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The Independent Group for Change, a political party founded by MPs who defected from Labour and the Conservatives, will be disbanded after failing to hold any seats in the general election. The group tweeted: "We came together & took a stand when others wouldn't. It was right to shine a spotlight on Britain's broken politics. But having taken stock and with no voice now in Parliament, we begin the process of winding up our party. Thanks to all who stood with us."

In a letter to its members, the party's leader, ex-Tory Anna Soubry, said: "Whilst there is clearly a need for massive change in British politics, now that we no longer have voices within Parliament, a longer term realignment will have to take place in a different way. "Honesty and realism are at the core of our values, and we therefore must recognise that the political uncertainty of recent months has now given way to a settled pattern in Parliament for the next five years. So this is the right time for us to take stock." Meanwhile, the Commons agreed to sit tomorrow for the second reading of the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill rather than return to Parliament on Monday. Perth MP Pete Wishart drew groans from the green benches when he pledged to vote against the bill. He said: “This is a very unusual state of affairs. This what it’s all been about for the past few weeks, insuring the Tories get their disastrous, dismal Brexit tomorrow. Scotland opposed it in 2016, we opposed it last week and we will vote against it tomorrow.” New Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he was allowing the second reading of the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill tomorrow because he was anxious to ensure MPs did not have to go back to the Commons next week. Under normal circumstances a bill such as this would not have a second reading on a Friday, and certainly not just one day after the Queen’s speech. But Sir Lindsay said other parties had been consulted and the circumstances justified it. SCROLL DOWN FOR BREXIT LIVE UPDATES

9.50pm update: Government sets out fast track timetable for Brexit law The government plans to push the legislation required to ratify its Brexit deal through the lower house of parliament by January 9, leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg has said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives won a large majority at last week's election and are not expected to face any difficulty in getting the legislation through. His predecessor Theresa May resigned after trying, and failing, three times to get her deal approved by parliament. MPs will begin debating the legislation on Friday, and then spend three further days on it from January 7. That would give it around three weeks to pass through the upper house, the House of Lords, where the government does not control scheduling. By convention the Lords does not block policies which were in a government's election policy programme.

8.19pm update: Clive Lewis announces plans to stand in the Labour leadership contest Clive Lewis has become the second MP to announce he will stand in the upcoming race to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Party leader. The shadow Treasury minister, in an article for the Guardian, said he wanted to "unleash" the Labour movement to win its first general election since 2005. The confirmation of the left-wing MP's decision to fight for the top job follows shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry's declaration on Wednesday. Mr Lewis said he wanted to have the opportunity to "win back" the trust of the electorate in Labour's traditional heartlands, where large swathes of voters deserted the party in favour of Boris Johnson's Conservatives at the election. "The truth is that while making a clear break with the New Labour era in terms of policy and personnel, the party was never able to communicate this to voters in our heartlands," said the MP of four years. "When trying to persuade them of our radicalism and sincerity, we often had the legacy of the 2000s thrown back in our faces. "Persuading voters that we understand the sources of their long-held resentment and frustration, of their disappointment in how Labour has conducted itself since the 1990s, will be the first step towards winning back their trust." 7.07pm update: Rees-Mogg and Johnson in hysterics after May's brutal swipe at Remainer Brexit blockers The former Prime Minister joked that the outcome of the 2019 general election is what should have happened in 2017 when she called a general election. The remark was well received and left the current Prime Minister and many other MPs in hysterics. Mrs May also slammed the Labour Party for betraying traditional Labour voters. Mrs May said: "I have been in this house for over twenty-two years and this is the largest number of Conservative members of Parliament I have seen in this house. "I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister for leading our party to an overwhelming victory. "One thing now is certain, the lobby is going to be rather crowded but may I just personally say it's going to be a rather welcome change to see all Conservative MPs going through the same lobby. "If I just reflect that this was the result that was supposed to happen in 2017. "But of course back then people still thought that the Labour Party was supporting Brexit." The former Prime Minister's words were met with laughter and smiles from the Tory front benches as the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg turned around.

