Ben Bradshaw: 'Government's treatment of Prince Andrew is despicable'

Former Labour minister Ben Bradshaw has described as "despicable" the claim by a Downing Street source that more revelations about Prince Andrew could make his role as UK trade envoy untenable.

Mr Bradshaw said it showed a pattern of "arrogance, incompetence and confusion" at the heart of David Cameron's government and called on the prime minister to "get a grip".

Business Secretary Vince Cable earlier defended the Duke of York's "very good" work, following criticism of the prince's friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier.