Closing summary –
That’s all from us this evening. Thanks for reading and commenting. Here’s a summary of the day’s events:
MPs will debate the prime minister’s plan to ask for a Brexit delay until 30 June on Tuesday. Parliamentarians will be able to suggest alternative dates, raising the prospect that Brexit could be pushed back yet further.
The debate was set up when Parliament passed legislation designed to prevent the UK crashing out with no deal. The legislation, proposed by the Labour MP Yvette Cooper and others, required the prime minister to present her plan to request a delay in the form of an amendable motion and prevented her from suggesting any date before 22 May.
Any delay would still require the consent of the EU, which has said it must come with a workable plan, but – if granted – it would stave off the prospect of what Cooper called an “inadvertent no-deal” Brexit.
The EU said it would refuse to open trade talks with the UK after a no-deal Brexit unless the backstop issue was addressed. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said the situation would persist until the EU got assurances on the Irish border, citizens’ rights and money. Barnier added that he would be happy to offer the UK a customs union.
Cross-party talks are due to continue on Tuesday, Labour said. The opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, repeated a call for the prime minister to show more willingness to compromise after discussions resumed on Monday.
Signs of division within the hard Brexit-supporting ERG came to the fore. One of its members, Daniel Kawczynski, resigned and accused a “hardcore element of ‘Unicorn’ dreamers” within the ERG of putting Brexit at risk.
