Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt were braced for the release of a grilling by the BBC's Andrew Neil as the Conservative leadership contest begins to draw to a close.
The pair were each interviewed for half an hour in a programme to be aired on Friday night, with less than two weeks to go until the new prime minister is announced.
It came after Greg Clark, the business secretary, warned that a no-deal Brexit would mean "many thousands" of jobs in the UK being lost.
And Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach, said the decision to leave the EU would send the UK into decades of decline.
Follow the developments as they happened
A no-deal Brexit would lead to the loss of "many thousands" of jobs, the Business Secretary has warned.
Leadership rivals Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have each pledged to leave the EU without a deal if need be, but Greg Clark urged his Tory colleagues "strain every sinew to avoid that".
"It's evident that if you have the disruption that comes from a no-deal Brexit there will be people that will lose their jobs," he told Sky News in an interview broadcast this morning.
"It's many thousands of jobs. Everyone knows that.
He added: "I think every person that considers the evidence that companies have given - whether it's in the automotive sector, whether it's in the food sector, whether it's in aerospace, in industries up and down the country - you know if you become less efficient and your ability to trade is impeded, then of course losing your competitiveness means there will be jobs lost."
Johnson has vowed to take the UK out of the EU by current 31 October deadline "come what may, do or die", but Hunt said he would be willing to delay if a deal was in sight.
Labour antisemitism row deepens as general secretary hits back at 'deeply irresponsible' deputy leader Tom Watson
Jennie Formby accuses Jeremy Corbyn's deputy of 'publicly attacking me when you know I am undergoing chemotherapy'Last week Mr Hammond told telling ITV News: “The idea that elected members of parliament will be locked out of their place of work because they might do their job is truly shocking.”
A no-deal Brexit would "give heart and opportunities" to those who want to break up the United Kingdom, David Lidington has said.
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme on Friday, the Cabinet Office minister said the union was already "under pressure at the moment" and that would be exacerbated if the UK crashes out of the EU without deal.
He said:
The fact that in the 2016 Europe referendum two nations of the UK voted to leave, two nations voted to remain, inevitably makes this a very difficult, delicate process.
I think that with good will and a good deal, those tensions can be handled, but I think that the risk of no-deal is two-fold.
I believe a no-deal outcome would do very serious harm to jobs, living standards and investment in the United Kingdom, and that is the consistent message I've been getting from businesses large and small.
But also I think the pressures on the union would be greater because I think that damage that a no-deal exit would cause, the very divisive nature of the politics of such an outcome, would give heart and opportunities to those who, particularly in Scotland and in Northern Ireland, would like to see the United Kingdom as it currently exists brought to an end.
The UK will miss its target for cutting climate emissions because of the government’s “failing policy” on energy efficiency, a committee of MPs has warned.
Targets for reducing fuel poverty are also set to be missed because of funding cuts and “a lack of political will”, the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee said.
Our political correspondent Benjamin Kentish has the full story:
Government will miss climate change targets because of 'failing policy' on energy efficiency, MPs warn
Commons committee warns that 'decisive and far-reaching government action' is needed to reverse funding cuts and 'lack of political will'Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has retweeted a flurry of Twitter posts criticising Tom Watson, including one which calls on Labour's deputy leader to quit.
Watson has been accused of "publicly attacking" general secretary Jennie Formby during her cancer treatment after he criticised the party’s “deplorable” treatment of antisemitism whistleblowers.
Among the posts retweeted by Abbott was this one, from an NEC representative suggests Watson should consider his position:
It would be a "constitutional outrage" for any prime minister to suspend parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit, David Lidington has said.
The Cabinet officer minister said it would "very damaging" to effectively shut down the House of Commons "just to stop it debating a subject which the government of the day found uncomfortable".
There have been suggestions that Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson could attempt to prorogue parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit if he was elected prime minister.
Speaking on BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme this morning, Lidington said:
I actually think the chances of that happening are slim.
I think it would be a constitutional outrage for any government to seek to prorogue parliament, to shut down parliament in effect, just to stop it debating a subject which the government of the day found uncomfortable.
I think that the precedent that that would set, for perhaps a hard-left government of the future, would be very damaging indeed.
So I suspect whichever candidate wins as prime minister will fight shy of that. I would certainly do whatever I could to avoid such an outcome.
The Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar has been giving an interview to radio station Newstalk, and had this to say about the UK:
John Bercow is among prominent MPs who could come under investigation over bullying claims after the government paved the way for the Commons complaints system to include historical allegations, reports my colleague Benjamin Kentish:
John Bercow among MPs facing new Westminster bullying inquiry
Commons speaker could face new probe as MPs prepare to vote on lifting cut-off date for investigations
Government will miss climate change targets because of 'failing policy' on energy efficiency, MPs warn
Commons committee warns that 'decisive and far-reaching government action' is needed to reverse funding cuts and 'lack of political will'"If anybody were to attempt to shut down parliament in order to carry out a course of action which parliament is known to oppose, that would be very serious indeed.
"That would provoke a constitutional crisis.
"And, if we aren't able to prevent that course of action through parliament, then, certainly, there will be resort to the courts, and I strongly support the position that Sir John Major has taken."
Britain sending second warship to Gulf amid rising tensions with Iran
Type 45 frigate HMS Duncan will join HMS Montrose, which was forced to intervene when Iranian Revolutionary Guards attempted to impede the progress of a UK tanker
New attempt launched to stop Boris Johnson suspending parliament to force no-deal Brexit
House of Lords will vote on proposal to ensure MPs have an opportunity to vote in the weeks before the Halloween deadline“Boris Johnson is about to float into the most powerful position in the land, based on nothing more than his over-inflated ego and the votes of just 0.2 per cent of the population.“The Boris Blimp might seem just lighthearted fun but it carries a serious message. Inspired by Trump Baby, we want to welcome our next prime minister with the same grassroots spirit of protest. With mutual friends like Steve Bannon and Nigel Farage, there is no doubt Johnson is just as dangerous and divisive as his pal Donald.“We’d urge everyone who’s disgusted by Boris Johnson’s views on women, ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ communities, and tax cuts for the rich, to demonstrate with us on 20 July and if they can, to chip into our crowdfunder so the Boris Blimp can join us too.”
