Talks between Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May aimed at breaking the Brexit deadlock have collapsed without an agreement.
Conservative whips had reportedly given up hope of reaching an agreement with Labour, while Mr Corbyn and the shadow cabinet had concerns about the durability of any deal due to Ms May's weak position.
But speaking on Friday, the prime minister blamed Labour division s over whether to demand a Final Say referendum for the failure of the talks.
As Ms May finally hit the campaign trail for the European elections - with just six days to go - she said: "In particular, we haven’t been able to overcome the fact that there isn’t a common position in Labour about whether they want to deliver Brexit, or hold a second referendum which could reverse it.”
But a Labour source hit back, pointing out Brexiteer cabinet ministers had also voiced “strident” opposition to a customs union, saying: “Ultimately, this is a prime minister that can’t govern and can’t deliver.”
Earlier, Mr Corbyn said: "We have been unable to bridge important policy gaps between us.”
It comes after the ex-foreign secretary Boris Johnson declared his intention to replace Theresa May after she bowed to pressure to quit in the summer months and make way for a new Tory leader.
This liveblog has now closed - but you can follow Friday's events below
The race to succeed Theresa May is under way in earnest after the prime minister bowed to pressure to quit before the summer and Brexit figurehead Boris Johnson declared his intention to replace her, writes political editor Andrew Woodcock.
Ms May fended off demands for the immediate announcement of a date for her departure at a meeting of Tory grandees in Westminster.
But 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady left no doubt she had only weeks left in office, announcing that they will meet again in the first week of June to agree on a timetable for the election of her successor.
Arron Banks bankrolled a lavish lifestyle for Nigel Farage, including a £4.4m rented London home, a luxury car, a bodyguard, a private office and trips to the United States, an investigation has found.
Channel 4 News uncovered documents revealing the multimillionaire spent around £450,000 funding his former Ukip ally in the year following the 2016 Brexit referendum, it reports.
Mr Banks dismissed the revelations as an attempt “to smear myself and Nigel” – while Mr Farage insisted there had been no funding of his new Brexit Party.
Asked what impact the former foreign secretary would have on the debate in Scotland if he became the next Tory leader, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It would lead to many more people thinking that the best future for Scotland is be to be independent."
Ms Sturgeon described Mr Johnson as a "complete and utter charlatan" and said the prospect of him becoming PM was one that would "horrify many people across Scotland - even the Scottish Tories here are terrified at the prospect".
She also said she can "feel a degree of sympathy" for Theresa May on a "personal level", but added: "That said, I don't think she has played the hand she was given particularly well."
Theresa May has failed to name a date for her departure from Downing Street but vowed to "agree a timetable for the election of a new leader" within weeks.
Senior figures on the 1922 Committee held talks with the prime minister for some 90 minutes in her Commons office, amid pressure on Ms May to declare when she will stand down.
Chairman Sir Graham Brady said he would meet Ms May again in June to "agree a timetable for the election of a new leader" after a make-or-break vote on her key Brexit legislation.
Opinion: Are the stars aligning for a Boris Johnson premiership?
When Boris Johnson was asked today about the Conservative leadership, he said: “Of course I’m going to go for it.” What he meant, according to one of his leadership campaign team, was that there is no vacancy at the moment, but that he would be a candidate when there was, writes political commentator John Rentoul.
Jeremy Corbyn has written to Theresa May effectively ending the cross-party Brexit talks, saying: "I am writing to let you know that I believe the talks between us about finding a compromise agreement on leaving the European Union have now gone as far as they can."
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to let you know that I believe the talks between us about finding a compromise agreement on leaving the European Union have now gone as far as they can.
I would like to put on record that the talks have been conducted in good faith on both sides and thank those involved for their efforts to find common ground.
The talks have been detailed, constructive and have involved considerable effort for both our teams.
However, it has become clear that, while there are some areas where compromise has been possible, we have been unable to bridge important policy gaps between us.
Even more crucially, the increasing weakness and instability of your government means there cannot be confidence in securing whatever might be agreed between us.
As I said when we met on Tuesday evening, there has been growing concern in both the Shadow Cabinet and parliamentary Labour Party about the government's ability to deliver on any compromise agreement.
As you have been setting out your decision to stand down and Cabinet ministers are competing to succeed you, the position of the government has become ever more unstable and its authority eroded. Not infrequently, proposals by your negotiating team have been publicly contradicted by statements from other members of the Cabinet.
In recent days we have heard senior Cabinet ministers reject any form of customs union, regardless of proposals made by government negotiators. And despite assurances we have been given on protection of environmental, food and animal welfare standards, the International Trade Secretary has confirmed that importing chlorinated chicken as part of a US trade deal remains on the table.
After six weeks of talks, it is only right that the Government now wishes again to test the will of Parliament, and we will carefully consider any proposals the Government wishes to bring forward to break the Brexit deadlock.
However, I should reiterate that, without significant changes, we will continue to oppose the Government's deal as we do not believe it safeguards jobs, living standards and manufacturing industry in Britain.
Yours sincerely,
Jeremy Corbyn
Ms Sturgeon said the vote on Thursday gave people "the opportunity to make Scotland's voice heard", adding: "There's now, in my view, a real chance to keep Scotland in the European Union."
With Theresa May having outlined plans to leave Downing Street, she added that the prospect of Boris Johnson becoming the next prime minister was now "a deadly serious possibility and for Scotland it would be a nightmare".
"Faced with Brexit - and very possibly an extreme Farage-Johnson style Brexit - people in Scotland deserve the right to decide whether Scotland should become an independent member of the EU instead."
"I think more interesting is what Corbyn said last night about Labour's position on a second referendum. They are now 95% of the way towards being a second referendum party.
"Interestingly, the question they want to ask is a confirmatory referendum - and that would mean the existing European treaties or a new European treaty. And those of us that want to leave would have no one to vote for.
"That poses the Labour Party a massive problem in the Midlands, the North, and south Wales."
"In particular there have been very challenging discussions in respect of the different positions of the two sides on customs and the holding of a second referendum.
"The PM continues to believe it is the duty of elected politicians to deliver on the result of the referendum.
"She continues to work hard on securing the passage of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill so that the UK can leave the EU with a deal as soon as possible."
No further discussions are planned with the opposition, the prime minister's official spokesman confirmed.
"It was clear to the government last night that the talks were not going to reach a conclusion," the spokesman added.
"But when MPs come to vote on the Bill they will be faced with a stark choice: that is to vote to deliver on the referendum; to vote to deliver Brexit or to shy away again from delivering Brexit with all the uncertainty that that would leave."
