Feeling overwhelmed by the endless Brexit drama? Don’t worry, here are your key takeaways for the day:
Our live coverage of the day’s Brexit developments is now coming to an end. But head here for the latest movements on this story.
Moments ago, British Prime Minister Theresa May took to the podium outside Number 10 to address the nation.
“I understand that [for] people getting on with their lives away from Westminster , the events of the last 24 hours have been unsettling,” the British leader said.
“Now MPs have made it clear what they don’t want, we must all work constructively together to set out what Parliament does want.”
May said she had already conducted meetings with the Liberal Democrats, SNP and Plaid Cymru. She added that talks between several other parties would take place tomorrow and expressed her disappointment over opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to participate.
“The door remains open,” she said.
Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweets that UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s first steps for all party discussions must be to remove the option of a no-deal Brexit.
His tweet was accompanied by a video from the House earlier tonight where Corbyn called for May to take the option off the table.
A spokesman for Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn confirmed Downing Street reached out to the party ahead of tonight’s vote over potential cross-party discussions, the UK’s Press Association reports.
Accounting for Corbyn’s position on the no-deal course of action, the spokesperson said: “The blackmail is that by attempting to run down the clock and hold the threat of the country going over a cliff-edge into a no-deal outcome…that makes it more difficult to reach a real and effective deal.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to make a statement outside 10 Downing Street at 10 p.m. (5 p.m. ET).
Conservative MP Guy Opperman tells CNN that Labour needs to stop playing politics and come to the table.
“I’d like Labour to stop playing politics, get round the table, and identify specifically what in the withdrawal agreement and the political agreement they manifestly disagree with, because until they spell out their position – and the other parties, but the main one is Labour – we don’t know where the common ground is,” Opperman said.
While most parties welcomed an invitation to discuss the Brexit impasse tonight with Theresa May, it’s not going to be a straight forward affair.
Lawmakers from the SNP, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties all emphasized the importance of taking the option of a no-deal Brexit off the table.
But May could alienate her own party by ditching the option, according to political analyst Carole Walker. Watch the video below for more:
Here’s a breakdown of how lawmakers in the House of Commons voted tonight.
Ayes: 306
Labour - 251
Scottish National Party - 35
Liberal Democrat - 11
Plaid Cymru - 4
Independent - 4
Green Party - 1
Noes: 325
Conservative - 314
Independent - 1
Democratic Unionist Party - 10
The Scottish National Party’s leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, says he will embrace the offer for all-party talks with Theresa May and her government.
He adds: “However, I do think it is important in that regard that we make it clear to the prime minister, in the spirit of openness in these talks, that the issue of extending article 50, a people’s vote and avoiding a no deal have to be on the table.”
Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is called on a point of order but lots of jeering from the benches interrupts his start.
After House speaker John Bercow brings the room to order, Corbyn outlines the numerous government defeats of recent days.
Throughout the entirety of Corbyn’s remarks, the chamber is filled with raucous jeering.
Though on the surface of it, Theresa May’s victory looks narrow, it was always expected to be very close.
There are 650 seats in the House of Commons. 317 belong to May’s Conservatives; 256 belong to Labour; 35 belong to the Scottish Nationalists; 11 to the Liberal Democrats; 10 to the Democratic Unionists Party; 8 to the independents; 7 to Northern Ireland’s Sinn Fein (who in protest at rule from Westminster do not take their seats); 4 to the Welsh Plaid Cymru; 1 Green; and 1 to the speaker of the house, who though a Conservative, does not vote in parliamentary votes.
May currently has a confidence and supply arrangement with the DUP, giving her 327 votes. The rest are opposition and were whipped to vote against the government. There are always abstentions for various reasons. Only 631 MPs voted in tonight’s vote (a high turnout).
So while this vote may at a glance look as though it squeaked through, it was always going to be the case.
British Prime Minister Theresa May immediately steps up after the result is read out. She says she is pleased at the outcome and does not take the responsibility of premiership lightly.
“My government will continue to increase our prosperity, guarantee our security and to strengthen our union. And yes, we will also continue to work to deliver on the solemn promise that we made to the people of this country to deliver on the result of the referendum and leave the European Union,” she says.
May announces that cross-party talks will begin immediately (as in tonight!) which is greeted by loud “ahhhhhs” from the chamber.
“I’ve proposed a series of meetings between senior parliamentarians and representatives of the government in the coming days and I would like to invite the leaders of parliamentary parties to meet with me individually and I would like to start these meetings tonight,” she says.
May concludes by saying her government will approach these all party discussions in a constructive spirit and hopes others would do the same. She adds that she will return to Parliament on Monday to make a statement about next steps.