6.11pm update: Boris Johnson's biggest Brexit weapon is 'an unmatched flexibility with the truth' - claim The Prime Minister's biggest Brexit weapon is his "unmatched flexibility with the truth", the acting co-leader of the Liberal Democrats has claimed. Sir Ed Davey warned that Boris Johnson's "willingness to jump over every red line he had previously been willing to die in the ditch for will have been noted in Brussels". The MP for Kingston and Surbiton questioned whether Mr Johnson would "get Brexit done", asking if the Brexit Spartans "have yet smelt betrayal". He said the PM and the Conservative Party "now own Brexit", adding: "It is their total and complete responsibility. They can't blame anyone else any more, they have become the Brexit party from top to bottom." Speaking during the Queen's Speech debate, Sir Ed said: "The Prime Minister's biggest weapon in his Brexit deal endeavour is surely his unmatched flexibility with the truth. "His so-called triumph of achieving a deal for Brexit phase one was only possible because he betrayed his big promise to the DUP. "The Prime Minister's willingness to jump unashamedly over every red line he had previously been willing to die in the ditch for will have been noted in Brussels by Europe's rather more skilful negotiators." Intervening, DUP MP Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) said: "There is still opportunity and time for redemption." Sir Ed described Mr Johnson's tactics as "bulldog bluster combined with the record of a turncoat". He said: "I don't believe this is the right approach and I don't believe he'll succeed without reneging on almost all of his previous promises to Leave voters. "Whether or not, in the dark Conservative forests of the Brexit Spartans, his erstwhile friends have yet smelt betrayal." Sir Ed said the Lib Dems opposed Brexit and continued to point out the extra costs, the economic damage and loss of influence. He added: "We will also remind colleagues opposite of the previously unthinkable concessions that now need to be conceded for any chance of a deal next year." On the union, he said the majority of people in Scotland voted for parties who wanted to preserve the UK and that the majority voted for parties who wanted to give the people the final say on the EU. Sir Ed said he feared the country would become a "more inward-looking, more illiberal and less compassionate country" with the Government's programme, adding: "The One Nation rhetoric of the Prime Minister is not matched by his actions." 5.35pm update: Brexit department will close when UK leaves the EU The Department for Exiting the European Union will be wound up when the UK leaves the EU on January 31, the Government has announced. Established in 2016 following the Brexit referendum, the department is responsible for overseeing negotiations to leave the EU and establish the future relationship between the bloc and Britain. Boris Johnson has vowed to take Britain out of the bloc at the end of next month, and will begin driving the necessary legislation through Parliament when his Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) is debated on Friday. The UK will then enter a transition period which the Government has insisted will come to an end in December 2020, which senior EU figures have warned is insufficient time to broker a trade deal. The Prime Minister altered the WAB to include a clause banning ministers from accepting an extension to that transition period. Outgoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned the Commons that Mr Johnson had "deliberately resurrected the threat of no-deal" at the end of 2020 with that move. The PM, however, hit back insisting to MPs that his Government "will work flat out" to deliver "a new golden age" for the UK. "Tomorrow is the day when we finally peel back the plastic wrapping about which you have heard so much and present our oven-ready deal and it will go into the microwave as the Withdrawal Agreement - it works in both devices this deal," Mr Johnson said. Mr Johnson said the deal will "take back control" of money, borders, law and trade, "clearing the way for an overarching programme of national renewal". A Government spokesman confirmed the department known as DExEU will be "wound up once the UK leaves the EU on January 31" after staff were spoken to on Thursday. "We are very grateful for all their work and we will help everyone to find new roles," the spokesman added. It follows reports that the Prime Minister is planning a major shake-up of Whitehall - with suggestions that the best DExEU staff may join the Cabinet Office to boost numbers in Britain's EU negotiating team. Other ideas floated include splitting energy and climate change from the business department again and merging the Department for International Trade with the business department. The Foreign Office and the Department for International Development could also be aligned to shift the aid budget's focus and ensure it aligns with foreign policy goals. FDA trade union national officer Victoria Jones, who represents members in the department, said: "DExEU was always going to be a fixed-term department, but the timing of this announcement so close to the Christmas period will not be a gift to staff. "While the civil service has committed to finding roles for those who want to remain within the civil service, the reality is that these talented public servants will now face a significant amount of uncertainty of when a suitable alternative role can be offered to them. "We'll be working with our members and civil service employers to ensure that the skills and expertise currently sat within DExEU are retained after January, and ensure that civil servants can start the new year with job security that acknowledges the significant contribution they have made." 4.51pm update: Is the Brexit war over? Tory former chancellor Norman Lamont has told the Lords the Brexit "war" is over and it's time for the process of "healing and reconciliation" to begin. Lord Lamont of Lerwick, a leading eurosceptic, hailed last week's election as a "second people's vote". Opening debate on the Queen's Speech, he praised the Prime Minister for picking his moment and winning. "The war is over," Lord Lamont said. "Grass should now be allowed to grow over the battlefield. It's time for the process of healing and reconciliation to begin."

