Theresa May has held talks with the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, amid the chaos over Brexit and as Whitehall chiefs have reportedly been ordered to draw up contingency plans for a snap general election.
It came as the brinkmanship over cross-party talks over Brexit continued in Westminster and claims the civil service chief, Sir Mark Sedwill, had told departmental heads to be prepared for an snap election.
Theresa May, however, has consistently said there will be no general election before 2022, and earlier this week said it would be the “worst thing we could do” and “bring chaos when we need certainty” as she urged the Commons to reject a no confidence motion brought by the Labour leader.
Corbyn orders Labour MPs to boycott Brexit talks with government until Theresa May drops no-deal threats
Jeremy Corbyn is in open conflict with senior Labour MPs after telling them to boycott cross-party talks with the government over Brexit.
The Labour leader – who is refusing to negotiate with Theresa May, until she drops threats of a no-deal Brexit – tried to extend the no-talks stance in an email sent to all his colleagues.
But the order came as at least three Labour MPs opened talks, in a bid to find a solution to the gathering crisis after Tuesday’s devastating defeat for the prime minister’s deal.
Britain has been urged to stay in the EU by more than a dozen high-profile Germans, including the frontrunner to succeed Angela Merkel as the next chancellor.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Airbus chief Tom Enders and former Germany footballer Jens Lehmann are among the signatories of a letter to The Times that makes an impassioned plea for Britons to remain part of the bloc.
"From the bottom of our hearts, we want them to stay," the sentimental letter says, citing milky tea and post-work pints at the pub among the habits best-loved by German Anglophiles.
But it is the UK's role in post-war Europe that the signatories highlight as a foremost reason for wanting Britain to stay.
"Without your great nation, this Continent would not be what it is today: a community defined by freedom and prosperity," the letter says.
"After the horrors of the Second World War, Britain did not give up on us. It has welcomed Germany back as a sovereign nation and a European power.
"This we, as Germans, have not forgotten and we are grateful."
As the brinkmanship over cross-party talks over Brexit continued in Westminster, reports have emerged that the civil service chief, Sir Mark Sedwill, has told departmental heads to be prepared for an snap election, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper said the civil service chief has met with senior officials this week, following the historic defeat of Theresa May’s Brexit deal in the Commons on Tuesday - forcing her her to open talks with other parties.
Asked about the report, a Cabinet office spokesperson told The Independent: “The Cabinet secretary frequently meets permanent secretaries to discuss a wide range of issues.”
Ms May, however, has consistently said there will be no general election before 2022, and earlier this week said it would be the “worst thing we could do” and “bring chaos when we need certainty” as she urged the Commons to reject a no confidence motion.
It comes as Mr Corbyn has in recent days set Labour on an election war-footing, with a rally on Thursday in Hastings - the seat of the work and pensions secretary, Amber Rudd, who held the constituency by a wafer thin majority at the 2017 snap election.
Nigel Farage urges Brexiteers to prepare for a second referendum
Nigel Farage has urged Leave campaigners to prepare for a second referendum as Britain’s Brexit deadlock continues.
The former Ukip leader spoke at a packed Leave Means Leave rally in London, alongside former Conservative leader Iain Duncan-Smith, MP Esther McVey and Hotelier Rocco Forte.
Mr Farage said he believed “it is now quite possible that we will see an extension of Article 50”.
He added: “When I’ve talked in the past about being worried that they may force us into a second referendum. I don’t want it anymore than you do but I am saying to you we have to face reality in the face. Don’t think the other side aren’t organised, don’t think the other side aren’t prepared, don’t think they haven’t raised the money, don’t think they haven’t got the teams in place, they have.”
In an attempt to grab Jeremy Corbyn’s attention, young campaigners have placed an advert in one of the local newspapers - The Islington Tribune - delivered in his constituency.
The wrap-around reads: “Dear Jeremy, there’s no form of Brexit we can afford. Please don’t enable a Tory Brexit. Our party’s future needs a public vote”.
It comes after the Labour leader’s apparent reluctance to back such a move in recent days, despite a vote of no confidence failing to gain a majority of MPs’ support earlier this week.
Instead, Mr Corbyn has threatened further votes of no confidence in the government to go after the general election he craves, and has set out the red line to Theresa May over Brexit talks of taking the no-deal scenario off the table.
