Theresa May ordered to renegotiate Brexit deal

So now we know: Theresa May will go back to Brussels and plea for meaningful changes to the Northern Ireland backstop. If she can get concessions from the EU, then it looks like we have a deal.?

But the EU has been utterly consistent in its position that the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation. That means the backstop cannot be tweaked. So it’s starting to look a lot like a showdown: May’s deal versus no deal.?

But didn’t lawmakers just vote to rule out a no deal? They did. But it’s not legally binding, and even if it were, it simply is not in the gift of Parliament to rip up an international treaty.?

So May’s deal, no deal, or something else? Goodness me. All eyes on Brussels; all eyes on opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.?

A badge reading "Brexit: Is it worth it?" is picture on the hoat of an anti-brexit activist as they protest outside the Houses of Parliament in central London on December 17, 2018, ahead of a statement by Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May in the House of Commons later today. - Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday warn MPs against supporting a second Brexit referendum, as calls mount for a public vote to break the political impasse over the deal she struck with the EU. "Let us not break faith with the British people by trying to stage another referendum," she will tell parliament, according to extracts from her speech released by Downing Street. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) (Photo credit should read TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images)

Related article The UK has thrown itself at the mercy of Brussels

The British Chambers of Commerce and the British Property Federation have both bemoaned Tuesday’s Parliamentary vote, stressing that the UK leaving the EU without a deal is the worst possible outcome for British businesses.

A number of industry leaders have warned of economic chaos and food shortages in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

“Another day lost while the clock is ticking,” Adam Marshall, the BCC Director General, said. “The real-world result of Westminster’s interminable wrangling is market uncertainty, stockpiling, and the diversion of staff, money and investment.”

CEO of the British Property Federation, Melanie Leech, issued a plea for the government to come together.

“The property sector stands united with other business sectors in stressing that a No Deal is the worst outcome – but we need a clear alternative to provide the clarity on which investment decisions today, for the long-term health of the UK, can be based,” Leech said, adding that the current Withdrawal Agreement was the only credible option.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said there can be no substitute for the backstop.

The Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation, the Irish government said in a statement Tuesday shortly after the British Parliament voted to “require” that alternative arrangements to the Northern Ireland backstop be put in place.

“The agreement is a carefully negotiated compromise, which balances the UK position on customs and the single market with avoiding a hard border and protecting the integrity of the EU customs union and single market,” Ireland said.

Full statement:

May and Tusk in slightly happier times, during an EU summit in Brussels in October 2017.

A spokesman for Donald Tusk, the?President of the European Council, told CNN that the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation, despite Parliament’s vote Tuesday night to do just that.

“The Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation,” the spokesman said, minutes after Parliament voted to say it “requires the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced with alternative arrangements” in order to agree to Theresa May’s deal.

Speaking after lawmakers backed a move to reopen negotiations with the EU over the Northern Ireland backstop, Prime Minister Theresa May said that it was now “clear that there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority in this House for leaving the EU with a deal.”

May said she would now seek to deal with concerns – primarily from the rightwing of her own Conservative party – over the backstop, an insurance policy in the withdrawal deal to avoid a hard border between Ireland (which is in the EU) and Northern Ireland after Brexit.

“There is limited appetite for such a change in the EU and negotiating it will not be easy,” May said, triggering a round of jeers from the House of Commons. “But in contrast to a fortnight ago, this House has made clear what it needs to approve a Withdrawal Agreement.”

Reiterating her stance on no-deal, May added that simply opposing an exit from the EU without a deal is not enough to stop it, but underlined that the government would redouble its efforts to achieve a deal Parliament could support.

After weeks of refusing to hold talks with the Prime Minister, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said that his Labour party was now prepared to meet May to outline the kind of agreement that it wants with the European Union.

Scottish National Party MP Ian Blackford, who earlier proposed a “stop the clock” amendment?on Brexit that was soundly defeated, shouted repeatedly that the Brady vote “effectively ripped apart the Good Friday Agreement.”

