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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Sparrow (now) and Sarah Marsh (earlier)

Snap verdict on Tory leadership debate: a win for Hunt that may not matter – as it happened

Evening summary

That’s all from me for tonight.

Thanks for the comments.

Here is my colleague Rowena Mason on who did best.

The ITV debate started just as MPs were voting on Dominic Grieve’s amendment 17. (See 8.02pm.) It was defeated by 293 votes to 289 - a majority of 4.

So, two of Grieve’s amendments were defeated, but one was passed. (See 7.41pm.)

ITV debate - Verdict from Twitter commentariat

This is what political journalists and commentators are saying about the debate on Twitter.

Generally, the view seems to be that Jeremy Hunt did well, but not well enough to make a difference.

From ITV’s Robert Peston

From the Spectator’s James Forsyth

From Sky’s Beth Rigby

From ITV’s Tom Bradby

From my colleague Jennifer Rankin

From the Sunday Times’ Tim Shipman

From the FT’s Sebastian Payne

From the New Statesman’s Patrick Maguire

And here’s an extract from Maguire’s article.

The foreign secretary gave a spirited, combative performance, and Johnson spent much of the hour on the ropes and visibly rattled as a result.

But does it stand any chance of translating into a shock victory? For the answer, look to Johnson’s reply to the final question of the debate: what qualities did the candidates most admire in their opponent?

The frontrunner responded with mockery of Hunt’s ability to change his mind on Brexit. Add that to his willingness to commit what many Tory members believe to be the unforgivable heresy of entertaining EU membership beyond 31 October and it is plain to see why, despite his far from watertight platform, Johnson remains in pole position.

From the BBC’s Susana Mendonca

From the Mail on Sunday’s Harry Cole

From ITV’s Piers Morgan

From the BBC’s Nick Eardley

From ITV’s Susanna Reid

From the Telegraph’s Tim Stanley

ITV debate - Snap verdict

In the early stages of the Tory leadership contest the Boris Johnson camp concluded that Michael Gove would pose more of a threat than Jeremy Hunt in the final stage of the contest, and it is widely assumed at Westminster that this assessment resulted in Team Johnson lending Hunt the votes he need to beat Gove by just two in the MPs’ ballot. The calculation was that Gove would be more brutal in debate. After tonight, that’s not looking such a good judgment because Hunt was more assertive than we’ve seen him before, challenging Johnson repeatedly on specifics. Judged on these skirmishes, Hunt won the debate handsomely. He came over as better briefed and more forensic, and there were several moments in the debate where Johnson found bluster and bonhomie a poor substitute for arguments.

That said, given what all the polling is telling us about the Conservative membership, it would have taken a Titanic disaster for Johnson start throwing away large numbers of votes amongst the (possibly few) Tory members who have not already returned the ballot papers that went out by post last week. Johnson sounded glib and cavalier, but it would be impossible to have been involved in Conservative politics and not to have noticed that he’s like that already. Also, Johnson did better in the second half than in the first half - fighting Hunt to a draw on tax, to my ears, and deflating Hunt a bit by making him admit that his “keep Kim Darroch” pledge only lasted until Christmas.

The debate exposed two big faultlines between the two men. Johnson is determined to play down the risk of a no-deal Brexit, while Hunt isn’t. (See 8.18pm.) And, while Hunt is willing to be at least moderately critical of President Trump, tonight Johnson refused point blank. Mainstream UK opinion, and certainly Guardian opinion, would be with Hunt on both this issues. But most Tory members are Brexiters, and there is a lot of polling evidence to suggest that leave voters believe the risks of a no-deal Brexit have been exaggerated. And, on Trump, Johnson was effectively endorsing his claim that May’s Brexit strategy has been a disaster - an assessment shared by many grassroots Conservatives. Johnson acquitted himself poorly this evening but, ideologically, he is probably in the right place for someone this electorate.

And one more point; it is important to remember that debates almost never have as much impact on elections as the media assume.

So, overall, it was a clear, technical victory for Hunt - but probably a superficial one too.

Boris Johnson (left) and Jeremy Hunt in the debate.
Boris Johnson (left) and Jeremy Hunt in the debate. Photograph: Han Yan/Xinhua/Barcroft Media

Updated

Closing statements

They are now making closing statements.

Hunt says he wants to make this amazing country. He only makes promises he can keep. Our country deserves no less, he says.

Johnson says the only way to get this country off “the hamster wheel of doom” is by getting Brexit done. This is an amazing country. Now is the time to show we believe in Britain, he says.

And that’s it. The debate is over.

Reaction, analysis and a summary coming up soon.

Each other

Q: What do you admire about each other?

Johnson says he admires Hunt’s ability to change his mind - as he did over Brexit.

Hunt says he admires Johnson’s ability to not answer the question. Johnson cracks a joke, and you forget the question. It’s a good trait in a politician.

Quickfire round

Q: Should HS2 be abandoned?

Johnson says it should be reviewed, but he won’t commit to abandoning it.

Hunt says it should be backed to the hilt.

Q: Will you publish a plan for social care this year?

Yes, says Hunt.

Yes, says Johnson.

Q: Will you stop Heathrow’s third runway going ahead?

Johnson says he has the gravest reservations about this.

Hunt says Johnson should be able to answer this.

Q: Would you scrap universal credit?

No, says Hunt. He says it has teething problems, but it is right in principle.

Johnson also says he would keep it.

Q: Do you support extending abortion rights and same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland?

Yes, says Hunt.

Johnson says these are matters for the Northern Ireland assembly.

Q: Why was your first plan tax cuts for the rich?

Johnson says it was part of a package.

Hunt butts in. He says it was a mistake. He says he has spent his life telling people that the Tories are not just a party for the rich.

Johnson asks Hunt if he is in favour of people on modest incomes having to pay higher rates of tax.

Johnson is refusing to let Hunt answer. He claims Hunt won’t reply, but he has not let him reply.

Hunt says Johnson never answers the question.

He says his priority for tax cuts would be people on low incomes. He says he has spent his life saying the Tories are not the party of the rich, but a party for everyone.

Q: I am struggling to manage. Why are you prioritising tax cuts for the rich or for business, instead of for people like me?

Hunt says he has prioritised corporation tax cuts. But that is because he wants to boost the economy. President Trump cut business taxes, and the US economy is now growing twice as fast as the UK’s.

He says he wants to grow the size of the cake.

“Absolutely right,” says Johnson.

He says he would focus on the hardest pressed. He says as mayor of London he expanded the living wage. He wants to help the low paid by taking them out of national insurance. But he also thinks too many people are being dragged into the higher rate of tax.

Q: Can someone trust a remain voter to deliver Brexit?

Yes, says Hunt. He says he voted remain, but he delivered the extra £350m week promised for the NHS.

Updated

Q: Why did you get your facts wrong on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe?

Johnson says the Iranians are to blame for what happened to her.

Johnson refuses to criticise Trump for what he said about May

They are back.

Q: Tell us about your character, your qualities?

Johnson says he can get surprise results in difficult circumstances, as he did when he was London mayor.

Hunt says he is prepared to deliver tough messages, as he did to President Trump today.

Q: What is your response?

Johnson says it is very important to have a good relationship with the White House.

He says Trump was dragged into a political debate. That is sometimes not the right thing to do.

On Kim Darroch, Johnson says it is vital that advice given to ministers should not be leaked by ministers.

  • Johnson refuses to criticise President Trump for what he said about Theresa May.

Q: Will Kim Darroch stay in office?

Hunt says who chooses our ambassador is a matter for the UK government. If he is PM, Darroch stays.

Johnson repeats his point about the need for ministers not to leak.

  • Johnson implies that a minister was to blame for the Kim Darroch leak.

Q: Will you keep him?

Johnson refuses to say.

Hunt says he will keep Darroch until he is due to retire.

Johnson refuses to say that.

But he says he, and he alone, will decide who takes politically important jobs like this one.

  • Johnson refuses to commit to keeping Kim Darroch as ambassador to Washington.

