are able to pursue the European project in a coherent way.

‘I believe deeply that we are carrying out a European rebirth, and I don’t want the subject of Brexit to get in the way of that.’   

Mrs May’s performance was shorter than the one she gave at the previous Brexit summit in March, where she spoke for more than 90 minutes before EU leaders dismissed her request – which was the same as the one she made tonight.

An EU official later told Reuters that the ‘sense is May is open to a longer extension as long as it can be terminated early’ and her address had been ‘more solid than usual, though not many specifics’ in it.

She used her own arrival in Brussels this afternoon to lash MPs for refusing to pass the Brexit deal, complaining ‘we should have left by now’, but dodged questions about her own future.

EU leaders are almost certain to reject her bid and force a delay lasting between December 31 this year and March 31, 2020, which could prompt her to resign.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel – whose mother Herlind Kasner passed away aged 90 just days ago –  wants a gentler, but longer extension, into 2020 – reflecting splits among the EU27 that are set to delay a ruling long into tonight. 

Arriving at the EU’s headquarters the PM refused to say if she would quit if Britain is forced to swallow a longer delay – but insisted her aim is still to leave the EU on May 22 if she can win over Jeremy Corbyn.

She said: ‘What is important is that any extension enables us to leave at the point at which we ratify our Withdrawal Agreement. I know many people will be frustrated that the summit is taking place at all. The UK should have left by now’. 

President Macron is also calling for regular ‘behaviour reviews’ of the UK, a bonfire of its EU powers and posts and a ‘Boris-proof’ lock preventing a new Tory leader causing havoc within the EU if she stands down, despite warnings from Donald Tusk and Angela Merkel not to poison relations with Britain.   Video playing bottom right…Click here to expand to full page

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Mrs May shared a joke with  German chancellor Angela Merkel tonight, ahead of the PM’s pitch to EU leaders in which she is asking for a delay to Brexit until June 30 at the latest

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EU Council President Donald Tusk tonight recommended that the bloc consider a long delay of at least a year because he believes Mrs May has little hope of getting an agreement on her deal.  

It came after Mrs May first flew to Berlin to ask Angela Merkel to back her plea for Article 50 to be extended from this Friday to June 30 but the German Chancellor told her early 2020 was her preference.

The Prime Minister is now leaving Paris after talks with Emmanuel Macron, where the French President is understood to have climbed down from his No Deal threat but told her Britain must stay until Christmas.ADVERTISING

Macron also wants ‘compliance checks’ on Britain’s behaviour every three months until then, with the threat of ejecting the UK without a deal if Brussels thinks the UK is being disruptive. This measure is designed to stop a new British Prime Minister, such as Boris Johnson, causing trouble within the EU in an attempt to be released early. 

To counter this threat, the EU will ‘Boris-proof’ any Brexit delay and refuse to let the UK have any say in future EU budget talks and trade deals in case a new Brexiteer Tory leader starts wreaking havoc, it was revealed today. 

The PM’s 11th hour trips to Berlin and Paris, which critics have called a humiliating ‘begging tour’, got off to a bad start when Mrs May arrived to find nobody waiting for her on the red carpet after Mrs Merkel, who normally greets guests on arrival, stayed inside.  

And later the pair had a frosty-looking exchange on a balcony overlooking Berlin’s Tiergarten, although the German Chancellor was all smiles when she waved off the Prime Minister.  

Ahead of tomorrow’s crucial summit, EU Council President Donald Tusk urged the 27 leaders to consider a long delay because there was ‘little reason’ to believe the deal would be passed by MPs before the end of June.

He said Brexit should be put off by ‘no longer than one year’ with Britain allowed to leave if and when the deal does somehow get through Parliament.  

The PM is hoping that her cross-party talks with Labour will convince EU leaders to give her a short extension to Article 50 at a summit in Brussels in Wednesday, before Britain leaves the bloc with No Deal by default on Friday. 

But discussions with Jeremy Corbyn do not appear to be making any progress with minister Dr Liam Fox warning Mrs May that the customs union with the EU Labour is demanding would be the ‘worst of both worlds’ and EU leaders are growing tired of repeated extension requests. 

Talks between the Government and Labour broke up at 5pm and will not resume until Thursday, Downing Street announced.  

EU leaders are preparing to impose a long delay to Brexit until as late as March 31 2020, are fearful that a new Brexiteer Prime Minister, such as Boris Johnson, could cause havoc within the EU during this time. 