The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, helped end years of deadly sectarian violence and paved the way for the removal of border posts on the frontier between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Nigel Dodds, the Deputy Leader of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, retorted that the vote to renegotiate the deal and the backstop did not “drive a coach and horses” through the historic peace agreement, adding that it is “utterly reckless to talk in those terms.”

Graham Brady, who proposed the amendment to reopen negotiations on the backstop.

Lawmakers have ordered Theresa May to reopen negotiations with the EU over the Northern Ireland backstop, an insurance policy in the withdrawal deal designed to avoid a hard border with Ireland after Brexit.?

In the key vote of the night, MPs voted 317-301 in favor of an amendment proposed by Conservative MP Graham Brady – the influential chair of the Conservative 1922 Committee – that “requires the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border; supports leaving the European Union with a deal and would therefore support the Withdrawal Agreement subject to this change.”

Hardliners in May’s Conservative Party despise the open-ended nature of the backstop — as it stands now, the UK could theoretically be tied to a customs union with the EU long after the transitional period ends in 2020.?

European officials have repeatedly said they will not reopen the withdrawal deal, which was was agreed between May and Brussels last year before Parliament roundly rejected her deal earlier this month.?

Not much in this debate has garnered consensus, but when it comes to a no-deal Brexit, lawmakers have largely agreed that they don’t want the UK crash out of the EU without a parachute.

An advisory amendment pushing to remove the option of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, tabled by Conservative MP Caroline Spelman and Labour MP Jack Dromey, was approved by lawmakers on Tuesday 318 to 310.

The passage of the amendment is a symbolic defeat for the government and for no-deal Brexit.

There have been whispers in Westminster for some time that the more hardline Brexiteers are agitating for a no-deal outcome.?

They hate Theresa May’s deal, but are lending her their support tonight. Why??

A theory: with Cooper’s amendment failing, meaning that Parliament has recorded no majority for extending Article 50, no deal is back on the table in a big way.

As things stand, the conversation has shifted in an instant back to?May’s deal versus no deal. Only a fool would try to predict which of these would be more likely to happen, but remember this: no deal is still the default and it could still happen.?

An amendment that sought a two-year extension of Article 50, led by Labour MP Rachel Reeves, was rejected 322 to 290, with a majority of 32.

The amendment called for an extension if no agreement had been reached by February 26, 2019.

While it was similar in scope to the Cooper amendment in that it also sought to secure an extension to avoid a no-deal scenario, this amendment would have been by political force rather than requirement.

Without Parliamentary appetite for an Article 50 extension, no-deal being the default puts Theresa May’s deal or no-deal ultimatum front and center, CNN’s Luke McGee says.

Parliament has narrowly voted down an amendment proposed by opposition Labour MP Yvette Cooper that would have forced Theresa May to seek a delay to Brexit if she is unable to get an amended deal passed by lawmakers by February 26.?Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29.

The amendment was rejected by 321 votes to 298, a majority of 23. Ahead of the vote, it was seen as one of the amendments with the best chance of passing.

An amendment put forward by Tory MP Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, that would attempt to give Parliament more control over the Brexit process through a series of indicative votes, was voted down by 321 votes to 301 – a majority of 20.

The amendment would have given the House of Commons six days in February and March to debate Brexit with the ability to propose and vote on alternative plans. Grieve believes that this would allow MPs to vote to rule out a no-deal Brexit, should they want to.

The amendment had drawn criticism for kicking the can down the road, while leaving key questions unanswered.

Grieve, who has backed a second EU referendum, said in his remarks earlier in the day that it was clear that the EU would not renegotiate Brexit.

The Scottish National Party amendment to “stop the clock” on Brexit has been DEFEATED by 327 votes to 39 – a majority of 288.

The amendment proposed by Scottish National Party MP Ian Blackford called for an extension to Article 50 and the ruling out of no-deal Brexit. The amendment reflected that the Scottish and Welsh assemblies had voted overwhelmingly to reject the Prime Minister’s deal. It also emphasized that Scotland – having voted to Remain – should not be taken out of the EU against its will.

