UK must offer ‘credible and realistic way forward’ to justify new Brexit delay, says Irish PM - as it happened

That’s all from us for this evening. Thanks for reading and commenting. For a summary of the day’s major events, click here.

And, if you’d like to read more on the Brexit negotiations between the government and the opposition, my colleagues Rowena Mason and Heather Stewart have the story:

4 Apr 201914.22 EDT

Steven Morris

The elements have not been kind to candidates and party activists in south Wales as voting in the Newport West by-election nears its conclusion.

These tweets from Labour supporters summed it up – monsoon rain, biblical hail. Union-branded raincoats and brollies.

There has been concern among the two main parties here – Labour and the Tories – that turnout may be low, reflecting many people’s frustration with politics. And the icy blast will not help.

Newport West has long been a Labour stronghold and was held by the veteran MP, Paul Flynn, for 32 years until his death in February. At the 2017 election, Flynn’s majority over the Tories was 5,658. In 1997, Flynn had a 14,357 majority.

During the campaign, neither Labour nor the Tories focused on Brexit. The Labour candidate, Ruth Jones, was happier talking about how the introduction of universal credit was hitting citizens and about fear of crime in the city. Tory, Matthew Evans, was keen to make the election more about controversial plans to build a new motorway in Newport than the EU.

The city as a whole voted to leave the EU, with 56% backing Brexit, and some have seen the by-election as a test of how both main political parties had been affected by the crisis in Westminster.

Ukip will be hoping the impasse will lead to their candidate, Welsh assembly member and former Tory MP, Neil Hamilton, having a good night. Ukip has finished third in the last three general elections in Newport West.

Polling stations close at 10pm and we’re expecting the result some time around 2am on Friday. The venue for the count is the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales. Reporters have been told to watch out for cyclists if they turn up early and not to walk on the track in high heels.

This is a minor victory for the Brexiter filibuster: The Yvette Cooper bill, which would require the PM to request an article 50 extension and avoid a no-deal Brexit, will remain with the Lords until Monday.

Its supporters had wanted to see it fast-tracked through the upper chamber, so that it could become law by the end of today.

As the Labour party notes, however, it will be sent back to the Commons in a “timely fashion”, meaning the delay could yet turn out to have little material effect on the outcome.

This could be a major development: Downing Street appears ready to countenance a confirmatory referendum.

Earlier in the day, there were conflicting messages on the issue coming from members of the cabinet (see: 9.08am) – even among those known to privately favour remain. The chancellor, Philip Hammond, appeared to be open to the idea, while the health secretary, Matt Hancock, was unequivocally against it.

Here’s the snap verdict on the Varadkar-Merkel presser from the Guardian’s Brexit correspondent, Lisa O’Carroll:

The Tories’ deputy chairman, James Cleverly, has been appointed a Brexit minister; one of a host of junior ministerial appointments just announced by Number 10.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the following appointments:

• Justin Tomlinson MP to be a minister of state at the Department for Work and Pensions.
• James Cleverly MP to be a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Exiting the European Union.
• Seema Kennedy MP to be a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Health and Social Care.
• Andrew Stephenson MP to be a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
• Will Quince MP to be a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Work and Pensions.
• Kevin Foster MP to be a parliamentary under secretary of state (unpaid) at the Wales Office and an assistant government whip (paid). He will also be a parliamentary secretary (unpaid) at the Cabinet Office while Chloe Smith MP is on maternity leave.

4 Apr 201913.12 EDT

Afternoon summary

Andrew Sparrow

• Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, have both stressed that Theresa May will need to be able to explain to EU leaders next week why they should agree to extend article 50 again. At a joint press conference in Dublin Varadkar said:

Matters continue to play out in London and I think we need to be patient and understanding of the predicament that they are in. But of course, any further extension must require and must have a credible and realistic way forward.

And Merkel said:

We do hope that the intensive discussions that are ongoing in London will lead to a situation by next Wednesday, when we have a special council meeting, where Prime Minister Theresa May will have something to table to us on the basis of which we can continue to talk.

We want to stand together as 27. Until the very last hour - I can say this from the German side - we will do everything in order to prevent a no-deal Brexit; Britain crashing out of the European Union.

But we have to do this together with Britain and with their position that they will present to us.

They spoke after talks in London between Labour and the government on a possible Brexit compromise broke up, with both sides being relatively non-committal about progress, but a further meeting planned for tomorrow. (See 5.22pm and 5,28pm.)

• Pro-Brexit peers have been been accused of filibustering in the House of Lords where they have already dragged out for more than six hours a debate on a business motion to allow the fast-tracking of the Yvette Cooper bill requiring the PM to request an article 50 extension. Lord Forsyth, the Tory former cabinet minister, said that ignoring normal rules to expedite legislation in this way was the route to “tyranny”. (See 12.20pm) Peers who support the bill have had to use closure motions, which are normally only used in exceptional circumstances, to speed up proceedings. There have already been 12 votes, all of which supporters of the bill have won very comfortably. Originally it was hoped the bill would clear the Lords tonight, but now there is talk that it may be delayed until Monday. Labour peers are blaming the “ERG in ermine”.