As Mrs May sat down with the French President, MPs voted 420 to 110 to endorse her proposed delay. The vote was required after pro-EU MPs seized the Commons agenda and forced through laws designed to avoid No Deal.  

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The Prime Minister is now in Paris for talks with Emmanuel Macron (pictured arriving tonight), where the French President is understood to be ready to climb down from his No Deal threat but tell her Britain must stay until Christmas.

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Macron will also demand ‘compliance checks’ on Britain’s behaviour every three months until then, with the threat of ejecting the UK without a deal if Brussels thinks the UK is being disruptive.

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Labour accused Theresa May of failing to offer opposition ‘real change or compromise’ after a third day of talks between senior frontbenchers and officials on both sides.

With just days to go to find a consensus and get an agreed deal though the Commons after months of division, Labour voiced ‘disappointment’ at the way they had gone.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the Government was ‘not countenancing any changes’ to the wording of the Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future UK-EU relationship.ADVERTISING

In a sign that talks with ministers have so far failed to produce a breakthrough, he said: ‘Well, we’ve had two rounds of talks and today we’ve had an exchange of correspondence with the Government.

‘So far, the Government isn’t proposing any changes to the deal. In particular it’s not countenancing any changes to the actual wording of the political declaration.

‘Now obviously that’s disappointing; compromise requires change. We want the talks to continue and we’ve written in those terms to the Government, but we do need change if we’re going to compromise.’

A Labour spokesman added: ‘We are disappointed that the Government has not offered real change or compromise.

‘We urge the Prime Minister to come forward with genuine changes to her deal in an effort to find an alternative that can win support in Parliament and bring the country together.’ 

Tom Watson had earlier heaped more pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to demand a second referendum from Theresa May as Labour’s price for agreeing a Brexit deal.

The party’s deputy leader said that it’s ‘highly unlikely’ members would support a cross-party agreement the Prime Minister if another public vote on leaving the EU was not included in some way. 

Labour is split over Brexit after Emily Thornberry contradicted her leader by also demanding a second referendum on any deal. 

But yesterday a group of 25 of his backbenchers wrote to Mr Corbyn warning against the inclusion of a second referendum in any compromise Brexit deal negotiated with the Government. 

Labour is meeting the government for a third day of talks on a possible solution to the impasse over Brexit, with May seeking a further delay while she seeks to find a deal that can get parliamentary support. Video playing bottom right…Click here to expand to full page

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Tom Watson today heaped more pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to demand a second referendum from Theresa May as Labour’s price for agreeing a Brexit deal.

Mr Watson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that negotiations are ‘making progress’, he said, and both sides are hoping for ‘a creative solution’ – which could include another referendum.

He added: ‘One of the solutions to break a parliamentary impasse is to ask the people to run their slide rule over Theresa May’s deal.

‘They can work out for themselves whether this deal works for them and their families.’

Mr Watson revealed that Labour opened nominations on Thursday for candidates to stand in the European elections.

The question whether voters should be offered a ‘confirmatory’ referendum on any compromise deal emerging from talks is hotly disputed at Westminster.

The Daily Telegraph reported that ministers have considered the possibility of giving MPs a vote on holding a referendum on a deal if that is needed to seal agreement with Labour.

It is understood the Government could set out proposals to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in a letter on Friday.

The Labour leader personally held talks with the Prime Minister to thrash out a jointly-agreed deal to put to Parliament.

But in an explosive intervention, his shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry wrote to all Labour MPs demanding a ballot on whatever deal emerges.

Miss Thornberry wrote: ‘Any deal agreed by Parliament must be subject to a confirmatory public vote, and yes, the other option on the ballot must be Remain.’

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Cabinet ministers were seen arriving at Number 10 at around 5pm, setting the scene for what is likely to be another fractious discussion over how to break the Brexit deadlock. 

Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer confirmed talks with Theresa May will include the possibility of calling a second referendum as the price of Jeremy Corbyn’s support for any deal.

Details of today’s meeting emerging this evening revealed a ‘confirmatory vote’ and ‘customs arrangements’ were discussed. ADVERTISING

The Guardian reports the Labour leader sent a note to MPs saying: ‘Agenda items were customs arrangements, single market alignment including rights and protections, agencies and programmes, internal security, legal underpinning to any agreements and confirmatory vote.’

