Summary

  • Chancellor George Osborne announces sale of remaining 30% of government stake in Royal Mail

  • Ed Miliband takes part in Commons debate on economy - his first speech since the election

  • Culture Secretary John Whittingdale says there could be good case for re-running World Cup bidding

  • No 10 says David Cameron to write to IPSA urging a rethink on plans for 10% pay rise for MPs

  • Two MPs make legal challenge to emergency surveillance law

  • Ex-German foreign minister warns UK not to be too sure of German support in EU reform

  1. Parliamentary businesspublished at 09:48

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Culture, Media and Sport Questions is under way in the Commons. We'll bring you the key updates - but don't forget that you can follow details on everything that's happening in Parliament on Westminster Live

  2. Question Timepublished at 09:46

    Tonight's panel...

  3. The big issuespublished at 09:45

    Daily Telegraph journalist tweets...

  4. Proposed pay rise for MPspublished at 09:35

    Norman Smith
    Assistant political editor

    There is mounting pressure on the prime minister. Why? Well very obviously because at a time when most in the public sector are just going to get a 1% increase, MPs seem on course for a whopping great 10% increase. 

    That's not the prime minister's decision, that is the decision of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. Nevertheless it looks dreadful at a time when you're trying to curb public sector pay. 

    But it has taken on much more of sharp political edge because of decision of some key figures at Westminster to say "look, we won't take the money, we will give it to charity". 

  5. Scotland 'being left out on energy'published at 09:28

    Fergus Ewing

    The Scottish Government's energy minister has claimed Scotland is being frozen out of key decisions on green energy.

    The Conservative UK government plans to stop subsidies to onshore wind power. David Cameron has pledged to consult with Scotland before any change.

    But SNP minister Fergus Ewing has written to UK counterpart Amber Rudd saying he has not received any information on the possible implications. 

    Quote Message

    It is disappointing that I have not had the opportunity to engage with you on this ahead of it being a matter for speculation in the press. We have not received any information from your department on the possible options you are considering or what analysis has been done to assess the impact on projects in Scotland."

  6. Top 20 in MPs' ballotpublished at 09:18

    Here's the full Top 20 chart for private members' bills. The ones at the top have the most chance of getting their bill into law.

    Position in the ballot

    1. Rob Marris2. Chris Heaton-Harris3. Sir Gerald Howarth4. Julie Cooper5. Wendy Morton6. Teresa Pearce7. Mike Wood8. Nick Thomas-Symonds9. Ms Karen Buck10. Simon Hoare11. Dame Angela Watkinson12. Lilian Greenwood13. Sir William Cash14. William Wragg15. Heidi Allen16. Vicky Foxcroft17. Mark Pawsey 18. Mr Geoffrey Cox19. James Cleverly20. Caroline Ansell

    There's more info here on the Parliament website, external

  7. Urgent questionpublished at 09:13

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Andy BurnhamImage source, PA

    Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham has been granted an Urgent Question later this morning in the Commons asking for a statement on the "success regime" applied to failing hospitals. 

  8. Private members ballotpublished at 09:06

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Rob Marris has come top in the annual ballot to determine which backbenchers get to propose new laws to Parliament. 

  9. Ed's plan to oust PMpublished at 09:05

    Ed MilibandImage source, EPA

    Patrick Wintour, the Guardian's political editor, has written an account of Labour's election campaign. In it, he highlights "a detailed action plan" drawn up by the party to start to oust David Cameron from Downing Street in the event of a hung Parliament. 

    According to the piece, none of the post-election scenarios considered by Ed Miliband and his party involved a Tory majority.

    More here, external.  

  10. Police funding cutspublished at 08:50

    Generic police picture

    The National Audit Office says the Home Office has "insufficient information" on how much further it can cut police funding in England and Wales without "degrading services".

    It said ministers lacked information to know when a police force was at risk of being "unable to deliver services".

    Police funding was cut by 18% in real terms from 2010-16, and "significant" further cuts are expected, it added.

    Minister Mike Penning said forces still had funds "to do their important work".