Section 1 - Snap verdict

Section 1 - Snap verdict: There was talk this morning about Hunt needing to summon up a degree of fight not seen before to have any chance tonight, but so far, he is managing that. In strict debating terms, he is getting the better of Johnson time and time again. His challenge to Johnson about being willing to resign if he did not deliver Brexit by 31 October worked (Johnson’s reply sounded evasive), and his line about getting facts wrong being okay for a columnist, but not for a PM, was the zinger of the opening section.

Updated

Julia Etchingham asks people to raise their hands if they think the UK will leave the EU by 31 October.

Hunt raises his hands.

“That’s the spirit”, says Johnson. He says he thought Hunt thought it could not be done.

And the first third of the programme is over.

Q: Would you do a deal with the Brexit party?

Johnson says he does not believe in doing deals with any party?

Q: What would your alternative to an election be?

Hunt says he is the best person to get a deal, so the UK avoids this choice.

He says he is a negotiator by backround.

But if we take a hardline approach, the EU will to.

Getting Brexit right is not about “blind optimism”, he says.

Johnson says he resigned over the withdrawal agreement.

Hunt points out that he voted for it too.

Q: Would you be willing to prorogue parliament to get no-deal through?

Hunt says the last time this was tried, we had a civil war. So he will say no.

Johnson says it would be mistake to take anything off the table.

He says Hunt has not set any timetable for coming out.

He accuses Hunt of “escalating the fears” of a no-deal Brexit.

He says the UK must come out, so the government can get back to the issues people want to talk about.

Risk of general election

Q: Parliament will not vote for no-deal. So isn’t a general election inevitable?

Hunt says this is why he is not setting 31 October as an absolute deadline. He does not want go back to the electorate until he has delivered Brexit.

Johnson says it is “totally defeatist” not to set 31 October.

He says parliament has just voted against ruling out no-deal.

(It is not clear what he is referring to - that is not how most people would describe tonight’s votes.)

Hunt accuses Johnson of “peddling optimism”. He says it is important to be honest about the challenges ahead. Who said blood, sweat, toil and tears?

Johnson corrects Hunt’s Churchill quote.

Hunt claims, if the UK prepares, it can get through this. But we should not pretend it will be a “walk in the park”, he says.

Hunt says in their last debate Johnson said Gatt 24 would allow the UK to avoid tariffs. But Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general, says that is wrong. He says getting facts wrong is okay for a newspaper columnist, but not for someone doing this job.

Johnson pushes back, claiming he never said the UK could use this unilaterally, but Hunt says that is not what he said.

And Hunt says Johnson’s claim the risk of a no-deal Brexit is a million to one is not correct, and irresponsible.

Johnson says a no-deal Brexit would be “vanishingly inexpensive” if the UK prepares

Q: My business would suffer under no-deal. What will you do to avoid one?

Johnson says he does not think there is much risk of no-deal.

Hunt says he has run his business. He knows what it is like to face threats like this. He mentions visiting a steel business that would be harmed by tariffs. He has a 10-point plan.

Q: Do you accept there is a cost to no-deal?

Johnson says, badly handled, no-deal could be costly.

He says it is “vanishingly inexpensive” if you prepare.

  • Johnson says a no-deal Brexit would be “vanishingly inexpensive” if the UK prepares.

Q: What is your plan for the backstop?

Hunt says his plan is based on the Alternative Arrangements Commission report?

Q: How long will it take?

Hunt says it will take some time to set up.

Q: Your plan?

Johnson says there are a range of options, much as set out in the Alternative Arrangements Commission paper.

Q: The EU has said it has looked the world over for a solution, and not found one.

Johnson says they did not say that. He says solutions are available.

Johnson says if the UK is willing to delay, the EU will not take it seriously.

Johnson says promising to resign if Brexit is not delivered by 31 October could give EU an incentive to delay

Hunt ask Johnson if he will resign if he fails to take the UK out by 31 October.

Johnson at first dodges the question. Hunt presses him, and Johnson says it is important not to hold out any prospect of not coming out by 31 October. He says making that promise could encourage the EU to delay.

  • Johnson says promising to resign if Brexit is not delivered by 31 October could give the EU an incentive to delay.

Hunt says this is not leadership.

Q: So how long will you delay?

Hunt starts answering. Johnson challenges him repeatedly: Christmas?

Hunt implies Johnson has been rude to the EU. He says he has a serious strategy.

Updated

Delivering Brexit on time

Julie Etchingham says the audience is made up of people how have voted Tory, or might do so in the future.

Q: I used to vote Tory, but now I back the Brexit party, and I want to see Nigel Farage in Number 10. Can you guarantee we will leave the EU by 31 October?

Hunt says he is as keen as anyone to deliver Brexit by 31 October. But there has been a breach of trust, and MPs should only make promises they can keep.

Johnson says it is absolutely vital to leave by 31 October.

Jeremy Hunt goes next.

“As a tough negotiator, I will deliver Brexit,” he says.

But he will do so much more. He is an entrepreneur, he will reform services as he did with the NHS, and he knows how to get young people to vote Tory, he says. He says he won a marginal seat. And polls show he has most appeal to the public at large, he says.

Updated

Boris Johnson goes first.

He says we can carry on as now, or change, and put the country on the path to success.

The way to do that is to deliver Brexit, propose plans for better infrastructure, and beat Jeremy Corbyn.

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt in ITV debate

The ITV debate is starting.

MPs are now voting on Dominic Grieve’s amendment 17.

Following the decision of the Speaker not to call his new clause 14, this is the Grieve amendment being voted on tonight with the most bite.

It would require the progress reports that MPs have just voted to have fortnightly (see 7.41pm) to be debated.

As the Hansard Society’s Brigid Fowler explained, under the amendment MPs would debate an amendable motion - which means they could be used to trigger further Brexit votes.

MPs have voted down Dominic Grieve’s amendment 16 - by 292 to 289.

MPs are now voting on Dominic Grieve’s amendment 16.

Here is the full text of it.

Clause 3, page 2, line 16, leave out “the report” and insert “any report under this section”

In his explanatory statement Grieve describes this simply as “a consequential amendment”, meaning that now the bill has been amended to require fortnightly reports (see 7.21pm), the singular noun in this clause is no longer appropriate.

Government defeated as MPs back move that could make autumn prorogation harder by single vote

Dominic Grieve has won - by a single vote. MPs voted for his amendment (see 7.18pm and 7.21pm) by 294 votes to 293.

Updated

Here is Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, commenting ahead of tonight’s ITV debate.

Updated

From Sky’s Aubrey Allegretti, who is in Salford for the ITV debate

This is what Lord Turnberg told Newsnight about why he was resigning the Labour whip. (See 3.43pm.)

I am very saddened to have had to resign the Labour whip not least because my differences lie with the party leadership and machine and not with my very supportive colleagues in the Lords who share my values.

It is not just the policies on foreign affairs- pro Russia, pro Venezuela, anti- America - and not just Brexit vacillation and bypassing parliamentary opinion, but the overt antisemitism that permeates the party machine that is no longer possible for me to tolerate.

I fear for the future of this party to which I have devoted myself for so any years.

What Dominic Grieve's amendment 15 says

Here is the full text of Dominic Grieve’s amendment 15.

Clause 3, page 2, line 15, at end insert—

“(1A) The secretary of state shall make a further report under subsection 1 on or before 9 October 2019 at least every fourteen calendar days thereafter until either an Executive is formed or until 18 December 2019, whichever is the sooner.”

And here is Grieve’s explanatory note.

This amendment would require fortnightly reports to be made after the conference recess until an executive was formed, or until the December recess.

MPs vote on Dominic Grieve's amendment 15

In the Commons MPs are now voting on Dominic Grieve’s amendment 15.

It is one that is intended to stop a new PM being able to prorogue parliament in the autumn, although whether in practice it will have that effect is a matter of debate. (See 2.07pm and 2.46pm.) Grieve thinks that, as long as this amendment does get passed, it will get beefed up in the Lords to make it more effective. (See 5.55pm.)

This will probably be the closest vote of the night.

Here is Boris Johnson arriving for the ITV Tory leadership debate in Salford. It starts at 8pm, and of course we will be covering it live.

Boris Johnson arrives for a head-to-head debate hosted by ITV at MediaCityUK in Salford.
Boris Johnson arrives for a head-to-head debate hosted by ITV at MediaCityUK in Salford. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

And here is Jeremy Hunt, who is going for the tieless look.