Mrs May may include a ‘confirmatory vote’ in a letter to Mr Corbyn which will set out their Brexit offer as early as tomorrow, according to reports.

Today remainers claimed victory as Mr Hammond called a second referendum ‘perfectly credible’ and admitted a customs union compromise would be a price worth paying for a deal with Labour.

No 10 then slapped down talk of a second referendum with the Prime Minister’s Official spokesman saying: ‘I read the Chancellor’s comments as saying ‘a credible proposition to be looked at by Parliament’. I’d point out Parliament has looked at this on a number of occasions and has rejected it’.

Mr Hammond’s words also widened the Brexit fissure in the Cabinet with Health Secretary Matt Hancock distancing himself from Mr Hammond assertion on a second referendum saying: ‘Well, that’s certainly not how I would describe it’.  

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Sir Keir Starmer arrives at the Cabinet office for talks with the Tories and admits a second referendum is on the table

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Theresa May (pictured today) is holding more talks with Jeremy Corbyn which have sparked uproar among Tory MPs and pushed two ministers into resigning and 15 more said to be on the brink

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A cross-party manoeuvre hatched by Tory Sir Oliver Letwin and Labour’s Yvette Cooper to force a new law through Parliament in a day look set to succeed after a 315-310 decision in the Commons to allow it to proceed.

If passed by both the Commons and the Lords new the law would require the Prime Minister specifically to ask the EU to delay Britain’s withdrawal beyond April 12 – currently the day we are due to leave without a deal. 

The attempt to wrestle control of Brexit by the cross-party Remainers sparked fury among Brexiteers.ADVERTISING

But it has already largely been overtaken by events elsewhere. Mrs May announced yesterday that she would sit down for talks with Jeremy Corbyn or ask the Commons to form a Brexit alternative if they cannot see eye-to-eye. 

This means that she has already effectively ruled out a No Deal departure in nine days, because these would both require a longer delay.

Should the bill make it through both the Commons tonight and the Lords tomorrow the final stage would be to get the Queen to give it the formal Royal Assent and become law. Video playing bottom right…Click here to expand to full page

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The second reading vote was passed by just five votes tonight, 315 to 310

The second reading vote passed by just five is almost certain to be repeated when MPs vote again after 10pm after the third reading.

But the closeness of the vote suggests that many MPs are uneasy at the backbench attempt to force the Prime Minister’s hand, or see it not as slightly less powerful.

The single-clause Cooper Bill requires the Prime Minister to table her own motion seeking MPs’ approval for an extension to the Article 50 process of Brexit talks to a date of her choosing.

MPs next debate the bill in ‘committee stage’ this evening before the vote on the third reading stage, which is expected at around 10pm.

If it passes this vote the bill then passes to the House of Lords where an identical process takes place.

 Should that go to plan without any further changes requested by peers it would then be ready to be sent to the Queen for Royal Assent.

The group behind the Bill, which also includes former Tory chairwoman Dame Caroline Spelman, Commons Brexit Committee chair Hilary Benn, former attorney general Dominic Grieve and Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb, hopes once it has passed the Commons it could be approved by the House of Lords tomorrow and granted Royal Assent in time for the emergency EU summit on April 10. 

Ms Cooper, speaking at second reading, said her Bill was still needed because although the PM has signalled she wants to extend Article 50 ‘there is no clear process of how those decisions will be taken’, adding her Bill ‘adds some clarity’.

But Tory Sir Bill Cash, chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, said the Bill would amount to ‘supplication to the EU’, which he said would be a ‘profound humiliation for the British people’.

He added: ‘As I and others have made clear over the years, it will be decided by Germany, in the council of ministers, and the European Council.

‘I say this is a German Europe, it is run by Germany and that is the bottom line, and that will happen in relation to this decision as well.’

Shadow Brexit minister Paul Blomfield offered Labour’s support while Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay outlined the Government’s opposition, saying: ‘It’s constitutionally irregular.’

John Bercow had earlier broke a tie to rule against holding a third round of Brexit alternative votes on Monday tonight.  

MPs were tied for the first time in decades after they voted 310-310 on whether to stage a third day of indicative votes on Monday night. 

Labour’s Hilary Benn had tried to amend the rules of the House to stage more votes on alternatives to Mrs May’s Brexit deal – in defiance of Tory rebel Oliver Letwin, who has masterminded the way backbench MPs seized control from the Government.

