Brexit news: Theresa May secures ‘legally binding’ changes to EU deal after last-ditch Strasbourg visit

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Theresa May has secured “legally-binding’’ changes to her Brexit deal after an eleventh-hour dash to Strasbourg on the eve of a dramatic Commons vote.

In a late-night press conference with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, Ms May urged MPs to back her “improved” deal in the meaningful vote tomorrow after pledging she had secured reassurances that the UK would not be trapped in the Irish backstop.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington set out details of some of the changes agreed with Brussels in a Commons statement as he tried to buy the prime minister time to finish her talks before the Commons rose for the night.

It comes ahead of a parliamentary showdown on Ms May’s Brexit deal on Tuesday, which returns to the Commons after it was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs in January.

As speculation mounts over a fresh humiliation for Ms May, all eyes will be on the Brexiteers and her DUP allies to see if the changes the prime minister has secured will be enough to get the deal over the line.

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Key Points

• PM secures 'legally binding' changes to deal after eleventh-hour trip to Strasbourg
• Government says 'meaningful vote' on Brexit deal will go ahead on Tuesday
• Tom Watson warns of a 'schism' in Labour unless tolerance restored
• Motion calling for second referendum 'unlikely to be tabled this week'
• Labour MPs urged to disregard May's 'half-hearted' workers' rights pledge

[12 March 2019 23:41 · Lizzy Buchan]

Tense scenes in the Commons, as MPs repeatedly pressed the government to reveal when key documents will be available, and also bemoaned the fact that details of the Government motion first emerged on Twitter.

Conservative former minister and senior Brexiteer Mark Francois said: "If the government's motion is on Twitter, couldn't the minister just read it out?"

On the legal advice, Mr Francois warned Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has been involved in negotiating the deal, and will be "to some extent marking his own homework when he advises the House".

Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, added: "It's clearer that we should be looking at Twitter rather than listening to the minister on this."

Labour former minister Pat McFadden said of Mr Lidington's announcements in his initial statement: "Well, if this is a fig leaf it doesn't cover very much and it certainly doesn't cover the Government's desperation to give the ERG and the DUP an excuse to come in off the ledge."

[12 March 2019 23:54 · Lizzy Buchan]

The most important thing for the PM is to win over the Brexiteers now.