While addressing Parliament earlier in the day, Blackford’s speech in support of his amendment ramped up to a full-throated call for Scottish independence.

Parliament has voted against the official Labour amendment tabled by opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, which had sought to rule out the possibility of a no-deal Brexit and allow Parliament to vote on other options for Brexit, including the Labour-supported plan for a permanent customs union with the EU, or hold another referendum on Brexit.

The amendment was defeated by 327 votes to 296 – a majority of 31.

In the days since May’s initial Brexit deal was crushed in Parliament, Corbyn has repeatedly refused to take part in talks with May until she rules out the no-deal option. May has countered that the only way to rule out a no-deal Brexit is to approve her deal with the EU. And it’s unclear whether it’s even in the Prime Minister’s remit to rule out a no-deal.

While revoking the notification of Article 50 – the process by which UK leaves the EU – is possible, it would likely need to be approved by Parliament, Jeremy Brier, a barrister and former adjunct professor in European law, told CNN.

Brier added: “Saying you’ve got to take no-deal off the table is meaningless nonsense. The clock is ticking,” Brier said. “Legislation exists which says the UK will leave on March 29, 2019. If a deal – like May’s with the EU – is agreed, then obviously you leave with that deal. If you don’t, then you leave without a deal.”

Wrapping up the debate Tuesday evening, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay told the House of Commons that backing the Prime Minister’s deal was the only way to avoid prolonging the insecurity that delaying Brexit would bring.

Barclay warned against the “dangers” of voting for one amendment that he said would act as an “empty vessel, a Trojan Horse” against the intent of the British people to leave the EU, and accused opposition Labour MPs of wanting to stop Brexit.

Some on Twitter rightly pointed out that a Trojan House is not, in fact, empty.?

Barclay said there were only two ways to avoid a no-deal Brexit: to pass May’s deal, or to cancel Brexit entirely.

Asked repeatedly what the alternative arrangements to the backstop would be, he did not clarify.

Two weeks after the historic defeat of Theresa May’s Brexit deal, Parliament is set to vote on seven different amendments to her Plan B.

There are two key amendments to watch as voting gets underway at 2 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local): the Cooper amendment and the Brady amendment.

The Cooper amendment (named for opposition Labour MP Yvette Cooper) will try to rule out no-deal Brexit. It aims to put Parliament, rather than the Prime Minister and government, in control of legislating the terms of the deal. If successful, it could rule out no-deal Brexit and delay Brexit.

The Brady amendment (named for Graham Brady, the influential chair of the Conservative 1922 Committee) demands that the controversial Irish backstop be replaced with “alternative arrangements” and vows that Parliament will support the Withdrawal Agreement if this change is made. Theresa May backs this amendment – in effect, she is telling Parliament to order her to go back to Brussels and get the backstop replaced with … something else. If successful, this could delay Brexit by making May try to reopen negotiations.

If either amendment passes, we should have a relatively clear signal of what Parliament wants, which should guide May’s next steps.

If not, the UK has no clear roadmap past tonight.

Blood donation sessions in two southern English towns have been canceled over an eight-week period over fears of Brexit-related traffic jams, Britain’s National Health Service has confirmed.

Sessions between mid-March and May have been canceled in case of significant disruptions between the English port and Calais in France, the official NHS Give Blood account tweeted.

“This will only effect six blood donation sessions. Over the same period, we will hold around 2,700 other sessions elsewhere in the country. We will also hold replacement sessions at alternative sessions to compensate,” Mike Stredder, director of blood donation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said in a statement to CNN.

“There will be no effect on blood stocks or on our ability to supply hospitals.”

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats addressing the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.

US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats?has warned that a no-deal Brexit, in which Britain exits the EU on March 29 without an agreement on a future relationship, would?severely disrupt and diminish the UK and Europe.

“The possibility of a no-deal Brexit in which the UK exits the EU without an agreement remains.?This would cause economic disruptions that would substantially weaken the UK and Europe,” Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.?

“We anticipate that the evolving landscape in Europe will lead to additional challenges to US interests as Russia and China intensify their efforts to build influence there at the expense of the United States.”

