Brexit news: Theresa May gives statement to MPs after Brussels talks hit deadlock

All the latest updates from Westminster

Theresa May addresses House of Commons on Brexit

Theresa May's leadership and her plans for Brexit have come under intense pressure after a setback in talks with Brussels over the weekend.

A hastily arranged meeting between Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and European Union negotiator, Michel Barnier, failed to produce a breakthrough, leaving the process on a knife-edge ahead of a crunch summit on Wednesday.

Ms May was forced to come before MPs to discuss the state of the talks, as the the impasse over measures to prevent a hard border with Ireland threw the timetable for reaching a deal into major doubt.

The prime minister insisted that a deal was "still achievable" during a heated Commons statement, where she faced criticism from all sides over her approach.

Donald Tusk, the European Council president, also piled on the pressure by tweeting that a no-deal Brexit was "more likely than ever" shortly after Ms May's Commons address.

It was confirmed that the prime minister will address the 27 leaders before the European Council dinner in a last-ditch bid to win them over - though she will not be allowed into the main discussion itself.

If you want to follow the developments as they happened, see our live coverage below:

Key Points

• May tells MPs Brexit deal 'still achievable' as talks with Brussels hit deadlock
• EU chief Donald Tusk says no-deal Brexit 'more likely than ever'
• Universal credit forcing women to take up sex work, MPs told
• 'Urgent and serious' problem of bullying in Westminster, report finds

[15 October 2018 13:45 · Ashley Cowburn]

Leo Varadkar, the Irish PM, has said a Brexit deal could be delayed until December. He said that negotiations are still ongoing but admitted that "no one knows for sure" when an agreement can be reached.

Speaking in Dublin on Monday, Mr Varadkar said: "We are at a sensitive phase and I know some people were optimistic about an agreement on the withdrawal protocol this week, I have to say I always thought that was unlikely, I figure November or December the best opportunity for a deal."

[15 October 2018 14:27 · Ashley Cowburn]

[15 October 2018 14:43 · Lizzy Buchan]

MPs have started the day with work and pensions questions, where the roll-out of universal credit is the hot topic.

Work and Pensions committee chair Frank Field says some women have had to take up sex work because of the delays to payment.

[15 October 2018 15:00 · Lizzy Buchan]

Frank Field, independent MP for Birkenhead, told the Commons that government's flagship welfare reform was "not going as well" as is made out.

He said: "Might I raise a question that I wrote to the Secretary of State about, about how Universal Credit is being rolled out in Birkenhead, how it is not going as well as we're told in the House of Commons, and some women have taken to the red light district for the first time?

"Might she come to Birkenhead and meet those women's organisations and the police who are worried about women's security being pushed into this position?"

Esther McVey, replied: "We need to work with those ladies and see what help we can give them from the work coaches right the way through to the various charities and organisations."

She also asked Mr Field to tell the women that there are "record job vacancies".

[15 October 2018 15:15 · Lizzy Buchan]

Universal credit has become a real stumbling block for the government. Tory rebels have threatened to vote against their own party unless the hardest-hit groups are given more help.

Read our weekend piece on the challenges ahead:

[15 October 2018 15:25 · Lizzy Buchan]

The chamber is starting to fill up ahead of Theresa May's Commons statement.

[15 October 2018 15:36 · Ashley Cowburn]

May is now speaking in the Commons, she says we are "entering the final stages" of the negotiations and calls for "calm heads".

May says there has "inevitably" been a great deal of inaccurate speculation - she says real progress has been made and pays tribute to both negotiating teams. 

The shape of a deal, and the terms of our exit, are now clear.

"Perhaps most significantly we have made progress on Northern Ireland," she adds. Mays says both the UK and EU have the responsibility to protect the Good Friday agreement.

[15 October 2018 15:38 · Ashley Cowburn]

May says the "backstop" - the insurance policy to protect the Good Friday agreement - has been one of the key areas of debates. 

"Two problems remain," says Theresa May updating the Commons on the state of the Brexit negotiations. MPs break out laughing.

[15 October 2018 15:41 · Ashley Cowburn]

The PM says she wants to "look the British people in the eye" and tell them the backstop is only a temporary solution. She says it must be the case the backstop must not need to come into force, it should be temporary, and we must be able to make sure we cannot be kept in the backstop indefinitely. 

May says that she continues to believe a negotiated deal is the best outcome for the UK and that it is in reach.

[15 October 2018 15:44 · Ashley Cowburn]

Jeremy Corbyn responds by saying: "This really is beginning to feel like Groundhog day - less than 6 months to go, and what have we got to show for it?"

"The Chequers plan appears to be dead in the water - even her own conference speech couldn't mention it," he adds. 

"As we reach a critical point in this nation's history - we need a PM that will for once make the right decision and put the country before her party ... for too long this country has been held hostage to those in her party who want to lower rights and standards..."