Brexit bill debate live: Ken Clarke accuses party of hitting new anti-immigrant low

Follow the latest updates from the Commons here

Ken Clarke accuses Tory party of hitting new anti-immigrant low

Welcome to The Independent’s live-blog on the first reading of the EU Bill. Here are the latest updates:

• Ken Clarke says Enoch Powell would be surprised by rhetoric of the Conservatives
• Labour MPs push for second Brexit referendum
• May will not find passing Brexit bill by March 7 'plain sailing' 
• Trump's state visit should be delayed by up to three years
• Sturgeon gives May deadline for Brexit compromise
• Labour MPs seek to force Brexit vote on single market
• Devolved governments 'won't get decisive role in Brexit talks'

Welcome to The Independent’s live-blog on the first day of two days of debating the EU withdrawal bill – the legislation needed to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. MPs will vote on the Bill at the end of debates on Tuesday evening before it moves to the committee stage for further scrutiny.

Speaking on Tuesday the former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said she was not planning to vote for any amendment’s to the Government Bill. Labour are seeking to impose various amendments, including guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens living in the UK before the Brexit negotiations begin.

The SNP have tabled dozens of amendments, though they are unlikely to make their way onto the final Bill. Ms Morgan told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "My instinct is no at the moment, not to support any amendments."

But earlier on Tuesday a senior Conservative told The Independent that Ms May would not find it “plain sailing” as she rushes to have her Brexit bill approved by March 7. “What we are seeing now is a huge raft of amendments being tabled,” they added.

“There are cross party talks going on about this. It’s not going to be plain sailing for the Prime Minster.”

[31 January 2017 11:42 · Kristin Hugo]

The Press Association has done an expected journey of the Article 50 Bill through the Commons: 

Here is a likely timetable for the passage through Parliament of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, known informally as the Article 50 Bill:

:: January 31: The House of Commons begins two days of debating the Bill. Speaker John Bercow will select which amendments, if any, are debated at this stage.

:: February 1: MPs will get to vote on the Bill at the end of the debate. The vote is expected to take place late in the evening. If passed, the Bill moves to the committee stage for further scrutiny.

:: February 6-7: Committee stage. MPs can try to revise the Bill by pushing through a series of amendments.

:: February 8: End of the committee stage. MPs will get another chance to debate the Bill, followed by a final vote. If the Bill is passed, it will be sent to the House of Lords.

:: February 9: Parliament rises for February recess.

:: February 20: Parliament returns from recess. The House of Lords is likely to begin debating the Bill.

:: Late February/early March: The House of Lords debates the Bill. If peers vote to amend the Bill, it will return to the House of Commons. If there are no amendments, the Bill is sent to the Queen to receive Royal Assent and become law.

:: March 9-10: EU summit in Brussels. If the Bill is now law, Theresa May could use this occasion to formally trigger Article 50 and start the two-year countdown to the UK leaving the European Union.

:: By March 31: Theresa May has said Article 50 will be triggered.

[31 January 2017 11:57 · Kristin Hugo]

[31 January 2017 12:34 · Kristin Hugo]

[31 January 2017 12:54 · Kristin Hugo]

The debate has now started. David Davies, the Brexit Secretary, is now speaking. “It’s not a bill about whether the UK should leave the EU,” he says – it’s about implementing the will of the people after the referendum in June 2016. “We are honouring the result of the referendum,” he adds.

He says it’s a straightforward Bill… he adds the Government will invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by March 31st.

Davies says “this is just the beginning”. 

[31 January 2017 13:01 · Kristin Hugo]

Angus Roberston, the former SNP leader, says the Government has decided to abadon the high ground of the single market… “that’s why they are desperate to deal with anyone,” he adds – in reference to the recent Trump visit.

Davis says the exact opposite is the case.

Davis is now outlining the Government’s 12 objectives for the Brexit negotiations. You can read more about them below:

[31 January 2017 13:09 · Kristin Hugo]

"There's no such thing as hard Brexit or soft Brexit. Just Brexit – and we're going to make a success of it,” one Conservative MP just said. No prizes for guessing where he got that statement.

