which would be an enormous breach of eu law which would mean a court case with the eu taking the uk to court for breaking the law in quite a massive way. this is relevant to what adam was saying. this is the final paragraph ofjean—claude juncker‘s letter to donald tusk. "the uk's withdrawal should be complete before the european elections that will take place between 23—26th may this year. if the uk has not left the eu by then, it will be legally required to hold these elections." so these elections at the end of may, jean—claude juncker saying if you are not gone you are going to have to take part. here's dan hodges from the mail on sunday: "despite denials from cchq, now understand officials have indeed told tory associations to begin preparations for european election campaign." we can't be sure what preparations are being made but we can be sure there is a possibility that the uk may still take part. let's bring in vicki young to get more analysis on the whole situation. she is live from inside the palace of westminster. let's ta ke the palace of westminster. let's take

the eu agrees to delay brexit beyond 29th march, after late night talks in brussels. the next departure date depends on whether the prime minister can get support for her deal, a deal mps have already rejected twice. all options will remain open, and the cliff edge date will be delayed. i hope we can all agree we are now at the moment of decision, and i will make every effort to ensure that we are able to leave with a deal and move our country forward. we'll have all the latest on those late night talks here in brussels. back home, the pressure on the prime minister continues to mount. she's returned to london to convince mps her deal remains the only way forward. also today: a convicted ira bomber known as witness 0 has named four men he says were responsible for the 1974 birmingham pub bombings. prayer call. a two minute silence is observed in new zealand in memory of the 50 victims of the mass shootings in christchurch one week ago. rescue operations in southeast africa try to reach thousands of people cut off by floodwaters following a massive cyclone. and coming

if we extend for longer, we remain an eu memberfor longer, we remain an eu memberfor longer and the legality of the newly elected european parliament can be called into question if all eu members are not represented in it. it is messy and complicated and eu leaders say they will be watching really closely on monday, those indicative votes in parliament, to see if there are any clues to which direction the uk is heading. so that's the mood in brussels, but what do people here in the uk — away from westminster — think about the uncertainty now facing the brexit process? the city of leeds had one of the closest referendum results in the country — with just over 50% voting to remain, and just under 50% to leave. 0ur correspondent sarah campbell has been getting reaction from businesses and voters in the city. the opportunity now is for us to embrace the certain legal right for an extension. we will be taking a huge leap into the unknown. the green benches of parliament are 200 miles away from these greens in leeds but the golfers here are well aware that what is said and done their matters

to leave the eu. thea eu ha say on this. theresa may has been clear that it there has to be an extension, past be a short one. if the eu says you can stay but it has to be a longer extension, there are all sorts of possibilities. there are questions about should there be a second referendum, general election, is it time for new leader of the conservative party. all of those questions will bubble to the surface. bo the moment mps are staying very tightlipped this. erhave heard some remainers say that they think a may should stay. t t anything could change over the space of the nek. laura: alicia mccarthy in westminster, thank you. for more on today's developments and the global impact i spoke a brief time ago with heather conley, a former state department official for european affairs who is now at the center for strategic and international studies, and nile gardiner, the director of the heritage foundation's margaret thatcher center for freedom. i started by asking if brexit was drifting away? nile: i don't think brexit is l

the eu seems to be saying they want a pledge from the uk on citizens‘ rights, the rights of eu nationals living in the uk and uk nationals living in the uk and uk nationals living in the eu. the —— the eu budget and the uk contribution to that, and the irish border. those we re that, and the irish border. those were the three key issues from the very, very first phase of the brexit talks. we would be right back to square talks. we would be right back to square one, where we were at talks. we would be right back to square one, where we were at the start of the negotiations, but in a very, very different, radically different context, as michelle barney described it yesterday. thank you. adam fleming in brussels. plenty more on brexit throughout the day. they will be a special programme on bbc one and the bbc news channel to bring you the results of the vote in the house of commons from quarter past two. now to other news. more than 20,000 people have attended an open air service in christchurch, to remember the 50 people shot dead by a gunman in two mosques. new zealand‘s prime minis

the next eu summit is set for a week on wednesday. the eu offered to delay brexit until may the 22nd, if the prime minister managed to get the terms of divorce through parliament. she's failed, so the deadline is set for april the 12th. that's to allow the uk to avoid the european elections. until there's a final agreement, a no—deal brexit remains possible, the outcome many fear most, maybe by accident. but the eu may offer a much longer delay. what if mps demand a new referendum? you thought brexit was close to being settled? think again. they say all political careers, all premierships, end in failure. most end in better shape than theresa may's. she's on the verge of leaving number ten with her authority shattered, the future of brexit still in deep doubt, demands growing louder for a general election. it's fair to ask, could any leader have done much better? either way, there's a long list of contenders keen to move into downing street and try. the headlines on bbc news: mps have rejected theresa may's withdrawal agreement for

