Brexit - as it happened: Theresa May accused of presiding over '20 wasted months', as PM vows to unite nation

Theresa May tells developers to 'do their duty' to the country on home building

Theresa May has defended her Brexit vision in a statement to MPs amid warnings that EU leaders will not accept her plans.

In a major speech at Mansion House in London last week, the Prime Minister told the bloc that refusing to include financial services in a trade deal after Brexit would “hurt” its own economies.

However European leaders suggested the plan would be difficult to accept because it would undermine the EU’s single market.

Earlier, Ms May attempted to shift focus away from Brexit when she announced plans to penalise property developers who do not build homes quickly enough.

The Prime Minister also used the speech to address rising levels of homelessness, adding: "In 2018, in one of the world’s largest, strongest economies, nobody should be without a roof over their head.

"This isn't just a British problem – in recent years homelessness has risen across Europe – but it is source of national shame nonetheless."

See below for the latest updates

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[5 March 2018 16:55 · Ashley Cowburn]

My colleague Lizzy Buchan is currently watching the Chancellor in a separate part of the Commons. She sends this:

Chancellor Philip Hammond is giving evidence to MPs on the EU Scrutiny Committee about Brexit.

He sought to reassure MPs that Brussels would not impose new rules on the UK during the transition period, saying the “relatively slow pace that the EU sausage machine grinds at works in our favour”.

Hammond said it was ‘quite unlikely that we will be presented with legislation that we are completely unsighted on’.

The only serious risk is of "short cut" laws being brought in, which could be punitive to the UK, the Chancellor said. Insisted he did not think that was likely

[5 March 2018 17:05 · Ashley Cowburn]

The PM told MPs that the Government was looking at customs arrangements between the United States and Canada as a possible solution to the Irish border issue.

May, in answer to a question from Labour MP Emma Reynolds, said: "There are many examples of different arrangements for customs around the rest of the world. Indeed we are looking at those, including for example the border between the United States and Canada."

When it was later pointed out to the Prime Minister that there were "armed customs guards" between Canada and the US, Mrs May said the Government was looking at arrangements "in a number of countries".

Shadow Brexit minister Jenny Chapman said: "The member for Wolverhampton North East asked earlier where an example could be found of a border between jurisdictions and the Prime Minister gave the example of Canada and America as being a soft, frictionless border. There are guns and armed customs guards on that border, surely that's not what she has in mind?"

[5 March 2018 17:27 · Ashley Cowburn]