Jeremy Hunt arrives the ITV debate.
Jeremy Hunt arrives the ITV debate. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

The Julian Lewis amendment has been passed by 308 votes to 228 - a majority of 80.

Here is the explanatory note from Lewis saying what his amendment will do.

The subsection would include placing a duty on the secretary of state to report on the options available to ensure that veterans of the Troubles would be able to assist in a truth recovery process, for the benefit of bereaved families, without fear of prosecution.

The Hansard Society’s Brigid Fowler has posted a detailed Twitter thread explaining what the Grieve amendments being voted on tonight actually do. It starts here.

But, sadly, the key issue is left unresolved.

MPs are now voting on an amendment tabled by the Tory MP Julian Lewis that would oblige the government to investigate how military veterans of the Troubles could contribute to the truth recovery process without fear of prosecution.

In the Commons John Penrose, the Northern Ireland minister, has just said that the government will accept one of Dominic Grieve’s amendments – an innocuous one, amendment 14 – bringing forward the date when a progress report must be presented to parliament.

But he said the government will oppose the other ones due to be vote on tonight. These are amendments saying that the government should make fortnightly reports on progress towards getting the power-sharing executive restored in Northern Ireland in the autumn, and that these reports should be debated. Grieve believes that, in practice, these would stop a new PM proroguing parliament, because if parliament were prorogued, these conditions could not be met. Penrose did not address this point, but he said they would introduce an excessive and unnecessary level of procedure into the bill.

Updated

This is from Franki Appleton from Marie Stopes UK, which provides abortion services, on the Commons vote.

This is a historic day for women’s rights. As an organisation that has supported the push for abortion access in Northern Ireland, we are delighted that MPs have taken this opportunity to demand law reform and give every woman in the UK access to safe, legal abortion.

For too long, women in Northern Ireland have been treated as second-class citizens, forcing them to give birth to babies they know will not survive outside of the womb, forcing rape victims to travel overseas to end their pregnancy and prosecuting mothers for protecting their daughters by procuring the same pills available on the NHS in England, Wales and Scotland.

From the landslide referendum in the Republic of Ireland to today’s momentous vote in Westminster, grievous rights are beginning to be righted and we join all the wonderful people who have campaigned for this in celebrating this much longed for progress.

Lord Triesman has given an interview to Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis about his decision to resign the Labour whip in the House of Lords today over antisemitism. (See 3.18pm.) This is what Triesman said about the decision.

It’s been building for a long time, with incident after incident. It’s like a mad psychodrama. You pick up the morning’s papers, and there’s another issue. And quite aside from the issues that are in the public domain, the stream of invective that you get on social media is absolutely unbelievable – I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. So I think we have got to the point now where it is just unsustainable to continue. You have to take a decision about what your own ethics are.

And this is what he said when asked to justify the claim he made in his resignation letter that Jeremy Corbyn is personally antisemitic. Asked for evidence of this, Triesman replied:

If you look at event after event after event, and there is now a huge list of events. And you ask yourself the question, in relation to any one has he made the right call on it? And the answer is not once, never. And in those circumstances, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that he either is indifferent to the problem or he is part of the problem.

And here is a statement from Sinn Fein on the two votes. It’s from the Sinn Fein MP Elisha McCallion.

Marriage equality, like Irish language rights, victims and women’s rights should be addressed by the Assembly.

They have not been because rights have been repeatedly vetoed by the DUP, enabled by the British government.

It was inevitable that the British government’s failure to defend basic rights available everywhere else on these islands would be confronted. This was the message coming out of Westminster today.

Rights delayed are rights denied and the obvious political imperative now is to ensure that all citizens are afforded rights and equality, regardless of where they live on these islands.

Updated

Here is Tony Lloyd, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, on tonight’s two Commons votes.

Today parliament has voted to ensure that love no longer has borders and women are not treated as second class citizens. The government must now act to bring forward legislation on marriage equality and abortion reform if the Northern Ireland assembly and Executive are not returned before 21 October.

Labour has long called on the government to take action on these issues and will work with the government to see it implemented.

The size of the majority pays tribute to the campaigning of many in Northern Ireland and the determination of Labour MP’s Conor McGinn, Diana Johnson and Stella Creasy amongst others.

Updated

This is from Sky News.

And here is the full list of 332 MPs who voted for the Stella Creasy amendment on liberalising the abortion law in Northern Ireland.

And here is the full list of the 99 MPs who voted against - 84 Tories, eight DUP, five Labour, two SNP and one independent. The other two DUP MPs were tellers.

Grieve says Speaker's decision not to call NC14 has not scuppered his bid to stop no-deal prorogation through amendments

Back in the Commons Dominic Grieve, the Conservative pro-European, is now speaking about his various amendments intended to stop the next prime minster proroguing parliament to facilitate a no-deal Brexit in the autumn.

Steve Brine, a fellow Tory, asks if the amendments would prevent prorogation without new clause 14 being passed. NC14 is the one that is not being put to a vote. (See 2.07pm and 2.46pm.)

Grieve says with NC14 his amendments would definitely stop prorogation in the autumn. But even without it, the others are worth having, he says.

Sir Oliver Letwin, a fellow Conservative, asks Grieve if he agrees that the other amendments (saying MPs would have to make fortnightly reports to parliament and allow those reports to be debated - see 2.46pm) would allow someone to take a case to the supreme court if the PM did try to prorogue parliament.

Grieve does accept that. He also said that, if peers decide to include a version of NC14 when the bill is in the Lords, then MPs will get the chance to debate it when the bill comes back to the Commons.

Letwin intervenes again. He says the Speaker probably decided not to allow a vote on NC14 because he considered it outside the “scope” of the bill (a technical parliamentary term). But he says that in the Lords peers apply a wider definition of scope.

Updated

Here is the full list of the 383 MPs who voted in favour of Conor McGinn’s same-sex marriage amendment.

And here is the full list of the 73 MPs who voted against – 65 Tories and eight from the DUP. The other two DUP were acting as tellers.

Today’s majority of 310 in favour of same-sex marriage compares with the 225 majority in favour six years ago when MPs voted in favour of same-sex marriage for England and Wales. The Scottish parliament voted for same-sex marriage in 2014.

Updated

MPs vote to liberalise abortion law in Northern Ireland by majority of 233

MPs have passed the Creasy amendment to liberalise the abortion law in Northern Irelnd (see 5.30pm) by 332 votes to 99 – a majority of 233.

Updated

What Stella Creasy's abortion amendment says

Back in the Commons MPs are now voting on Stella Creasy’s new clause 10 (NC10) on abortion.

It says:

Clause 1, page 1, line 3, at end insert—

“(2) This section comes into force on the day after the secretary of state has laid before both Houses of Parliament regulations to enable the effective application in Northern Ireland of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in order to guarantee the rights of all women in Northern Ireland.”

And here is Creasy’s explanatory statement.

The report of the inquiry concerning the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland under article 8 of the optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women called on the UK government to take all measures necessary to ensure the effective application of the convention to guarantee the rights of all women in Northern Ireland, in the absence of a functioning government in Northern Ireland since January 2017.

Jeremy Hunt tells Trump his Twitter attacks on May are 'disrespectful and wrong'

Jeremy Hunt, the underdog in the Tory leadership contest, has told President Trump on Twitter his comments about Theresa May “disrespectful and wrong”.

  • Hunt says he would keep Sir Kim Darroch as UK ambassador to the US, despite President Trump saying he won’t deal with him.

Hunt’s comments contrast with the approach taken by Boris Johnson, the clear favourite in the leadership contest, who did not criticise President Trump when asked about this earlier and instead boasted about his “good relationship” with Trump’s White House. (See 3pm.)

MPs vote for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland by majority of 310

MPs have voted to introduce same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland, unless the power-sharing executive is revived by 21 October, by 383 votes to 73 - a majority of 310.

From my colleague Peter Walker

Here is John Simpson, the BBC’s former world affairs editor, on President Trump’s outburst and the UK’s response.

Here are some quotes from the debate.

