Brexit news: John Bercow rules Theresa May cannot bring her deal back for third time unless something has changed
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John Bercow has dramatically ruled that Theresa May cannot hold another vote on her Brexit deal unless the proposed agreement has changed "substantially".
In a major blow to the prime minister, the Commons speaker invoked a centuries-old rule that says the same motion cannot be voted on more than once in the same parliamentary sitting.
Ms May was reported to be planning a third "meaningful vote" on her deal this week, although Downing Street said it would only happen if there was a "realistic prospect" of success.
If no vote happens in the coming days, she is now expected to ask European leaders for a lengthy extension to the two-year negotiation process, delaying Brexit for months or even years beyond March 29.
To follow events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below
Negotiations between the government and the DUP will continue today as Theresa May scrambles to persuade the party to suppport her Brexit deal.
Their ten Commons votes are important not just because the prime minister will need them if she is to have any hope of securing a majority for her plan, but because their support is likely to be key to getting dozens of Tory Eurosceptics onside.
Last night, Bolton West MP Chris Green said he was likely to again vote against the deal, but that the DUP's support would have a "big impact".
He told the BBC's Westminster Hour:
"I want to vote against it because I don't believe when parliament defeated it by the biggest margin in the history of parliament that was because it was in any way a good deal, and the substance of the deal hasn't changed."
Tory Brexiteer leader Jacob Rees-Mogg says he has not decided how he will vote if another vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal is held this week.
The chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) told LBC: "I genuinely haven't made up my mind."
He added:
"The question people like me are going to have to answer is: can we get to no deal instead?
"A two-year extension is basically remaining in the European union. No deal is still the best option.
"Mrs May's deal, however bad it is, takes us out of the European Union."
"There is a hierarchy. No deal is better than Mrs May's deal, but Mrs May's deal is better than not leaving."
Some Conservative MPs have told Theresa May she must agree to step down if she is to secure their backing for her Brexit deal
The government's latest offer to the DUP is said to include new assurances on the controversial Irish backstop - namely a guarantee that any new EU regulations that were introduced in Northern Ireland after Brexit would also be implemented in the rest of the UK.
In addition, attorney general Geoffrey Cox is reportedly looking at how the 1969 Vienna Convention could be used as a way out of the backstop. The Convention says that countries may be able to withdraw from an international treaty if there is a "fundamental change of circumstances". This may allow Mr Cox to "clarify" his legal advice to make clear to reassure the DUP - and Tory Eurosceptics - that the backstop will not be permanent.
Then there is the money. The DUP's agreement to prop up the Conservatives in the Commons expires in June and it is expected that a further £1bn of investment in Northern Ireland will be needed to secure their support again. Sources have denied that the negotiations are about money, but it would be somewhat surprising if this hadn't been mentioned at all during the talks.
One Conservative MP who will definitely not be supporting Theresa May's deal is Sir John Redwood.
Speaking to the BBC, the veteran Eurosceptic called the plan "a very expensive invitation to more talks about possibly getting out with a sensible trade agreement, or perhaps not, with the ultimate problem that Northern Ireland might not be allowed out at all".
He added:
"It violates the Conservative manifesto in many important ways. The manifesto is very clear that no deal is better than a bad deal."
Asked how many other Tory MPs shared his view, he said:
"It's a lot of people, and it goes far wider than the [European Research Group], who have been particularly keen to have the right kind of Brexit."
22 Conservative MPs have written to The Telegraph insisting that a no-deal Brexit remains the best option for Britain.
Suggesting they will not support Theresa May's exit deal, the group said leaving without an agreement would "prove to be the precursor to a very good deal indeed".
Criticising "a parliament of Remainers" that voted to take no deal off the table and a government that is framing the choice as being between Ms May's deal and a long delay to Brexit, they added:
"Our moral course is clear: it is not our fault that we are confronted by two unacceptable choices, but it will be our fault if we cast a positive vote in favour of either for fear of the other."
The letter was signed by: Adam Afriyie, Lucy Allen, Crispin Blunt, Peter Bone, Andrew Bridgen, Richard Drax, Mark Francois, Marcus Fysh, Chris Green, Adam Holloway, Philip Hollobone, Ranil Jayawardena, Andrea Jenkyns, David Jones, Julian Lewis, Craig Mackinlay, Cheryll Murray, Owen Paterson, Sir John Redwood, Andrew Rosindell, Ross Thomson, Michael Tomlinson and Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
It's looking like an uneventful day in the Commons but that could change if Theresa May (or another minister) makes a statement on Brexit, likely fo
cusing on the outcome of negotiations with the DUP. Here's the order paper as it stands...
This is interesting... Conservative MP Huw Merriman, who voted for Theresa May's Brexit deal and against extending Article 50, has met with one of the Labour MPs behind a Commons amendment for a fresh referendum - and says it could be the only way to deliver Brexit.
The so-called Kyle-WIlson amendment, drawn up by Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson, is likely to be tabled when Ms May calls a third Commons vote on her deal. Supporters hope it will attract Tory MPs who want to find a way to get an exit plan approved. Could Mr Merriman be the first?
Donald Trump has appeared to claim that the UK invented Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election
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