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.
- UK negotiators have been warned that the EU draft withdrawal agreement will stipulate that Northern Ireland will, in effect, remain in the customs union and single market after Brexit to avoid a hard border.
- British drivers may need new licences and registration certificates to travel in Europe after Brexit under contingency plans being drawn up by the government that experts warn would create “extremely labour-intensive” extra red tape.
- John McDonnell has accused the government of using cash-strapped local councils as “human shields” to absorb deep spending cuts by the Treasury.
- Thirty pro-EU Labour MPs and campaigners have written to the chair of the party’s ruling national executive committee, urging him to consult its half a million members about Labour’s Brexit policy.
- A political group linked to Ukip has lost a legal attempt to restore EU funds that were suspended over fraud allegations, adding to financial pressure on Eurosceptic parties.
On Thursdays local council byelections take place. There were seven yesterday. Britain Elects has six of the results.
The most White British ward in England, some of Enoch Powell's voters, and a candidate who wrote about Powell's views. Also read about the councillor who lasted only two months, all on Andrew's Previews only for @britainelects: https://t.co/mrdaUlB79U
— Andrew Teale (@andrewteale) February 8, 2018
Codsall South (South Staffordshire) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) February 9, 2018
CON: 78.8% (-21.2)
LAB: 13.2% (+13.2)
GRN: 8.0% (+8.0)
Conservative HOLD.
Codsall (Staffordshre) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) February 9, 2018
CON: 67.6% (-7.6)
GRN: 17.4% (+6.7)
LAB: 15.0% (+0.8)
Con HOLD.
Stretton (East Staffordshire) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) February 8, 2018
CON: 42.6% (-6.2)
IND: 34.7% (+34.7)
LAB: 19.3% (-2.0)
UKIP: 2.6% (-27.3)
LDEM: 0.8% (+0.8)
Con HOLD.
Tophill East (Weymouth & Portland) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) February 9, 2018
CON: 47.0% (+16.8)
LAB: 46.0% (+23.1)
GRN: 7.0% (-5.6)
Conservtive GAIN from Independent (-34.3).
Eight vote majority.
Hartside (Eden) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) February 8, 2018
CON: 52.9% (-3.9)
IND: 29.6% (-13.7)
GRN: 17.5% (+17.5)
Con HOLD.
East Brighton (Brighton & Hove) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) February 9, 2018
LAB: 67.5% (+21.0)
CON: 17.2% (-5.3)
GRN: 11.3% (-8.2)
LDEM: 4.1% (-3.8)
Lab HOLD.