Coats and other US intelligence chiefs testified Tuesday at the committee’s annual worldwide threats hearing, where one of the major themes was the threat posed by Russia and other countries to US elections through direct attacks as well as social media influence operations.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper's amendment calls for Article 50 to be extended, pushing back the date of Britain's exit from the EU

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who tabled one of the Article 50 extension amendments to be voted upon later Tuesday, has described May’s negotiations with the European Union as “the chasing of unicorns.”

She told the Commons on Tuesday afternoon: “I am really worried that the delay and the drift and the chasing of unicorns mean we could now end up with a no deal by accident, even though that would hit jobs, would hit our NHS, our border security, and would put up food prices for the poorest families in the country.”

She also appeared to reject a suggestion from a Tory MP that her bill could allow for Article 50 to be revoked.

“That is certainly not my intention with the bill.”

Scores of both Remain and Leave protesters have been demonstrating on the road outside Parliament all Tuesday, blocking traffic in the area and causing delays to those trying to get around Westminster.

Pro-Brexit protesters hold up placards and wave Union flags as they demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in central London on Tuesday.

An anti-Brexit demonstrator braves the cold in London to call for an end to Brexit proceedings outside the Palaces of Westminster on Tuesday.

A Pro-Brexit demonstrator chants near an officer on duty hours before lawmakers vote on seven amendments to the UK Prime Minister's Brexit deal.

Remainers carry placards reading "Brexit: Not going well is it!" in London on Tuesday.

Seven different amendments are tabled for tonight’s Westminster action with several looking for extensions to Article 50 and various ways to avoid crashing out of the European Union without an agreement. So which are business leaders hoping will prevail?

James Stewart, head of Brexit at KPMG, told CNN: “Many of the businesses we’re speaking to are praying for an extension.”

Business lobby groups had been clamoring for clarity on the terms of the divorce and Britain’s future trading relationship with the European Union.

But their focus has shifted in recent weeks to preventing a disorderly separation at all costs. The European Union would have to agree to any UK request for a delay.

Read more from CNN Business.

British businesses are starting to panic over the possibility of a messy Brexit.

Related article Business is 'praying' for Brexit to be delayed

FILE PHOTO: Scottish National Party MP Ian Blackford in London on December 11, 2018.?

The Scottish National Party’s leader in Westminster,?Ian Blackford, also addressed the Chamber on Tuesday, reminding the House of the impact Brexit has brought upon Scotland.

He said the country “must no longer be left at the mercy of events” and ruled out his party giving up its policy of independence.

“Scotland will and must have the right to determine its own future, Mr Speaker, to choose to be an independent nation within the European Union,” Blackford said. “Scotland needs the power to take its own decisions. That’s the only way we can stop the Tories driving off a cliff edge and into disaster.”

People’s Vote, a British campaign group calling for a second referendum on the final Brexit deal has outlined why it thinks the so-called Malthouse Compromise will not provide a resolution to the Brexit stalemate.

The proposal, named after Conservative MP Kit Malthouse, calls for an extension to the transition period and a new backstop that would be acceptable to all parties in perpetuity.

But the People’s Vote camp argues that “these proposals are not new” and says they have already been “roundly and repeatedly rejected by the EU.”

“Even if the proposals were remotely workable, they would be disastrous for our country,” People’s Vote said in a briefing. “It would jeopardise peace in Northern Ireland, threaten jobs and key industries, alienate our allies, and serve only as a basis for the dangerous economic plans favoured by hardline Brexiters.”

“We cannot allow our economy, vital public services and life chances of young people to be sacrificed for a last-minute gesture towards Conservative Party unity,” the group added.

Once the squabble of interventions and points of order were dealt with, Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn returned to his speech.

He said the government was in denial about the majority view of the house.

He confirmed that the Labour party would back amendments later that “give this House the opportunity to recognize the reality that this government has so far failed to do.”

Corbyn continued:

Corbyn concludes by saying he hopes the House will step up where May has failed to show leadership.

House Speaker John Bercow calls the chamber to order.