Mr Bercow said he had to use his casting vote – for the first time in his nine years as Speaker – against the move. 

Mr Bercow’s decision is helpful to the Government which may need Monday’s time in the Commons to debate and vote on a new Brexit plan.

It effectively ends rebel control of the Commons following today’s proceedings as Mr Letwin had opted against booking any more days. 

Explaining why he broke the tie against the amendment, Mr Bercow said: ‘The rationale .. for the exercising of the casting vote is .. that it is not for the chair to create a majority that doesn’t otherwise exist.’

The main vote on whether today’s rebel control of the Commons can go ahead was won 312-311 – suggesting the Commons is on a knife edge for when draft laws which seek to block a No Deal next week are voted on later tonight. 

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The hard-Left Labour leader pronounced his first Brexit discussions with Mrs May ‘useful but inconclusive’, and complained that there ‘hasn’t been as much change as I expected’.

He confirmed he raised the idea of a second referendum and said technical talks on finding an end to the Brexit impasse would continue on Thursday morning.

But just minutes later, amid simmering Tory tensions over the meeting, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox sought to placate angry MPs by suggesting a soft withdrawal might not be the end of the world, because we could later quit any customs union arrangement.ADVERTISING

Mr Cox told the BBC: ‘If we decided, in some considerable years time, that we wanted to review our membership of any such customs union if we signed it – and I’m not saying we will – that’s a matter for negotiation and discussion.

‘There’s nothing to stop us removing ourselves from that arrangement, so we can’t look at these things as permanent straitjackets upon this country.’

As well as a customs union he said they had discussed ‘dynamic regulatory alignment’ with the trade block that would see Britain retain minimum standards on ‘the environment as well as consumer and employment rights’.  

Mr Corbyn said he raised the issue of a confirmatory public vote on any Brexit deal with Mrs May.

‘I said this is the policy of our party, that we would want to pursue the option of a public vote to prevent crashing out or to prevent leaving with a bad deal,’ he said.

‘There was no agreement reached on that, we just put it there as one of the issues that the Labour Party conference voted on last year.’

The meeting came late on a day which saw two two Tory ministers resign in disgust, with MPs demanding a new secret ballot on Theresa May’s leadership today after she chose to hatch a Brexit deal with Jeremy Corbyn rather than leave the EU with No Deal on April 12.

The Prime Minister has enraged her party by abandoning hopes of persuading hardline Brexiteers and the DUP to back her deal and instead offering talks with the Labour leader on delivering a softer Brexit. 

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Theresa May leaving the Houses of Parliament tonight after meeting Leader Jeremy Corbyn for talks which sparked uproar among Tory MPs and pushed two ministers into resigning

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A cross-party manoeuvre hatched by Tory Sir Oliver Letwin and Labour’s Yvette Cooper to force a new law through the Commons in a day look set to succeed after a 315-310 decision to allow it to proceed (pictured)

Mrs May and Mr Corbyn were locked in talks for around two hours this afternoon amid fevered speculation they could agree on a customs union plan that would end hopes of post-Brexit trade deals. 

Both Labour and Downing Street said the meeting was ‘constructive’. Aides will meet further later before intensive negotiations tomorrow.

The talks also put Mr Corbyn on collision course with his shadow Foreign Secretary, Emily Thornberry, who earlier demanded that any deal reached must be put to a public vote. 

She wrote to MPs today ahead of a meeting of Mr Corbyn’s front benchers tonight, saying:  ‘(I’m) assuming one of the main topics of discussion will be whether to insist that any planned compromise deal we agree to support will be subject to a confirmatory public vote, with ‘Remain’ as the other alternative.

‘What I would have said is that if we look like reaching any other decision than a confirmatory vote, that would be in breach of the decision made unanimously by conference in Liverpool (last September) and overwhelmingly supported by our members, and it needs to be put to a vote by the shadow cabinet.’

More pressure was placed on the two leaders to agree a deal tonight as MPs backed a controversial plan to force Mrs May to stop a no-deal Brexit in a close Commons vote.

A cross-party manoeuvre hatched by Tory Sir Oliver Letwin and Labour’s Yvette Cooper to force a new law through the Commons in a day look set to succeed after a 315-310 decision to allow it to proceed.

If passed by both the Commons and the Lords the law would require the Prime Minister to delay Britain’s withdrawal beyond April 12.

