Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Sparrow

No 10 concedes police numbers are relevant in fight against violent crime - as it happened

Police officers on duty as Theresa May visited Salisbury yesterday.
Police officers on duty as Theresa May visited Salisbury yesterday.

 Photograph: FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/POOL/EPA

Afternoon summary

  • Downing Street has accepted that police numbers are a factor in the fight against violent crime. (See 1.23pm.) The issue dominated the discussion at cabinet, and Number 10 has chosen to refine its message after Theresa May provoked fury yesterday by claiming there was “no direct correlation” between police numbers and the incidence of violent crime. According to the Daily Mail’s Jack Doyle, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, told the meeting that current police funding was inadequate.
  • Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, has admitted that Tory MPs may get a free vote on extending article 50 next week. (See 9.07am.)
  • Chris Grayling has insisted the government thought it was worth taking a “risk” over Brexit ferry contracts after brushing aside calls to resign as transport secretary. As the Press Association reports, Grayling faced shouts of “ahoy there” and “peekaboo” from opposition MPs as he arrived in the Commons, a day after failing to appear to answer an urgent question on the controversial £33m payout to Eurotunnel. The payment was to settle a legal action brought by Eurotunnel after the government awarded contracts to three ferry companies - one of which had no ships - to transport essential medical supplies from the EU if Britain leaves without a deal in place. Grayling said decisions on the matter were taken “collectively” by ministers, although he said they were “deeply sorry” it had not worked out as intended.
  • The Labour MP Jess Phillips has challenged Theresa May and Damian Hinds, the education secretary, to explain why her son’s school is going to close early on Fridays because it is short of money. She has suggested that parents affected by similar cuts organise a protest in London.

That’s all from me for today.

Thanks for the comments.

Updated

The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has urged Theresa May to formally rule out a no deal Brexit as the Welsh and Scottish parliaments held their first simultaneous debates and vote on the same motion.

Holyrood is due to vote at 6pm on the motion calling for a no deal option to be abandoned and for article 50 to be extended, with the Welsh assembly vote soon afterwards. It is the first time since devolution 20 years ago the two legislatures have joined forces in this way, with the Tories expected to vote against the motion in both places.

In his opening statement in Cardiff, Drakeford said:

In taking this historical step, we and our friends in Scotland hope to send a clear and united message to the UK government that action must be taken now to rule out a no-deal outcome at any time.

By failing to do so the UK government is acting recklessly. The implications of a no deal are happening now, with investors like Honda and Nissan pulling out of the UK or cancelling investment plans. The impacts will get worse every day the uncertainty is allowed to continue.

We are just 24 days away from crashing out of the EU. The prime minister can and must take action to remove this risk. I hope today’s joint debate and votes will place further pressure on the prime minister to do the right thing.

Mark Drakeford
Mark Drakeford Photograph: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Britons living in Cyprus will have their rights protected even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Cypriot foreign minister, Nikos Christodoulides has told Jeremy Hunt, his UK counterpart.

Robert Goodwill, a former children’s minister who left government in the reshuffle a year ago, has been appointed to replace George Eustice as an environment minister following Eustice’s resignation on Friday, Downing Street has announced.

No-deal Brexit could lead to 'sharp increase in unemployment' in Northern Ireland, political parties told

These are from John Campbell, the BBC’s Northern Ireland economics and business editor.

This is from the Express’s Joe Barnes.

The phrase “there’s always hope” normally signals the opposite; that, actually, hope has all but vanished, and that disaster is imminent.

I presume that wasn’t the message that Cox was trying to convey on this occasion, and that he was just engaging with the question, but without being there it is hard to know ...

This is from Sky’s Ed Brown.

Andy Bell from 5 News sums up today’s politics - well, the non-Brexit stuff - in one picture.

Katya Adler, the BBC’s Europe editor, has posted a Twitter thread about this week’s UK-EU Brexit talks. It starts here.

She makes the main point in the final tweet.

Fiona Onasanya will be subject to recall procedure, MPs told

In the Commons a few minutes ago John Bercow, the speaker, told MPs that he has now received formal notification that Fiona Onasanya has been refused leave to appeal against her conviction for perverting the course of justice, and that as a result she will be subject to the recall procedure allowed under the Recall of MPs Act.

This means that if 10% of her constituents sign a petition, there will be a byelection.

Bercow said it would be for the petitions officer to announce details of when the petition will open.

Fiona Onasanya leaving the Royal Courts of Justice after being refused leave to appeal against her conviction today.
Fiona Onasanya leaving the Royal Courts of Justice after being refused leave to appeal against her conviction today. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Updated

Here is a column from my colleague Gaby Hinsliff on Theresa May’s claim yesterday that there is no “direct correlation” between police numbers and violent crime.

And this is how it starts.

Their faces are hauntingly impossible to ignore, staring out from the front pages. Some are in school uniform, little more than children; others all teenage bravado, hovering on the difficult cusp of adulthood.

But all 27 teenagers were far too young to die like this, stabbed to death on the streets of Britain in the past 12 months. This is the kind of national moment that demands a swift, reassuring and comprehensive response from politicians. And yet what it gets is Theresa May, stiffly insisting that there is “no direct correlation” between the rising tide of knife crime and police numbers. Nothing has changed, or if it has then it definitely wasn’t her fault. It is a characteristically tone-deaf response to a public mood characterised by alarm and sorrow; why can’t she see that dead children requires something more emotionally literate than this? But the bigger problem is that what she’s saying flies in the face of common sense.

According to BuzzFeed’s Alex Wickham, the Conservative party has today suspended 14 members over Islamophobic comments posted on a pro-Tory Facebook page.

Rob Ford, an academic who co-wrote the definitive book on the rise of Ukip, has posted a good thread on Twitter explaining why the problem of racism in the party is one that is likely to get worse under Theresa May.

It starts here.

And here are two of his posts.

During points of order in the Commons earlier Sarah Wollaston, the chair of the Commons health committee, claimed that Labour wanted to remove Luciana Berger from the committee. Wollaston, a former Conservative, and Berger, a former Labour MP, are both now members of the Independent Group, and Wollaston said that, since Berger was originally appointed to the committee in her capacity as a Labour MP, the party now wanted to replace her. She said that this move would be “deeply unhelpful”, particularly because Berger was on maternity leave.

John Bercow, the speaker, said there was precedent for an MP who was appointed to a select committee to represent one party being removed after defecting to another. But he said the Commons as a whole would have to vote for a motion approving this, and that he was not aware of any plans for a vote on replacing Berger.

Theresa May will be holding her own Brexit talks later today when she meets the Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades, in Downing Street.

As the leader of a former British colony - that is now home to at least 70,000 UK residents - the Cypriot president and his government are concerned about the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in ways that other member states aren’t.

Britain’s status as a guarantor power of the war-divided Mediterranean island, and the role it will play in the country’s eventual reunification, is expected to top the agenda when Anastasiades meets May later this afternoon.

In separate talks with Jeremy Hunt earlier today, Cyprus’ foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides urged the UK government to publicly announce that ongoing Brexit negotiations would in no way impede the resumption of the stalled peace process to reunify the island’s Greek and Turkish communities, as claimed by Ankara.

The prospect of no deal has especially worried the Cypriot government both in terms of its potential impact on the number of Britons visiting the island, the plight of UK pensioners resident there, and the future of the two sovereign military bases retained by Britain following independence.

Today’s meetings follow last night’s Cyprus celebrations at Buckingham Palace - a first-ever event also aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and allaying ‘no deal’ fears.

The Prince of Wales greets the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades (centre) and his wife Andri during a reception at Buckingham Palace last night.
The Prince of Wales greets the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades (centre) and his wife Andri during a reception at Buckingham Palace last night. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

Philip Hammond, the chancellor, told MPs earlier today, during Treasury questions, that if a Brexit deal is agreed, a “huge amount of pent-up investment” will flood into the economy. He said:

My view is that we have a huge amount of pent-up investment that has not gone ahead over the last two-and-a-half years because of uncertainty.

Once we can provide clarity to British business about our future and we do that by supporting the deal that the prime minister will be bringing forward next week, we will unleash that investment and we will allow Britain to achieve its rightful potential as one of the world’s leading technology powers.

Here is the Labour MP Margaret Hodge on the latest leaked email showing staff in Jeremy Corbyn’s office were consulted about the handling of antisemitism complaints.