Anyone watching today’s Brexit debate in the House of Commons could be forgiven for thinking they had wandered into a British preschool class by mistake.

Even by UK parliamentary standards, this debate has been noisy, shambolic and difficult to follow. At times, the Speaker, John Bercow, has struggled to assert control, particularly during a speech by the leader of the opposition Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn.

MPs are allowed to interrupt speeches by other MPs by requesting an “intervention,” which can be accepted (by the person on their feet “giving way”) or rejected (by “making progress”.) Another favored interruption is a “point of order” – when an MP appeals to the Speaker on a point of parliamentary procedure.

Speeches by Prime Minister Theresa May and opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn were peppered with interventions and points of order, accompanied by much bellowing and gesticulation.

The debate got particularly bogged down when Corbyn repeatedly refused to take an intervention from one of his own backbenchers, Angela Smith, who has been a persistent critic of his leadership on Brexit.

That contrasted sharply with Theresa May, who took interventions from some of her most ardent critics, including arch-Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, during her speech.

It should be noted that many of points of order are thinly disguised attempts interrupt the flow of speeches. Such efforts are usually shouted down by the Speaker, often in his favoured arcane, florid language.

A Conservative MP, Rebecca Pow, began a point of order by saying she had “more of an observation, really,” allowing Bercow to cut her off before she could get any further. Even members of her own party looked incredulous at the trap she had laid for herself.

Jeremy Corbyn prepares to address the Commons on Tuesday.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says “whatever happens in the votes that follow, it has now become inevitable that the government will have to extend Article 50 in any scenario.”

He said there was no absolutely chance that all the necessary legislation could be cleared through the House between now and March 29.

Before he could get any further, Corbyn was interrupted…

In her closing remarks, British Prime Minister Theresa May told the House the time had come to make a decision on how the UK’s divorce from the European Union should unfold.

May said she has noticed “a growing recognition of the task that has been entrusted to us” and that “members on all sides have begun to focus on what really matters – on delivering what Britain voted for while protecting our economy and our people.”

May’s speech then took a forceful turn, as she warned MPs she needs to show EU negotiators that she has a mandate to proceed.

She ended her remarks with a call to action, saying “The time has come for words to be matched by deeds.”

“If you want to tell Brussels what this House will accept, you have to vote for it. If you want to leave with a deal, you have to vote for it. If you want Brexit, you have to vote for Brexit,” she ended to raucous cheering.

An EU diplomat has told CNN that “everyone is watching what’s happening [in Westminster] with a growing sense of exasperation.”

“Barnier and his team negotiated for many months. The withdrawal agreement was agreed by the EU 27 and the government after both sides had compromised,” the diplomat added. “That’s what’s on the table for us.

“It’s not a secret that the EU 27 has always been sad to see the U.K. leave.

“It’s also not a secret that London has negotiated with itself more than the EU. The negotiation with the EU is over. The negotiation within the U.K. is ongoing.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May outlined why the government is backing the Brady Amendment – which seeks to renegotiate the Northern Irish backstop but leave everything else previously agreed upon in place.

“What i’m talking about is not a further exchange of letters but a significant and legally binding change to the Withdrawal Agreement. Negotiating such a change will not be easy,” she told the Chamber.

“I believe that with a mandate… I can secure such a change in advance of our departure from the EU.”

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has announced British lawmakers will vote on seven amendments to UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal on Tuesday .

They are:

Amendment A – Tabled by opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, it seeks to ensure the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is removed, and pushes for a permanent customs union with the EU.

Amendment O - This proposal from SNP MP Ian Blackford has been described as a “stop the clock” amendment; it calls for an extension of Article 50.

Amendment G - Conservative MP Dominic Grieve has tabled an amendment that would attempt to put the Brexit process back in Parliament’s hands by creating a series of indicative votes on various alternatives to May’s agreement with the EU.

Amendment B - Labour MP Yvette Cooper’s proposal calls for an extension of Article 50.

Amendment J - Calls for an extension of Article 50 if no agreement has been reached by February 26, 2019.

