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Live updates as MPs debate withdrawal agreement

MPs have rejected the latest attempt by the government to get its Brexit deal - or part of it - approved.

The government put forward the Brexit bill but not the political declaration, which sets out what Britain's future relationship with the EU would be.

The result was expected to be close but in the end there were 58 votes in it, a sizeable majority compared to more recent results.

The EU withdrawal agreement will be voted on by MPs today
The EU withdrawal agreement will be voted on by MPs today

Follow live updates below. Refresh the page for new updates:

5.19pm A withering assessment of events from North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale, who has backed the Prime Minister's deal each time it has been put before Parliament.

4.42pm Rehman Chishti, the Gillingham and Rainham MP, says he is "disappointed" Parliament voted against the Brexit plan, which he voted against twice before making a U-turn and backing the deal this week.

4.11pm South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay has revelaed he could not back the deal

3.21pm Dover and Deal MP, who changed his mind today and decided to back the EU withdrawal agreement after twice rejecting it, has had his say.

2.55pm The European Commission says a 'no-deal' Brexit on Friday 12 April is now a "likely scenario".

2.50pm

2.45pm The Prime Minister said: "This house has rejected no deal, it has rejected no Brexit, on Wednesday it rejected all variations of the deal on the table and today it has rejected approving the withdrawal agreement alone."

She added: "This government will continue to press the case for an orderly Brexit."

2.42pm MPs have rejected the government's Brexit Withdrawal Agreement by 344 votes to 286 - a majority of 58.

2.28pm MPs are voting on the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

2.26pm Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately has voiced her support once again for the government over Theresa May's Brexit deal.

2pm Sevenoaks MP Sir Michael Fallon is the latest Kent MP to swing behind the government's Brexit deal - had opposed it before. Here's what he had to say:

Michael Fallon. Picture: Martin Apps
Michael Fallon. Picture: Martin Apps

"I am grateful to all those constituents who have shared their views with me over the past few weeks. I have now had several hundred emails and letters, so many that I am regretfully unable to reply individually to each point, but I have read each one in coming to my own voting decisions.

There are different views across Sevenoaks and Swanley, just as there are across the country. And they divide at least four ways: there are Remainers who oppose the Withdrawal Agreement because it leads to an unknown Brexit and there are Remainers who support it, as keeping the UK fairly close to the current customs union; there are Leavers who want a purer Brexit and so oppose the Agreement for exactly the same reason, and there are Leavers who now support the Agreement fearing that unless we accept it we may never leave the EU at all. It is impossible to reconcile these differences in a single vote.

My conclusion is that we must implement the Referendum result as we promised, and we must avoid the potential damage to our economy and disruption here in Kent of leaving without any deal: the Leave campaign itself argued for “a careful change, not a sudden stop”.

The government is committed to an orderly withdrawal, and my view is that there is now a greater risk of a disorderly exit if we do not support the Withdrawal Agreement today. Though the Agreement is flawed, and weakens the United Kingdom by disadvantaging Northern Ireland, these are issues to which we can return when the subsequent Withdrawal legislation comes before Parliament. I shall therefore be supporting the Prime Minister and the Government today. "

1.10pm: Away from Westminster but not unrelated: It recently emerged that the government had issued councils advice on how to refuse Freedom of Information Act requests for details of their Brexit contingency plans.

It led to claims of unnecessary secrecy and the intervention of the Information Commissioners Office who wrote a letter to DEeXU saying that there could be a breach of the legislation. The ICO said it implied a blanket ban on responding to FOI requests citing that the disclosure of information was not in the public interest.

The ICO said that councils and Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) should review that advice and send out new guidance. We've obtained a copy of that new guidance and guess what?

It continues to say councils and forums should, where dealing with requests on planning for a 'no deal' scenario, withold information and neither confirm or deny they hold it because it would in itself disclose sensitive or potentially damaging information.

It says requests on border security or law enforcement plans should be resisted by engaging the public interest exemption.

As one door closes...another one closes...

12.50pm: As it's not 'Meaningful Vote 03' how about 'Meaningful Vote 2.5'? Thanks to county councillor Mike Whiting for that one...

12.45PM: Former Conservative Brexit secretary Dominic Raab says he intends to back the government. That's a bit of a relief for Theresa May...

12.25pm: The Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately on the offensive...

12.05pm: If you want an illustration of the gulf between MPs and grass roots activists, the Conservative chairman of the Canterbury Association has written a lengthy article which says MPs should reject the Withdrawal Act:

CON (8148910)
CON (8148910)

11.55am So, update on who has switched to backing the deal: four Kent MPs have in the last few days been persuaded - or persuaded themselves - that although they have all voted twice against the deal in the earlier meaningful votes they are now happy with it.

11.50am

WATCH: Eurotunnel has already spent £12 million on preparations for Brexit

11.40am The Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins is the latest Kent MP to declare he will be backing the deal having twice voted against it - he says that the deal is not a good one but says the risks of not getting it through are greater; says not backing deal will mean either a lengthy delay or second referendum both of which would be damaging.

But acknowledges that the whole Brexit debate has damaged politics and there will have to be a focus on fixing broken politics.

11.32am The Withdrawal Act is a legally-binding document setting out the terms of the UK's departure from the EU. It includes:

The Northern Ireland backstop;

Details of the UK's £39bn financial settlement with the EU

Guarantees about the rights of EU and UK citizens

Details of "transition period" until the end of 2020

11.31am Meanwhile, there's news of the new political grouping of MPs known as The Independent Group is registering to become a recognised political party - but that won't happen in time for them to field candidates in May's local council election. Maybe they want to be ready for a snap election?

11.30am Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat has tweeted about the risks, as he sees it, of not backing the bill:

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