A no-deal Brexit wouldn't be a "disaster" but would also not be a "walk in the park", according to the cabinet minister Liam Fox who has offered his lukewarm backing for Theresa May's agreement.
The international trade secretary said the prime minister's deal offered the right "balance", but added he did not "for a second pretend to be enthusiastic" about the backstop - put in place as an insurance policy to prevent a hard border in Ireland.
The remarks from the prominent Brexiteer came as Ms May arrived in Buenos Aires for the G20 summit alongside other world leaders, including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Before her scheduled meeting with the crown prince on Friday evening, the prime minister defended her decision to hold talks with the Saudi ruler, despite accusations he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“I’m intending to speak with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia,” she told reporters ahead of landing in Argentina.
“The message that I will give will be the message that we have consistently given on this issue, but also on the issue of Yemen.
“In relation to Mr Khashoggi, we want to see a full and transparent investigation in relation to what happened and those responsible held to account."
Pressed that it was MPs who Mrs May needed to convince, he replied: "Members of Parliament need to make decisions for themselves, but they have to compare this particular deal against the alternatives.
"Those who don't want us to leave the EU without a deal need to consider that this would increase the chance of that."
Prominent Brexiteer Liam Fox will attack opponents of Theresa May’s Brexitdeal on Friday, as he publicly rows behind the arrangement the prime minister has agreed with the EU.
International trade secretary Dr Fox is set to accuse critics of failing to face up to the tough choices and compromises needed to reach an agreement with Brussels.
The public display of support from the minister, who was involved in the Vote Leave campaign, is a further boost for the PM, after fellow cabinet Brexiteer Andrea Leadsom weighed behind her deal on Thursday.
May defends talks with Mohammed bin Salman as other nations shun Saudi prince
Theresa May has defended holding talks with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite accusations that he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The prime minister confirmed the discussions would go ahead at the G20 summit in Argentina – where the prince is likely to be shunned by the likes of Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron.
The US Congress has demanded an investigation into whether bin Salman was behind Khashoggi’s murder, in the Saudi consulate in Turkey on 2 October.
UK relations with Argentina 'better' despite ongoing claim on Falklands, says May
Tensions over the Falkland Islands are easing as the UK enjoys “better relations with Argentina”, Theresa May has said.
The prime minister dismissed any prospect of a renewed clash over the disputed South Atlantic islands, as she prepared to become the first UK leader to visit Buenos Aires.
Ms May will hold bilateral talks with Mauricio Macri, the president of Argentina, who is certain to raise his country’s continued claim.
Ahead of the discussions, she said: “I’m clear that our position on the sovereignty of the Falklands has not changed."
On Thursday evening, Hilary Benn, the chair of the Commons Brexit committee, tabled an amendment to the meaningful vote motion, aimed at preventing a no-deal Brexit. It has received cross-party backing and the senior Tory MPs Sarah Wollaston and Dominic Grieve are behind it.
Mr Benn tweeted: "It opposes the deal, rejects a no-deal Brexit and would enable the House to express its view about what should happen next if the PM's deal is defeated.
"It would do this by allowing amendments to be tabled to the motion that the Government would have to put before the Commons under the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018."
May suggests UK has 'already negotiated a good trade deal with EU'
The UK has already “negotiated a good trade deal with the EU”, Theresa Mayhas claimed – despite the document having no agreed trading arrangements and no legal force.
The long-term trade aspects of the withdrawal package are contained within the slim “political declaration” that accompanied the divorce deal, which is not a legal treaty.
The EU has insisted trade talks cannot start until after Brexit day next March – and the prime minister herself has previously acknowledged the document offers a “spectrum” of future options.
Theresa May won't rule out resigning if MPs vote for second referendum
Theresa May has refused to rule out quitting rather than be forced to deliver a Final Say Brexit referendum, if MPs vote for it in historic Commons clashes over the next few weeks.
The prime minister said she viewed it as a “matter of trust” to deliver the referendum result and to leave the EU – implying she might step down if parliament chose to throw the issue back to the public.
