Politics Live: Monday 12 October 2015

Summary

Group launched to campaign for UK to stay in EU in referendum
Chairman Lord Rose says leaving EU 'not worth the risk'
Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson refuses to apologise over Lord Brittan allegations
Labour performs a U-turn on its support for the government's fiscal charter
MPs return to the House of Commons after party conferences break

Live Reporting

Tom Moseley, Alex Hunt and Pippa Simm

Point of order on Tom Watsonpublished at 16:50
House of Commons
Parliament
Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Soames raises a point of order in the House of Commons to ask Commons Speaker John Bercow whether Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has requested an opportunity to apologise in the House for his public comments on sex abuse allegations about former Tory Home Secretary Leon Brittan.
Mr Bercow says he hasn't received any request, but indicates that Tom Watson is in the chamber and wishing to speak.
Labour 'opposing Osborne plan'published at 16:40
Channel 4 News economics editor tweets
Labour had said it would, external vote in favour of George Osborne's charter, which commits the government to a goal of balancing day-to-day spending - the structural current deficit - by 2017-18.
It would also ensure that debt is falling as a percentage of GDP by 2016-17.
Right-to-buypublished at 16:30
House of Commons
Parliament
At Westminster, MPs are debating an urgent question about the government's changes to the right-to-buy rules. You can follow it live here.
Farage dons hi-vispublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 12 October 2015
BBC political correspondent tweets
Watson response predictionspublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 12 October 2015
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MPs to debate cannabis legalisationpublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 12 October 2015
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House of Commons
Parliament
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Watson 'to respond to Tory points of order' on Brittanpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 12 October 2015
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PM: Tom Watson 'should examine his conscience'published at 15:25
LBC
David Cameron has said the Labour deputy leader, Tom Watson has "questions to answer" over his public comments on sex abuse allegations. Speaking on LBC radio earlier, he said:
Quote Message
It's clear I think that he's got a lot of questions to answer and the House of Commons select committees are quite rightly going to ask him some questions so I'm sure he should answer those questions and examine his conscience about whether he's said enough so far."
Read more on this story
Redcar steel plantpublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 12 October 2015
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Ex-MP Sir George Young joins House of Lordspublished at 15:10
Image source, bbc
The House of Lords is also back to business after the summer recess, beginning with a ceremony introducing newly-appointed peers. Sir George Young, former MP and leader of the House of Commons, is among them. Swapping the green benches for red, he takes the title Lord Young of Cookham.
Philip Smith, chief executive of the Association of Conservative Clubs, als joins the Conservative benches in the House of Lords, as Lord Smith of Hindhead.
Commons Speaker pays tribute to Healey and Howepublished at 14:48
Commons Speaker John Bercow opens the Commons session with a tribute to former Labour chancellor Denis Healey and former Conservative chancellor Geoffrey Howe who recently died.
"On any yardstick... they were quite outstanding parliamentarians who served their constituents, parties and their country with unwavering loyalty and distinction," the Speaker tells MPs.
Quote Message
Intellectually and politically formidable, they will be greatly missed. They had impressive hinterlands both of them and I hope the House will wish to join me in extending condolences to their families and friends."
Parliament returns from recesspublished at 14:36
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Met: Assange police presence 'no longer proportionate'published at 14:34 British Summer Time 12 October 2015
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Price of Brexit 'lower than ever', says Borispublished at 14:32
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Police stop guarding Assange embassypublished at 14:30
Image source, PA
London's Metropolitan Police have stopped guarding the Ecuadorean Embassy where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has sought refuge, Scotland Yard has said.
Follow the developing story here.
'Lazy rhetoric'published at 14:25
The Huffington Post
On the row within Labour about air strikes in Syria, with many of the party's MPs not sharing party leader Jeremy Corbyn's opposition to military action, Jess Phillips, one of the 2015 intake, writes:
Quote Message
This is not a rebellion in order to have a go at Corbyn. It is lazy, self-indulgent rhetoric to think that any MP would drop a bomb to have a pop at the leader. We might not agree on the means or the ends but I can only think of a few exceptions of people who entered politics to do anything but try to make things better. I have met some MPs I really disagree with, can't stand if I am honest, but I don't think that they would make a decision which would kill people for nothing."
EU referendum: What are the rules?published at 14:20
BBC News Channel
BBC chief political correspondent Vicki Young says that with neither the result of David Cameron's renegotiation nor the date of the EU referendum revealed so far:
Quote Message
It really does feel as though the game has kicked off but we don't know what the rules are."
Two urgent questions in the Commonspublished at 14:08
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Carswell: I get on very well with Faragepublished at 14:07
Sky News
Asked whey he's in a different campaign group to his party leader, Mr Carswell says Nigel Farage has made it clear "he's equidistant between the two of them" and predicts the campaigns will ultimately merge.
Mr Carswell says his personal relationship with Nigel Farage is "very good", saying he wouldn't have jumped ship from the Conservatives if it weren't the case.
Quote Message
"We have a slightly different approach and tone but we're stronger for that."
Asked why he doesn't re-join the Conservatives, he replies: "I'm not a Conservative - I actually want change. Being Conservative is not who I am."
Carswell: In campaign is 'odd'published at 13:48
Sky News
UKIP MP Douglas Carswell - who is in the Vote Leave campaign, rather than Leave.EU which party leader Nigel Farage had said UKIP would stand "hand in hand" with - says Lord Rose was an odd choice for the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, saying he has previously said there's nothing to fear from a Brexit.
Quote Message
It's a slightly odd campaign launch by the In group but then it is the product of corporate lobbyists so perhaps they don't quite have a feel for democracy."