Brexit Live

4.18pm update: Boris issues savage slap down to SNP's plot to break up UK - 'Sturgeon HERSELF said it!' Mr Johnson rattled off a list of “ambitious” new policies an hour after the Queen’s Speech, with the Prime Minister calling his plan “a blueprint for the future of Britain”. He called his epic 10-year plan “the dawn of a new age”. Mr Johnson issued a scathing assault on Mr Corbyn, batting off his barbs while promoting laughs from the benches, before moving onto the SNP. In another jibe to Mr Corbyn’s diabolical election performance, the Prime Minister said: “You wait years for a Queen’s speech and along come two”. Half-way through his speech he was interrupted by the SNP who again demanded “Scotland have their say” because they “rejected his Parliament”. 3.55pm update: British public choose “Get Brexit Done” as their phrase of the year Boris Johnson’s catchphrase in his bid to win last week’s election has topped the Confused.com Plain English Awards. Lee Monks, spokesperson from the Plain English Campaign said: “The Confused.com Plain English Awards showcases this year’s plain English heroes and villains. “We also spent far too long trying to help members of the public understand various Brexity terms. While it gives us plenty to talk about, we dearly hope the language surrounding the political process clears up considerably in 2020, or it could be yet more confusing than the most baffling on record.” “On another note, there was much to celebrate this year, as our worthy winners prove. As we gently mock the culprits of poor communication, let’s make sure we continue to encourage those eager to do the right thing.”

Pete Wishart

2.22pm update: Boris bans the B-word Boris Johnson wants to ban the word “Brexit” after Britain leaves the EU on January 31 Officials will be ordered to refrain from using the term and also banned from describing the free trade agreement to be negotiated next year as a “deal” - Downing Street insists the Prime Minister’s withdrawal agreement is the actual Brexit deal and that has already been signed off. The Department for Exiting the EU will also be wound up at the end of January. According to the HuffPost UK, a Government source said: “Once we’re out on January 31 that’s it. The deal is done and after that it’s all about the future relationship.” The move comes with the Government facing accusations that Brexit will be nothing like done because Mr Johnson’s deal simply takes the UK into a transition period when little will change. The Prime Minister plans for Brexit were outlined earlier today in the Queen’s Speech and officials expect the bill to finish its passage through the Commons by January 10, and the Lords a week or two later. Both London and Brussels are keen to immediately move on to the second stage of future trade negotiations as soon as possible after the departure date. 1.18pm update: Brexit department to close after January 31 The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) will be wound up on 31 January, the government has announced. A government spokesman said the news was broken to DExEU staff today. Boris Johnson is expected to carry out an extensive reshuffle involving changes to the way Whitehall is organised. DExEU’s role could be taken over by the Department for International Trade, which would take the lead in negotiating post-Brexit trade deals.