The attempt to wrestle control of Brexit by the cross-party Remainers sparked fury among Brexiteers.

But the second reading vote passed by just five is almost certain to be repeated when MPs vote again at 10pm after the third reading.

Since the meeting was called dozens of irate grassroots Tory members have been cutting up their memberships in protest and posting pictures of their destroyed cards on social media.

Today Mrs May was bombarded with hostile questions from her own side at Prime Minister’s Questions and as she met with the Labour leader this afternoon junior Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris, who was tasked with planning for No Deal, resigned.

The Daventry MP said: ‘You don’t want to quit the EU without a deal, and that makes my job irrelevant’.

Tonight Mrs May said he had done ‘crucial work’ to prepare the country for No Deal and thanked Mr Heaton-Harris for his service. 

This morning Nigel Adams, the junior Wales Office minister, became the first to quit over the concessions to Mr Corbyn and told Mrs May: ‘It now seems that you have decided a deal – cooked up by a Marxist who has never put British interests first – is better than No Deal’.

Ahead of a meeting of the 1922 Committee at 5pm, Tory MPs are understood to be bombarding chairman Sir Graham Brady with demands for a new secret ballot on her leadership despite party rules protecting her from an official challenge until December. 

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Theresa May suffered attack-after-attack in the Commons today for choosing to reach out to Jeremy Corbyn to help deliver Brexit

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With EU leaders set to hold an emergency European Council on April 10, it could set the Prime Minister up with a plan that could win them over and get the Brexit delay she outlined in her dramatic address in Downing Street tonight.

Mrs May must have a new plan in her pocket by the time she sees EU leaders next Wednesday. In practice, talks with Mr Corbyn must have concluded by Monday night and the last chance for MPs to have a say is Tuesday night. 

Mr Corbyn tonight agreed to sit down for talks, saying he would not set any ‘limits’ ahead of the meeting but that his principles ahead of it were to recognise the ‘needs of the people that elected all MPs to Parliament and the need to avoid the dangers of crashing out’.ADVERTISING

He also warned that Labour would ‘hold in reserve’ the option of tabling a confidence motion in the Government if it ‘proves it is incapable of commanding a majority in the House of Commons’. 

If she gets a deal, Brexit will be delayed again from April 12 – but MPs will have to vote on it next week. 

Mrs May appeared to abandon attempts to woo hardcore Brexiteers in her own party and the DUP, who appear irretrievable lost in their desire for a hard Brexit. 

Instead she said she wanted to agree a way forward with the Labour leader – with whom she has already held fruitless talks.

But she signalled that if she and the Labour leader were still unable to agree terms she would ask Parliament to come up with an alternative.

Whatever Mrs May’s plans after tonight, rebel MPs already have control of the Commons tomorrow and are set to try and change the law to force the Government to accept any terms to avoid No Deal.

Yvette Cooper and Oliver Letwin are leading the process and will attempt to ram a new law through the Commons in a single day tomorrow.  

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What has Mrs May announced tonight? 

The Prime Minister said the divorce deal could not be changed but announced she would seek consensus with Jeremy Corbyn on the political declaration about the final UK-EU agreement.

What does it mean?  

It suggests Mrs May has abandoned all hope of winning over remaining Tory Brexiteers and the DUP on the terms of her current deal.

Striking a cross-party deal on the future relationship will require Mrs May to abandon many of her red lines – including potentially on free movement and striking trade deals.

What if Mr Corbyn says No? 

Mrs May said if she cannot cut a deal with Corbyn, she would ask Parliament to come up with options – and promised to follow orders from MPs.

When will Brexit be? 

It is hard to say – but it is unlikely to be next week on April 12. Mrs May said she would ask the EU for a new extension to Article 50 that is as ‘short as possible’ and ends when a deal is passed.

The PM clearly still wants to get out of the EU before EU elections have to be held on May 22.

Will the EU agree to this? 

It is hard to say. The EU has said it is open to further extension if there is a clear purpose and plan. Open ended talks on the future framework are unlikely to qualify.

A clear, negotiable goal for the future framework probably would do. The EU has always said it is open to Britain staying in the Single Market and Customs Union.

When does it need to be sorted out? 

Mrs May must have a new plan in her pocket by the time she sees EU leaders next Wednesday. In practice, talks with Mr Corbyn must have concluded by Monday night and the last chance for MPs to have a say is Tuesday night.  

