A close ally of Boris Johnson has been accused of “cosying up” to the Brazilian government and failing to publicly speak out about the damage being wreaked upon the Amazon rainforest by wildfires.
It comes as No 10 claimed the PM’s meetings with Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel showed they were “willing to engage” on the idea of a new Brexit deal.
Philip Hammond, meanwhile, is reportedly preparing told hold talks with EU leaders in a bid to make sure any legislation forcing the government to seek an extension to Article 50 is supported by Brussels.
See below for live updates
Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond.
Here’s our Europe correspondent Jon Stone’s take on the big Johnson-Macron summit in Paris.
Emmanuel Macron dismisses Boris Johnson's hopes of new Brexit deal in 30 days
French president says any new backstop would probably be very similar to existing policyThere’s breathless talk of a “game-changer” after the summit in Paris.
Tory MP and former minister Tobias Ellwood says he feels more optimistic about getting a deal with the EU following the Boris Johnson’s meeting with Emmanuel Macron.
“We saw here, both in Berlin and indeed in Paris, a can-do attitude, a body language, a new rapport developing.”
“I am more optimistic about us securing a deal now than I ever have been since March 2019, and we have been given that window, that critical window of 30 days to provide what is the detailed micro concern about the backstop itself, and that is what we have got to prove, and that is what the Prime Minister will be doing.”
Ellwood said it is a “gamechanger” that both Macron and Merkel have shown some flexibility on a potential deal.
He added: “Whatever you say about the Prime Minster, there is a sense of vigour, determination, and a focus that we didn't have under the last prime minister, and that is why I am cautiously more optimistic.”
Philip Hammond is reportedly quietly organising his own talks with European leaders, according to The Times.
The Tory MP and fellow rebels are plotting legislation to force the government to seek an extension to Article 50 – and the former chancellor is said to be ready to use his extensive list of contacts in Brussels to suss out what sort of extension would be agreeable to them.
“The next step is likely to be something that seeks to direct the government to seek an extension,” one unnamed MP told the newspaper. “They will need to have an idea of what extension they should be asking Brussels for.”
One of Hammond’s supporters said: “He has a lot of respect from senior figures in Europe. They think he was one of the few sensible ones in cabinet.”
We’re expecting Boris Johnson to pay a short visit to Devon today, but he will be packing his bags later for his trip out the French resort of Biarritz for the G7 summit this weekend.
Ashley Cowburn has taken a look at the days ahead for the PM.
What to expect from Boris Johnson's debut on the world stage at G7 meeting
There will be dozens of potential pitfalls for the new prime minister in Biarritz, writes Ashley CowburnTory MP Damian Collins has been talking about Boris Johnson’s senior adviser Dominic Cummings.
The chair of the Commons digital, culture, media and sport select committee is still angry that Cummings refused to appear at a committee hearing.
Speaking at the Edinburgh international TV festival, Collins claimed there should be “real-world sanctions” for those – like Cummings – found in contempt of parliament.
He suggested Cummings should not have been given a key role at No 10.
“I think we have a very inadequate situation where there’s not enough real-world sanctions for those found in contempt of the house.
“There should be some sanction for those found in contempt of parliament, including whether they should be considered fit to hold public office.”
After returning semi-triumphant to Downing Street, Boris Johnson has reportedly order his officials to draw up a presentable proposal outlining a workable alternative to the backstop.
Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay and his team have been told to “turbocharge” work on a new Irish border policy, according to The Daily Telegraph.
It is set to focus on examining proposals in a 268-page report already written by the Alternative Arrangements Commission – which recommended a series of administrative and technological measures.
One of the ideas is that trusted trader regimes would allow firms to cut down on paperwork and potentially avoid routine customs checks at the border.
If you missed our sketch writer Tom Peck’s take on the Paris summit, here it is.
Macron can refuse to take the blame for Johnson's lies but that doesn't mean they'll stop | Tom Peck
The prime minister is using his trip to Europe to be blatantly dishonest about the Northern Irish border. No one believes what he’s saying, but he knows it doesn’t matter
Jeremy Corbyn has warned the government is “failing a whole generation of children” who are falling victim to rising homelessness and poverty.
The Labour leader’s remarks come after a report by the Children’s Commissioner for England estimated there could be more than 210,000 children without a permanent home in England, with thousands living in dangerous converted shipping containers.
Set to visit a children’s lunch club in an undisclosed location in Wales today, Corbyn said Labour would “take radical action” to improve the situation.