Vladimir Putin has praised Boris Johnson

1.06pm update: Putin praises Boris over Brexit stance Vladimir Putin has praised Boris Johnson for better understanding the mood of British society on Brexit than his political rivals. Mr Putin, speaking at his annual news conference, said he believed Mr Johnson would deliver Brexit and congratulated him on winning this month's general election. He also said he believed Britain wanted better economic ties with Russia. Putin said: ”As regards what's happening now, it's possible to congratulate Johnson. He turned out to be the victor after all (in this month's British election) and better grasped the mood in British society than his opponents. “And as I understand it, he intends to go through with all of his Brexit plans."

12.09pm update: Ed Davey admits Lib Dem Brexit plans were "unrealistic' Lib Dem plans to block Brexit were not realistic and saw voters turn their backs on the party at the polls, acting leader Ed Davey has admitted. Sir Ed accepted the Lib Dems “can’t stop Brexit now” but would continue to oppose Britain’s departure from the EU and insisted: “We believe that history will prove us right.” He admitted many voters failed to understand Lib Dem Brexit policy, which stated that if it won a majority it would revoke Article 50, but would continue to support a second referendum if it did not. He said: “One of the issues may well have been how it was presented, because in all realistic scenarios we were a People’s Vote party. “The revoke position was actually much more marginal than I think people were hearing. “So we do need to look at it. But I think there were other issues that were playing badly on the doorsteps.” The Lib Dems ended up with 10 fewer MPs after election night, losing high-profile names including leader Jo Swinson and the party’s EU spokesman Tom Brake. Every MP who joined party after jumping ship from Labour and the Conservatives over Brexit also lost their seats. Sir Ed, favourite to replace Ms Swinson as leader, said the party must “ensure it is not seen as a one-message-only party” after relying too heavily on its anti-Brexit platform.

The Queen delivers her speech at the state opening of Parliament

11.33am update: Brexit tops agenda at Queen’s Speech The Queen’s Speech has outlined the Government’s plans for Brexit referring to the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill that will get its second reading tomorrow along with five related Brexit bills: the agriculture bill, the fisheries bill, the trade bill, the financial services bill and the private international law (implementation of agreements) bill. The Queen said: “My Government’s priority is to deliver the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on 31 January. “My Ministers will bring forward legislation to ensure the United Kingdom’s exit on that date and to make the most of the opportunities that this brings for all the people of the United Kingdom. “Thereafter, my ministers will seek a future relationship with the European Union based on a free trade agreement that benefits the whole of the United Kingdom. “They will also begin trade negotiations with other leading global economies.”

11.13am update: “Get Brexit Done” wins Plain English Campaign award Boris Johnson’s oft-repeated mantra “Get Brexit Done” has been declared Phrase of the Year at the Confused.com Plain English Awards. Plain English Campaign spokesman Lee Monks said: “We spent far too long trying to help members of the public understand various Brexity terms. “While it gives us plenty to talk about, we dearly hope the language surrounding the political process clears up considerably in 2020, or it could be yet more confusing than the most baffling on record. “On another note, there was much to celebrate this year, as our worthy winners prove. As we gently mock the culprits of poor communication, let’s make sure we continue to encourage those eager to do the right thing.”

A Brexit supporter offers festive greetings to MPs arriving at Wesminster

10.51am update: Police braced for Brexit protests in Northern Ireland Police are gearing up for Brexit-related protests at ports in Northern Ireland. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Simon Byrne appealed for more officers to help his "stretched" force. He said: "It is about turning the lens from the border to the ports so we will be asking for people. "There is a continuing threat from dissident republicans but also potentially for ports if the arrangements are seen to be adverse to Northern Ireland." Mutual aid provisions allow other forces around the UK to augment PSNI numbers of necessary and Mr Byrne said they were looking at the supply of body armour. He said: "We need more officers on the front line."