From Labour’s Conor McGinn

At the minute the executive and the assembly exists in the ether or as a concept, not a reality. So if they can’t make this [same-sex marriage] law, we will make it here because - as I have said often - rights delayed are rights denied. We will make the law here and then when the Assembly is back up and running the power remains for them to change it.

From Labour’s Stella Creasy

I am a passionate defender of women’s rights, I believe powerfully that if women are not able to have equal control over their bodies as men are then we will never have true freedom. If we say to women we will force you to continue an unwanted pregnancy, they will always be second class citizens to male counterparts ...

I ask the House, how much longer are the women of Northern Ireland expected to wait? How much more are they expected to suffer until we speak up for the best of what this place does as human rights defenders, not human rights deniers?

From Karin Smyth, the shadow Northern Ireland minister

We heard [on the day of Lyra McKee’s funeral] was that Lyra was making arrangements for her own marriage to her partner. It really struck me sitting in the cathedral of the huge sadness, the huge irony, when we rightly praised this remarkable young woman for being a child of the peace process, for being so openly happy with her own sexuality, with having touched every part of Northern Ireland society with her optimism.

That she was making those plans for her own marriage to the woman that she loved but what her own society was saying to her was essentially ‘away you go to Donegal, you can’t do that here’.

What a great testament it would be to her memory and the thousands of people across Northern Ireland who simply want to express their love that we would make progress on this issue.

From the DUP’s Ian Paisley

There is no right under the international treaties to terminate an unborn life, that is the fact of the matter, and we have got to make sure that that right, the right to life, is upheld.

What Conor McGinn's same-sex marriage amendment says

And this is what McGinn’s NC1 actually says.

Marriage of same-sex couples in Northern Ireland

(1) The secretary of state must make regulations to change the law relating to marriage in Northern Ireland to provide that marriage between same-sex couples is lawful.

(2) Regulations under this section must be in force no later than 21 October 2019, subject to subsections (3) and (4).

(3) A statutory instrument containing regulations under subsection (1) —

(a) must be laid before both Houses of Parliament;

(b) is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(4) If a Northern Ireland executive is formed before the regulations under this section come into force, any regulations made under this section and any extant obligations arising under subsection (1) shall cease to have effect.

And here is the McGinn’s explanatory statement saying that this actually means in practice.

This new clause would require UK secondary legislation to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland unless a Northern Ireland executive is formed by 21 October 2019.

In the Commons MPs are now voting on Conor McGinn’s new clause 1 (NC1) amendment on same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

Updated

Labour dismisses Triesman's antisemitism claims as 'false and offensive'

The Labour party has issued this response to the claims about the party being antisemitic made by Lord Triesman in his letter resigning the party whip in the Lords. (See 3.18pm.) A party spokesperson said:

We completely reject these false and offensive claims. The Labour party at all levels is implacably opposed to antisemitism and is determined to root out this social cancer from our movement and society.

Labour is taking decisive action against antisemitism, doubling the number of staff dedicated to dealing with complaints and cases. And since Jennie Formby became general secretary, the rate at which antisemitism cases have been dealt with has increased four-fold.

Our records show that antisemitism cases that have gone through the stages of our disciplinary procedures since September 2015 account for about 0.06% of the party’s membership. This represents a tiny minority, but one antisemite is one too many, and we will continue to act against this repugnant form of racism.

These are from Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, explaining why SNPs MPs will be voting on the amendments to allow same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland even though the party normally abstains on devolved matters.

Hilary Benn says Labour will have to oppose Brexit at election if it wants to win

Labour is now committed to campaigning for remain in any referendum on a Tory Brexit deal, or on a no-deal Brexit.

But what remains unresolved is what Labour would propose if there were a general election before Brexit took place. In an interview with the BBC, when asked what Labour’s position would be in an election if the UK were still in the EU, Jeremy Corbyn replied:

Well the next election will come when it comes, it could be this October, it could be next year, if could be in 2022. I don’t know anymore than you do. What you’ve probably gathered from this discussion is that we have a very large party, a very large membership and many parts to our party and our movement. We have a democratic process, we will decide very quickly at the start of that campaign exactly what our position will be.

But Hilary Benn, the Labour chair of the Commons Brexit committee, told the World at One that he did not think Labour could win an election unless it was opposed to Brexit. He said:

As I understand it no decision has been taken yet on [Labour’s election position on Brexit]. But, look, if we do end up at an election we are going to have to be absolutely clear. And my position is this: If Labour goes into that election saying we’re going to try and deliver Brexit then I think we’d find it very, very hard indeed to win that general election.

Hilary Benn
Hilary Benn Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

Here is Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, on President Trump’s latest outburst.

Sky’s Deborah Haynes has found an entrepreneur (not Jeremy Hunt).

Darroch not accompanying Liam Fox to White House for meeting with Ivanka Trump, says No 10

Sir Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the US who has now been declared persona non grata by President Trump, will not be accompanying Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, to the White House for a meeting with Ivanka Trump, journalists were told at the Downing Street afternoon lobby briefing.

And here is some comment from Jon Sopel, the BBC’s North America editor.

No-deal Brexit would cost Irish economy £6bn, says Irish government

The Irish government has said it has “no easy answers” to avoid checks on the Irish border in the event of the UK crashing out of the EU with no deal.

After a special cabinet meeting heard of the “dire” consequences, it released a 117-page report (pdf) outlining the country’s contingency plans for no deal warning of “profound” effects for Northern Ireland and Ireland.

It warns the “consequences of a no-deal Brexit for the political process in Northern Ireland could be very damaging” and that a “no-deal Brexit risks significantly undermining wider community relations and political stability in Northern Ireland with potential related security concerns.”

The report said the government’s assessment was that there was now “a significant risk of a no deal Brexit on 31 October” and preparation for such an event was now a priority.

No deal would be “highly disruptive and will have profound political, economic and legal implications, first and foremost for the UK, including most significantly Northern Ireland, as well as having significant impacts on Ireland and the rest of the EU”

It warned of a potential £6bn cost to the Irish economy and “significant short term risks” with an estimated increase in unemployment of 50-55,000 “after the UK leaves the EU”.

A third peer, Lord Turnberg, is resigning the Labour whip, according to the BBC’s Mathew Harris. Turnberg is another eminent doctor. He was made a Labour peer in the 1990s.

Updated

Former health minister Ara Darzi resigns Labour whip saying he has zero tolerance of antisemitism

According to BBC Newsnight, Ara Darzi, a surgeon who was made a peer and a health minister by Gordon Brown, is also resigning the Labour whip.

Ara Darzi
Ara Darzi Photograph: Julian Makey/REX/Shutterstock

Updated

Former Labour general secretary resigns whip saying party is now 'very plainly institutionally antisemitic'

Lord Triesman, who was Labour’s general secretary under Tony Blair and who subsequently served as a minister under Blair and Gordon Brown, has announced today that he is resigning the Labour whip.

In a letter to Angela Smith, the Labour leader in the Lords, he says some of the party’s policy positions (primarily on Brexit, Russia and defence) are “impossible to take seriously”, but mostly he focuses on antisemitism, saying Labour is no longer a safe political environment for Jewish people.

He says:

My sad conclusion is that the Labour party is very plainly institutionally antisemitic, and its leader and his circle are antisemitic, having never once made the right judgment call about an issue reflecting deep prejudice. The number of examples is shocking.

It is no longer a safe political environment for Jewish people or other opponents of antisemitism. It it time to recognise the reality. I always said it was worth hanging on to fight so long as there was a prospect of winning. I now don’t believe with this leadership there is.

Lord Triesman
Lord Triesman Photograph: POOL New / Reuters/REUTERS

Boris Johnson boasts of his 'good relationship with White House as Trump calls May 'foolish'

During a visit to Manchester airport, Boris Johnson, the favourite in the Tory leadership contest, said he was not embarrassed to say he had good relations with the Trump White House. He said:

I have got a good relationship with the White House and I have no embarrassment in saying that.

I think it’s very important that we have a strong relationship with our most important ally. The United States is, has been, will be and for the foreseeable future our number one political military friend.

Asked whether the president was right to criticise Theresa May and the way Brexit talks have been handled, Johnson replied:

Myself, I have said some pretty critical things about the Brexit negotiations so far and that’s one of the reasons I am standing tonight and one of the reasons I am putting myself forward.