Tories have 'deep-rooted problem' with Islamophobia, former party chair Sayeeda Warsi says

The Conservative party also has its own problems with racism. Sayeeda Warsi, the former party chair, has called for an independent inquiry into “institutional” Islamophobia in the party. She said that the problem was “deep-rooted” within her party and that it could damage Tory chances at the next election.

As the Press Association reports, Warsi’s intervention came after Tory council candidate Peter Lamb quit after coming under fire for social media comments about Islam.

Lamb was due to stand in Harlow, Essex, in May’s local elections despite having been disciplined in 2017. In 2015, he tweeted: “Islam like alcoholism [sic]. The first step to recovery is admit you have a problem.” Later in the same year, he tweeted: “Turkey buys oil from ISIS. Muslims sticking together.”

Subsequently he said: “I deeply regret my remarks on social media. At no point did I intend to cause any offence to the Muslim community. I have reflected on my comments and decided that I should step down as a local election candidate and resign (from) the Conservative party with immediate effect.”

A Conservative spokesman said:

Mr Lamb was investigated and suspended by his local association back in 2017. He has subsequently resigned from the party.

Discrimination or abuse of any kind is wrong and will not be tolerated.

When CCHQ have been made aware of cases we have acted swiftly and decisively, suspending or expelling those involved and launching an immediate investigation under our party’s code of conduct.

But in an interview with the World at One Warsi, a member of the House of Lords and a former minister, insisted that the Tories were not doing enough to address the problem of Islamophobia in the party. She said:

We have a deep-rooted problem of anti-Muslim comments, Islamophobic comments, racist comments that have been made right from the top - from MPs through to councillors, council candidates, members, linked groups.

In the past she suggested an internal inquiry could address the problem. But now she thought an independent inquiry was needed, she said.

We cannot have a situation where a mainstream political party is sending out a message in the way it is acting that certain parts of our country, certain communities in our country, certain citizens in our country, are simply not welcome in our party and therefore are creating this environment in which, sadly, I think we will feel the impact at the next election.

Warsi urged Tory chief executive and treasurer Sir Mick Davis to act, claiming Thereas May and party chairman Brandon Lewis had “failed” to address the problem.

Sayeeda Warsi
Sayeeda Warsi Photograph: The Guardian

Rudd refuses to back May's claim there is 'no direct correlation' between police numbers and violent crime

Q: What do you think of Theresa May’s comment about there being no direct correlation between police numbers and the incidence of violent crime, given your previous role as home secretary?

Rudd says these crimes are heartbreaking. There are many different elements explaining the increase, she says. She says there have been a lot of new government interventions. She hopes they will make a difference.

  • Rudd refuses to explicitly back May’s claim (see 11.07am) that there is “no direct correlation” between police numbers and the incidence of violent crime.

Rudd’s answer is not hugely surprising because Downing Street itself appears to have dropped the phrase that May used yesterday. (See 1.23pm.)

Amber Rudd
Amber Rudd Photograph: YouTube

Updated

Q: Is it fair to carry on the contract with the firm that does the work capability assessments?

Rudd says there are different views about how best to improve the work capability assessments. She is determined to ensure that they are improved.

She says she hopes the contract for this work will be more competitive in the future.

Q: Do you regret that the benefit freeze had to carry on this year?

Rudd says there are no plans to extend the benefit freeze.

Q: Do you think your party needs to apologise for describing benefit claimants as scroungers?

Rudd says she does not recognise that language. She does not accept that that is how the party treated people in the past.

But she says she is not saying that everything was perfect in the past.

Q: Could you stay in government if Tory MPs are whipped to vote for a no-deal Brexit next week?

Rudd says she is hoping that the deal will be passed next week. That is what she wants, so that she and other ministers can get on with their departmental priorities.

Amber Rudd's Q&A

Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, is now taking questions from journalists.

Q: Some people feel they have been put on trial by the DWP? Has this damaged the Conservative party?

Rudd says it would be a mistake to think the situation was perfect in the past. The benefits system can always be improved. That is what she is doing.

Q: There are reports today you have been gagged by the Tories. Is this true?

No, says Rudd. Otherwise she would not be here.

As the Guardian reports, the Labour MP Margaret Hodge has claimed that Jeremy Corbyn misled her when he told her recently that his office did not intervene in the party’s handling of complaints about antisemitism.