What are rebel MPs doing tomorrow?  

Oliver Letwin secured control of the Commons agenda tomorrow, a third day after he staged indicative votes on Brexit yesterday and last Wednesday.

Tomorrow, the MPs have a different plan – to pass a draft law requiring the Government to seek a delay to Brexit if there is No Deal.

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Theresa May used a live televised address this evening (pictured) to offer to hold talk with Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit. If they failed she suggested that she would give Government time to MPs to guide her to an alternative to take to EU leaders next week

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Mr Corbyn told Sky tonight he would sit down with Theresa May but made no promises that they would be able to hammer out a cross-party agreement. Previous talks have ended in failure

How do they do it?

Before they can use the time in the Commons they have secured, the MPs must win a vote on the rules known as a Business of the House motion.

Tomorrow’s motions says the principle of the new law would be debated until 7pm. After this there is until 10pm to debate any proposed amendments to the law before another vote to finalise it at 10pm.

Is it allowed? 

Yes, in principle and if a majority of MPs vote for the Business of the House motion. Laws have been passed by the Government in a single day before though it remains unorthodox for backbench MPs to have control of the Commons at all.

Can it be stopped? 

Yes, if opponents of the idea can win votes on the issue and block the Business of the House motion. This seems unlikely as Sir Oliver has won his previous votes with a majority of around 40.

What will the Lords do?

Unclear. Forcing the Bill through would require the cooperation of the Lords as there are no timetabling rules in the Upper House. Brexiteers would have a better chance of blocking it in the Lords.

In practice, Labour signalled in January the Lords would be unlikely to outright block a draft law passed by MPs in the Commons.  

Will May resign? 

Nodbody knows for sure. Last week, Mrs May announced she would go if and when her divorce deal passed so a new Tory leader could take charge of the trade talks phase.

In practice, it drained Mrs May of all remaining political capital. Most in Westminster think her Premiership is over within weeks at the latest. 

As her deal folded for a third time on Friday, she faced immediate calls from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn so stand down with instant effect. 

What is clear is there is already a fight underway for the Tory leadership.  

Does is all mean there will be an election?

Probably, at some point though the immediate chances probably fell slightly tonight. The Commons is deadlocked and the Government has no functional majority. While the Fixed Term Parliaments Act means the Government can stumble on, it will become increasingly powerless.

Mrs May could try to call one herself or, assuming she stands down, her successor could do so.  

Would May lead the Tories into an early election? 

Unlikely. Having admitted to her party she would go if the deal passes, Mrs May’s political career is doomed.

While there is no procedural way to remove her, a withdrawal of political support from the Cabinet or Tory HQ would probably finish her even if she wanted to stay.    

How is an election called? When would it be? 

Because of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act passed by the coalition, the Prime Minister can no longer simply ask the Queen to dissolve the Commons and call an election. There are two procedures instead.

First – and this is what happened in 2017 – the Government can table a motion in the Commons calling for an early election. Crucially, this can only pass with a two-thirds majority of MPs – meaning either of the main parties can block it.

Second an election is called if the Government loses a vote of no confidence and no new administration can be built within 14 days.

In practice, this is can only happen if Tory rebels vote with Mr Corbyn – a move that would end the career of any Conservative MP who took the step. 

An election takes a bare minimum of five weeks from start to finish and it would take a week or two to get to the shut down of Parliament, known as dissolution – putting the earliest possible polling day around mid to late May. 

If the Tories hold a leadership election first it probably pushes any election out to late June at the earliest.  

Why do people say there has to be an election? 

The question of whether to call an election finally reached the Cabinet last week.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay warned the rejection of Mrs May’s deal would set in train a series of events that will lead to a softer Brexit – meaning an election because so many MPs will have to break manifesto promises. 

MPs voting to seize control of Brexit from ministers has only fuelldd the demands.   

Labour has been calling for a new vote for months, insisting the Government has failed to deliver Brexit.

Mr Corbyn called a vote of no confidence in the Government in January insisting the failure of the first meaningful vote showed Mrs May’s administration was doomed. He lost but the calls did not go away. 

Brexiteers have joined the demands in recent days as Parliament wrestles with Brexit and amid fears among hardliners promises made by both main parties at the last election will be broken – specifically on leaving the Customs Union and Single Market. 