I think there is a chance to do things differently, a chance to break away from the failed old can-kicking approaching. Now is the time to really get a grip on this. Stop being so defeatist in our approach to the EU negotiations and maybe be a lot more positive about our country and what it can do.

From the Press Association report, it is not clear whether Johnson was aware of President Trump’s latest criticism of May (she was “foolish” and her policy a “disaster” - see 1.47pm) when he was speaking, or whether Johnson was just commenting in relation to what Trump said about May yesterday (she made a “mess” of it).

Updated

According to Bloomberg’s Robert Hutton, the Tory MP Dominic Grieve is relaxed about his main amendment not being called (see 2.07pm) because he thinks his other amendments which are due to be put to a vote would stop a new PM proroguing parliament to facilitate a no-deal Brexit.

The other Grieve amendments (14, 15 and 17) would require ministers to make fortnightly reports to parliament about progress towards restoring the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland (and subject of the bill) and for those reports to be debated.

It is questionable whether these amendments would stop a new PM proroguing parliament in the autumn. But Bloomberg argue that they could provide legal grounds for someone to challenge a decision to prorogue parliament in court.

The first set of votes this afternoon, including on the amendments on same-sex marriage and abortion, will take place at around 5pm.

Nick Boles, the former Tory who now sits as an independent, says that when the second stage of the debate starts after those votes, he intends to raise President Trump’s latest comments (see 1.47pm) on a point of order.

In the Northern Ireland debate the Labour MP Stella Creasy is speaking now about her amendment, which would extend the right to abortion in Northern Ireland by saying the government would have to comply with the UN convention for the elimination of discrimination against women.

She says women in Northern Ireland risk prison for procuring abortion pills. She says the UK cannot tell other countries to enforce human rights standards when it is denying basic rights to women in Northern Ireland.

More on the Dominic Grieve amendments. (See 12.37pm.) Although new clause 14 (NC14), the central Grieve amendment intended to stop a new prime minister proroguing parliament in the autumn to facilitate a no-deal Brexit, has not been called, other Grieve amendments have been called. But, as Nikki da Costa, a former director of legislative affairs in Downing Street explains, the other Grieve amendments would not necessarily stop a new PM proroguing parliament. She explains why in these tweets.

You can read the text of all the amendments to the bill here (pdf).

Trump escalates row with UK by calling May 'foolish' and her Brexit policy 'a disaster'

Theresa May faces a full-blown diplomatic standoff with the US after Donald Trump condemned Britain’s “stupid” ambassador to Washington over leaked memos critical of the White House, as Downing Street insisted Sir Kim Darroch had its full support, my colleague Peter Walker reports. The escalating crisis began after a Sunday newspaper printed extracts of confidential memos in which Darroch labelled Trump’s administration “inept” and “dysfunctional”. The US president announced on Monday that he would no longer deal with the ambassador. In a fresh volley of tweets on Tuesday morning, Trump again condemned Darroch, and renewed his criticism of the prime minister over her Brexit negotiations, which he had praised on his state visit to the UK just over a month ago.

Here is Peter’s story.

And here are the Trump tweets.

Ireland will not be providing options for dealing with animals and agrifood as they cross the Irish border in its no-deal contingency plans to be published later today.

It will say, instead, that more talks are needed on the issue with the European Commission.

The last time the UK was on the precipice of a no-deal Brexit, sources told the Guardian that checks on animals and agrifood would be mandatory from day one, meaning overnight disruption for trade of milk and lamb from Northern Ireland into the republic.

At a special cabinet meeting this morning, Irish ministers were briefed by the deputy prime minister Simon Coveney on the “dire consequences” of no-deal for Ireland the all-island economy.

The taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, is expected to be questioned by opposition MPs in the Dail at 2pm, with Coveney giving a briefing to the media at 4pm on the updated no deal plans.

Updated

Nigel Dodds, the DUP leader at Westminster, is speaking in the debate now.

He says it is wrong that this bill, which is about allowing the suspension of the Northern Ireland assembly to continue, has been hijacked for other purposes.

He says, under the McGinn amendment, if it is passed, there would be no further vote in the Commons before the law was changed to allow same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland (assuming the powers-sharing executive is not restored by 21 October).

The DUP’s Sammy Wilson says MPs have repeatedly complained about the use of Henry VIII powers. But he says the amendment would allow a Henry VIII power to be used to impose same-sex marriage on Northern Ireland.

Dodds agrees that this is not an appropriate way to decide this matter for Northern Ireland.

Maria Miller, the Conservative chair of the women and equalities committee, is speaking in the debate now. She says she was equalities minister when same-sex marriage was introduced. She says the law was not extended to Northern Ireland because the government wanted to respect the devolution settlement.

She says she will not decide how she is going to vote tonight until she has heard the government make its case. She says her heart is telling her to vote for the McGinn amendment. But her head needs to be convinced, because of the concerns about the need to respect the principle of devolution.

In the Commons Conor McGinn says the House of Commons failed people in Northern Ireland by not decriminalising homosexuality in Northern Ireland when it was decriminalised in England. And he says it has failed them by not extending same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland. He ends his speech by saying tonight MPs must no longer let it down.

Remain campaigners welcome Labour's Brexit shift but urge Corbyn to go further

We have already posted reaction to today’s announcement from Jeremy Corbyn about Labour’s latest shift on Brexit from the Liberal Democrats (see 12.03pm).

Here is some more reaction.

From Labour MP Phil Wilson, in a statement released by the People’s Vote campaign, which is campaigning for a second referendum

Jeremy Corbyn’s public insistence that the next Conservative prime minister put any Brexit proposal to a final say referendum, where we will all have the chance to stay in the EU, is a positive step forward for Labour. It is an outrage that Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt believe this decision can be confined to the 0.25% of the population who are Conservative members. It must be for the people to decide our future and give their explicit consent for a specific form of Brexit in a people’s vote.

But one email to Labour members and a press release do not make a campaign. Labour has the chance to speak up for its values and to channel the growing anger in the country about the negation of democracy that is being imposed on us all. Our voters and our members will not tolerate further confusion or foot-dragging. Instead, we now need to join together with all those from across the political spectrum who have long since been demanding that the people get the final say on Brexit.

From Chris Leslie, the former Labour MP who now represents the Independent Group for Change

Corbyn has confirmed that if you vote Labour, you’ll get Brexit. His commitment to campaign against Brexit only if the Conservatives are in government simply isn’t good enough.

Brexit - whether a Labour Brexit or a Conservative Brexit - will cost people’s jobs, put businesses in jeopardy, and diminish Britain in the eyes of our neighbours. Corbyn’s refusal to be honest about that fact is a deep betrayal of the people Labour used to represent.

From Naomi Smith, CEO of the the anti-Brexit group Best for Britain

This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but Labour can’t believe that both their own deal and remaining are best for Britain.

It’s decision time for the Labour leadership. If they don’t settle on campaigning to stop Brexit then they will be letting down the vast majority of their membership, voters and the country.

From Michael Chessum from Another Europe is Possible, a leftwing group campaigning for remain

Today’s move is significant and a big victory for the grassroots of the Labour party. We now need Labour to throw its huge weight behind the campaign to stop Brexit. Only a radical politics which promises fundamental change, more equality and public investment can beat Brexit - not status quo centrism.

Good though today’s news is, Labour still needs to clearly commit to opposing Brexit, and to unequivocally defending free movement and transforming Europe. Ultimately, policy must be made by members, not in backrooms. We will continue to campaign from the grassroots up, and we are mobilising another huge wave of motions for conference in September.

Jeremy Corbyn leaving his home in London.
Jeremy Corbyn leaving his home in London. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

MPs debate Northern Ireland bill

MPs are now starting their debate on the Northern Ireland bill.

The Labour MP Conor McGinn starts. His amendment, new clause 1 (NC1), says, if the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland is not restored by 21 October, the UK parliament should legislate to allow same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

If the power-sharing executive is restored before that, it would be up to them, he says.

And if the executive is revived after Westminster has changed the law, it will have the power to change the law back, he suggests.