    More here.

  11. 'We will give pay rise to charity'published at 08:40

    Norman Smith
    Assistant political editor

    Tim Farron and Norman LambImage source, PA

    The two leading Lib Dem leadership candidates have said they will not take the planned pay rise for MPs. Tim Farron and Norman Lamb have both pledged to give the money to charity. It means all the main opposition party leaders and candidates to be leader have now pledged to reject the rise.

  12. MPs' pay risepublished at 08:28

    Amid opposition to the move from ministers and other MPs, Downing Street is to write to IPSA saying now is not the time for a pay rise for MPs. The body - which decides on pay for elected parliamentarians at Westminster - has said only new or compelling evidence would lead to a change in their decision.  

    MPs' pay is a "profoundly difficult and awkward issue", our assistant political editor Norman Smith says. He adds that the government is trying to negotiate the issue with as little political damage as possible. 

  13. World Cup rerun?published at 08:25

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    A lot of countries will be standing ready to host the World Cup if the process is reopened, says former sports minister  Richard Caborn. If the Garcia report find massive corruption in the decisions to award for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, England would be in the frame, he says. 

  14. Fifa rowpublished at 08:23

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Former Fifa Vice President Jack Warner has said in a TV appearance that he will prove a link between soccer's governing body and the national elections in his native Trinidad and Tobago

    Former FBI deputy general counsel, Lisa Osofsky,has said his statement is extraordinary. She says the FBI will have a plan for how to deal with such a situation and will have assessed the relationship between the US Justice Department and authorities in Trinidad and Tobago. 

    She predicts alleged corruption in Fifa will have touched jurisdictions across the world. 

    Watch Warner's broadcast

  15. Dickens letterspublished at 08:19

    Screen grab

    Letters from the 1980s have been released, in which MP Geoffrey Dickens called for then-Home Secretary Leon Brittan to ban a pro-paedophilia group.

    In 1983, The Conservative MP wrote he "would not rest" until the Paedophile Information Exchange was outlawed.

    Lord Brittan wanted to see if existing laws proved adequate first.

    The letters between Lord Brittan and Mr Dickens, who died in 1995, have been made public after a Freedom of Information request from the BBC.

    Read more

  16. New role for Blairpublished at 08:16

    Tony Blair

    Tony Blair is to become the chairman of an organisation that combats anti-Semitism and racism in Europe.

    The former UK prime minister will join the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, which has campaigned for tougher laws on extremism.

    Mr Blair is standing down this month as the Middle East envoy representing the US, Russia, the UN and the EU.

    He will not be paid in his new role, but his faith foundation will reportedly receive an annual donation.

    The ECTR describes itself as an "opinion-making and advisory body".

    Read more

  17. Surveillance lawspublished at 08:14

    Tom Watson and David DavisImage source, Getty

    The High Court is to hear a legal challenge to the government's emergency surveillance law brought by two MPs.

    The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act was fast-tracked through Parliament in three days last July.

    It allows Britain's intelligence agencies to gather people's phone and internet communications data.

    But former Conservative minister David Davis and Labour's Tom Watson will argue that the legislation is incompatible with human rights.

    Individuals or organisations have the power to seek a judicial review of any decision by a public body that they believe has been made unlawfully.

    Read more

  18. German warningpublished at 08:12

    Joschka Fischer

    Former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer has warned British PM David Cameron not to be too sure of German support in his bid to reform the EU.

    It comes a week after German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged to try to find a solution to the UK's drive for reform.

    Mr Fischer, an architect of European foreign policy, told the BBC that the UK was not a priority for Mrs Merkel.

    Mr Cameron is starting renegotiation of the terms of Britain's EU membership ahead of a referendum.

    Read more

  19. Good morningpublished at 08:10

    Hello and welcome to our rolling political coverage. There's no one political story dominating at the moment - but there are developments on data surveillance laws, a German warning over the EU referendum, MPs' pay and we are expecting Culture Secretary John Whittingdale to talk about the latest events at Fifa.