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen wants Mrs May replaced with a Brexiteer. He believes it would push Remain Tories out of the party and then allow a snap election with more Eurosceptic candidates wearing blue rosettes.

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Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg led a tirade against the Prime Minister after she ended a marathon Cabinet offering new talks with the Labour leader to avoid Britain leaving with No Deal. They believe she will now oversee a soft Brexit that smashes the promises made by Vote Leave. 

Mrs May said the current divorce deal could not be changed but promised to renegotiate a new political deal with the EU on what the future relationship might look like in an attempt to ‘end the impasse’. No ministers have resigned so far and No 10 said the offer was agreed on ‘collectively’.  

Mrs May’s current deal – which includes the fixed divorce deal and current political agreement on the final UK-EU relationship – appears to be dead. It was trounced twice by MPs, while the divorce deal alone was crushed a third time on Friday.

To get a new cross-party agreement Mrs May will have to make major concessions on her red lines. She admitted there was a need to ‘break the logjam’ and warned it was an ‘historic moment’ for the nation. 

Labour leader Mr Corbyn tonight said he was ‘happy’ to meet with the Prime Minister and said she ‘has made a move’ that provides a basis for new talks with ‘no limits’. He warned Britain must not crash out without a deal and said he ‘held in reserve’ the prospect of a No Confidence motion if Mrs May loses again. 

But Mr Johnson said the decision to hand control to Mr Corbyn meant the Cabinet had concluded ‘any deal is better than no deal’. Mr Rees-Mogg accused the PM of handing power to a ‘known Marxist’.

The Tories have promised to leave the EU Single Market and Customs Union so they can end free movement of people and strike new trade deals after Brexit. Labour’s policy is to keep a customs union and last night Mr Corbyn ordered his MPs to back a plan that accepted continued EU free movement.

Last week, Mrs May promised her party she would resign as Tory leader and PM once the first phase of Brexit is over – a move which may undermine efforts to seal a deal with Labour if Mr Corbyn believes her successor will scrap any political deal he makes now. 

The PM said she wanted a new plan in place in time for an emergency EU summit next Wednesday, April 10, so she can explain to EU leaders why Britain needs more time. The PM said she wanted to get the deal through in time to avoid EU elections next month – but it is deeply unclear whether the EU will agree to this. 

The EU has made clear any further extension will mean Britain taking part in EU elections on May 23. EU leaders must agree unanimously on a new delay and have warned they want a clear plan.  

The Prime Minister’s ‘mother of all Cabinet meetings’ massively overran today with MPs having their phones taken to avoid leaks and only allowed a sandwich and a stroll around the No 10 garden in a brief break from crisis talks. 

Ministers were locked inside Downing Street after the meeting ended and while Mrs May prepared her speech, sipping Chilean red wine to pass the time.

Nobody has so far resigned from the Cabinet. Leaks suggest that in the meeting, 14 members of the Cabinet spoke out against a further delay to Brexit – including Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, Trade Secretary Liam Fox, Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt and Chief Secretary Liz Truss.

Mrs May’s proposed delay was backed by 10 ministers, including Chancellor Philip Hammond, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox. 

A general election was ‘discussed’ by ministers this morning but there was little enthusiasm and ministers ruled it out.  

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Theresa May (pictured tonight in Downing Street) admitted Brexit would have to be delayed further tonight as she offered talks with Jeremy Corbyn on a new joint plan for the final UK-EU relationship

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The PM said if agreement with Mr Corbyn (pictured leaving home today) proved impossible, the decision will be passed to Parliament – and promised to follow MPs’ orders. Talks with Mr Corbyn have been tried before and failed

In a dramatic Downing Street speech, Mrs May said: ‘Today I’m taking action to break the logjam. I’m offering to sit down with the leader of the opposition and try to agree a plan that we would both stick to to ensure we leave the EU and we do so with a deal.

‘This is a decisive moment’: May’s call for ‘national unity’ to save Brexit in full  

I have just come from chairing seven hours of Cabinet meetings focused on finding a route out of the current impasse – one that will deliver the Brexit the British people voted for, and allow us to move on and begin bringing our divided country back together.

I know there are some who are so fed up with delay and endless arguments that they would like to leave with No Deal next week.

I have always been clear that we could make a success of No Deal in the long-term. But leaving with a deal is the best solution.

So we will need a further extension of Article 50 – one that is as short as possible and which ends when we pass a deal.