what is the eu do? the eu, ever understood properly, and i've spoken to a lot of people in brussels over the last few weeks and months, the strong view i got from those discussions is what the eu wa nts those discussions is what the eu wants is to know what the majority use and that that is sustainable. it was a question they repeatedly put to the government, it's all well to say you might get it over the line that can you sustain the majority? from the eu point of view, what they should be saying is, you need to find a majority and you need a sustainable majority. find a majority and you need a sustainable majoritylj find a majority and you need a sustainable majority. i know they have, they've been saying it to a prime minister has not been prepared to find where the majority is. can one last question you won't get something different to that p 45. we commit to putting a customs union amendment down now? we'll have that discussion when we get to it. amendment down now? we'll have that discussion when

leaders of the eu countries. but emmanuel macron, and he is not alone in this, eu leaders say negotiations on this deal are over. the uk has to provide its own solution and its own way forward. whether mps unite over another deal or a general election ora another deal or a general election or a no—deal brexit, they have to decide and only once they have decided whether eu be open to the idea of extending the leaving process in order to meet those options possible. so the eu is sending tough tonight, mostly they are frustrated that at this late stage in the brexit process, they see factions of mps chasing after their ideal brexit or ideal way forward , their ideal brexit or ideal way forward, provoking article 30 or the second referendum. the eu think they have to be realistic, you need to unite about —— around the most whole rouble with forward. after brexit, don‘t forget, then the trade negotiations begin in the future relationship between the eu and the uk is formed. we will discuss that later, get out

the big question will be what are the conditions of the eu will extra ct the conditions of the eu will extract from the uk? tonight the script is being used by all eu leaders is it has to be a reasoned request, in other words it has to come with a reason, notjust we would like a bit more time please, and it also has to be credible. in other words that reason has to be backed up with credibility. it could actually lead somewhere. the eu institutions and top brass haven't really had a conversation yet about this issue of an extension. you hear lots of different views from people and they will have to get those views crystallised into a couple of potential time limits and reasons, and a probability for each that the eu leaders would be able to present to theresa may if she asks for an extension at the summit which will ta ke extension at the summit which will take place in brussels a week on thursday. i was going to ask to perfectly about that because jean—claude juncker said we need perfectly about that because jean—claudejuncker said we need an agreement by the 23rd, that is the cut

theresa may has asked the eu to extend the date britain will leave the eu to the thirtieth ofjune. the eu say they will only agree to a delay if she gets the backing of mps for her exit plan. rescue teams are struggling to reach survivors six days after cyclone idai hit southern africa. in the city of beira, aid workers say they have only two to three days of clean water left. and this video is trending on bbc.com: can you tell who it is? it's one of the many democratic presidential candidates — it's supposed to be a huge representation of beto o'rouke that's all. stay with bbc world news. now it is time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. when it comes to brexit, the usual political cliches about end games and moments of truth are useless — theresa may has managed to turn brexit into the crisis that never ends. now she wants the eu to agree to a three—month extension to the departure deadline. it had been fixed for march 29. will the eu 27 agree? my my guest is the czechoslovakian foreign minister tomas petricek. what will they need in order to give britain in to sort out the

|j the eu, it doesn't need to be.” really think, at the end of the day, the eu for hopes that britain would leave. —— won't leave. the eu for hopes that britain would leave. -- won't leave. macron is clear — go, sort your stuff out, then come back. i think that is the essential thing from most european capitals. could be a long way. that's it for dateline london for this week. we're back next week at the same time. goodbye. hello. it's been a windy and, for some, wintry start to the weekend, and there's more snow in the forecast. we're watching developments out in the atlantic, one from the south, one from the west, and if theyjoin forces, the low pressure could become quite potent to give us some windy weather, but also, some significant snow. that is through tonight and tomorrow. it's been windy enough this morning, as well, gusts widely 40—50 mph, making it feel cold, but there's some sunshine around as well as the smattering of snow that we have seen. that is the setup for the rest of the day. a weather front crossing through orkney and shetland, one gathering towards the

foal eagle default in uk and eu law means that the uk were leave the eu without a deal unless... unless something else is agreed does make the legal default. earlier today in his spring statement, the chancellor urged a cross—party compromise on brexit — to lift the "cloud of uncertainty", hanging over the economy. in the event of a no—deal brexit, ministers say that tariffs would be cut on a range of imports and there'd be no new checks at the irish border. the united states, the home of boeing, finally bows to pressure and joins other countries grounding the boeing 737 max 8 — the new variation of its best selling aeroplane which has crashed twice in six months. and at 11:30 we'll be taking an in—depth look at the papers with our reviewers polly mackenzie, of the think tank demos, and the daily telegraph's anna isaac. 00:01:37,820 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 stay with us on bbc news. hello and a very good evening to you. welcome to bbc news. it's been a night of chaos and confusion in the brexit process, with just 16 days to the set date for britain's departure from the