Speaking to The Independent, on route to the G20 summit in Argentina, Ms May declined – three times – to commit to staying on as prime minister, if ordered by MPs to deliver a fresh public vote.
Universal credit is 'broken', says damning report highlighting alarming rent arrears
Average levels of rent arrears among council tenants on universal credit are more than three times the level of those on legacy benefits, research claims
'No wonder Theresa May is so against a second referendum. It would involve actually answering a question'
For 100 minutes the prime minister faced questions. She did not answer a single one, writes Tom Peck
Talks over Brexit TV showdown descend into row between May and Corbyn camps over debate format
Negotiations over a live TV Brexit debate have descended into a row after Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn demanded different formats for the event.
The prime minister’s team has agreed to a BBC proposal for the debate on the deal she agreed with Brussels, but Mr Corbyn is backing ITV’s plan.
While public statements have focused on which channel might reach a wider audience, The Independent understands there is also a disagreement over the best format.
“This is the man who promised us the world – the easiest trade deal in history. Today, he has finally admitted how untrue that was, but he’s admitted failure without any hint of irony. Apparently we must just accept that nobody actually thinks the deal is a good one for the country.“The deal he has been cowed into accepting fails to set out a clear framework for our relationship with our largest trading partner and risks locking us in a “Trade Purgatory” – a limbo from which we cannot escape. President Trump this week said a U.K. deal may no longer even be on the cards, and if we do ever manage to negotiate new deals, the Bank of England has quantified any benefit from those will be only 0.2 points of GDP growth.“However, there is another deal available, one that could win a majority in the House of Commons. Labour’s proposal would protect business, the economy and jobs; solve the question of the Irish border and give us a stronger voice in negotiating future trade deals with the power of a 500 million strong consumer market. Theresa May needs to go back and renegotiate the deal Labour has offered to work with her to achieve — the deal that is genuinely in the country’s interest.”
He told reporters: "The European Union has just agreed an orderly divorce with the United Kingdom.
"A few days before the vote in the House of Commons it is becoming more and more clear that this deal is the best possible - in fact the only possible one.
"If this deal is rejected in the Commons we are left with, as was already stressed a few weeks ago by Prime Minister May, an alternative: no deal or no Brexit at all.
"I want to reassure you that the EU is prepared for every scenario."
"I want to make sure above all else that we actually leave the European Union on March 29.
"The worse thing that could happen is that in a Parliament which has a majority of Remainers is that Brexit gets stolen from the people of the United Kingdom.
"They made the decision in a referendum and they deserve to have it honoured."
Labour MP close to tears as he reveals he is living with HIV in emotional Commons speech
A Labour MP fought back tears as he revealed he was HIV positive in an emotional speech to parliament.
MPs gave Lloyd Russell-Moyle a rare standing ovation, when he spoke out publicly about the challenges he has faced since his diagnosis nine years ago.
The Brighton Kemptown MP became the first politician to reveal his HIV status in the House of Commons and the second MP ever to disclose he is living with the condition, after former Labour cabinet minister Chris Smith.
Councils told to set up 'food resilience' teams to prepare for post-Brexit supply shortages
Experts say councils must do more and warn that government advice is 'inadequate'"I am going to speak to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia but it is the relationship we have with Saudi Arabia that enables me to sit down with him and be robust on our views on two issues."First of all the terrible killing of Jamal Khashoggi, and the message I will be giving and the message we have given from the UK from the time it happened is that the Saudi Arabians need to ensure that their investigation is a full investigation, that it is credible, that it is transparent and that people can have confidence in the outcome of it and that those responsible are held to account.
"But I will also be raising the situation in the Yemen where the humanitarian crisis is getting worse, we are very concerned about that.
"We are a major donor to the Yemen, but we believe that now is the time, there is an opportunity to find a solution, to come to a political solution because that is the way to ensure the future and a safe and secure future for the people of the Yemen.
"I will be encouraging all parties, including the Saudi Arabians, to ensure that they sit down at the upcoming UN-led talks in Stockholm in the coming days and weeks and find a way through this, find a political solution for a stable future for Yemen."
This liveblog is now closed, but you can see how the day's events unfolded above
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