Theresa May has announced on the steps of Downing Street that her cabinet has reached a collective decision to back the draft Brexit agreement.
Senior ministers were summoned to No 10 for one-on-one meetings with the prime minister as news finally emerged of a draft agreement with Brussels after months of wrangling.
Ahead of the cabinet showdown, Ms May faced Jeremy Corbyn for a dramatic session of prime minister's questions, where he accused the PM of offering the British people a choice between a "botched deal and no deal".
She also faced the wrath of one Eurosceptic Tory MP, Peter Bone, who said if media reports over Ms May's Brexit deal were "accurate" then she would lose the support of Tory colleagues.
As it happened...
That's all for today - a landmark day in the Brexit process. A Brexit deal has been agreed with the EU and approved by the Cabinet. Theresa May's next task - possibly her biggest yet - is to persuade Parliament to support it. She'll begin that tomorrow with a statement in the Commons. See you then.
Theresa May admits Brexit can be stopped as Cabinet approves draft EU deal
Theresa May admits Brexit can be stopped by new referendum as cabinet back draft EU deal
The cabinet were split over the deal after a five-hour meeting but gave it begrudging support as the prime minister's leadership came under attackLabour sources say Jeremy Corbyn was meeting the prime minister to discuss the process for MPs voting on her Brexit deal.
A source said: "Jeremy pressed the importance of full parliamentary sovereignty, including giving Parliament and committees sufficient time and information for serious scrutiny of the deal."
Jeremy Corbyn has just gone into Theresa May's House of Commons office....
For all the anger from Eurosceptics, it's important to remember that many Tory MPs back Theresa May and the deal she has secured. One tweets...
It's been pointed out that the draft withdrawal agreement includes the possibility of a one-off extension to the transition period - with the maximum possible extension yet to be decided.
The draft agreement reads:
"the Joint Committee may, before 1 July 2020, adopt a single decision extending the transition period up to [31 December 20XX]. *
Whitehall officials say details of the "xx" are still subject to negotiation, but they hope to resolve the matter before the European Council summit expected later this month.
MPs campaigning for a fresh referendum on the proposed deal are highlighting Theresa May's admission that Brexit could be reversed. In her statement, the prime minister argued that the only alternatives to her deal were a no-deal outcome or "no Brexit at all".
Irish premier Leo Varadkar is giving a statement in Dublin on the proposed Brexit agreement. He says negotiators have reached a "satisfactory outcome" on all the major issues.
On the Northern Ireland border, he says he "firmly hopes" the future relationship will avoid a hard border but welcomes the "insurance policy" of the backstop if a deal cannot be agreed.
The Taoiseach also highlights the fact that the UK cannot unilaterally withdraw from the backstop - an outcome Ireland had insisted on in talks.
DUP leader Arlene Foster and her deputy, Nigel Dodds, have been meeting with Theresa May in her Commons office for 45 minutes now... The DUP is furious at the proposed deal and have vowed to vote against it. It's hard to see how the prime minister can win them round.
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EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has given the draft agreement the thumbs up - quite literally.
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No surprises as to which ministers reportedly spoke against the proposed Brexit deal, but this is what the BBC are reporting...
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This is the key section for the DUP. The technical note accompanying the withdrawal agreement makes clear that, under the proposed backstop, "specific regulatory alignment" would apply to Northern Ireland but not the rest of the country.
DUP leader Arlene Foster is meeting Theresa May now. The DUP has said they cannot support the deal because the backstop would see Northern Ireland fall under different regulations to the rest of the UK.
This is potentially very significant. Reports suggest as many as TEN cabinet ministers spoke in opposition to Theresa May's deal. Remember, Boris Johnson and David Davis only resigned 48 hours and 72 hours respectively after the Cabinet had agreed the Chequers plan, so the prime minister is not out of the woods yet.
We know ministers such as Esther McVey, Liam Fox and Penny Mordaunt are not happy with this deal, and they are not alone. But will any have decided that enough is enough?
This is a key section of the withdrawal agreement, on the customs backstop:
"If...the Union and the United Kingdom decide jointly within the Joint Committee that the Protocol, in whole or in part, is no longer necessary to achieve its objectives, the Protocol shall cease to apply, in whole or in part."
It makes clear the UK will not be able to exit the backstop unilaterally - one of the reasons Tory Eurosceptics are currently condemning the proposed deal in the strongest of terms.
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, is now holding a press conference in Brussels.
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EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has confirmed that "decisive progress" has been made in Brexit negotiations.
That's likely to trigger a European Council meeting later this month. Donald Tusk, the Council president, is expected to confirm this tomorrow morning.
This from ITV's Robert Peston fuels speculation the Cabinet was far from united, raising the prospect of ministerial resignations...
ERG chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg has written to colleagues urging them to vote down Theresa May's deal.
The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
Sign our petition here