, the eu won‘t change. we need to look at what they are giving us and stop looking to make a deal. then decide. philippa says, if the mps managed to sink brexit, a democratic decision, bring on the general election and the 17.4 million voters should shun the main parties and vote for independence and probe exit parties. some of those independents want to remain in the eu. jason says, board stiff and losing the will to care. apologies, jason. the government has announced new measures this morning that will come into force in the event of a no—deal brexit. in the short term, it means most imports into the uk would not attract a tariff, in the event of a no—deal brexit. so would not be more expensive. we are joined now by our economics correspondent, andrew walker. good morning, and g. tell your audience what this means. the government figures are that we currently import 80% of goods tariff free and that is because more than half of what we import comes from the eu which by virtue of our membership is com

the eu is quite exasperated. they say two to theresa may, look, she has been honest about trade—offs, if you leave the single market, they say it is not possible to have frictionless trade or avoid a hard customs border. so to perpetuate this, for theresa may to keep turning to the eu to solve her domestic political problems, they say that is not going to work. they believe her biggest problems are not the withdrawal agreement or the backstop, but the splits between hard brexiteers, soft brexiteers and remainers, tory mps and labourmps, they brexiteers and remainers, tory mps and labour mps, they say they have run out of ideas of how to help her, extension or not. just to clarify, before i let you go, if there is to before i let you go, if there is to be an extension, that is a matter for the eu? the purpose of the extension, that is basically down to the eu. and the length of the extension, that is basically down to the eu as well. is that correct? well, it is down to the uk to request an extension. theresa ma

that want to stay in the eu? they are the agents of brussels because they want us to stay in the eu as well. there are those who, using removal of the new deal, if you remove that. to be 30 the prime minister, she had an uphill task because she was already had to concede. —— to be fair to the prime minister. what leveraged she had when she went to speak to the eu in the last week? if that is formally voted through the house of commons, that we consider hand even further. how does this process and that with what you want? whilst they may take no deal off the table, whilst they may extend article 50, that can be done for a very short period. we are fortunate that the european elections are intervening during any period when we were ticked —— we would be extending article 50. at the end ofjune, the eu have to make a decision. do they allow britain to stand, to stay in the eu, totally contrary to all the treaties, with no say in the commission, and any deal they did on that basis would be subject to legal cha

out of the eu. the question is if her own mp's will allow this to happen. >> we're expecting to hear from donald tusk shortly. what points can we expect him to make, considering what you just said, that a third vote in u.k. parliament might not deliver a different result? >> that's right. the head of the european council -- and i must say, this was a very long meeting. we understand there were very different opinions. some countries made it clear that there has got to be a political message sent tonight to prime minister may, but not just the prime minister, but also the u.k. that it really is decision time. it is now time to decide what kind of relationship the u.k. wants with the eu, so i think , but anywill be key sign of conditionality, how the different deadlines we are looking at may play out and any indication as to feedback from the prime minister today, because remember, she wanted a june 30 extension. eu putu look at what the up today, they are not having any of that. >> we will bring you

the next eu summit is set for a week on wednesday. the eu offered to delay brexit until may the 22nd, if the prime minister managed to get the terms of divorce through parliament. she's failed, so the deadline is set for april the 12th. that is to allow the uk to avoid the european elections. until there is a final agreement a no—deal brexit remains possible, the outcome many fear most, maybe by accident. but the eu may offer a much longer delay. what if mps demand a new referendum? you thought brexit was close to being settled? think again. they say all political careers, all premierships, end in failure. most end in better shape than theresa may's. she is on the verge of leaving number 10 with her authority shattered, the future of brexit still in deep doubt, demands growing louder for a general election. it is fair to ask, could any leader have done much better? either way, there is a long list of contenders keen to move into downing street and try. that was our deputy political editor there, john pienaar. well, all along busines

the eu has said. the eu says if the uk wants an extension past 23 may it will need to take part in european parliamentary elections. so the choice is either extend to before may 23 — or extend well beyond. theresa may is not willing to ask for that. the eu argues says it‘s easier to shorten a long extension rather than to lengthen a short one. they want to concentrate on other eu business, start remember many brexiteers promised during the campaign that trade talks would begin as soon as the uk voted out. in fact, the eu has refused to have any significant talks on a the future trading relationship until the withdrawal deal is done. david eades they have been quite strict on that, haven‘t they? they have been quite strict on that, haven't they? no, they've been very consistent, the message really is you, britain tell us what you‘re going to do and then we can work out what we can do with that. and theresa may sent that message across that the request for an extension and he would seem to be th