According to the Labour leader, stopping the roll-out of Universal Credit and introducing 30 hours of free childcare a week for all two to four-year-olds will help people in poverty.
Corbyn said: “Working class children are still being held back while their wealthy peers get ahead. The next Labour government will take radical action to unlock the potential of every child, not just a lucky few.
“The Tories are failing a whole generation of children. A child growing up in a shipping container or a B&B, or going to school hungry, cannot be expected to reach their full potential. We have a moral responsibility to end the scandal of child poverty and homelessness.”
Here’s our political correspondent Lizzy Buchan with more on Tory MP Damian Collins’ criticisms of top Downing Street aide Dominic Cummings.
Senior Tory says Dominic Cummings should have been prevented from becoming Boris Johnson's top adviser
Damian Collins calls for 'real-world sanctions' for those who defy MPs.Boris Johnson may have ordered No 10 officials to come up with an alternative-to-the-backstop proposal, but would taking the Irish backstop out of the Withdrawal Agreement be enough for the staunchest Brexiteers?
David Davis has suggested the EU would need to offer even more concessions to keep them happy.
The former Brexit secretary has told The Telegraph’s Chopper’s Brexit Podcast that Johnson would also have to agree not to pay the full £39bn divorce bill in order to gain the approval of Tory MPs.
“If I were doing this for Boris, I would be insistent on is that they make the bill – the £39 billion, the second half of it – contingent on progress on the future economic partnership.”
The latest YouGov survey shows 68 per cent of the public are pessimistic about the chances of a new Brexit deal being renegotiated before 31 October.
A no-deal Brexit on 31 October would reduce the value of people’s homes in the UK by a combined £240bn in six months, a poll of housing experts suggests.
A poll of housing experts predicts UK property prices will fall by around 3 per cent in the immediate aftermath, despite mortgage interest rates already close to record lows.
Gary Neville – a fan of our live blogs, apparently – thinks Britain can cope with that. But he’s more worried about a potential rise in unemployment.
The pound has fallen into the red against other major currencies – dropping 0.28 per cent against the dollar to $1.227 and 0.18 per cent against the euro to €1.104.
Sterling dropped after recording strong gains on Thursday on the back of comments from Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, which some took as evidence that a new agreement could be reached before 31 October.
It seems the optimism did not last very long.
Emmanuel Macron would not be unhappy if the UK leaves on 31 October, says our associate editor Sean O’Grady – the French president considers us a drag on his ambition for “more Europe”.
Opinion: Macron actually wants Britain out of the EU – and fast
The French cannot build the Europe they desire with Britain in the club.Answers on a postcard please.
Northern Ireland’s police service has warned that Brexit uncertainty and Stormont’s political vacuum is leading to heightened tensions and security risks.
Ben Kelly says we’re not paying enough attention to an escalating situation.
Opinion: Northern Ireland is already spiralling out of control but no one is paying attention
Scenes reminiscent of the Troubles are already happening – even before a no-deal Brexit threatens to throw fuel on the flamesThe Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith is to advise a government review into hospital food following the deaths of six people due to a listeria outbreak.
A “root and branch” review launched by the Department of Health and Social Care on Friday will examine whether the number of hospitals catering in-house can be increased.
Here are all the details.
Great British Bake Off’s Prue Leith to advise government on hospital food
‘A hospital meal should be a small highlight, a little pleasure and comfort, and it should help, not hinder, the patient’s recovery’LBC has revealed the most popular calls ever fielded by James O’Brien, the radio host who regularly despairs at Brexit-related idiocy (my own particular favourite is the man who called to say he voted to leave the EU so we can still have three-pin plugs).
Tory MP Greg Hands, the co-chair of the Alternative Arrangements Commission, has claimed Angela Merkel is genuinely supportive of the idea of finding alternatives of the backstop.
Hands said his own ideas of technological solutions to border problems were received enthusiastically by German technocrats earlier this summer.
“In June, I presented a report on the issue to a gathering of German cabinet members and senior German entrepreneurs and industrialists who showed great interest in finding solutions to the backstop,” he wrote in an article for The Daily Mail.
“Unlike the ideological technocrats in Brussels who have refused point blank to consider any way of getting around this seemingly intractable problem, politicians and business folk are more pragmatic – including Chancellor Merkel. She has been indicating her willingness to be more practical on Brexit for some time.”
Hands claimed it was now “clear” that Merkel “is prepared to give serious consideration to well-thought-out and practical ways of getting rid of the backstop”.
