Image source, PA

The public have a right to know if they have been deceived over rail projects, Labour shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher has said.

In a letter to the prime minister he said ministers appeared to have decided to wait until after the election before making the extent of problems with electrification projects public.

He wrote: "These are projects that you and your ministers repeatedly promised to deliver ahead of and throughout the general election, including in the Conservative Party manifesto."

Read more here.

Prime Minister David Cameron has met the French President Francois Hollande briefly this morning on the margins of the EU Summit and expressed his sympathy for the incident near the French city of Lyon

One British government source said: "The prime minister has spoken to President Hollande and expressed his sympathy for what clearly looks like an appalling incident there. 

Voters were "conned" by Conservative assurances that rail upgrades would go ahead, a former member of the transport select committee has said.

Labour MP Graham Stringer said the transport secretary had told the committee before the election that electrification projects were safe.

Yesterday Patrick McLoughlin told Parliament a number of modernisation projects planned for Network Rail would be delayed or cut back .

Mr Stringer told the BBC: "Both at select committee meetings and in our reports Patrick McLaughlin was asked 'are the electrification projects under threat, will the overspend effect the cross-pennine route?'. He said it's all ok, there's no threat to it.

"I think he conned the electorate because they said this would happen and now it's delayed indefinitely."

Image source, AFP

Elsewhere, many news outlets are reporting on the breaking news that a man has been beheaded, and at least one other person injured, in a suspected Islamist attack on a factory near the French city of Lyon.

Several small explosive devices were also set off at the Air Products factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, sources said.

The alleged attacker is said to have been carrying an Islamist flag, which was found nearby.

A man has been arrested, officials say.

The French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve is said to be on his way to the scene.

For the full BBC online coverage of this story click here

Image source, AP

Andy Burnham - who is vying to be the next Labour leader - has admitted in an interview that his support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality has in the past damaged his relationship with parts of his own family.

In an article for Pink News, external the MP, who from a Catholic background, said: "I don’t say this to elicit any sympathy but a relative of mine died last night who was a councillor on Liverpool city council for many years, and he and I were very close, but the one time we fell out massively was over same-sex marriage, and it was a real fall-out.

“I have caused myself to change my own relationships, not just with the church but with members of my own family, in this cause…"

Image source, PA

In other news, security fears have been raised over the Dalai Lama's visit to the UK as hundreds of people are expected at protests against the exiled spiritual leader. 

The 79-year-old Tibetan is set to appear at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday before travelling to Aldershot in Hampshire, where he will open a Buddhist community centre.

But his visit will be marked by protests by the International Shugden Community (ISC), who claim the Dalai Lama is engaged in the persecution of Shugden Buddhists in Tibetan exile.

MP Tim Loughton, of the all-party parliamentary group on Tibet, said the Dalai Lama had been "afforded no police protection" and he has written to the Home Secretary Theresa May to request that he has some. 

Image source, Reuters

Labour leadership contender Yvette Cooper has said the party should aim to double its tally of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) MPs at the next general election. 

The shadow home secretary said if she wins the race to succeed Ed Miliband she would personally oversee a new taskforce to ensure a "step change" in support for BAME candidates and activists. 

Currently 23 of the party's 232 MPs are from such communities. 

"Labour should set a goal to double the number of BAME MPs in a Labour majority Parliament," Ms Cooper said.

LBC

The former Transport for London boss has warned about the number of private hire cabs - as opposed to black cabs - driving round the city.

Sir Peter Hendy - who has been named as the new boss of troubled Network Rail - said there should be a limit on the number of private hire licenses for cabs in London.

"I'm worried about the scale of congestion that's causing both in people parking in the West End and the number of PHVs driving round," he said.

Hendy's comments come in the wake of violent protests from taxi drivers in France who have recently protested about the lack of business caused to them by people using the the low-cost car-sharing service UberPOP.  

LBC

Image source, PA

Sir Peter Hendy the new chairman of Network Rail - as announced by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin yesterday - is currently on LBC Radio.

He says he has spoken to the outgoing chairman Richard Parry-Jones and that he had "sympathy" for him.

Hendy, a former London bus driver who rose through the ranks to run the city's entire transport network as Commissioner of TfL, said a week ago he had no idea that he would be asked to take over National Rail.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

EU leaders were "open to listening" to David Cameron's call for reform, reckons Estonia's Prime Minister, Taavi Roivas, who was in the room for the UK PM's pitch. 

Asked if he thought Mr Cameron's renegotiation would succeed, he said: "I hope it does. Because the EU is much better off with Britain inside ... Britain is better off while as a member of the EU." 

Image source, EPA

BBC News Channel

On the subject of the UK's EU membership, Virgin mogul Richard Branson has just told the BBC: "Europe has become this massive trading bloc and I don't want to see that disappear....

"By all means get out there and negotiate and try and improve things, but don't risk messing up something that's worked very well for many years."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Here's a bit more detail on the main story of the day - David Cameron's efforts to renegotiate the UK's membership of the EU.

Mr Cameron has said he is delighted that process is now "properly under way".

The PM was speaking in the early hours after formally setting out his aims to EU counterparts in Brussels.

He addressed EU leaders for 10 minutes at a summit dominated by the migrant crisis and Greek debt, although his exact speech was not reported.

The European Council's Donald Tusk said there was a will to help the UK.

Get the full story here.

Up to 20 Labour politicians are vying for various party positions, including the four leadership contenders, but who is going to pay for their campaigns?

The BBC's Ross Hawkins has been doing some digging and found that the usual suspects, such as the trade unions and New Labour grandee Lord Sainsbury, appear reluctant to put their hands in their pockets this time.

Read his full analysis here. 

Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of the day's political news. It's the final day of the EU Council meeting in Brussels. Late last night, after hours of heated discussion, European leaders have agreed to take in tens of thousands of migrants who've arrived in the EU -- but only on a voluntary basis.

David Cameron has professed himself "delighted" with efforts to kick start reform talks. More on that as the day goes on no doubt.

 Otherwise, it's a fairly light diary. Stick with us though, because things always happen on a Friday...