seen to be dictating how long the eu could stay in the eu. imagine how that would go down back home. that would make no'sjob even harder. i don't think the eu has a settled position yet about how long the extension period would be. it seems we are talking about this now and getting ahead of ourselves. as you said, a lot of drama to unfold in the next 90 minutes. on the possible extension, there are rumours again flying around in the last 10—15 minutes at westminster. the prime minister may be prepared, when she speaks tonight, if she loses the vote, she may be prepared to say that she will be requesting some kind of extension at that point. what would be the response to that? it isn't just point. what would be the response to that? it isn'tjust a matter of time scale, it is a matter of principle, really, and what they think the prime minister would be proposing as pa rt prime minister would be proposing as part of that extension. the first thing to say if the practicalities and logistics, which always play a big role in this brexit process.

at the moment as a member of the eu, all trade between members is tax—free and we follow eu rules on taxes for imports from the rest of the world. if we leave without a deal, all that will change overnight and the government will have to set its own taxes on imports. so, today the government is proposing a new tax on every imported car of 10%. a tax of up to 12% on imported crockery and many items of clothing, and new taxes on many agricultural products including butter, cheese, chicken, lamb and beef. 0verall, fewer goods will face tariffs, but british industry will only have weeks to prepare for huge changes. the biggest change in terms of trade this country has faced since the mid 19th century being imposed on this country with no consultation with business, no time to prepare, and this is no way to run a country. there will also be taxes on our exports to the eu if we leave by the end of the month, meaning industries like farming could lose a huge market for their produce. 0n cereal products such as wheat and barley, fruit and vegetables, eggs, the government has decided to set t

explain, that the eu is deliberately... the eu has destroyed parliament's faith in the eu. where we are talking about this deal is only the first stage, i do not think there are many mps who believe the eu will give britain a favourable trade negotiation in the second stage of what the negotiation would be if that makes sense. do you think the mps might have been playing politics? most definitely. the only person who wants this deal is theresa may. but mps have voted it down twice. she is still trying to force it through. do we really want it forced through with mp5 forced into it? either that or no deal. it sends such a depressing message to the country. to the world, really. that the premise that is casually mps into voting for something they don't want, because they are so afraid —— cajoling. nick, tell us why you like the deal? it isa nick, tell us why you like the deal? it is a difficult problem, and with the northern ireland backstop, it is staggering the government did not prepare and think this through before calling the referendum in the first place. it is a ma

i think will leave the eu on march the 29th? ithink! will leave the eu on march the 29th? i think i do, yes. having said that, whatever was voted on tonight, the legislation is still in place. if the prime minister held firm, we would be living on march the 29th and she has told the house of commons over 100 times we would, but ido commons over 100 times we would, but i do not think she and this government have got the will to see it through. the commons has voted against her deal, it has voted against her deal, it has voted against no deal, tomorrow will it vote to extend the brexit process? you must be worried that brexit might not happen at all now. well, look, i was more than prepared to accept a brexit deal with a series of compromises but i was not prepared to accept michel barnier‘s treaty which gave us a far worse situation than being members of the european union. that was wholly unacceptable. i think this, whatever parliament does, it is no longer representing the will of the people in this country. we are seeing a big coming together of people saying what is h

so the eu is worried about that. but at the end of the day, eu leaders are going to want to avoid a no—deal brexit and the inevitable blame game that follows. so i think they'll grant that extension, but they may not give their final word this week. the prime minister may have to wait until next week and whisper it quietly. there's even talk in eu circles tonight of a possible emergency eu leaders summit again next week, on the 28th of march. katya adler there, our europe editor. with me now is maddy thimont—jack, researcher at the institute for government, a non—partisan think tank which aims to improve government effectiveness through research and analysis. thanks so much for coming into talk us. thanks so much for coming into talk us. a lot to discuss, and it's quite a confusing picture. simply, where are we at in going forward? what are the options for brexit? where we are at in the process is that theresa may has negotiated a deal with the eu. she has held two votes in the house of parliament on whether mp

