i Newspaper

Tim Farron was right to resign as Liberal Democrat leader because of his "fundamentally illiberal and prejudiced views" on gay sex, former Lib Dem minister David Laws has said.

Mr Farron announced he was standing down as leader on Wednesday, saying he had been unable to reconcile his Christian faith with the demands of leading a "progressive, liberal" party.

But Mr Laws, who is openly gay, accused the Lib Dem leader of fostering a "dangerous myth" about how people in same-sex relationships should be treated by society.

He said Mr Farron's views had harmed the Lib Dem election campaign, which saw the party gain just four seats rather than making the hoped-for breakthrough.

Writing for the i newspaper, the former chief secretary to the Treasury said:

Mr Laws said "many of us have despaired" that all the "good work" of Liberal Democrats such as Lynne Featherstone, who drove through the equal marriage legislation under the coalition, had been "undermined by Tim's failure to be able to give direct and liberal responses on his own attitudes to homosexuality".

Former Lib Dem business secretary Sir Vince Cable has urged the chancellor to "hold his ground and put membership of the single market and customs union back on the table".

Sir Vince was reacting to the news that Mr Hammond had cancelled his Mansion House speech in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

The Lib Dems had hoped the chancellor was going to set out a more pragmatic approach to Brexit that was focused on protecting jobs and the economy.

Sir Vince accused the Conservatives of being "egged on by the DUP" to plough ahead with "a deeply damaging exit" from the single market and customs union.

"The chancellor should hold his ground and put membership of the single market and customs union back on the table. Brexit should be negotiated involving other parties, not by a government in hock to the DUP."

Westminster Hall

Housing Minister Alok Sharma winds up the Westminster Hall debate on the Grenfell Tower tragedy by saying that "every single family" affected "will be rehoused in the local area" - Labour MPs had been pushing for an early commitment to help reassure those who have lost their homes in the disaster.

Westminster Hall

Fire Minister Nick Hurd says he understands the need for reassurance for people and says the challenge of rehousing people will be "on the agenda this afternoon" and he hopes to be in a position to make "clearer assurances" afterwards.

On the public inquiry, he says there will be "no stone [left] unturned" because he said ministers "completely understand" the shock, anger, frustration and fear felt in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

He says it was a "very unusual fire" that had yet to be fully understood. It should not happen in Britain, he says, but it appeared to have been an unusual fire in terms of its scale and the speed at which it spread.

The government had to proceed "on a basis of strong evidence and fact", he said.

Westminster Hall

Minister Nick Hurd describes events as a "national tragedy" as MPs wrap up their discussion of events in Westminster Hall. He says the discussion had reflected the "deep profound shock" that was felt across the country by the disaster.

"If you've stood at the bottom of that building and looked up, nothing you can see on the TV can prepare you" he says for the "terror that must have been felt" on that night. He praises the bravery of firefighters who went in.

"That shock and sadness have been very well articulated today," he says, adding anger in the community was "understandable" and must be listened to by the government, the minister says.

Westminster Hall

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says all the questions that have been asked are serious and require answers.

He calls on ministers to give an assurance that there will be a written statement about how they are dealing with this inquiry and asks them to provide a full statement on this whole process.

He argues that "it's simply not satisfactory that we're meeting in Westminster Hall" when MPs have raised very important issues that need answers.

He adds that the public also need "reassurance" and above all those that have lost their homes need to know they have somewhere to stay "permanently in the community they love".

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Kate Green says residents need to know what to do in the face of a tower block blaze.

She says it will be "very difficult to persuade frightened people" now that the best advice is to stay in their property, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower blaze.

"Everything we know about fire deaths and this kind of atrocity is its the poorest people in the poorest properties that are the most vulnerable," she says.

Westminster Hall

Labour MP for Brighton Kempton Lloyd Russell-Moyle says people in tower blocks have been contacting him to say they now cannot sleep they are so worried about the potential for fire.

The fire service must have full resources to do full inspections across all blocks within a week, he says "so that residents can sleep easy at night", as they have lost faith in other bodies, he says.

Downing Street has confirmed that the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower tragedy will be led by a judge.

In Westminster Hall, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith said he has had emails from people in tower blocks across London who were "desperately anxious" about their own accommodation.

He says local authorities must be "charged with that responsibility" - for reviewing accommodation - as a matter of urgency and must get resources to do so, within days or weeks "not months".

In Westminster Hall, Conservative MP James Cleverly, a former chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, says this will be the "most significant and harrowing event" that many firefighters will have had to deal with an an "enhanced support package" was also needed for them - as well as for residents.

Labour's Seema Malhotra, MP for Feltham and Heston, says the west London coroners' service face much "strain and stress" which must be matched with extra resources.

The proceedings in the Grand Committee Room are not following the pattern of a statement in the Commons chamber, with two ministers responding to questions.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who spoke earlier, is among the MPs listening.

Conservative Vicky Ford says: "There will be many people who work in tall buildings .. and they too will be fearful."

Any findings into stopping such fires in residential buildings should also cover workplaces, she says.

Home Office Minister Nick Hurd said he wanted to reassure MPs that the government would do "everything that we can" to support Kensington and Chelsea in providing those who have lost their homes with suitable housing.

Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North, said it should be possible to go to the housing associations and private providers in London today and make a commitment that every family and household will be guaranteed accommodation locally. That is needed to reduce "fear and anxiety", she said.

Mr Hurd says the point is "well made" and he will take it to the next cross-government meeting he is attending.

Housing minister Alok Sharma said the government "stands ready to provide any assistance necessary" to the emergency services and local authority.

"We will support every family who is affected," he told MPs.

Work was under way to carry out checks on other buildings, he said.

"We do recognise that we need to be taking action .. to get the answers that everybody wants," he said.

Westminster Hall

Image source, AFP

In Westminster Hall, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he "feels very angry" about the way the fire spread and how the community has been left "traumatised".

Residents he met were angry that they had raised concerns about safety and had not received any answers. Everybody living in a tower block will now be frightened, Mr Corbyn said.

The public inquiry must be swift, he said, and he suggested empty luxury flats in the area should "requisitioned" to prevent the victims being farmed out to seaside "bed and breakfasts".

Westminster Hall

Labour MP David Lammy has made a plea for criminal investigations to be launched in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, during a specially arranged session in Westminster Hall.

He spoke about a friend who lived on the 20th floor of the block and who is still missing. He said she had posted on Facebook at 3 o'clock to say she was "feeling faint".

The grand committee room is packed with MPs and the media as London Labour MPs are lining up to call for action and accountability.

Karen Buck said "we cannot wait years" to make safety improvements.

She said the government must provide cash to make sure no-one is made homeless by the tragedy and for legal assistance.

Westminster Hall

More from Westminster Hall where Fire Minister Nick Hurd is taking questions about the Grenfell Tower tragedy from MPs.

New Labour MP for Kensington Emma Dent Coad said the community had been "traumatised" and said it must be a priority to ensure survivors remained together when they were re-housed.

She called for an "urgent, transparent and detailed response" adding: "They need answers."

Labour's John Healey said the PM did not have to wait for the outcome of public inquiry to take action and should start installing sprinklers in high-rise blocks across the country and should implement the findings of inquest into a previous fire.

Mr Hurd, a Conservative, said: "Our focus remains on the immediate emergency response and ensuring we are supporting people affected by this tragedy."