Amendment I - Removes the option of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Amendment N - Sir Graham Brady’s much-discussed amendment seeks to salvage May’s deal?without?the Northern Irish backstop that so many in her party oppose.

British Prime Minister Theresa May tells MPs clarity is needed over what they want to see changed in her Brexit deal.

“I … accept that this House does not want the deal that I put forward in the form that it currently exists. The world knows what this House does not want – today we need to send an emphatic message about what we do want,” May said.

“I believe that must include honoring the vote of our fellow citizens and completing the democratic process that began when this House voted overwhelmingly to hold the referendum, then voted to trigger Article 50.”

The UK Prime Minister heads to the House of Commons on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is now addressing the House of Commons at the opening of Tuesday’s debate.

It’s all sounding a little bit different from last time around – when she firmly ruled out going back to EU negotiators in Brussels.

If you did a double take when you read that Theresa May was seeking to re-open negotiations with the European Union, you’re not the only one.

Up until a few weeks ago, the British Prime Minister herself had staunchly refused such a move. Here’s her response to a question in the Commons back in December:

FILE PHOTO: The European Parliament's Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt attends a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street last September.?

Everyone is getting a little frustrated. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator, told CNN that the Parliament would “not give its consent to a watered-down Withdrawal Agreement.”

“The deal we have is fair and cannot be renegotiated. The backstop is needed because of UK red lines and the EU to secure the Good Friday Agreement,” Verhofstadt added.

The anger with the UK’s perceived inability to present a coherent position and continue to talk to itself is starting to show. Diplomatic sources are being, well, diplomatic, saying that the UK’s position is confused.

Others are less kind: an EU source familiar with the negotiation process told me “today is going to be peak moon-howling.”?

Queen Elizabeth II departs the Christmas Day Church service at on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in King's Lynn, England.

In case you forgot, the UK voted to leave the European Union back in 2016.?Then-Prime Minister David Cameron resigned?and Theresa May?took his job. Several months later, May asked Parliament to trigger Article 50 and the two-year countdown to Brexit day began. That day is now two months away: March 29, 2019.

Since then, there has been seemingly endless parliamentary in-fighting, perpetual debates, negotiations and proposals, dire economic warnings and travel advisories and apocalyptic headlines warning “You will have no food!” and “Medicines will run out.”

The entire saga has left people’s heads spinning and deeply worried about what the future will bring.

Enter the Queen…

In a rare break from the centuries-old tradition that dictates she keeps her political opinions to herself, Queen Elizabeth II sent a coded message last week, urging Britons to find “common ground.”

“As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture,” the monarch said in a speech to a women’s group last Thursday.

It was an unusual move for the British sovereign, who has no political role and refrains from expressing her personal views.

Sure, she didn’t specifically use the word “Brexit” but as Jane Merrick points out, she didn’t need to.

As March 29 inches ever closer the Queen, in her subtle way, is looking to nudge the country back in the right direction.

FILE PHOTO: Margaritis Schinas, chief spokesman of the European Commission, during a news conference in Brussels, Belgium, on January 16.

While much of the discussion over Brexit on Tuesday will come from the UK side, all eyes will be on Europe later, to see how leaders there react to events in Westminster.

Margaritis Schinas, chief spokesperson of the European Commission, declined to weigh in on the tabled amendments during the commission’s daily lunchtime press briefing.

He told reporters: “We are following?the parliamentary procedure. We are not going to comment on all possibilities. This is not a Brussels day, this is a London day. We will watch what happens with the vote tonight.”?

Schinas was also asked if European Commission President?Jean-Claude Juncker was available to talk to May or in contact with her already, to which he replied: “Yes, he is permanently available and permanently in contact.”

Refusing to be pressed further on Brexit, he kept repeating the same answer for all related questions: “We are hours away from the vote, let’s have the vote and we will see.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meets party supporters during a visit to Middlesbrough on January 25.?

Labour will support an amendment to Theresa May’s Brexit agreement which aims to prevent a “no deal” Brexit by instructing the government to allow more time for talks, a party source told CNN.

