Nigel Dodds is asked about his reported attendance at the wake of a prominent UVF paramilitary, John Bingham, in the 1986. The DUP deputy leader confirms he was there - but he stresses that it was not in support of the UVF, saying: "My record is very, very clear."

Labour is to organise a series of "citizens' assemblies" to look at how to make politics "work for everyone, reports grassroots website Labourlist., external

Speaking last night at a Labourlist event on the party's future, shadow constitutional convention minister Jon Trickett told supporters: "We need to build a wide, far-reaching movement for change”. He said:

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Democratic Unionst Party deputy leader Nigel Dodds gives his response to shadow chancellor John McDonnell's apology for saying in 2003 that IRA members should be "honoured".

Mr Dodds says he's "glad at long last" Mr McDonnell had addressed the issue.  But he says the new shadow chancellor's apology is "undermined" by the "self-justification" of his remarks. 

In his apology, Mr McDonnell said he had been trying to give both sides of the conflict a way to lay down arms with "some form of dignity". But Mr Dodds says Mr McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn played "no role whatsoever" in the peace process and have a "long record of support for the republican movement".

He also notes the peace agreement was signed in 1999, and Mr McDonnell's comments came in 2003.

He says the support of the "hard left" for the republican movement is "totally unrepresentative of the wider Labour movement".

The SNP has held a South Ayrshire Council ward following a by-election which was called after the previous incumbent was elected as an MP.

The SNP's John Wallace won the Ayr East ward on second-preference votes after the Tories beat them in the first round.

Turnout was 34.4%, with 4,006 votes cast out of an electorate of 11,638.

The by-election was called following the resignation of Corri Wilson, who was elected as SNP MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock earlier this year.

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Eleanor Mills, Editorial Director of The Sunday Times, says she thinks there "fatigue" in England with the Scottish independence question. She feels there's a sense of SNP "mission creep", and she's "slightly annoyed" with them. She says the Scottish people "spoke strongly" last year when they voted to remain a part of the UK, by a 10% margin.   

Image source, Thinkstock

A year ago Scotland voted "No" to independence by 55% to 45%.

It looked as though what the Scottish National Party itself had said was a "once in a generation" event had indeed delivered the "decisive" verdict for which the UK government at least had been hoping.

Scotland was, it seemed, firmly set to remain in the Union.

But a year on the referendum does not look to have been so "decisive" after all.

The country remains more or less evenly divided on whether it should become independent or not.

Read more here.

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Journalist Owen Jones says Labour faces a "profound" challenge in Scotland, having been reduced to just one MP north of the border at May's general election. 

Ex-Labour voters in Scotland have "nothing but contempt" for their old party, he says - and in Holyrood polls the SNP are riding high. "The idea of turning that around in eight months to me seems absolutely absurd."

Is there not a danger that keeping the issue of Scottish independence alive it will create uncertainty for businesses? Stewart Hosie says the SNP won't be seeking "a specific mandate" in the 2016 Holyrood elections, rather it is saying the issue "hasn't gone away" and it will be setting out how the party would act if public opinion changed.

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Following Nicola Sturgeon's speech this morning, in which said said David Cameron was "living on borrowed time" as he seeks to prevent Scotland leaving the UK, SNP Deputy leader Stewart Hosie is asked what would trigger another Scottish referendum?

He cites the planned in/out EU referendum as an example, saying Scotland would not want to be "dragged" towards a Brexit. Failure to deliver on promises made to Scotland and further devolution would boost support for Scottish independence, he claims.

What about if Parliament agrees to renew Trident? Mr Hosie doubts that would be a trigger, but again he thinks it would encourage more Scots to back leaving the UK.

There was some chatter yesterday about the prospect of Labour defections to the Liberal Democrats, after the latter's leader, Tim Farron, said he had been taking calls and texts from Labour MPs unhappy with their new leadership.

But the New Statesman's George Eaton says there's "no chance" of defections, external to the Lib Dems or the Tories. He says he's seen "no evidence" that any Labour MPs are considering it, and argues that party modernisers want to "reclaim" their party, not leave it.

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Andrew Neil is joined for an hour of politics with the Guardian's Owen Jones - a prominent supporter of Jeremy Corbyn - and the editorial director of the Sunday Times, Eleanor Mills.

Guests will include the SNP's deputy leader Stewart Hosie and Joe Pike - author of Project Fear, the inside story of the Better Together campaign - to talk about the Scottish Referendum, where the result was announced 12 months ago.

Nigel Dodds, DUP deputy leader, will be asked about Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell's apology for his previous calls for IRA terrorists to be honoured.

And we’ll have a film from Adam Fleming at Dismaland in Somerset, which was set up by the mysterious street artist Banksy, and we'll hear from the Cabinet office minister and MP for Weston Super Mare, John Penrose

And on the opening day of the Rugby World Cup, Ellie Price scrums down with a film from the Parliamentary Rugby World Cup before Mark Mitchell, captain of the New Zealand Parliamentary Rugby team, joins the panel in the studio.

Alastair Campbell was clearly watching shadow chancellor John McDonnell's appearance on Question Time last night, when he was pressed on controversial comments he made in the past about the IRA and the peace process in Northern Ireland. Read our story here. The Irish Diaries Mr Campbell refers to was a volume of diaries from his time as Tony Blair's director of communications, specifically relating to Northern Ireland, published in 2013. 

In case you missed it earlier, here's former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling talking to the Today programme about the party's new leadership.

In a diary piece for The Spectator, former Labour MP Chris Mullin (author of A Very British Coup) reveals that some of Jeremy Corbyn's admirers extend to "the higher reaches of the Conservative party". He writes:, external

John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, suggests the SNP and Jeremy Corbyn have once thing in common - they both believe in "fancy economics". He tells Sky News that next year's Holyrood election will be dominated by the question of a second independence referendum and only Scottish Labour - led by Kezia Dugdale - will be able to lead the argument against this as Mr Corbyn and other Westminster politicians have "no legitimacy" in Scotland. He uses an interesting analogy to make the point that a "class warrior" like Mr Corbyn isn't the right person to take on Nicola Sturgeon. 

Image source, AFP

One of China's most senior politicians is visiting Wales to discuss how the two countries can form closer links.

Chinese vice-premier Liu Yandong will meet First Minister Carwyn Jones in Cardiff on Friday as part of a two-day visit.

The Welsh and Chinese governments will also sign a memorandum of understanding on cultural matters.

Mrs Liu is the most senior Chinese leader to visit since former premier Wen Jiabao in 2000.

More here.

Image source, Fuse/Getty Images

Patients would get a cancer diagnosis within 28 days if Plaid Cymru is in power after the 2016 assembly election, the party has announced.

It has promised to build three cancer diagnostic test centres to "match England" in waiting times and service.

The party estimates the centres would cost about £30m to build.

Plaid's analysis of official statistics suggest just 0.9% of patients in England wait more than six weeks for an MRI scan, compared to 32.3% in Wales.

Here's the story.

Douglas Fraser
Scotland business & economy editor

Image source, Thinkstock

The 'No' majority in the independence referendum last year is being explained by an unusual alliance of Scotland's youngest voters, its average earners, Protestants and women.

A breakdown of voting patterns, drawn from a survey of 5,000 Scots conducted soon after the referendum day, runs counter to the widespread belief that there was a clear split between older and young voters, or that higher earners backed the United Kingdom.

It did, however, confirm other polling evidence that women were decisive in the result. While men were 53% for 'Yes', women were 57% for 'No'.

More here.