The Times’s Sam Coates has revealed fresh emails showing that staff in Corbyn’s office were consulted about how some of these complaints should be handled.

A Labour spokesperson said:

Since becoming general secretary, Jennie Formby has made procedures for dealing with complaints about antisemitism more robust. Staff who work on disciplinary matters have always led on investigations and recommendations on individual cases. Any suggestion that staff in the leader’s office overturned recommendations on individual cases is categorically untrue.

Updated

Fiona Onasanya has lost an appeal against her conviction for perverting the course of justice, leaving open the possibility of a recall petition which could force the Peterborough MP from office, my colleague Rajeev Syal reports.

BMW has said it might be forced to stop making the Mini at its Cowley plant near Oxford in the event of a no-deal Brexit, putting more than 100 years of carmaking at the site at risk, my colleagues Jasper Jolly and Rob Davies report.

Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, has just started her speech on disability benefits. There is a live feed here.

Amber Rudd’s speech

Here is the Guardian story previewing the speech, in which Rudd will announce and overhaul of personal independence payments (Pip) for older people.

And here is a written ministerial statement from Rudd with more details of the announcement.

I won’t be covering the speech minute by minute, but I will tune in for the Q&A.

Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, posted this on his Twitter feed earlier, ahead of his trip to Brussels. He is going there with Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general. They will be meeting Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, and his team between 4.30pm and 6pm UK time, and then having dinner with them.

This tweet suggests Barclay thinks a deal is still possible but, according to Sky’s Faisal Islam, he has also written to Barnier asking if the UK and the EU can agree to implement the citizens’ rights section of the withdrawal agreement, even if the overall agreement fails to pass the Commons.

This request is one mandated by the Commons, when it passed the Alberto Costa amendment without opposition last week. At the time Barclay said that he would formally ask the EU to agree a stand-alone citizens’ rights deal, in the event of there being no overall deal.

But the EU has already said it will not accept this proposal.

Downing Street concedes that police numbers are relevant in the fight against violent crime

Yesterday Theresa May said that there was “no direct link” between between police numbers and the incidence of violent crimes. (See 11.07am.) Her comment caused quite a stir, as the Guardian splash this morning reflected.

Today Downing Street has refined its message. At the lunchtime lobby briefing, the prime minister’s spokesman conceded that police resources were relevant in the fight against violent crime.

Asked if the prime minister agreed with Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan police commissioner who this morning said that “of course” there was a link between violent crime and police numbers (see 11.07am), the spokesman said:

The point that the PM was making yesterday is that this a complex area, and that we need to be addressing the issues in all areas. That means, yes, of course, making sure that the police have the powers and resources that they need, but at the same time making sure that we are taking action elsewhere.

That could be early intervention. It means tacking gang culture, to stop gangs grooming young people ... It means addressing the challenges posed by drugs and county lines. It also means taking a mental health approach.

The spokesman also said it was “a matter of fact that both spending on police, and the number of police officers, are currently increasing.” The government was investing up to £970m more in policing next year, he said.

The spokesman also claimed that there was no contradiction between what he was saying and what May said yesterday. Although he did not repeat her “no direct correlation” argument about the link between violent crime and police numbers, he pointed out that in her full answer on this topic yesterday she said that this was a complex matter, with a range of factors being relevant.

For the record, here is the fullest version I can find of what May said on this yesterday. She said:

If you look at the figures, what you see is that there’s no direct correlation between certain crimes and police numbers. What matters is how we ensure that police are responding to these criminal acts when they take place, that people are brought to justice.

But what also matters is, as a government, that we look at the issues which underpin, that underlie, this use of knives and that we act on those. That’s a cross-government approach, it’s not just about the police, it’s about the whole of government and it’s the whole of government that’s responding.

At the briefing the spokesman said knife crime was the main item discussed at cabinet today. He said that May told her colleagues she would be asking “the Home Office to urgently coordinate a series of cabinet-level ministerial meetings and engagements to accelerate the work the government is doing in support of local authorities, the police and others.”

Updated

Bercow allows emergency debate today on Grayling's Seaborne Freight contrac

John Bercow, the speaker, has just agree to a request from the SNP MP Alan Brown to allow an emergency debate on the Department of Transport’s Seaborne Freight contract (the no-deal contract for a ferry service with the firm that did not own any ferries). The debate will start shortly.