Davis is now saying the PM is committed to bringing a White Paper outlining the Government’s objectives for Brexit before Parliament in due course.

An SDLP MP is raising the Northern Ireland political crisis – Davis says the issues are the forefront of the Government’s mind… although there are no executives individual ministers remain he place, he adds. “They have made serious and significance contributions to meetings”.

“We take the issue and the protection of Northern Ireland incredibly serious”

“The country voted to leave the EU – and it’s the duty of the Government to do just that,” he says.

Davis says MPs must move swiftly with the legislation in order for the Prime Minister to stick to the Brexit timetable to invoke Article 50 by the end of March. “We must honour our side of the agreement – do we trust the people, or not?”

"I commend the Bill to the House - trust the people"

[31 January 2017 13:19 · Kristin Hugo]

Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit Secretary, is now responding. “For the Labour Party is a very difficult Bill,” he says.

He says we lost the referendum – he says the idea the referendum was merely a consultation exercise has no order. “The PM is accountable to this house, and that accountability is vital to this House”.

“Just before Christmas the PM was resisting giving this House a final vote on the deal – a position she has had to adjust”

He’s now outlining the Labour amendments… robust and regular parliamentary scrutiny… require to consult regularly with the devolved nations…this House has the first say, not the last say at the end of the negotiations… we’re also making the case for the rights of EU nationals.

“The PM should act unilaterally to give assurance to those EU nationals,”

He says at every surgery he’s had EU nationals in tear over their rights, which are currently in a state of limbo.

… what the Bill does not to do, he adds, is give the Government a blank cheque 

[31 January 2017 13:25 · Kristin Hugo]

Anna Soubry says Parliament should decide on the next steps if no deal is reached by the end of the two-year timetable permitted by Article 50.

Angela Eagle, a former frontbencher, says the White Paper should be published before the committee stage…

Keir Starmer is in agreement. “In her Lancaster House the PM said she does not seek to hold on to bits of membership… that is short sighted,” he adds.

“Why would we want to be outside Europol?”

He says he respects the views of those Labour MPs – and their constituents – who will not be able to vote for the triggering of Article 50. “We will see a good deal less of the gloating from those who campaigned to leave than we have seen in the past… we remain a European country with a shared interest, and shared values… above all it is our duty to achieve for the 100%.” 

Anna Soubry says Parliament should decide on the next steps if no deal is reached by the end of the two-year timetable permitted by Article 50.

Angela Eagle, a former frontbencher, says the White Paper should be published before the committee stage…

Keir Starmer is in agreement. “In her Lancaster House the PM said she does not seek to hold on to bits of membership… that is short sighted,” he adds.

“Why would we want to be outside Europol?”

He says he respects the views of those Labour MPs – and their constituents – who will not be able to vote for the triggering of Article 50. “We will see a good deal less of the gloating from those who campaigned to leave than we have seen in the past… we remain a European country with a shared interest, and shared values… above all it is our duty to achieve for the 100%.”

[31 January 2017 13:39 · Kristin Hugo]

Kenneth Clarke, the former Cabinet minister, says he’ll support an amendment by the SNP –  “it’s in the national interest for the UK to remain a member of the European Union”. He says people won’t be surprised to learn he will be voting against the Government’s Bill.

“No sensible country has referendums,” says Clarke.

He brands the arguments used during the referendum campaign – on both sides – as “pathetic”. He specifically talks about the £350m for the NHS promised and the emergency budget by Osborne.

“Somehow I’m an enemy of the people,” he says. I am somehow convinced my Eurosceptic colleagues would have abandoned their cause if they lost the referendum, adds Clarke.

He says he admires his colleagues who have enthusiastically took up Brexit, despite the party’s official policy on the EU for 50 years.  He says he hasn’t followed his party in its anti-immigrant stance. 

[31 January 2017 13:42 · Kristin Hugo]

Clarke says Enoch Powell would have been surprised to see his party become Eurosceptic and mildly anti-immigrant.