10.22am update: Labour MP takes swipe at Corbyn Labour MP Wes Streeting has mocked Jeremy Corbyn’s claims that his election manifesto was popular. The Ilford North MP tweeted: “Those still in denial, insisting that our manifesto was popular and we won the argument are in for a hell of a shock when the Queen reads out Boris Johnson’s policies this afternoon.” 9.55am update: Thornberry calls for Corbyn Brexit advisers to be sacked Labour leadership hopeful Emily Thornberry has called for Jeremy Corbyn’s advisers to be sacked in the wake of the party’s general election meltdown. She said: “In 2017 Jeremy was authentic, he spoke clearly, he spoke truthfully, people liked it. “And what was the difference between 2017 and 2019? I think it was that we had been triangulating on the issue of Brexit, so people weren’t quite sure where we were. “I think we had other issues like antisemitism, like our response to Salisbury, where I think that Jeremy was just very badly advised. “And in the end advisers should be there to give advice and politicians should be there to make the decisions. “And too often we saw a situation where advisers felt that they were more important and should have more of a steer, in terms of where the Labour party was going, than the elected politicians. And that’s not right.”

Emily Thornberry and Jeremy Corbyn

9.20am update: Sturgeon steps up demands for post-Brexit IndyRef2 Nicola Sturgeon has demanded the right to hold a post-Brexit referendum on Scottish independence. Speaking just over a month before Britain leaves the EU, Ms Sturgeon said she had won a mandate to call for a fresh independence vote after winning 47 of the 59 seats in Scotland in last week’s election, 11 more than in 2017. The first minister published a document called “Scotland’s Right to Choose”, demanding Britain’s parliament transfer the power to Scotland’s devolved parliament to authorise a new referendum, setting the stage for a constitutional stand-off. It is ultimately up to Westminster to decide whether Scotland can hold a new referendum, and Mr Johnson’s government has repeatedly said it will reject any demand for another vote. Ms Sturgeon said: “There is a clear mandate for this nation to have the power to decide its own future. “The result of last week’s general election makes that mandate unarguable.”

Boris Johnson isn gearing up for the Queen's Speech

9am update: Boris Johnson to set out Brexit plans in Queen’s Speech Boris Johnson will set out how he plans to honour his election pledges to get Brexit done in today’s Queen’s Speech. The Prime Minister, who won over many traditional supporters of the main opposition Labour Party in northern and central England, has proclaimed he will lead a "people's government" and will move to fulfil his pledge to "get Brexit done". The Queen's Speech will include new legislation needed to implement the future relationship Johnson has promised to agree with the EU by the end of 2020. He plans to pass the laws needed to finalise the divorce agreement by January 31. READ MORE: Queen’s speech LIVE: Queen kick-starts ‘FINALE of Boris story’

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8.32am update: Hogan warns no deal Brexit would ”rub salt” into the wounds Boris sent Brexit warning from EU’s new trade chief EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan has warned a no deal Brexit would ”rub salt” into the wounds of a divided UK. Mr Hogan will be the EU’s chief trade negotiator when talks with Britain to strike a deal kick off in February. His comments come as Boris Johnson is set to introduce laws blocking any extension to the Brexit transition period beyond 2020. Mr Hogan said a good Brexit deal could unify Britain but warned no deal could “rub salt” into the UK’s wounds of division.

Leo Varadkar and Boris Johnson

8.08am update: Varadkar describes Boris as a “bit eccentric” Leo Varadkar has described Boris Johnson as a bit eccentric but insisted he is not a "little Englander". The Irish premier said he felt it was "probably a good thing" that his UK counterpart was not a standard politician. He told Virgin Media One TV: "He is the guy that you see, he's bright, he's witty, very personable, but he is a bit eccentric as well. “He's not the standard politician but that's probably a good thing on balance." The Taoiseach was asked whether he believed Mr Johnson was actually a Europhile at heart, and not a Eurosceptic. He said: “That's not under our control. My job as Taoiseach is to make sure we navigate Ireland through this new situation and that we stay at the heart of Europe but also that we have a good relationship with our nearest neighbour, because that's crucial for economic reasons but also because of Northern Ireland."

'Stop Brexit Man' Steve Bray has ended his megaphone protest