The DUP MP Ian Paisley says, if this amendment passes, it could give one party in Northern Ireland an incentive not to revive the executive.

McGinn says Paisley is referring to Sinn Fein. He says he has spoken to Sinn Fein, and he knows Sinn Fein wants the devolved assembly to make this decision.

Conor McGinn
Conor McGinn Photograph: Parliament TV

John Bercow, the Speaker, is now making a statement about the Northern Ireland bill.

He says last night his office received a call from a “tabloid scribbler” who had heard the Speaker would not be chairing the proceedings this afternoon. He says kindness and generosity of spirit prevent him from naming the individual. But he says it is a long-established convention that the Speaker does not chair proceedings for a committee of the whole house (ie, when the committee stage of a bill is being considered by all MPs, not just a committee of about 20 of them - as is happening this afternoon.). He says this is a rule going back to the 17th century. He says he hopes the “chappie has now got the point”.

Bercow blocks vote on amendment intended to stop next PM proroguing parliament for no-deal

Good Afternoon. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Sarah Marsh, who has been writing the blog this morning.

Quite soon MPs will start the second and final day’s debate on the Northern Ireland (executive formation) bill.

As Seth Jacobson reports, the Tory pro-European Dominic Grieve tabled an amendment intended to ensure that the next prime minister could not prorogue parliament in September and October to stop MPs blocking a no-deal Brexit.

But it has just emerged that John Bercow, the Speaker, is not calling the amendment, which means it will not be put to a vote.

  • Bercow blocks vote on amendment intended to stop next PM proroguing parliament for no-deal.

The Guardian’s Gaby Hinsliff has written about Corbyn’s backing of a second referendum. She writes:

Is Labour really the party of remain, or leave? The official answer for a good three years has been both, which increasingly means in the eyes of many voters it is neither convincingly. The paradox of this week’s otherwise seismic shift in Labour Brexit positioning is that once the dust settles, essentially that’s still true.

Jeremy Corbyn does seem finally to have been cornered into a second referendum on Brexit, with trade union leaders unanimously agreeing this week that if a Conservative government brings any sort of deal (or a firm date for leaving with no deal) before parliament, Labour should demand a referendum on it and campaign to remain.

Here is Gaby’s article in full.

Updated

Labour 'still a party of Brexit', say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats who, to Labour’s cost, made so many gains in the European elections in May, say Labour’s new position on a second referendum does not make it a remain party. The Lib Dem Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said:

Labour are still a party of Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn can pretend all he likes that the Labour party are finally moving towards backing the Liberal Democrat policy of a People’s Vote, but it is clear it is still his intention to negotiate a damaging Brexit deal if he gets the keys to number ten.

Labour must start being transparent with the British people. Any Brexit deal, whoever it is negotiated by, will damage our country. It will mean job losses, problems for our NHS, and more time wasted on not tackling the biggest issues facing the UK.

The Liberal Democrats have been unequivocal in our fight to stop Brexit and Corbyn should join us. The only real route out of this mess is a People’s Vote, with the option to stay in the EU.

Updated

Protests have taken place outside Labour headquarters as a disputes panel of the party’s national executive meets on Tuesday to discuss whether to reinstate Chris Williamson.

Williamson, the MP for Derby North, had been suspended for suggesting the party was “too apologetic” about antisemitism complaints. But he was last week let back into the party with a reprimand by a three-person disciplinary panel, prompting a fierce reaction.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson joined MPs and peers to demand he lose the whip, while nearly 70 Labour staff members wrote to express their outrage.

He was put back under suspension after Keith Vaz, one of the members of the disputes panel who had argued for him to be readmitted, said the decision should be reviewed.

The disputes panel will meet this morning to discuss whether to refer him up to a further disciplinary sub-committee of the National Executive Committee, which may decide to send the case for further investigation or allow him to be readmitted.

If he is let back in, Williamson is likely to face a selection battle in his own constituency after a bitter row with the trade union Unite.

Updated

The Guardian’s political editor Heather Stewart reports on party’s decision to campaign to stay in EU rather than back no deal or Tory deal in people’s vote.

Updated

Jeremy Corbyn writes to members to say party will back remain in any referendum on Tory Brexit

Labour have announced their Brexit position in a letter from Jeremy Corbyn to party members. He says:

Dear member,

I am proud to lead the Labour Party – the greatest political party and social movement in this country.

We all recognise that the issue of Brexit has been divisive in our communities and sometimes in our party too.

As democrats, Labour accepted the result of the 2016 referendum. In our 2017 manifesto, Labour also committed to oppose a No Deal Brexit and the Tories’ Brexit plans – which threatened jobs, living standards, and the open multicultural society that we as internationalists value so much.

I want to pay tribute to Keir Starmer and the shadow Brexit team for holding the Government to account during this process. That helped secure a meaningful vote on their deal – which we then defeated three times – including inflicting the largest ever defeat on any Government. And following their refusal to publish their legal advice, this Government became the first to be held in contempt of Parliament.

Labour set out a compromise plan to try to bring the country together based around a customs union, a strong single market relationship and protection of environmental regulations and rights at work. We continue to believe this is a sensible alternative that could bring the country together.

But the Prime Minister refused to compromise and was unable to deliver, so we ended cross-party talks.

Now both Tory leadership candidates are threatening a No Deal Brexit - or at best a race to the bottom and a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump: that runs down industry, opens up our NHS and other public services to yet more privatisation, and shreds environmental protections, rights at work and consumer standards.

I have spent the past few weeks consulting with the shadow cabinet, MPs, affiliated unions and the NEC. I have also had feedback from members via the National Policy Forum consultation on Brexit.

Whoever becomes the new Prime Minister should have the confidence to put their deal, or No Deal, back to the people in a public vote.

In those circumstances, I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign for Remain against either No Deal or a Tory deal that does not protect the economy and jobs.

Labour has a crucial, historic duty to safeguard jobs, rights and living standards. But no Brexit outcome alone can do that.

We need a general election. After nine years of austerity, too many people in this country cannot find decent secure well-paid work, and have to rely on public services that have been severely cut back.

Our country is ravaged by inequality and rising poverty, huge regional imbalances of investment, and the government is failing to tackle the climate emergency facing us all.

That is why we need a Labour government to end austerity and rebuild our country for the many not the few.

Yours,

Jeremy Corbyn

Updated

Jeremy Corbyn has said that the next prime minister should put their Brexit deal to a vote, and if that happened the Labour party would campaign for remain.

The news has been met with a strong response on social media.

Updated

The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg said:

It’s progress of a sort as Corbyn explicit that he’d support staying in the EU in that hypothetical scenario, but he doesn’t sign up to the manifesto demand which would have gone further.

Updated

Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed that the Labour party will campaign for remain in a referendum “against no deal or a Tory deal”.

On Tuesday morning, the leader of the Labour party, convened a meeting of the party’s shadow cabinet to agree a settled Brexit position.

But Heather also notes that the announcement, in a long email to members, does not include anything explaining what Labour’s position would be after a general election.

Updated

Sir David warned:

The problem you’re opening now is a very serious one, if the world climate change goes on it is going to be facing huge problems with immigration.

Large parts of Africa are going to be even less inhabitable than they are now, and there will be major upsets in the balance between our national boundaries.

These kind of problems are going to grow inexorably and we are going to have to decide what we do about it, that’s going to happen.

He said industry should be encouraged to invest in new technologies for generating, storing and transporting energy, such as batteries, and that he thought progress was being made.

Channel 4’s chief executive Alex Mahon has said that the broadcaster does not make reality TV or observational programmes merely because they are cheap and “fill schedules”.

Speaking before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee inquiry into reality TV, Mahon said there is a “huge public appetite” for programmes that show “different groups of people doing things in society”.

Damian Collins, chairman of the DCMS, suggested that such programmes involving members of the public are “quite cheap to make” and that they take up more space in the TV schedule than they did 20 years ago.

Mahon said: “It is important that as public service broadcasters we tell challenging stories about life in Britain today and give insight into that, yes, it’s not necessarily cheaper to do than doing other things.