for what i am hearing from my eu based, sorry my brussels—based colleagues, from the eu 27 it is now an exercise of weighing up the uncertainty of a very long extension and what do we do exactly with that time, what we tell businesses and individuals? what are we doing with the extension period? and the perils of living without a deal, which would affect ireland very badly as well, that is the view of the eu and they would want to stick up for their own member. so i think now it would be quite a lot... i know the word coming from the eu is we've done everything we could and it is now up to london but i think ultimately a lot will also depend on the eu, whether they decide to go with the lesser of two evils, whether you like, along extension going into uncertain times or an eu exit without a deal. what is the telegraph or you are hearing about the leadership and how long theresa may has in the job? if the vote goes down next week, i know she can't officially be removed until december, but those grey men in suits, are they waiting in the wings unlikely to try to remove her in the cours

eu leaders have perhaps had a cold shower of reality. until tonight they've really wanted to believe that brexit deal they spent to years negotiating with the prime minister would somehow managed to scrape through parliament, but when the prime minister spoke to them this afternoon she was unable to provide them with any concrete reassu ra nces provide them with any concrete reassurances that would indeed be the case next week, and it's then that i think that unity, that eu leaders have been so proud of until now during the brexit process, really began to fray. because as we've said all along they want to avoid a no—deal brexit and suddenly that reality, or that possible reality, was staring them in the face as of next friday, and they've been arguing in there then as to what do we do now, what kind of extension should we grant, for how long, under which conditions, and we've just seen draft new conclusions were so just going to say this is not 100% certain, but if this is true, you know, if these are then confirmed by the leaders, we'

of the island out of the eu. that is a breech. that is income patn't with our peace and political process, —— incompatible. what we are asking the british government is to act as a co—guarantor of an international agreement, to recognise that there cannot be a hardening of the border in ireland, to recognise that the rights we were told we could access and enjoy as irish citizens and therefore as eu right holders will be up held. so the british government has a much more to do, a lot more do than what it is doing just in that what is being described, i have to say to you in europe, not the house of commons, but the house of chaos it is shambolic what is happening we are concerned about is the collateral damage that we, the people of ireland who voted to remain in the eu and who want to stay in the eu. we have ran out of time but thank you for that. that. thank you. now on bbc news it's time for newswatch, presented this week by shaun ley. this week by sh to! ley. this week by sh to newswatch. with me shaun

, a bit like norway's, sticking with eu market rules and standards, maybe also the eu customs system. no new trade tariffs or border checks, no problem avoiding stops and checks on the irish border, but it also means no new trade deals around the world. jeremy corbyn and labour want the customs union. he says he can negotiate terms to his liking. then there is another referendum. mps were never likely to back a referendum this evening, but the so—called people's vote campaigners will be back. tonight the prime minister's last, best hope is that all her defeats, all her concessions, will pave the way to a deal, that the fear of a long delay, the possibility of being tied to eu rules, fear even of a referendum will persuade or scare mps into bucking her deal as the best available. into backing her deal as the best available. some legal guidance from the attorney general where the uk might, just might, be able to legally break with eu rules if britain feels trapped, that might help rebels climb down too. if she wins, it will be a triumph. britain could begin the even tougher task of di

in others, there are eu instruments, but no country outside the eu is even an associate. so it's a complex field that's going to take years of negotiation, and if we go ahead and leave before that's tied down, our law enforcement agencies will find it less easy to work. the metropolitan police commissioner herself has said the same thing, so i'm farfrom being alone here, and i think it's worth highlighting this. well, no question you're not alone, but it comes back to this same thing about subjectivity and whether you bring a glass—half—ful or a glass—half—empty approach to brexit. let me quote to you a couple of senior security figures who do not take the same view as you. jeremy fleming, gchq director, in 2018 at a nato conference he said, we are leaving the eu, but we're not leaving europe. we have excellent relationships with intelligence and security agencies right across this continent. we expect them to continue. richard dearlove, a former head of mi—6 — very sanguine about britain's ability to develop strong relationships with the europeans after brexi

intelligence relationships happen outside the eu now and they will go on happening outside the eu afterwards, so they are not a part of this argument. law enforcement, judicial co—operation, foreign policy cooperation, defence cooperation, go through the eu and will be affected. well, sorry to interrupt, but if i may say so, it seems to me the biggest british foreign policy security, military decision of the past 20 years, the one of most significance, was the decision tojoin the one of most significance, was the decision to join the americans in the invasion of iraq, toppling saddam hussein. now, when that happens, the eu was adamantly opposed to that policy. it was britain, the united states, a few other eu member states like spain and pollen, who supported that, but the eu as a whole, led by jacques chirac of france, was absolutely opposed to it. so when it comes to those key elements of britain's national security policy, it's not the eu that matters most. it's a relationship with the united states, and it is nato. well, the eu was absolutely split down the middle, it was in the post,

