MPs back Government's Brexit timetable

MPs have overwhelmingly backed Labour's motion calling on the Government to set out its Brexit plans before triggering Article 50.

The motion - which was passed with a majority of 373 votes - is a non-binding one requiring the Government to publish its Brexit plan before formal negotiations begin no later than the end of March 2017.

Announcing the vote in the House of Commons, Speaker John Bercow, said that 448 had voted in favour, while 75 had voted against it.

MPs have voted by a majority of 372 to back the Government's plan to trigger Article 50 to begin the Brexit process by the end of March 2017.

Announcing the vote in the House of Commons, Speaker John Bercow, said that 461 had voted in favour, while 89 had voted against it.

There should be a referendum on the final Brexit deal secured by the Government, a Lib Dem MP has said.

Tom Brake, the MP for Carshalton and Wallington said: Why do people need a vote on the destination as well as the departure? Because whatever rough outline of a deal the Government manage to secure towards the end of the two years of negotiations after Article 50 has been invoked, we can be certain that a majority won't be happy.

"The 48% clearly won't be and what of the 52%?"

Labour have called for Wednesday's Brexit debate in the House of Commons in an attempt to "reject the decision made by the British people" in the EU referendum, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.

Mr Rees-Mogg said Brexit was being "delayed" by applications to the court and by calls for it to be carried out slowly.

In a fiery speech the MP for North East Somerset said the wishes of the public must be "obeyed" rather than ignored as the Opposition wished.

The Conservative MP said that by agreeing to publish a Brexit plan before Article 50 is triggered, the Government had left the opposition in trouble, or as he put it, the Government had "cooked the opposition's goose"..

The country is "more divided now than ever" following the EU referendum, Andy Burnham has said, adding that part of the reason for this is that the public are being "kept in the dark" over the Government's Brexit plans.

Speaking during a House of Commons Brexit debate, the Labour MP said: "The blame lies not with the public, but with the way Parliament and the Government has responded in the six months since.

"This was a referendum in which the public were issuing a sharp rebuke to the political class which they feel doesn't listen to them and isn't straight with them.

"But what has the Government's response been to this?

"They have been saying they want to keep the citizens of this country in the dark when it comes to their plans for Brexit so as not to give anything away to the other side."

Mr Burnham branded the Government's approach to Brexit so far as "unacceptable" and "a politically inept approach".

MPs who voted to remain in the EU referendum should stop being labelled "remoaners" who wish to block Brexit, Conservative MP Anna Soubry has said.

The MP for Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire said that remainers would "accept and honour" the referendum's outcome and asked if leave MPs would "finally accept that?".

The remain campaigner added that while she did not "like the result [of the Brexit vote] and yes, I do believe the people made a terrible mistake", she would push for a Brexit deal with the best outcome for the UK.

Ukip's only MP, Douglas Carswell, has said the "sudden surge of interest in the question of Parliamentary scrutiny" on Brexit is remain supporters "seeking to frustrate the referendum result".

The Clacton MP said that although he was someone who enjoys talking about Europe, he urged the Government to just "get on with it".

Nicky Morgan has said the Government must get on with triggering Article 50, but criticised it for only agreeing to publish a plan on Brexit after the Prime Minister faced pressure from Labour MPs and those within her own party.

It is "not good enough that these things are dragged out of the Government by opposition day motions," the former education secretary said, adding that the Government must take "more of the initiative".

Ms Morgan added that it was "important that we do not close off options before we have to do so", and said EU nationals living in the UK should be given assurances that they can stay post-Brexit.

Brexit Secretary David Davis has promised MPs that the Government will set out its "strategic plans" ahead of the triggering of talks on withdrawal from the EU, but said it will not reveal anything which might "jeopardise our negotiating position".

Mr Davis faced calls from opposition MPs and some Conservative backbenchers that the plan must be detailed enough to withstand scrutiny in the Commons before the planned triggering of Article 50 at the end of March 2017.

Former chancellor and remain supporter Kenneth Clarke said the Prime Minister's plan to reveal her plan was "extremely vague", and called for it to be set out in detail in a White Paper for publication before the UK begins to leave the EU.

However, Mr Davis insisted the Government must leave "room for manoeuvre" to respond with "a high degree of agility and speed" to developments in extremely complex negotiations expected to last two years.

Those who voted remain in the EU referendum are not setting out their plans for a post-Brexit Britain, Michael Gove has said.

The leave campaigner slammed MPs who supported remain saying that the majority continued to look "back in anger, remorse, and regret", and failed to look "forward optimistically".

During the impassioned speech Mr Gove ignored calls to give way for others to speak during the debate.