Bercow says he understands that Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, will speak in it.

This is from my colleague Daniel Boffey.

I am off to the Downing Street lobby briefing now. I will post again after 12.30pm.

And here is the full quote from Chris Grayling where he defended his recorded as justice secretary after the National Audit Office found that his decision to part-privatise the probation service cost at least £171m. (See 11.19am.) Grayling said:

Yes, the probation reforms haven’t worked as well as would have wanted, but the reality is that we now supervise 40,000 more people a year than was the case before. We now have fewer people reoffending than was the case before.

When I took over as secretary of state for justice, if you went to prison for less than 12 months, you literally walked out the prison on the streets with no support, nothing. That doesn’t happen anymore.

Updated

The BBC’s Danny Shaw has some useful background on the debate about the link between police numbers and the incidence of violent crime. (See 11.07am.)

On the subject of Chris Grayling, ConservativeHome has published its regular monthly survey showing how Conservative party members rank members of the cabinet - and the transport secretary comes last, by a clear margin. Surprisingly, Andrea Leadsom comes top.

Survey showing how Tory members rank members of the cabinet
Survey showing how Tory members rank members of the cabinet Photograph: ConHome/ConservativeHome

The average household in England faces a £75.60 hike in council tax from April, according to a survey of local authorities. As the Press Association reports, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa) study found a planned average increase of 4.5% for Band D households in 2019/20. The increase is lower than the 5.1% or £80.92 hike last year, but is still the second highest council tax rise in the last decade, Cipfa said.

Grayling says Department of Health was responsible for decision to settle Eurotunnel case

And this is what Chris Grayling said about the Eurotunnel settlement as he arrived at Number 10 for cabinet. (See 10.32am.) He said the Department of Health took the decision to settle the case by offering the firm a contract worth £33m.

The decision that we took last week was taken by the Department of Health to protect drugs supplies to the UK in a no-deal in the same way as these contracts were let in the first place, after a discussion and a decision by a cabinet committee, because we had to prepare for all eventualities.

We are still working for a deal, we don’t want to leave without a deal, but we have to be ready for all eventualities. This was a sensible part of contingency planning to make sure that we had all resources that we needed, all the medical supplies that we needed for the NHS.

That is why the cabinet took the decision that it did. That is why we collectively last week decided, however regrettable the Eurotunnel court action was, that we had to take a decision to protect the interests of the country in the circumstances of a no-deal Brexit. And that is the right thing to do.

Asked if he felt under pressure to resign, he said:

I will carry on serving the prime minister as long as she wants me to.

Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, has also responded to the recent National Audit Office report criticising reforms to probation services introduced by Grayling when he was justice secretary, the BBC’s Danny Shaw reports.

The Bank of England has criticised the EU - saying the City is ready for a no-deal Brexit, but Europe isn’t, my colleague Graeme Wearden reports. There is more on his business live blog here.


Met chief says May wrong to deny link between incidence of violent crime and police numbers

Yesterday Theresa May said there was no “direct correlation” between police numbers and the incidence of knife crime. She said:

If you look at the figures, what you see is that there’s no direct correlation between certain crimes and police numbers. What matters is how we ensure that police are responding to these criminal acts when they take place, that people are brought to justice.

In an LBC phone-in this morning Cressida Dick, the commissioner of the Metropolitan police, said she disagreed. She explained:

If you went back in history, you would see examples of when police officer numbers have gone down and crime has not necessarily risen at the same rate and in the same way.

But I think that what we all agree on is that in the last few years police officer numbers have gone down a lot, there’s been a lot of other cuts in public services, there has been more demand for policing and therefore there must be something, and I have consistently said that.

I agree that there is some link between violent crime on the streets, obviously, and police numbers. Of course there is, and everybody would see that.

Cressida Dick
Cressida Dick Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

Output in Britain’s dominant services sector increased marginally in February, but hiring declined at its fastest pace in seven years as Brexit concerns continue to weigh on the economy, the Press Association reports. The closely watched IHS Markit/CIPS services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed a reading of 51.3 last month, up from the two-and-a-half-year low of 50.1 recorded in January. A reading above 50 indicates growth. The reading beat economists’ expectations of 49.8 but recent data suggests the economy is close to stagnation and on track for its weakest quarter since the final three months of 2012. The data indicates that the economy will grow by just 0.1% in the first quarter of 2019.

Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, told reporters that he would not be resigning as he arrived at Number 10 for cabinet, Sky’s Aubrey Allegretti reports.

Chris Grayling arriving for cabinet today.
Chris Grayling arriving for cabinet today. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Tory Brexiter and chair of the European Research Group, has taken issue with yesterday’s Evening Standard cartoon.

Labour backbencher Margaret Hodge has accused Jeremy Corbyn of misleading her about tackling antisemitism, or being misled himself, in a further escalation of party infighting on an issue that continues to dog the Labour leader, my colleague Matthew Weaver reports.

Scottish and Welsh legislatures set to pass identical motions opposing PM's Brexit plan and demanding article 50 extension

The Scottish and Welsh parliaments are expected to pass simultaneous motions later today condemning Theresa May’s stance on Brexit, and urging her to extend the article 50 deadline to allow more time to resolve the crisis.

It is the first time the two legislatures have debated and voted on identical motions since their foundation 20 years ago, although the two governments, one Scottish National party-led and the other Labour-led, do not have matching positions on the EU.

For instance, the joint motion stops short of endorsing a second EU referendum even though that is SNP policy. It is a position which would command a majority at Holyrood, but it appears a second referendum vote was dropped to win Labour backing. The Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard, suggested last week he preferred a Brexit on Labour’s terms to a new referendum.

The Holyrood motion reads:

Parliament reiterates its opposition to the damaging EU exit deal agreed by the UK government; agrees that a no deal outcome to the current negotiations on EU withdrawal would be completely unacceptable on 29 March 2019 or at any time; calls on the UK government to take immediate steps to prevent the UK leaving the EU without a deal, and agrees that the article 50 process should be extended so that agreement can be reached on the best way forward to protect the interests of Scotland, Wales and the UK as a whole.

The Tories are resisting the motions in both Edinburgh and Cardiff, putting down an amendment at Holyrood which says:

[Parliament] respects the results of constitutional referendums; supports leaving the EU with a deal; notes that a no deal outcome will happen by the automatic operation of the law unless an agreement is reached; further notes that this would still be the case after an extension to article 50, and believes that the Scottish government is no longer acting in good faith for the people of Scotland.

The Tories are not expected to triumph, in these legislatures at least.

Updated

Hunt rejects Macron's claim that British public were deceived during EU referendum

There were some other good lines in the Today programme interview with Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary. Here is a full summary.

  • Hunt conceded that Tory MPs could be given a free vote next week on whether or not to approve a no-deal Brexit. (See 9.07am.)

We are saying to the EU the crucial thing is that, as a sovereign parliament, it must not be possible to trap in the European Union’s customs union indefinitely. That’s the crucial point. How we get there ... is something we are prepared to be flexible about. The crucial thing is that we need to know that, as a sovereign parliament, we can’t be trapped in the customs union.

  • He said the EU also wants a deal that will get through parliament and that the signs that this could be on offer were “reasonably positive”. He explained:

I think the signals we are getting [in talks with the EU] are reasonably positive. I don’t want to overstate them because I still think there’s a lot of work to do, but I think they do understand that we are being sincere.

I think that they are beginning to realise that we can get a majority in parliament because they are seeing the signals coming from the people who voted against the deal before who are saying, crucially, that they are prepared to be reasonable about how we get to that position that we can’t legally be trapped in the backstop ...

The week before last, I met 10 European foreign ministers ... And I also think that they want to solve this problem. Brexit is a shadow hanging over the European Union. They have lots of challenges they want to get on and deal with. They want to move on as well. So, I think with goodwill on all sides, it is possible to find a way through.

  • He suggested that a no-deal Brexit would not be an acceptable outcome for the government. He said:

If this deal does not go through, then the only solution is to find a deal that will go through. That is the only way we are going to solve this issue.