And we need to be clear what such an extension is for – to ensure we leave in a timely and orderly way.

This debate, this division, cannot drag on much longer.

It is putting Members of Parliament and everyone else under immense pressure – and it is doing damage to our politics.

Despite the best efforts of MPs, the process that the House of Commons has tried to lead has not come up with an answer.

So today I am taking action to break the logjam: I am offering to sit down with the Leader of the Opposition and to try to agree a plan – that we would both stick to – to ensure that we leave the European Union and that we do so with a deal.

Any plan would have to agree the current Withdrawal Agreement – it has already been negotiated with the 27 other members, and the EU has repeatedly said that it cannot and will not be reopened.

What we need to focus on is our Future Relationship with the EU.

The ideal outcome of this process would be to agree an approach on a Future Relationship that delivers on the result of the Referendum, that both the Leader of the Opposition and I could put to the House for approval, and which I could then take to next week’s European Council.

However, if we cannot agree on a single unified approach, then we would instead agree a number of options for the Future Relationship that we could put to the House in a series of votes to determine which course to pursue.

Crucially, the Government stands ready to abide by the decision of the House.

But to make this process work, the Opposition would need to agree to this too.

The Government would then bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. We would want to agree a timetable for this Bill to ensure it is passed before 22nd May so that the United Kingdom need not take part in European Parliamentary Elections.

This is a difficult time for everyone. Passions are running high on all sides of the argument.

But we can and must find the compromises that will deliver what the British people voted for.

This is a decisive moment in the story of these islands. And it requires national unity to deliver the national interest. 

‘Any plan would have to agree the current Withdrawal Agreement – it has already been negotiated with the 27 other members and the EU has repeatedly said it cannot and will not be re-opened.’

Mrs May said if she and Mr Corbyn could not agree a way forward she would present ‘a number of options for the future relationship that we could put to the house in a series of votes to determine which course to pursue’.

‘Crucially, the Government stands ready to abide by the decision of the House. But to make this process work the opposition would need to agree to this too,’ she added.  

Standing in Downing Street tonight, Mrs May said: ‘This debate, this division, cannot drag on much longer.

‘It is putting Members of Parliament and everyone else under immense pressure – and it is doing damage to our politics.

‘Despite the best efforts of MPs, the process that the House of Commons has tried to lead has not come up with an answer.’ 

She added: ‘The ideal outcome of this process would be to agree an approach on a Future Relationship that delivers on the result of the Referendum, that both the Leader of the Opposition and I could put to the House for approval, and which I could then take to next week’s European Council.’

Mrs May made clear she wanted to save the prospect of leaving on May 22 – despite the EU making clear the deal had to be agreed last week to lock in this date.

Failure to persuade the EU to agree that schedule would mean taking part in EU elections next month.

Mrs May said:  ‘This is a difficult time for everyone. Passions are running high on all sides of the argument.

‘But we can and must find the compromises that will deliver what the British people voted for. This is a decisive moment in the story of these islands. And it requires national unity to deliver the national interest.’

In response, Mr Corbyn said: ‘We will meet the Prime Minister.

‘We recognise that she has made a move, I recognise my responsibility to represent the people that supported Labour in the last election and the people who didn’t support Labour but nevertheless want certainty and security for their own future and that’s the basis on which we will meet her and we will have those discussions.’

But ERG leader Jacob Rees-Mogg condemned Mrs May for planning to collaborate with ‘a known Marxist’ and said the move would lose Tory votes.

He said: ‘You do find that leaders who decide to go with the opposition rather than their own party find their own party doesn’t plainly follow.

‘I’m not sure this is the way to conciliate people to persuade them if they haven’t moved already to move at this stage.

‘I think getting the support of a known Marxist is not likely to instil confidence in Conservatives.’

Mr Johnson said: ‘It is very disappointing that the cabinet has decided to entrust the final handling of Brexit to Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party.

‘It now seems all too likely that British trade policy and key law making powers will be handed over to Brussels – with no say for the UK.

‘As it is, we now face the ridiculous possibility of being forced to contest the European elections more than three years after leaving the EU and having to agree to exit terms that in no way resemble what the people were promised when they voted to leave.

‘The PM and cabinet have concluded that any deal is better than no deal, and this is truly a very bad deal indeed – one that leaves us being run by the EU. I can under no circumstances vote for a deal involving a customs union as I believe that does not deliver on the referendum.’ 

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