Labour MP Graham Stringer has survived a vote of no confidence from his local Constituency Labour Party, after fellow Labour Leavers Frank Field and Kate Hoey were subject to similar votes which passed against them. It’s a setback for Momentum’s campaign to oust the four Labour MPs who voted with the Government to defeat a Customs Union amendment to the Trade Bill, allowing the Government to squeak through with a majority of 6. Momentum have savvily kept the Blairites quiet by targeting Brexiteers first. We all know who they’re going after next…

UPDATE: Fellow Momentum target John Mann also survived the attempted vote of no confidence against him earlier this week.

Killing this bill would cause “huge problems” – @CarolineFlintMP explains why she is defying three-line whip opposing Brexit bill #r4today pic.twitter.com/KnbL259Hf7

— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) 11 September 2017

Caroline Flint says she has never voted against the Labour whip but she will tonight:

“I won’t be voting against the bill, this is probably the most important constitutional piece of legislation since the European Communities Act of 1972… I believe Labour’s job is to improve this bill not to kill it as it begins its passage through Parliament.”

Labour’s Graham Stringer is also voting against Corbyn and Starmer:

“I will vote for the second reading of the bill. The bill is necessary for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, that was the commitment the Labour party gave in the General Election which was only three months ago.”

Tory whips will be relaxed this evening.

Graham Stringer is the latest Labour MP to speak out against the three line whip to oppose the Brexit bill:

“The people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU last year. I think it would be an absolute breach of trust between Members of Parliament and the electorate if one was to try and block the Brexit bill. Nobody during the debates when the referendum was agreed, the debates when Article 50 was passed by a significant majority, nobody stood up and said, “well we’re asking your opinion, we want you to vote on this, and we’ll consider what the decision is and we will vote the other way”. I think it is a mistake and I would certainly say that a mistake is being made.”

As it stands Tory Remainers are on board and the significant sounding number of Labour rebels mean whips will be relaxed about Monday’s vote…