I’m not writing my usual blog today but here, as an alternative, is the Politics Live readers’ edition. It is a place for you to discuss today’s politics, and to share links to breaking news and to the most interesting stories and blogs on the web.
Feel free to express your views robustly, but please treat others with respect and don’t resort to abuse. Guardian comment pages are supposed to be a haven from the Twitter/social media rant-orama, not an extension of it.
You can read all today’s Guardian politics stories here.
And here are some of the main ones on our site this morning.
- Philip Hammond warned that leaving the EU without a deal would blow an £80bn hole in the public finance.
Brexit: Philip Hammond’s £80bn no-deal warning exposes Tory rift Read more
- Momentum is aiming to circumvent national news outlets by training Labour activists to place news stories in local newspapers, citing concerns that party activists could have ignored a crucial part of the media industry in the last general election.
Momentum begins press training for Labour activists Read more
- The former Scottish National party leader, Alex Salmond, has issued a public rebuttal over a report in the Daily Record that says the claims made by two staff members relating to incidents in 2013 have been referred to the police.
Alex Salmond takes Scottish government to court over sexual misconduct claims Read more
- The Conservatives have said they prevented Arron Banks from joining the party, a few hours after Nigel Farage’s former financial backer, and a close associate, claimed they had successfully signed up.
Tories say Arron Banks’ bid to join party has been rejected Read more
On Thursdays local council byelections take place. There were six yesterday. Britain Elects has the results.
Gotham (Rushcliffe) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) August 23, 2018
CON: 40.4% (-12.5)
LAB: 31.3% (+7.4)
IND: 18.2% (+18.2)
LDEM: 7.2% (+7.2)
GRN: 2.8% (+2.8)
Conservative HOLD.
No UKIP (-23.1) as prev.
Halewood South (Knowsley) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) August 23, 2018
LAB: 51.6% (-0.8)
IND: 39.7% (+39.7)
LDEM: 6.0% (+6.0)
CON: 2.8% (-5.7)
Labour HOLD.
No (other) Ind (-21.8) and TUSC (-17.3) as prev.
Newton Regis & Warton (North Warwickshire) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) August 23, 2018
CON: 52.2% (-0.7)
LAB: 47.8% (+21.5)
Conservative HOLD.
No UKIP (-20.8) as prev.
Watton-at-Stone (East Hertfordshire) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) August 23, 2018
LDEM: 67.0% (+67.0)
CON: 30.1% (-36.4)
LAB: 2.9% (-8.3)
LDem GAIN from Con.
No UKIP (-14.7) and Grn (-7.7) as prev.
Bromborough (Wirral) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) August 23, 2018
LAB: 47.1% (-3.4)
CON: 28.1% (+15.8)
LDEM: 17.1% (+12.8)
IND: 5.5% (-22.0)
GRN: 2.2% (-1.4)
Labour HOLD.
Bude (Cornwall) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) August 23, 2018
LDEM: 53.2% (+0.6)
IND: 25.0% (+25.0)
CON: 13.9% (-24.1)
LAB: 7.8% (-1.6)
Liberal Democrat HOLD.
