Theresa May has launched a fresh bid to secure support for her Brexit deal by reaching out to trade unions and Labour MPs.
The prime minister spoke to union bosses on Thursday and signalled that she will accept a Labour backbench amendment to secure workers rights after Brexit.
The amendment was tabled by John Mann, Caroline Flint and Gareth Snell. Mr Mann said the government's support would be "significant" and would make the proposed withdrawal agreement "more attractive".
Ms May's calls with union leaders appeared to have had little impact. Speaking after a call with the prime minister, GMB general secretary Tim Roache said: "I represent 620,000 working people and it’s about time their voices were heard. After nearly three years I’m glad the prime minister finally picked up the phone.
"As you would expect, I was very clear about GMB’s position - the deal on the table isn’t good enough and non-binding assurances on workers' rights won’t cut it."
Earlier, Jeremy Corbyn delivered a major speech on Brexit and called for Ms May to hold a general election to heal the divisions caused by Brexit.
As it happened...
Welcome to today's live coverage from Westminster.
Jeremy Corbyn will this morning re-iterate calls for a general election, saying this is the only way to heal the divisions caused by Brexit.
Jeremy Corbyn says general election is 'only way to heal deep divisions' caused by Brexit vote
'To break the deadlock an election is not only the most practical option, it is also the most democratic option'
Greg Clark, the business secretary, has called the possibility of a no-deal Brexit a "dire prospect" that is causing fear among businesses across the world.
His latest intervention is a sign of a growing cabinet split over how the government should respond if its Brexit deal is voted down next week. Theresa May has repeatedly refused to rule out leaving the EU without an agreement, while other ministers are actively calling on her to pivot to this approach if the Commons rejects her plan.
Writing for Politico, Mr Clark said:
"In recent weeks, confidence from investors has been shaken. Debates in the UK parliament are monitored closely, and with mounting alarm, in boardrooms around the world.The dire prospect that we could tolerate trading with our largest and closest market on WTO terms — the most rudimentary that exist between any nations on earth — is bewildering to them.And when hundreds of millions of pounds are having to be diverted by companies from productive investments into defending themselves against the risk of a no-deal exit from the European Union — through piling up stocks, renting warehouses and planning shutdowns of production — investors have every right to object."
Andrea Leadsom has had a sly dig at John Bercow after the pair had another row in the Commons yesterday.
Appearing on ITV's Peston, the leader of the Commons said she was fed up with an "incredibly annoying little creature that squeaks a lot and has found a place in the corridor outside my office" - then said she was talking about a parliamentary mouse...
Greg Clark has refused to rule out resigning if the government pursues a no-deal Brexit, saying such an outcome would be a "disaster"
Tory minister refuses to rule out resigning if Theresa May pushes no deal 'disaster'
Business secretary Greg Clark says there is 'mounting alarm' in businesses over a no-deal scenarioThe government has signalled it could accept a Brexit amendment tabled by Labour backbenchers, in a fresh sign of Downing Street's attempts to build support behind Theresa May's Brexit deal.
The amendment, tabled by MPs John Mann, Gareth Snell and Caroline Flint, would enshrine extra protections for workers and the environment once Britain leaves the EU.
Mr Mann said it would be "significant" if the government accepted the amendment and would make Ms May's deal "more attractive", raising the prospect of some Labour MPs voting for the proposed agreement.
Here's Greg Clark warning about the impact of a no-deal Brexit on Radio 4's Today this morning
Theresa May will meet Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe this afternoon as the two country's announced a £30m research collaboration
Theresa May to meet Shinzo Abe as UK announces £30m research collaboration with Japan
Asian powerhouse set to lift export ban on British beef and lamb
Jeremy Corbyn's big Brexit speech in Wakefield is expected to get underway around 11.00am - stay tuned...
Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine has said Theresa May should resign if she loses the vote on her Brexit deal next week.