Setting up a petition page, the young activists and supporters from “Our Future, Our Choice” tell Mr Corbyn:
Today, your young activists, supporters and members have published an open letter to you in your local newspaper, the Islington Tribune (a photo of which is above).
They are begging you not to back a second rate Tory Brexit deal that will give our generation a second rate future. They want a People's Vote.
We agree with them that the entire Brexit project has epitomised this Conservative government’s neglect of young people. We agree it's a disgrace Theresa May cares far more about what Jacob Rees Mogg thinks than what our entire generation thinks. We agree you are the way out.
We don't want a Brexit deal forced on our future. It's bound to limit our opportunities, and rights, and prevent us from tackling the real issues - like climate change, tackling tax evasion, and the refugee crisis.
Our generation has backed you in the past. We sang your name at Glastonbury. You told us then you wanted to build "bridges not walls." So, please, don't enable Brexit - after all, it's basically a massive wall proposed by the far right of the Tory party.
Please back a public vote.
NHS not sustainable and government’s £20.5bn funding pledge won’t fix it, NAO warns
Auditors confirm ‘worst fears’ that NHS plan will fall flat without solution to staff and social care crisisReports have also emerged this morning that ministers - increasingly frustrated with the Commons speaker - are attempting to block John Bercow from getting a peerage - he would be the first speaker in decades not to do so.
“Precedents of speakers getting peerages don’t last for ever,” one senior Conservative told The Times newspaper.
A cabinet source said: “It’s a good job that peerage nominations are in our gift — I’m sure we’ll be thinking carefully about which individuals we would choose to elevate to the House of Lords. I can’t imagine we would look favourably on those who’ve cheated centuries of procedure.”
That said, it is also quite a confident move from Downing Street - assuming the government will still be standing when it comes to approving the peerage at a future date.
A spokesperson for the speaker declined to comment on the report when approached by The Independent.
UKIP has posted some awkward questions for the party’s former leader, who led them into the referendum in June 2016. It comes as Nigel Farage urged Leave campaigners to prepare for a fresh vote as the stalemate over Brexit continues.
Opinion: Our Conservative Party must now back a Final Say referendum
We understand why colleagues are reluctant, but how can it be a betrayal of the people to hand them the chance to vote? Three Conservative MPs write for The Independent.Boris Johnson is about to deliver a speech, calling on the government to "use Brexit to unite the country" and focus on the issues that drove the vote for EU withdrawal.
Speaking at JCB headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire on Friday, Mr Johnson will say: "Yes, it (Brexit) was about democracy.
"But that vote was also triggered by a feeling that, in some way, the people of this country have been drifting too far apart and in areas where we need to come together."
We will bring you the latest updates from his speech
He said that calls to rule out a no-deal Brexit were "irrelevant" because it was "overwhelmingly likely that we will get a deal, we just won't get this deal".
'No plans' for more talks with opposition MPs to break Brexit deadlock, admits Downing Street
Theresa May’s pledge to reach a cross-party consensus to solve the Brexit crisis appears to have fizzled out with no further talks planned.
Downing Street said the prime minister would instead be meeting with “a large number” of her cabinet, both in small groups and in one-to-one conversations.
There are also “no plans” for senior cabinet members Michael Gove and David Lidington – who have met with senior backbenchers from other parties – to hold further talks, a spokeswoman said.
Asked about prime minister’s focus, she added: “Today is about discussing this week with her cabinet colleagues.”
Boris Johnson falsely claims he 'didn't say anything' about Turkey during Brexit campaign
A spokesman for the European Commission said: "At her request, president Juncker will talk to Prime Minister May today, early afternoon."
Just over 250,000 people have applied to register to vote since the start of 2019 - up 23% on the equivalent period last year.
A total of 253,963 applications were submitted from January 1-17, according to Government figures.
The majority (58%) were from people aged 34 and under, while just 6% came from those aged 65 and over.
It is the highest number for the first 17 days of January since 2015, when a general election was due to take place in May.
Downing Street document says Final Say referendum on Brexit would take over a year
Officials later said the document had dealt only with a new vote’s potential scheduling to ‘inform discussions’Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load
The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
Sign our petition here