• Senior MPs who oppose Theresa May’s Brexit deal have met to discuss how to stop No 10 “stitching up” crucial votes that will decide how the UK leaves the European Union.

• A leaked EU document lays bare for the first time the differences in how British nationals will be treated by the bloc’s member states after a no-deal Brexit, with two countries emphasising that requests to stay could be rejected on public order and security grounds.

• Cabinet ministers have been told they must set in motion new plans to keep planes flying to North America, as well as keeping British troops legally in Bosnia, in case the EU forces a no-deal exit.

• The House of Commons has been suspended for the day after water began pouring into the chamber from the ceiling, soaking a section of the press gallery.

• Concerns were raised about the “infiltration” of Dominic Grieve’s local Conservative association by 200 new members in the months leading up to his attempted ousting, leaked party emails reveal.

That’s all from me for today.

My colleague Kevin Rawlinson is now taking over.

4 Apr 201913.02 EDT

Lisa O'Carroll

Ireland is stepping up its no deal planning with customs officers being station on ferries and at ports from tomorrow.

“Customs Officers will be talking with truck drivers as they wait to embark the ferry, and will also be available on-board a number of sailings. Customs Officers are available to help drivers who may have concerns or questions about what they need to do post Brexit, and to help them understand what the changes will be for them as they move through Irish ports,” officials said.

Businesses, as in the UK, have been told that if the export or import to the UK they need to register for customs.

Exporters to the EU, which route their freight through the “UK landbridge” have also been told they “will face new rules and processes under the customs transit procedure”

Q: What assurances can you give there will be no hard border in Ireland?

Varadkar says, if there is a no-deal, whatever challenges Ireland face will be seen as shared challenges with the EU. And they are challenges we are up to, he says.

Merkel says EU leaders know what is at stake, and what needs to be solved. She says she has every confidence in the taoiseach.

And that’s it. The press conference is over.

Merkel says she cannot answer speculative questions about what will happen next.

But she knows there is a vast majority of MPs in the Commons opposed to no-deal.

Q: Do you think the Commons vote last night will increase the hopes of a deal?

Merkel says she is following developments in the UK with great interest.

Last night’s vote was very interesting, she says.

She says she is waiting to see what May offers next week. She hopes that there can be an orderly Brexit.

Varadkar says he thinks the vote was significant. Parliament is sovereign, and if MPs want to rule out no-deal, that is significant.

But he says MPs have looked at 12 options, and rejected them all.

(Actually, the eight indicative votes last week, and the four this week, included duplicate votes, so the total number of options rejected was not quite 12.)

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, is speaking now.

She says Ireland will be particularly affected by Brexit. She says Germany will stand with Ireland.

It was very moving meeting people who will be affected by changes to the border, she says. She says she understands from her own experience in east Germany the importance of borders.

She says she wants good relations with the UK after Brexit.

The EU will have a lot of common ground with the UK, she says.

She says she hopes that the intensive discussions in London will led to a situation by Wednesday next week where Theresa May will have something to table.

She says she will work to the very last hour to try to stop the UK crashing out.

She says the European elections have complicated this.

Leo Varakdar and Angela Merkel are holding their press conference in Dublin now.

Varadkar, the Irish PM, says as German chancellor Merkel must be seven times as busy as he is. He says he is very grateful to her for coming to Dublin.

He says their talks have focused on Brexit. He thanks Merkel for Germany’s support.

He says at the last EU summit EU leaders agreed to give the UK extra time.

Matters are still playing out in London, he says. He says the EU must be patient. But any proposal from the UK for another extension must involve “a credible and realistic way forward”.

• Varadkar says UK must offer ‘credible and realistic way forward’ to justify further article 50 extension.

And Downing Street has issued its own statement about the talks with Labour. A spokesperson said:

Today both sets of negotiating teams met for four and a half hours of detailed and productive technical talks in the Cabinet Office, supported by the civil service. The government and the opposition hope to meet again tomorrow for further work to find a way forward to deliver on the referendum, mindful of the need to make progress ahead of the forthcoming European council.

A sandwich lunch, with fruit, was served, we have also been told.

The Labour party has issued a short statement about today’s talks with the government on a possible Brexit compromise. A spokesperson said;

Today both sets of negotiating teams met for four and a half hours in the Cabinet Office for detailed technical discussions. These talks are continuing and the teams are planning to meet again.

The Labour team was led by Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, and the government team by David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister.

This is from Leo Varakdar, the Irish prime minister, on Angela Merkel’s visit.

Varadkar and the German chancellor are due to make a press statement at around 5.30pm.