“There are some genres of non-scripted programming that are cheap, sometimes quizzes if you make them in bulk, and there are some genres that are very expensive, which are in the multiple hundreds of thousands of pounds per episode to make because they are very complex to construct.

“If you take a programme like One Born Every Minute... a life-affirming show and incredibly entertaining for audiences. It’s certainly not cheap to make because of the way we make it, construct it, the way we film it and work with contributors on it.

“So I would refute the suggestion that we are doing that to fill schedules with ‘cheap things’; we are doing those programmes often to create insight into society.”

Updated

UK started the problem of climate change, Attenborough says

Sir David Attenborough said the UK’s record on tackling climate change “is pretty good”.

But he added: “Who started the problem? This country. It was the industrial revolution which started here, and what was the industrial revolution, it was based on burning coal. As it was us who started the problems, and if we are now taking a lead in solving the problem that only the right and responsible thing to do.”

On the 2050 target he said: “My only hope is we don’t backslide.
“It’s a tough target. It’s not an easy statement to have made, it’s going to cost money.

“It’s not just piety, anybody can express pious views, its a practical commitment, and I hope to goodness we can achieve that.”

The broadcaster also said that the cost of air travel would have to increase to reduce emissions. “I certainly worry that the job I do involves me travelling, I have travelled by air only too frequently in the last few months to make programmes, some of them about this very subject we are talking about,” he said.

He added: “The long-term solution is we work out a way of powering aeroplanes electrically.”

Updated

Sir David said the voices of “disbelief” on climate change should not be stamped out and it was important that they should be heard in public.

But he said:

I’m sorry there are people who are in power internationally, notably of course the US, but also Australia, which is extraordinary because Australia is having to deal with some of the most extreme manifestations of climate change, and these voices are already heard ... One hopes the electorate will respond to that.

And he said public attitudes towards the environment had been “transformed” – drawing a parallel to changing attitudes to slavery in the 19th century.

Jeremy Hunt’s campaign says it can “run up a big win” in Scotland after the foreign secretary’s strong performance at last Friday’s hustings in Perth and a snap poll of Scottish councillors suggesting that two-thirds were backing him against Boris Johnson.

The Guardian has reported previously on fears amongst Scottish Conservatives that a Johnson premiership could boost support for independence: now Hunt’s campaign has released snapshot figures showing that, out of a survey of more than 100 Tory councillors, 60 were backing Hunt as opposed to 36 supporting Johnson.

A campaign source said: “The vast majority of Scottish Conservative MSPs are backing Jeremy and it looks like the same picture across the wider party. We are hopeful of running up a big win for Jeremy north of the border.”

Hunt certainly came across as more definitive on the union at Friday’s event. He said he would not give Holyrood permission to hold a second independence referendum, but warned that the party must “prepare” for another poll given the possibility of a Corbyn government allowing one in exchange for SNP support at Westminster. Johnson underlined his passion for the union but refused to answer definitely on the question of a s30 order.

But it’s worth remembering that the Scottish government has made ample capital out of the fact that Scotland voted one way on the EU referendum while the rest of the Britain voted another. If Hunt does benefit from a Scottish surge, and wins in Scotland whilst Johnson triumphs in England, one can only wonder how that may be similarly weaponised in months to come.

Updated

Sir David Attenborough on climate change: The problems of the next 20 to 30 years are great

Quizzed on whether the UK’s new legal “net zero” target for 2050 was sufficient or whether calls from campaigners for a 2025 goal was realistic, Sir David said: “you can’t be radical enough in deal with issues at the moment.”

“The question is what is practically possible, and how can we take the electorate with us in dealing with these problems.

“Dealing with problems means we’ve got to change our lifestyle.”

“The electorate of tomorrow are already making their voices very clear, that’s a source of great comfort.”

And he said: “I’m OK for the next decade, all of us are OK, we won’t face the problems that are coming.

“The problems of the next 20 to 30 years are great problems that are going to cause great social unrest and cause great changes in what we eat and how we live.”

Updated

On the issue of plastic, Sir David said: “I’ve been going on about plastics for 20 years. Anybody who swims know that, or anyone who travels can see, the horrors of what plastic pollution can do.

Sir David Attenborough

“I’ve been putting it in programmes for years, and nobody took any notice”.

Then a two-minute clip in his programme Blue Planet II “rang a bell with people”, he added.

David Attenborough: Most vivid example of climate change was revisiting the Great Barrier Reef

Sir David Attenborough is in parliament talking about climate change. He said the most vivid example he has seen of the changing climate was revisiting the Great Barrier Reef and seeing how it had bleached because of rising temperatures.

He told Parliament’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee that when visiting the Australian landmark in the 1950s he had “the extraordinary experience of diving on the reef and suddenly seeing this multitude of fantastic beautiful forms of life.”

But of returning 10 years ago, he said: “Instead of multitudes of wonderful forms of life I was struck by how it was bleached white because of the rising temperatures and increasing acidity of the seas”.

When he started out in natural history, Sir David did not talk about climate change, because “we didn’t know, I didn’t believe we could change the climate, or worse the changes we were going to inflict were irreversible, which they are if we go on as we are.”

And he said: “I’m not by nature a propagandist”, but added “if you become aware of what is happening you don’t have any alternative”.

Updated

Ireland’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney is to warn the Irish cabinet this morning over the “dire” consequences of no deal in Ireland and for the all-Ireland economy.

On Tuesday, he will deliver three reports to a special cabinet meeting with the principle paper running to more than 100 pages.

It is understood that checks on goods crossing the border from Northern Ireland could be conducted elsewhere in relation to customs and VAT but the unsolved challenge is mandatory checks on animals and agrifood including the one third of Northern Ireland milk that goes south for cheese, butter and dried milk products for exported infant formula and confectionary.

One option being considered by the EU agriculture department is to disrupt the all-Ireland economy. At present, this involves one third of milk from Northern Ireland being processed south of the border and more than 400,000 sheep being slaughtered annually in abattoirs hundreds of miles away in the republic.

Updated

Gove: Britain cannot 'offshore' responsibilities for food standards

Environment secretary Michael Gove has said that Britain cannot “offshore” responsibilities for food standards in any future trade deals including agreement with the US which chlorinates its chicken before sale.

He said animal welfare standards of British farming had to be “protected” to guarantee consumer trust in what they eat.

“What we cannot have is an approach towards trade that tries to offshore our responsibilities and undermine high standards that British farmers produce,” he told the National Farmers’ Union summer party in Westminster on Monday evening.

Michael Gove

His front bench future is in the balance and his consistent advocacy for continuing animal welfare standards has not been shared by everyone around the cabinet table.

Gove said: “We’ve been very clear that the problems that exist with chlorinated chicken are a direct result of lower animal welfare standards in some parts of the United States than here and we have to maintain and protect the high animal welfare standards that are number one in British agriculture.”

He added: “One of the things that underpins agriculture is high agriculture standards and the provenance of that which we sell. That needs to be protected ... Protection is not a dirty word when it comes to ensure that we have standards in which consumers can trust. “

NFU president Minette Batters said she was “massively concerned” that Gove’s pledges would be reneged on in a future cabinet. “It’s not opposition to leaving, it’s about a managed deal that can enshrine our values”

Updated

Johnson told to 'rule out suspending parliament' in no-deal Brexit scenario

William Hague has urged Boris Johnson to rule out suspending parliament in a no-deal Brexit scenario.

The former Conservative party leader said Johnson must avoid suspending Parliament in order to try to get a no-deal Brexit through if he becomes prime minister.

Lord Hague said the frontrunner in the battle for Downing Street should use a head-to-head TV debate with rival Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday to make clear he would not use a parliamentary “manoeuvre” in this way.

The call came as former attorney general Dominic Grieve has tabled an amendment to the Northern Ireland Bill - intended to keep government in the province running in the absence of the devolved institutions - requiring Parliament to come back to the issue in October.

The move is designed to try to ensure the next prime minister cannot push through a no deal on October 31, the current EU deadline for agreeing on a deal, simply by suspending - or “proroguing” - Parliament.

Commons Speaker John Bercow is expected to announce on Tuesday whether he has selected the amendment for debate, giving MPs the chance to vote on it.

