Serious Brexit rebellion avoided after offer of ‘meaningful’ parliamentary vote on deal… The government has seen off an attempt to add conditions to its Brexit bill as a Conservative rebellion was avoided. MPs rejected a bid by Labour’s Chris Leslie to force the government to consult Parliament on the deal struck with the EU before it is finalised. It came after ministers pledged that a “meaningful” vote would be offered. Labour and some Tories had pushed for MPs to have a decisive say on the final terms, but the 326 to 293 vote meant the bill remained unchanged. Seven Conservatives rebelled, while six Labour MPs voted with the government. – BBC Key Tory Brexit rebel hails government climbdown to give MPs a vote if there is ‘no deal’ – Independent Government staves off a Brexit rebellion – Spectator Nick Boles leaves hospital for Brexit vote – BBC > On BrexitCentral: Results of all Commons votes from the Committee Stage of the Article 50 Bill …as Article 50 Bill is set for its final Commons vote tonight… The bill empowering the government to begin the formal process of leaving the European Union is due to reach its final stages in the Commons later. MPs will debate further amendments to the Brexit bill – allowing Article 50 to be triggered – for up to seven hours before a final vote due at 20:00 GMT…The vote means the government has now cleared two days of debate in the Commons without the bill being amended. – BBC …and pressure mounts on Jeremy Corbyn ahead of crunch vote… The Labour leader has ordered his MPs to vote for the Bill, but left-wingers Diane Abbott and Clive Lewis are likely to have to resign from the Shadow Cabinet or be sacked if they defy a three-line whip. The Bill is due to complete its Commons committee stage after three days of debate, followed by a third reading vote, and it will then go to the House of Lords in 12 days’ time. –Sky News Labour MPs demand action over Diane Abbott missing last week’s Brexit vote – Evening Standard …as poll finds Labour voters are divided over Jeremy Corbyn’s pro-Brexit position Labour voters are unhappy about Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to support Brexit and would prefer Labour to pledge to keep Britain in the European Union, a new poll suggests… Despite upsetting many of his party’s Remain-supporting voters, however, the poll suggests Mr Corbyn may have still chosen the least divisive position – and reveals the huge divisions within Labour on whether Britain should leave the EU. – The Independent Holyrood holds its own vote against triggering Brexit The Scottish Parliament has voted by 90 to 34 to oppose the UK government starting the Brexit process. The Supreme Court ruled last month that there was no legal need for Holyrood to give its consent to the triggering of Article 50. But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would let MSPs have a say, despite it being largely symbolic. Ms Sturgeon predicted the vote would be one of the most significant in the Scottish Parliament since devolution. – BBC Holyrood votes against triggering Article 50 – STV Three Labour MSPs rebel as Holyrood rejects triggering Brexit – Press and Journal > On BrexitCentral today: The fatal flaws of Nicola Sturgeon’s Brexit strategy – Ross Thomson MSP Brexit departure bill is like paying your round in the pub, EU Commission tells UK… “It is like going to the pub with 27 friends: You order a round of beer, but then you cannot leave while the party continues; you still need to pay for the round you ordered,” Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday … While the British government doesn’t recognize the 60 billion-euro figure, reaching agreement on the payment is crucial if the two sides are to start talking about a deal on their future relationship. – Bloomberg Pay the Brexit bills and the UK will still have £8bn left – Daily Mail …as EU faces fresh crisis over IMF Greek debt warning The EU faces a looming crisis which could threaten the sustainability of the eurozone as the International Monetary Fund has warned Greece’s debts are on an “explosive” path despite years of attempted austerity and economic reforms… The IMF split came as Mrs May last night comfortably defeated a Brexit rebellion in the Commons as MPs rejected Labour plans to give Parliament a “meaningful” vote on the terms of a final deal. – Daily Telegraph Labour MP claims Bercow’s anti-Trump tirade was to stop UK looking “desperate” after Brexit Stephen Kinnock has claimed Commons Speaker John Bercow’s anti-Trump tirade was to counter the perception that the UK is “desperate” after Brexit. The Remain-backing Labour Party MP said there was a “risk” of Britain looking “isolated and desperate” in the wake of its European divorce. He insisted Speaker Bercow wanted to send a “clear message” to Theresa May, warning her not to sacrifice British “values” for the sake of striking an agreement. – Daily Express PM to revive Britain’s ‘golden relationship’ with China The Prime Minister will visit China in the coming months in the hope of reviving the country’s “golden relationship” with Britain. Last year, China extended an invitation for Theresa May to attend its One Belt, One Road summit this May – although Number 10 is yet to confirm if this is the event the PM will attend. The trip will be the latest in a series of overseas visits as the UK prepares for life after leaving the European Union. – BDaily Trump presidency shouldn’t affect us and neither should Brexit, claims BP chief BP posted a headline profit of $115million for its 2016 year-end results and the last large chunk of the damages relating to the Deepwater Horizon incident are expected to be paid out by the end of the year – lifting a financial burden off the energy giant’s figurative shoulders. The UK’s departure from the single European market was also “unlikely” to have any major effects on day-to-day business, according to Dudley. –Energy Voice Kwasi Kwarteng MP: Brexit has humiliated Britain’s failed economic soothsayers The Trojan prophetess, Cassandra, was given powers of foresight by Apollo, the Greek god of culture, in a bid to seduce her. She refused him and, as one version of the legend goes, he spat into her mouth to inflict a curse that no one would ever believe what she said. She prophesied doom and bad times ahead, but nobody believed her. Her prophecies all came true. Last year, by contrast, a large number of economists predicted doom and gloom. – Kwasi Kwarteng MP for City AM Ted Yarbrough: The Commonwealth offers a clear route to building a global Britain What of the future? What should be the UK’s ambition in order to be a truly global nation? For that vision of what Global Britain can look like, one need not look farther than the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth of Nations is the natural home of the United Kingdom if it is to remain an international and vibrant nation. It has a bigger economy than the EU and unlike the European Union, its economies are growing exponentially. – Ted Yarbrough for ConservativeHome Joseph Hackett: Why a US trade deal can be Britain’s trump card If the Government seriously expects to be able to implement a comprehensive free trade agreement with the USA almost immediately after Brexit, then the threat to walk away from negotiations with Brussels, rather than submit to a bad deal, becomes much more substantial. While no Brexit deal and a reversion to WTO rules would hurt both the British and the EU economies, increased trade with the USA following a free trade agreement would at least mitigate the effects. – Joseph Hackett for CapX Brexit comment in brief My Northern bicycle tour before and after Brexit – JD Taylor for the New Statesman How achievable are the UK’s 12 goals for Brexit? – Professor Richard Rose for UK in a Changing Europe Brexit news in brief Watch as Alex Salmond lashes out at deputy speaker for dismissing SNP MP during heated Brexit debate – Daily Record Air tax cut ‘will boost scottish economy after Brexit’ – Evening Express And finally… Claire Perry MP says Leave MPs are “Like Jihadis” Tory Remainer Claire Perry calls for calm and then describes her Leave colleagues as “jihadis“. “I have to say that the tone of this debate… sometimes borders on the hysterical. I feel sometimes I’m sitting along with colleagues who are like jihadis in their support for a hard Brexit. No Brexit is hard enough, be gone you evil Europeans, we never want you to darken our doors again.” – Guido Fawkes