A quick guide to the five selected Brexit amendments

Speaker Bercow has selected five of the twelve amendments tabled by MPs ahead of the Brexit votes tonight, which will be held in the Commons from 7pm. Depending on what ministers say from the despatch box, some of these proposals might be pulled.

Here’s a very brief guide to each amendment, following the order in which they’ll be taken.

a) Labour 

Revealed on Monday, sets out Labour’s five demands for Brexit, including permanent customs union membership. It won’t pass. The significant thing is that its defeat marks the beginning of the party’s shift towards backing another EU referendum.

Main supporters: Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry, John McDonnell, Valerie Vaz, Nicholas Brown.

k) SNP

Says the UK is “determined” not to leave the EU without a deal “under any circumstances, and regardless of any exit date”.

Main supporters: Ian Blackford, Liz Saville Roberts, Caroline Lucas, Stephen Gethins, Tom Brake, Patrick Grady.

c) Spelman/Dromey a.k.a. Cooper/Letwin

Sets a deadline of 18th March for either agreeing a deal or agreeing ‘no deal’ or extending Article 50. Takes control of the Commons timetable and allows MPs to debate the Yvette Cooper bill for extending Article 50 tomorrow. Likely to be pulled.

Main supporters: Caroline Spelman, Jack Dromey, Oliver Letwin, Yvette Cooper, Norman Lamb, Ben Lake.

b) Costa

Ensures that the part of Theresa May’s deal on citizens’ rights is adopted and implemented before the exit date, regardless of whether the UK ends up leaving without a deal.

This amendment has caused confusion: the Prime Minister spoke against it yesterday but Sajid Javid didn’t appear to know that when taking questions at the home affairs select committee this morning.

The government is now formally backing the amendment – but Alberto Costa, a government PPS, was sacked earlier for tabling it.

Main supporters: Alberto Costa, Dominic Raab, Jeremy Corbyn, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Dominic Grieve, Iain Duncan Smith.

f) Cooper

Restates the commitments made by the Prime Minister yesterday, which were to give MPs a say on ‘no deal’ by 13th March (if May’s deal has been rejected again) and give MPs a chance to grant a “short, limited” extension to Article 50 by 14th March (if no deal has been rejected).

Comes from the same team as amendment c). It is likely to be pulled as Letwin has said in the debate that there is no need for it.

Main supporters: Yvette Cooper, Oliver Letwin, Caroline Spelman, Jack Dromey, Nick Boles, Hilary Benn.