Theresa May will stagger on as Prime Minister after her government won a confidence vote, but the path forward for Brexit remains unclear.
May’s government won by 325 to 306.
Lawmakers are now leaving the chamber and voting on the no-confidence motion.
Michael Gove, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, is speaking to the House ahead of no-confidence vote at the top of the hour.
He says previous speaker Tom Watson, who closed the debate on the motion for the opposition party, did not identify why Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn should be Prime Minister.
The Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster and Parliamentary Leader Nigel Dodds have met with the Prime Minister Theresa May in Westminster.
Foster described the discussion as “useful.”
Referring to May’s historic loss, Foster said lessons needed to be learned and the issue of the backstop needed to be handled.
The DUP leader then confirmed the party would be supporting the Prime Minister in tonight’s motion of no-confidence.
“In keeping with our commitments in the Confidence and Supply agreement, which has benefitted every sector of society in Northern Ireland, the DUP is supporting the Government this evening so that we can concentrate on the real challenges ahead of us,” Foster said.
A senior EU official has told CNN that the defeat of UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s EU withdrawal deal illustrates “the problem is more profound than simply the backstop” and the proposed cross party talks will do little to find consensus.
“The problem is a lack of consensus in the British political system on where they want to go,” the official continued highlighting different motives for while the deal was struck down including the Irish backstop, customs union and identity issues.
“Theresa May never pursued a consensus approach but one solely based on her majority. Now it will be hard to find a cross party position that is in line with the EU’s red lines… We were asking them since last year to come back and tell us what is necessary to find a majority.”
The official said the ball is with London for the time being, leaving the EU to watch and wait. They said the crushing defeat of the Baron amendment (proposed to give the UK the right to terminate the Irish border backstop unilaterally) indicated the there were more widespread problems preventing Westminster MPs from backing the deal.
When pressed on the idea of a second referendum or an extension of Article 50, the senior official waived it off.
“I have my doubts whether she is capable of asking for [an extension]. Asking for it will result in a big drama in her party. If she’s not doing it soon she will be probably be pushed for it by Parliament. We will take it when it comes. [The request for extension] has to have a sense of purpose. It can’t simply postpone the cliff edge.”
The official said it was unclear how the EU would respond to an extension request as it has yet to be discussed at the political level.
A pregnant lawmaker has been told she will be “nodded through” Wednesday’s vote of no confidence in Theresa May’s government.
Tulip Siddiq, an opposition Labour MP who is likely to vote against the government this evening, went against the advice of her doctors and delayed the birth of her second child to attend Parliament for the crucial Brexit vote on Tuesday.
Presently there is no protocol for proxy voting in Parliament.
Siddiq said “nodding through is not ideal” as she will still have to travel to Parliament and wait for whips to confirm her presence.
“The UK is in chaos and, clearly, much greater issues face the country, but Parliament needs dragging into the 21st century ASAP,” she ended.
Outside UK Parliament, CNN’s Julia Chatterley has been talking to MP Andrew Murrison of the Conservative Party and Labour’s Peter Kyle ahead of tonight’s no-confidence vote.
Murrison ruled out any other outcome than a win for the Prime Minister. He said her next steps after would be to commence cross-party talks and then bring those suggestions to the European Union in a bid to resolve any outstanding issues.
Kyle did not seem to disagree that May would prevail on Wednesday, but added that all party discussions were “too little, too late.”
“The thing that really worried me today was that Theresa May came back entirely hubristic, entirely set on no changes at all. She gave no hint at all, in fact the complete opposite, that she’s even willing to discuss any of her red lines,” Kyle continued.
Towing the party line, Murrison reiterated that May was simply doing what the country voted for – to leave the bloc. He added that there was a lot of good in May’s deal, which was voted down in a historic defeat last night, and insisted that there were just a few sticking points to resolve, including the Irish border backstop.
“To get the best chance of this going through, she’s going to have to go back to the EU and say it’s this protocol that’s the problem and we’re going to have to remove it or put a sunset clause on it,” Murrison explained.
Debate continues in the House of Commons. But those looking for some background tunes befitting the Brexit drama may look no further than this handy checklist from Politico Europe correspondent Lili Bayer.
Throughout today’s debate, May repeatedly told Parliament she was going to reach across party lines to find a Brexit consensus.
The reality has been very different, according to opposition MPs.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he’s yet to receive an invitation to cross-party talks, and Labour MP Yvette Cooper hit out at the PM’s refusal to rethink any of her red lines.
European leaders have also criticized the lack of cross-party dialogue, telling UK politicians, if we can do it – so can you.
It’s time for UK political parties to “come out of the trenches” and engage in “cross-party cooperation,” the European Parliament’s chief negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt told reporters Wednesday.