i have treated the eu with nothing but respect. in the two years since the referendum we have had a spirited national debate. we will, therefore, to further vote scheduled for tomorrow and not proceed to divide the house at this time. there will now be a vote of confidence in my leadership. the parliamentary party does have confidence... leadership. the parliamentary party does have confidence. . ij leadership. the parliamentary party does have confidence... i think the british people are ready for us to move on. order! order! the ayes to the right, 202, the noes to the left, 432. it is clear that the house does not support this view. but this vote tells us nothing about what it does support. the ayes to the right, 242, the noes to the left, 391. i profoundly regret the decision this house has taken tonight. and of this i am absolutely sure, you, the public, have had enough. you are tired of the infighting, you are tired of the political gains and the arcane procedural rows. tired of mps talking about nothing but brexit. a short ex

we are, as the eu, we are prepared for the worst, but hope for the best. the prime minister is now back in london. it's understood the government is holding talks on allowing mps to vote on alternative plans for brexit — if her deal is again rejected. the government would provide parliament with a means to come to a view, on the options available. we'll have the latest developments from brussels and from westminster. the other main stories on bbc news at 5... a convicted ira bomber names in court four men he says carried out the birmingham pub bombings in 197a. a two minutes‘ silence — observed in new zealand to remember the fifty people shot dead one week ago today. police say they're treating the death of university student libby squire as an ‘unlawful killing'. and ralph fiennes directs and stars in the white crow, a look at the life of russian ballet dancer rudolf nureyev. we ll hear what mark kermode thought of that in the film review. it's five o ‘clock — our top story. the eu has given theresa may more time to come up with a brexit solut

white smoke thatis attention of the eu. white smoke that is the point, look at all these journalists here from every country in europe. —— that is the point. the debt problem and migration and the relationship with china for the eu to consider, the russia problem, there are so much for europe to talk about and all these germans and politicians are all focusing on us. -- all politicians are all focusing on us. —— all the journalists. mr macron and other eu leaders want to get some of those things and they feel two years on or three years on they are tied down by this whole brexit negotiation. they also look at the politics of the uk as an important point. the politics in the house of commons, the politics in the conservative party theresa may is dealing with, they look at how complicated this always, tied up in knots, they wonder, i how that will ever resolve itself. difficult things to consider as they consider what sort of extension to offer in the future. since we are talking about no deal and one person telling u

once you are out of the eu, let‘s discuss it. let the eu understand how important we are to them. i can tell the politicians this. judgment day will come because the election will come and those who voted against the people will get their p45. they will go. well, as you can hear, there are more and more people arriving here as the afternoon goes on. amongst those coming here this afternoon will be the march to leave protesters who have travelled almost the whole length of the country so it will be a busy afternoon here in central london. indeed. thank you. it is another dramatic day here in parliament. i‘ll be back with more from westminster at the end of the programme. and just to let you know, there‘ll be a special programme on bbc one and the bbc news channel to bring you the results of the vote in the house of commons. that‘s from 2:15 this afternoon and you can follow all the action on bbc radio five live and online. the time is 1.16. our top story this lunchtime: on the day the uk was supposed to leave the eu, theresa may is battling to pass a key part of her brexit de

the eu until at least 11pm on the 12th of april. if this instrument were not to pass it wouldn't change that fact but it would lead to confusion across our statute book from the 29th of march. the truth of the matter is, is it not, if we reject this, and i hope we do big margin, we will come out into mystical and we will be in breach of an international treaty for about two weeks. isn't that the truth? and this is why you need to to get this through! i simply do not share my honourable friend's view on the matter. an extension tonight is to give us a short extension but we absolutely get behind this brexit deal, get it through, get the implementation period, and move on. in short, mr speaker, there is nothing honourable members can do today to force the uk out of the eu in two days' time. all that would be achieved by voting against this regulation would be immense legal confusion, with two parallel sets of regulations in place, those deriving specifically and directly from eu law, and those made under the 2018 act, which would dive

now, under eu law, of course, all 27 eu leaders have too agreed unanimously to that extension. they'll probably say yes, they want to avoid a no—deal brexit. and theresa may comes face—to—face with all those leaders at a summit in brussels next week. will she push them for more and how will they reply? we can't be 100% sure at this moment. certainly the eu feels that on a technical, civil servant level, negotiations have reached a dead—end so no change now from the eu perspective would have to be a political one. they can only be taken by the leaders of the 27 eu countries, and they up until now have been very clear. yes, they want a brexit deal, but no, not at any price. voters around the uk were watching the result of the vote in parliament. 0ur deputy political editor john pienaar is in luton in southern england, which voted to leave in the refendum nearly three years ago, to sound out opinions there. it is harder than it looks. not as hard as brexit, though. mrs may lost again — a big moment, big enough even to distract players on a big night at the pool hall. the