The amendment, put forward by former Labour minister Yvette Cooper, is one of a series of proposals that are up for discussion on Tuesday.

A final decision on whether the Cooper amendment will be debated by MPs in Parliament rests with the Speaker, John Bercow.

“We’re backing the Cooper amendment to reduce the threat of the chaos of a no deal exit. The Cooper Bill could give MPs a temporary window to agree a deal that can bring the country together,” the source told CNN.

“We will aim to amend the Cooper Bill to shorten the possible Article 50 extension,” they added.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has told senior ministers she will ask to re-open negotiations with the European Union over the Withdrawal Agreement in an attempt to resolve the Northern Ireland backstop issue, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed to CNN.

May told her Cabinet she would commence proceedings in Parliament Tuesday with an explanation of the government’s support of the Brady Amendment.

(Reminder: The Brady Amendment is basically the deal May struck with the European Union, but with an alternative Northern Irish backstop.)

May’s weekly Cabinet meeting was held shortly before Parliament is due to debate several amendments to her proposed Brexit deal.

The Downing Street spokesman said May was aiming to return to the Commons “as soon as possible” with a revised deal which will be subject to another “meaningful vote” by MPs. If this is rejected by MPs, she will table a further motion for debate the next day.

If no new deal has been reached with the EU by February 13, May will make a statement to the House that day, and table a motion for debate the following day.

It is often cited as key reason lawmakers will not support the British Prime Minister’s agreement with the European Union, so what is the Northern Ireland backstop? Here’s a handy breakdown:

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the European Council in Brussels on October 17, 2018.

Competing voices go head to head in the UK Parliament Tuesday. The outcome of voting could redirect the course of Brexit with MPs tabling amendments to May’s motion to carve it into a shape that could command a majority.

By themselves, none of today’s events will impact the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU whatsoever.

But the Prime Minister is hoping Parliament will support the Brady Amendment, giving her a mandate to return to Brussels and seek further concessions from European negotiators over the Northern Ireland backstop, the insurance policy designed to prevent a hard border with Ireland after Brexit.

Welcome to Tuesday in the UK – where it is exactly two months to go until the UK leaves the European Union.

As if the clock counting down amid continued Brexit uncertainty weren’t enough… British Prime Minister Theresa May will head back to the Palace of Westminster for a day of debates that could see the Brexit process swing out of her control.

So what’s happening? Lawmakers will debate and then vote on a number of potential amendments to the deal May struck with the bloc. That deal itself was resoundingly defeated exactly two weeks ago.

In essence, are they quibbling about wording? Well, sort of. The amendments – of which there are over a dozen at this point – cover a lot of the crunch points MPs are dissatisfied with in May’s first attempt at an agreement.

One key proposal is the Brady Amendment. Seen as something of a lifeline for the prime minister, it seeks to salvage May’s deal without that nagging Northern Irish backstop that so many in her party oppose.

Brexiteers despise the open-ended backstop, which means the UK could stay tied to a customs union with the EU forever. If this amendment is passed, the government could go back to Brussels to ask for a legally binding measure giving the UK the right to opt out of the backstop after a certain period of time.

(It’s worth noting, though, that there is little sign removing the backstop is remotely workable with European negotiators.)

Another popular proposal with support on both sides of the House is one to extend Article 50, tabled by former Labour minister Yvette Cooper. This is essentially a play for time. Under the current schedule, the UK is set to break with the EU on March 29.

Then, out of nowhere, a surprise proposal emerged overnight – the so-called Malthouse Compromise. In this scenario, the transition period would be extended until the end of 2021 and a new, alternative Northern Irish backstop would be negotiated with the EU – one that would be acceptable indefinitely.

(Another word of caution: European diplomatic sources and EU officials working closely on the negotiations have told CNN the compromise doesn’t adequately address the Irish border issue, and are skeptical that talks can be reopened.)

Is that it? No. There are a few other amendments that have been tabled, though that doesn’t mean they will all be voted on tonight. That decision is at the discretion of House Speaker John Bercow, who will choose which proposals lawmakers will consider shortly.