MPs begin two days of Brexit debate

MPs are set to begin two days of debate over the government's parliamentary bill to start the formal process of Britain’s exit from the EU.

Discussions on the European Union Bill, which will allow Prime Minister Theresa May to invoke Article 50, have been extended to midnight on Tuesday 31 January to accommodate more speakers, with a vote to take place tomorrow (Wednesday 1 February).

It is expected that the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party will vote against the Bill, while Labour will back it, meaning the government is likely to win.

If the ministers vote in favour of the bill, it will return to Commons once more for the committee stage, whereby opposition parties will call for a series of amendments to be made.

Commenting on the bill, May said: “The people of the United Kingdom voted on June 23 last year. They voted in a referendum that was given to them overwhelmingly by Parliament.

"The people spoke in that vote. The majority voted to leave the European Union. I think it is now the job of the government to put that into practice. I hope that when people come to look at the Article 50 Bill they will recognise it is a very simple decision: do they support the will of the British people or not?"