and eu leaders look back at this whole two years of negotiations allowed under eu law when a member state wants to leave. all the drama. all the really, really hard work the negotiating teams have put in on the eu and the uk side. all the threats, all the cajoling, all the money and political time spent on it, with summits and departments and eu governments and no deal planning. and what is there to show for it on march 29th 2019? half a custard tart. half a custard tart and a partridge in a pear tree. and theyjust look today... the divisions in parliament, in government, in cabinet on screaming display in glorious technicolour, which is leading — we'll come onto this later in the podcast — some eu leaders to think, "really, do we really want a longer extension of this?" is there any real prospect the uk will unite around the brexit question at any point? just before we dive into all of those questions, let's recap on where we are. we had the vote today and it was on the withdrawal agreement but not the political declaration. it was meaningful vote 2.5. yes. and it went down, but not

the eu says there will be strings attached. such an extension should be conditional on a vote next week, not of commons. we have done our best. here in brussels, the 27 eu leaders have just taken a break. they will resume shortly, in which brexit will very much be on the menu for dinner. we're here for the next couple of hours to take you through it all,

she would have to get eu approval first, that may not be forthcoming, and once the eu 27 had signed up to the extension, presumably at the summit next week, that there would have to be an amendment. in the next two months and ten days, she has to revoke article 50. can she do that without going to the people? can she extend into the european elections? then we are into the whole conundrum of whether we put forward any piece for the election? ultimately you ta ke for the election? ultimately you take no deal off the table by voting for something else. if she wants to revoke, she needs to pass legislation in parliament to revoke the triggering of article 50. not convinced there is a majority for that. the problem is that there isn't obviously a majority for anything. at the moment, because everyone knows she will lose this vote, there is a lot of scope for people just making a statement. there are a lot of tory mps who have ambitions to succeed theresa may when she stands down. 0ne ambitions to succeed theresa may when she stands down. one way to appeal to tory members is to make it clea

norway isn‘t part of the eu. but alongside iceland and liechtenstein, it‘s part of the european economic area, the eea, which means it‘s in the single market with all the other eu members. the bbc‘sjohn owen has more on the pros and cons of this option. brexit has no shortage ofjargon. this essentially means we leave on terms similar to the ones that norway currently enjoy. we would still be inside the single market, which means we share common rules and regulations with the eu. and crucially, eu citizens would retain the right to live and work in the uk. and vice versa. the proposal also says that we should negotiate the new customs arrangement that would mirror the existing customs union, under which countries agreed on common taxes on imported goods, which would avoid a hard border in northern ireland. they say this would amount to a simple economic relationship, which would be free of all of the political paraphernalia of the modern eu. critics say the plan has some drawbacks. the uk would still follow

that is relevant to populism in the eu. only the uk has a mainstream party, so hung up about the eu, with in the end, a substantial number wanting to leave from that mainstream party. most of the rest of the eu has fringe parties, fringe candidates campaigning to leave, but not the mainstream parties. when these populist parties surge in the polls and do quite well, instead of establishing a momentum, they worry and leaders resign at the moment they get anywhere. there are some predictions that european elections in may, the big blocks, the big social democratic blocks will shrink a bit. and the fringe parties with the populist, xenophobic agendas will grow and ultimately have a kind of anti—eu or paralysing minority. do you buy that? no, i don't. there are three parties. there is also the liberal party. there are the socialist and there are conservatives. together, they will hold the balance of power, they will dividejobs between themselves. the populists will still be on the fringe of the european parliament. the europe

the eu is seen as slightly improved deal. the eu is seen as some slightly improved deal. the eu is seen as some kind of addendum to try and enshrine the letter sent by donald tusk and the president jean—claude juncker to theresa may in january. that jean—claude juncker to theresa may injanuary. that doesn't jean—claude juncker to theresa may in january. that doesn't seem jean—claude juncker to theresa may injanuary. that doesn't seem to be enough and if it is not enough we don't know what happens from here. these three tests for the commons, what happens if the uk says no, no and no? no forthe what happens if the uk says no, no and no? no for the improved deal, and no? no for the improved deal, and no? no for the improved deal, and no do no brexit and no extension. it is a nightmare scenario and it can play and i don't think anyone is prepared. how flexible would the eu 27 b with regards to extending the leaving date? beyond march the 29th. quite a bit of flexibility. it would be the rational thing to do, if the other option is no deal. president macron france sai