Johnson, who has said he will take Britain out of the EU by the end of October “do or die”, warned such tactics risked playing into the hands of Jeremy Corbyn and Labour.

Lord Hague, who backs Mr Hunt in the Tory leadership race, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is very important that Parliament is able to give its opinion.”

Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson will appear on a live ITV debate at 8pm on Tuesday to battle to be the next Tory party leader. Johnson will hope to use the occasion to seal his position as the clear frontrunner, with polls giving him an overwhelming lead.

Updated

Grieve: proroguing parliament would be end of democracy in UK

Proroguing the House of Commons to achieve a no-deal Brexit would be “the end of parliamentary democracy” in the UK, Dominic Grieve has said in defending his move to seek to remove the option.

Dominic Grieve

Grieve’s amendment, which has cross-party support including from a handful of fellow Conservative MPs, is to the Northern Ireland bill going through the Commons, and would require fortnightly reports on that country’s formation of an executive, which has been vacant since 2017.

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Grieve said the amendment calls for “regular motions before parliament in September and particularly October”. If passed, it would prevent the parliamentary session being prorogued, or abruptly ended, in the lead-up to the 31 October departure date.

Updated

Former British ambassador to US says leaker is 'villain'

Whoever is behind the leak of sensitive diplomatic messages was intent on sabotaging the British ambassador to the US in order for them to be replaced by someone “more congenial”, a person who formerly held the role has claimed.

Sir Christopher Meyer said there was a “possible range of villains” who could be responsible for the leaking of memos in which Sir Kim Darroch described the US administration under Donald Trump as “inept”.

Sir Christopher told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Here there is a possible range of villains who come into the frame. But it was clearly somebody who set out, deliberately, to sabotage Sir Kim’s ambassadorship, to make his position untenable, and to have him replaced by somebody more congenial to the leaker.”

There has been fierce criticism of the mystery leaker from government ministers.

The person or people behind it should “regret the moment for the rest of their life”, Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said, while defence minister Tobias Ellwood suggested the leaker put “self-interest above country”.

A formal leak investigation has been launched by the Foreign Office, and in the Commons there were calls for a police investigation amid widespread anger at the diplomatic fall-out.

Foreign Secretary and Conservative Party leadership contender Jeremy Hunt said “all avenues of inquiry” would be explored to find out how it happened.

Hunt told The Sun: “Of course it would be massively concerning if it was the act of a foreign, hostile state.

“I’ve seen no evidence that that’s the case, but we’ll look at the leak inquiry very carefully.”

Updated

William Hague, the former leader of the Conservative party, has said that leadership hopefuls Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson should rule out dissolving parliament to get through a no-deal Brexit.

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Hague said: “He should rule it out. For a Conservative government to go ahead with a no-deal Brexit, in defiance of the pleas of business and farming organisations, and increasing the risks to the union of the United Kingdom, and defying any attempts to have a vote in Parliament, would be an extraordinary combination of things to do, so yes I do think Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt should rule that out.”

He supported former attorney general, Dominic Grieve, bringing the amendment against prorogation:“I think it’s very important that parliament is able to give its opinion. It ought to be unthinkable that we could leave the EU by a manoeuvre, by a procedural ruse of some kind.”

He added: “While I don’t agree with everything Dominic has said or tried to do, I sympathise with attempts to ensure that Parliament can have its say.”

Updated

William Hague says 'you can't change an ambassador' on demand

Trump has criticised the UK ambassador, following a leak in which he described the US president as “inept” and “dysfunctional”.

But this morning, people have come out in defence of Sir Kim Darroch, the UK’s ambassador to Washington. Tory former foreign secretary Lord William Hague told the BBC: “You can’t change an ambassador at the demand of a host country.

William Hague

“It is their job to give an honest assessment of what is happening in that country.”

A former British ambassador to the US , Sir Christopher Meyer, branded Trump “insecure”.

He said: “It just shows President Trump’s sensitivity.

Updated

What is happening today in Westminster?

The House of Commons sits from 11.30am with an hour of justice questions. It could be one of the last times the secretary of state for Justice, David Gauke, appears in this role, after the Tory MP said he will quit the cabinet if Johnson becomes prime minister. He made this announcement as he would want to fight a no-deal Brexit.

If he was to leave by the end of the month it would mean that the government would need to appoint their seventh justice secretary in just seven years.

Elsewhere, Parliament will host broadcasting legend David Attenborough today. He will be giving evidence on climate change to the Commons business committee at 10 am.

David Attenborough at glastonbury

On Tuesday, student climate network activists will also meet political leaders including Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable and SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford.

From 10.30am, the department for culture, media and sport committee will question senior Channel 4 executives.

The health secretary Matt Hancock is giving evidence to the Commons Health and Social Care Committee from 2.30pm.

Outside of Westminster, in Brussels, the Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay will meet Michel Barnier this afternoon.

Updated

Labour group call to abolish Eton and other elite schools

A Labour group is campaigning to abolish Eton, and other elite private schools in England.

Activists are aiming to capitalise on Boris Johnson’s likely election as Conservative leader and are circulating a motion for the party’s conference in September that would commit a Labour government to stripping fee-paying schools of their privileges and integrating them into the state system.

The group, Labour Against Private Schools, launched the campaign on Tuesday using the @AbolishEtonTwitter handle. It is backed by a number of Labour MPs including the former party leader Ed Miliband.

MPs prepare to vote on the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill at 7pm this evening.

Much attention is on the speaker John Bercow who will announce at mid-morning which amendments have been selected for votes, and there are three which could have a seismic impact.

  • Labour MP Conor McGinn’s “new clause 1”, which would legalize gay marriage in Northern Ireland.
  • Labour colleague Diana Johnson’s “new clause 9” which would force ministers to review abortion rights in the province.
  • Dominic Grieve’s amendment to prevent the next prime minister from proroguing parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.

A former British ambassador to the US has branded president Donald Trump “insecure” over the diplomatic war of words raging between London and Washington DC.

Referring to Trump’s declaration he would no longer deal with the UK’s ambassador Sir Kim Darroch, previous occupant of the post Sir Christopher Meyer told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It just shows President Trump’s sensitivity.

“His insecurity, which Sir Kim himself bore witness to.”

Referring to whoever leaked diplomatic cables from Sir Kim, Sir
Christopher said: “Here there is a possible range of villains who come into the frame.

“But, it was clearly somebody who set out, deliberately, to sabotage Sir Kim’s ambassadorship, to make his position untenable, and to have him replaced by somebody more congenial to the leaker.”

Hunt and Johnson head to head this evening in TV debate

Exactly a year ago today Boris Johnson quit as foreign secretary in protest at Theresa May’s Brexit plan. One year on, and the former mayor is making a play to be prime minister.

The final two Tory leadership hopefuls – Jeremy Hunt and Johnson – will go head to head on a live TV debate this evening. Millions of viewers will tune in to ITV1 at 8 pm as they battle it out before a live audience in Salford, Greater Manchester.

The discussion will be hosted by TV newsreader and journalist ,Julie Etchingham, who will moderate the hour-long debate, with audience members asking questions pre-vetted by ITV.

Updated

Theresa May defends British ambassador to Washington

Welcome to the live blog, where we will be running through the political news of the day.

On Tuesday, the main story is US president Donald Trump’s scathing attack on Theresa May and the British ambassador to Washington, Kim Darroch. The diplomat’s frank assessments of Trump as “inept” and “dysfunctional” were leaked to the Mail on Sunday, prompting the president to launch a tirade against Darroch.

Kim Darroch, L, and Donald Trump, R
Kim Darroch, L, and Donald Trump, R. In leaked memos the UK ambassador in Washington, Kim Darroch, reportedly describes Trump as ‘insecure’. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Photograph: PA

He said: “I do not know the ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US. We will no longer deal with him. The good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new prime minister. While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent state visit last month, it was the Queen who I was most impressed with!”

May last night vowed to stand by Darroch. In a statement issued at 10.19 p.m, a UK government spokesman said Darroch maintains the prime minister’s “full support”.

The US president also took aim against May and her representatives, saying they had made a “mess” over Brexit, contrary to his advice. Just weeks ago, he praised the prime minister in person on his state visit to the UK, saying she had done a “very good job”.

Updated

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