He told LBC:
"I think that that is the most sensible way forward because self-evidently there is no confidence. Now people will say, oh but the government... the Labour Party will put forward a motion of no confidence in the government as opposed to the prime minister and they will lose it, in my view. That, they will say, means that she can go on, but in my experience of politics, that isn’t quite as simple as it seems because the Tory party in the last resort is a very sophisticated political machine and there are a lot of people at the top of the party who are interested in its survival and useful role. I think it’s very possible that despite the vote of confidence which she won, that there would be a coming together of people who said, look, we can’t go on like this."
Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit speech in Wakefield is about to get underway....
Jeremy Corbyn says the biggest division in the UK isn't over Brexit but between the many and the few.
He says:
"Years of Tory failure have left our society more divided than ever: poverty is growing, homelessness is up, personal debt is rising and crime is up too.The truth is, the real divide in our country is not between those who voted to Remain in the EU and those who voted to Leave. It is between the many - who do the work, who create the wealth and pay their taxes, and the few - who set the rules, who reap the rewards and so often dodge taxes."
Jeremy Corbyn demands Theresa May call a general election, saying:
"I say to Theresa May: if you are so confident in your deal then call that election and let the people decide.If not, Labour will table a motion of no confidence in the government at the moment we judge it to have the best chance of success.Clearly, Labour does not have enough MPs in parliament to win a confidence vote on its own.So members across the House should vote with us to break the deadlock.This paralysis cannot continue. Uncertainty is putting people’s jobs and livelihoods at risk.And if a general election cannot be secured then we will keep all options on the table, including the option of campaigning for a public vote.But an election must be the priority. It is not only the most practical option, it is also the most democratic option."
Jeremy Corbyn appears to hit out at Sajid Javid, the home secretary, saying ministers exploited "bigotry and racism" in their response to refugees trying to cross the Channel.
He says:
"I know many people were appalled at the bigotry and racism that some politicians stoked during the referendum campaign and are still trying to exploit out of the small number of desperate refugees risking their lives to cross the English Channel.Let’s never forget that whatever circumstances people are living in whether in tents camps or trying to survive on dangerous dinghies, everyone is a human being and we must reach out the hand of humanity in all circumstances."
Jeremy Corbyn wraps up by saying Leavers and Remainers face many of the same issues:
"We will bring people together by addressing the deep-seated and common problems across our country and fulfilling the aspirations that led people to vote both leave or remain.I would put it like this: if you’re living in Tottenham you may well have voted to Remain.You’ve got high bills rising debts. You’re in insecure work. You struggle to make your wages stretch and you may be on universal credit, and forced to access food banks.You’re up against it.If you’re living in Mansfield, you are more likely to have voted to Leave.You’ve got high bills, rising debts, you’re in insecure work, you struggle to make your wages stretch and you may be on universal credit and forced to access food banks.You’re up against it.But you’re not against each other."
Jeremy Corbyn dismisses the government's potential support for a Labour backbench Brexit amendment to protect workers' rights.
He says trade unions have made clear that the motion "simply
doesn't guarantee the protections that we are seeking".
Asked if he agrees with Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, that Article 50 may need to be extended to allow for further negotiations, the Labour leader appears to suggest that yes, he does.
He says that if Labour entered office "there would need to be time for that negotiation" and that Sir Keir was "reflecting the practicalities of how that negotiation would be undertaken".
Corbyn is pressed again on Sir Keir Starmer's comments on extending Article 50.
He says:
"There is no split on this: Keir and I are here together today. He made clear the practicalities of negotiating - that an extension would be a possibility because clearly there has to be time to negotiating."
NEW: Jeremy Corbyn indicates Labour will back delaying Brexit
Jeremy Corbyn indicates Labour will back delaying Brexit
Jeremy Corbyn has agreed that a delay to Brexit appears inevitable, to allow for a renegotiation of Theresa May’s doomed deal.Jeremy Corbyn demands that Theresa May call a general election
The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
Sign our petition here