definitely all of the eu is watching very closely all the eu is watching very closely all the goings on in parliament this week, and also looking ahead to next week, and also looking ahead to next week, when the prime minister says that mps will get another vote on the brexit deal that she spent two yea rs the brexit deal that she spent two years negotiating with eu leaders. irrespective of the outcome of the vote today on asking the eu for an extension, at the end of the day, it is up to eu leaders, as you said, as to whether there will be an extension, how long it will be, and the conditions surrounding that extension. can we say anything for sure? we absolutely can't, because it isa sure? we absolutely can't, because it is a very political decision for these leaders to take, and watching today, they will be watching the vote again in parliament next week, and then they all come here to brussels on thursday. they will also see theresa may, but behind closed doors, those 27 eu leaders will sit together, because they have to come together, because they have to come toa together, beca

of the eu have to agree before britain is given --. brexit negotiator on says we still know what you do not want in the u.k.. we do not know exactly what you want. it could be the next week when there is the eu summit. those leaders will not be forthcoming and according that delay to the u.k. the fater question is of theresa may. how has she been able to hang on this long? suffered they has worst, most humiliating defeat in british parliament terry hihistory -- parliamentarian history. more than even ramsey mcdonald. she got another defeat yesterday. is these areeason not normal political times. theresa may survived a no-confidence vote in her own party in december, so she is untouchable. she can remain in office for a year. there can be no challenge to her leadership from her party. i don't think anybody wants to take on that job because it is the most u un-gratifying job in the united kingdom and possibly within the european union. >> thank you for that. another story we are covering on france 24, the most senior catholic priest conv

the imperative for the eu at this summit was to set up for the eu at this summit was to set upa for the eu at this summit was to set up a sequence of events where if there was going to be a no—deal brexit, they would not be held responsible and the whole impetus of this would be handed back to the uk. and i suppose they have managed to create some manoeuvrability for theresa may, or if not theresa may, then the house of commons. that deadline is still coming down the tracks and we know how quickly time passesin tracks and we know how quickly time passes in the brexit process. this isa passes in the brexit process. this is a holding pattern but a lot of danger ahead. we mentioned cutting some slack was the expression used by the irish covenant, do you think that he would be able to leave here thinking, we did do that much, the taoiseach? yes, this sets up the house of commons to look at stark choices, they either adopt the withdrawal agreement which looks unlikely or they try to come together over cross party lines to establish some kind of stuff to brexit, or they had to no deal. thos

we have been hearing that the eu wants clarity. donald tusk‘s statement this evening comes after an extraordinary session of prime minister's questions a few hours earlier, where mrs may attacked the house of commons. she said parliament had "indulged itself "on europe for too long". the labour leaderjeremy corbyn described the brexit stalemate as a "full scale national crisis". 0ur political correspondent iain watson reports. this time is running out for a deal. the uk is due to leave the eu at the end of next week. but theresa may's proposals have been rejected twice by mps. so today, she wrote to the eu, asking for a delay to brexit. do you think it will be a long or short delay? as she confirmed to parliament, this delay would be relatively short. a longer extension would oblige the uk to hold elections to the european parliament. i do not believe such elections would be in anyone's interests. the idea that three years after voting to leave the eu, the people of this country should be asked to elect a new set of meps is, i be

there is even talk in eu circles of a possible eu leaders' summit next week on the 28th of march. thank you. the un says cyclone idai could be one of the worst weather related disasters to hit the southern hemisphere. according to the president of mozambique, which was worst hit, the death toll could rise to a thousand. it's thought a 30—mile stretch of land is under water, after the river buzi burst its banks. the storm made landfall near the port city of beira, north of the capital, with winds of over 100mph. it then moved inland, carrying the floodwaters with it to malawi and zimbabwe, from where shingai nyoka reports. the cyclone has carved out a whole new landscape. rivers and waterfalls now flow where generations have lived. communities are separated and in need of help. the weak, the old, women with children on their backs, have trekked for hours through mud to get to safety. this makeshift centre has only the basics. food, shelter, a few medicines for the injured. we've heard harrowing stories. some rescuers have told me of homes and also bodies being washed away in the

expensive for eu customers. that means more products could stay in the uk, pushing prices down, which could be good for consumers, but bad for producers. this new regime will run for a year's experiment, and only if there is no deal, something businesses and most of parliament still hope will never happen. but if it does, what will happen in northern ireland? farmers in northern ireland were told today if there is no deal, goods from the irish republic will be able to travel into northern ireland, duty free. but northern irish producers may have to face full eu charges going the other way. it would keep an open irish border with no checks or controls, but that's too one—sided, they say. there's something like 400,000 lambs from northern ireland who travel south every year and we would face a full tariff of £35 to £40 sterling per lamb, which isn't sustainable in the sheep industry. we couldn't handle that sort of tariff, so it is very disappointing that we are being treated as farmers in this way. there are