A cross-party bid to block a no-deal Brexit has cleared the Commons after Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn met for last-ditch talks to break the deadlock.
In a series of late-night votes, MPs backed the bill, tabled by Labour's Yvette Cooper, which was rushed through in a single day to prevent the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal next Friday.
It comes after Ms May was hit by two ministerial resignations over her decision to hold talks with Mr Corbyn, which also sparked fury among Tory MPs.
Mr Corbyn said the meeting in the prime minister's Commons office was "useful but inconclusive", adding: "There has not been as much change as I expected".
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Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Brexit crisis on Wednesday, 3 April.
A reminder of some of the angry remarks made by the ERG, hard Brexiteers and the DUP about the prime minister’s big move last night.
Jacob Rees-Mogg described her offer to Jeremy Corbyn as “deeply unsatisfactory” and accused Ms May of planning to collaborate with “a known Marxist”.
Boris 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.”
And the DUP stated: “It remains to be seen if sub-contracting out the future of Brexit to Jeremy Corbyn, someone whom the Conservatives have demonised for four years, will end happily.”
Environment secretary Michael Gove said he backed the talks because he wants to leave the EU. He told BBC Two’s Newsnight: “One of my concerns has been that there are people within the House of Commons who want to frustrate that referendum mandate - there are people who want to do everything possible to prevent us leaving - and I wanted to ensure that minds are concentrated so that we do leave.”
Here’s what we know about the move by Sir Oliver Letwin and Yvette Cooper to pass a Bill through the Commons on Wednesday to stop the UK crashing out of the EU.
Instead of initiating a third round of indicative votes on Wednesday, when Parliament once more has control over the Commons timetable, Sir Oliver will table a paving motion to allow debate and votes on Ms Cooper's Bill. An amendment to his motion would set aside April 8 for indicative votes.
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.
The group behind the Bill, which also includes former Tory chair 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 and granted Royal Assent in time for the emergency EU summit on April 10.
Here’s more on Jeremy Corbyn’s response to the big offer from Theresa May.
Jeremy Corbyn says he is 'very happy' to meet Theresa May after she offered cross-party talks to break deadlock
'We recognise that she has made a move, I recognise my responsibility to represent the people that supported Labour in the last election'Tory grandee Sir Oliver Letwin has spoken very positively about Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on the Today programme this morning.
He said: “I think he is somebody we can do business with. We’re all part of one country and, yes, we have some pretty profound political differences.
“But the fact is ... on the Labour benches, on the Conservative benches and on other benches, there are many, many sensible people all of whom in their different ways are devoted to the best interests of this country.”
More cabinet support for the prime minister this morning. Culture secretary Jeremy Wright said: “The public wants parliament to resolve this and so far it’s not been possible.
“I support the PM in speaking to the leader of the opposition to see what we can collectively do to deliver Brexit as the people instructed us to.
“Given where we are, a short extension is necessary for us to work together on a deal that Parliament will accept. I want the UK to leave the EU with a deal, but no deal remains possible and we must continue to prepare for it.”
What exactly might Jeremy Corbyn be demanding from Theresa May when he meets her later today? In February he wrote to the prime minister pledging to offer support if she agreed to five commitments.
Here’s Chris Baynes with more on Labour’s red lines.
What do Labour and Jeremy Corbyn want from the Brexit plan?
Party leader's priorities in talks with Theresa May will include customs union and market accessShadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said Labour was entering Brexit negotiations with the prime minister with an open mind.
“We’re not setting any red lines for these discussion with the prime minister. Certainly a customs union is part of our sensible plan and indeed it’s interesting to note that one of the indicative votes this week was on a customs union and that was one that lost by the fewest votes so we hope the prime minister will be looking at that very, very closely.”
She added Labour’s support for another referendum in the latest indicative votes was “just to move matters ahead”.
“Certainly the People’s Vote didn’t satisfy all elements of our conference policy but we wanted to have that on the table so members could have the opportunity to look at that if they wanted to.”
Some cabinet ministers giving their support to the prime minister this morning, but what about those thought to be in favour of a no deal Brexit?
Asked if any were set to resign over her offer to Labour, the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg says “not yet” and suggests “nothing has been agreed” in the cabinet. “There are some very, very cross people around this morning.”
Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay has said the “remorseless logic” of the Commons meant the UK was heading for a softer Brexit.
“It’s undesirable but it’s the remorseless logic of the numbers of the House of Commons. The prime minister’s deal won’t go through and no deal in law is taken off the table, then the consequence of that is either a soft Brexit or no Brexit at all.”
Mr Barclay blamed hard Brexiteers in the ERG who refused to support Ms May’s deal. “It’s regrettable that what we have been saying for several months now is coming to pass but that is the remorseless logic of not backing the prime minister’s deal.
“Because the alternative then is to have to seek votes from the opposition benches because 35 of my own colleagues would not support the prime minister’s deal.”
Of the offer to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Barclay said: “We’re not setting pre-conditions, but nor is it a blank check.”
ERG spokesman Jacob Rees-Mogg has said the Brexit process “has now been taken control of entirely by people who backed Remain … We should leave on 12 April without a deal.”
In a feisty exchange on the Today programme, he also defended his retweet of a speech made by a leader in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
“I think this is typical of the BBC’s obsession, dare I say it the Today programme’s obsession about this. (James) Naughtie said quite shamefully the other week that the ERG was like the National Front in France.”
When told Mr Naughtie, a Today programme presenter, had been quoting someone else on the ERG, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “No he wasn’t, he said it himself – it was his view. And he’s a BBC person … What Mr Naughtie said was an outrageous slur.
“So when Mr Naughtie quotes somebody and it’s not his view that’s fine, but when I quote somebody and it’s not my view that’s a great shock, and that seems to me typical of the Today programme’s lefty approach.”
Junior Brexit minister Robin Walker has suggested any government agreement reached with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could not be overturned by the next leader of the Conservative party.
More on that remarkable Jacob Rees-Mogg interview on the Today programme earlier.
Rees-Mogg boils over in live BBC interview after his promotion of far-right leader is questioned
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his customary cool during a live BBC interview after being confronted over his promotion of a far-right German leader.A sign the DUP could yet still change its mind on Theresa May’s deal? Asked if the prime minister’s decision to hold talks with Labour had frozen it out, DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said the party was “still in a very strong and influential position” and that events could change quickly.
Mr Donaldson said the DUP’s 10 MPs continued to demand changes to her EU withdrawal deal and would need “at the very least a time limit on that backstop” before they would consider supporting it.
More cabinet backing for Theresa May. Speaking outside her home this morning, international development secretary Penny Mordaunt said people were “fed-up of the limbo”.
“The only way to leave is with the withdrawal agreement. The prime minister is trying to get it through on Conservative votes and has not been able to, she’s now trying to do it with Labour votes.
“I would say to colleagues who want a truer Brexit, I still hope we can do this with Conservative and DUP votes. But above all else, the public are fed-up of the limbo and business needs certainty.”
Transport secretary Chris Grayling, who has made clear he is not a fan of a softer Brexit based on a customs union, will have something else on his mind this morning.
He has been lambasted by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for “continual shortcomings” by his department over the Crossrail project.
Here’s our Travel Correspondent Simon Calder with all the details.
Chris Grayling condemned for 'continual shortcomings' over delayed Crossrail
Costs of Crossrail ‘have been allowed to spiral out of control whilst question marks remain around its completion’ says the Public Accounts CommitteeShadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey has poured cold water on the idea Labour could agree a quick Brexit deal within days. She said any deal would have to be “legally-binding”.
Here’s our Deputy Political Editor Rob Merrick with more.
Labour insists any Brexit deal with the Tories must be 'legally binding'
Rebecca Long-Bailey says changes must be enshrined in law – to prevent the prime minister's successor ripping them upSteve secretary Steve Barclay is speaking at the Brexit committee in parliament this morning. He has made clear the government still wants to leave the EU by 22 May, but he is now answering questions from committee chair Hilary Benn about the kinds of delay that might be possible.
Mr Barclay says that if “your legislation” – referring to the Cooper bill being drawn up to stop a no deal crash out scenario – passes in the Commons, then we are headed for a softer kind of Brexit or even no Brexit at all.
He again uses the phrase “remorseless logic” – one he used on the BBC this morning – when talking about numbers in the Commons for a softer Brexit.
We have the first cabinet resignation of the day – Nigel Adams has quit over the prime minister’s offer to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