Well, I don’t agree with that approach. We had a very robust referendum campaign, in which claims were made, and indeed exaggerated claims were made on both sides of the debate. That is what happens, not just in referendums but in general elections. British people are quite smart enough to be able to listen to the claims made by politicians in these situations and make their own judgment. And they made a decision.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president
Emmanuel Macron, the French president Photograph: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP

The Conservative MP Nick Boles, who is strongly opposed to the idea of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, has welcomed the news that the government may allow a free vote on this next week. (See 9.07am.)

Hunt concedes Tory MPs could be given free vote on ruling out no deal

Theresa May has given a commitment to hold another vote on her Brexit deal - another “meaningful vote”, in the jargon - by 12 March, a week today. If MPs reject it, she has promised to hold a vote on Wednesday 13 March giving MPs the chance to say whether or not they want to leave the EU without a deal. And if a no-deal Brext gets rejected on the Wednesday, she will give MPs a vote on Thursday 14 March on extending article 50.

But May has not said how she will whip her MPs to vote in the possible votes on Wednesday and on Thursday. There is an obvious dilemma. If she whips government MPs to vote against no deal, some Brexiters will rebel, and she could face resignations from government. The same issue would arise in reverse the following day, with pro-Europeans likely to resign from government if they are ordered to vote against an article 50 extension. But the crucial decision will have to be taken before the Wednesday vote.

One obvious option would be for May to give MPs a free vote. And, in an interview on the Today programme, Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, admitted this was a possibility. Previously ministers have refused to discuss whipping arrangements next week. But, asked if MPs should be given a free vote on whether or not there should be a no-deal Brexit, Hunt replied:

Well, I think that is something that the government has to make a decision on, the prime minister has to make a decision on, and it is not for me to say that now. I don’t think a decision has been taken. But what we are focused on as a government is making sure that we do not actually have to take that decision as a parliament in the first place.

Earlier in the interview he gave another hint that a free vote was on the cards. Asked if the government would go for no deal, in the event of its deal being rejected, or if it would go for an article 50 extension, he replied:

Well, that depends on what parliament decides to do.

I will post more from the interview soon.

Here is the agenda for the day.

9.30am: Theresa May chairs cabinet.

11.30am: Philip Hammond, the chancellor, takes questions in the Commons.

12pm: Downing Street lobby briefing.

2pm: Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, gives a speech on disability benefits. As Rowena Mason reports, she will say that hundreds of thousands of pensioners will no longer have to undergo reviews to carry on getting their disability benefits.

3.35pm: Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, gives evidence to the Lords economic affairs committee.

Also today Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, and Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general, are visiting Brussels for another round of talks about new assurances on the backstop that could help the government get the Brexit deal through the Commons.

As usual, I will also be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web, but I expect to be focusing mostly on Brexit. I plan to post a summary when I finish late afternoon.

You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe round-up of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads.

If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow.

I try to monitor the comments BTL but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply ATL, although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.

If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter.

UDPATE: Here is Jeremy Hunt arriving for cabinet today.

Jeremy Hunt arriving for cabinet today.
Jeremy Hunt arriving for cabinet today. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
A flesh-eating fly is advancing towards the US border – can it be stopped?
A flesh eating parasitic fly has spread north through Mexico to within a few hundred miles of the US southern border.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Matthieu Blazy’s hit Chanel look is heading for the high street
Prepare for bouclé jackets, quilted chain-link bags galore and an outfit formula that is proving to be consumer catnip
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
What Went Wrong With Kelly Osbourne And Sid Wilson's Relationship? Cheating Claims Untrue
Kelly Osbourne has hinted at the reasons behind her split from Slipknot's Sid Wilson, sharing a pointed 'forgiveness' message on Instagram after reports their engagement was quietly called off. Friends say grief over Ozzy Osbourne's death has taken a heavy toll, though neither Kelly nor Sid has formally confirmed the…
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Super Mario Galaxy Movie stars Chris Pratt and Charlie Day refuse to confirm or deny whether Wario and Waluigi will show up
Charlie Day and Chris Pratt are staying silent on whether Wario and Waluigi are in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and it's only fueling the rumors
Total Film
Total Film
Pizza and bread products sold in 10 states under recall for possible metal shards
Trader Joe’s Focaccia Bread with Roasted Tomato & Parmesan is part of the recall
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sony didn't "cancel" Spider-Man: here's what's really happening
Don't panic, it's not the end of the Spider-Verse.
Creative Bloq
Creative Bloq
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play