Image source, PA

Larger employers will have to publish the amount awarded to men and women in bonuses as part of proposed legislation to reduce the gender pay gap.

The planned regulations will apply to businesses in England, Wales and Scotland with more than 250 employees.

Women and equalities minister Nicky Morgan said the move was a "first step" but would "concentrate minds".

The TUC said the measures should include medium-sized businesses and come with fines for non-compliance.

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The prime minister is facing a direct legal challenge over changes to the code which sets out rules and standards for ministers in public office.

A new version of the ministerial code, external omits a previous reference to ministers being bound by international law.

Senior lawyers claim this could affect the UK's international position and relationship with other states.

The Cabinet Office said the code was very clear on the need to comply with the law, including international law.

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Image source, Getty Images

An "alarming change" in Britain's attitude towards Saudi Arabia could lead to "serious repercussions", the Saudi ambassador has warned.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph,, external Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz highlighted the UK's cancellation of a deal to train Saudi prison staff.

He said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had "breached mutual respect" by claiming to have been instrumental in the move.

Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia would "not be lectured to by anyone".

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This weekend, former prime minister Tony Blair apologised for aspects of British involvement in the Iraq war in a CNN interview with Fareed Zakaria.

His critics have said Blair is launching a spin operation, as the findings of the Chilcot inquiry into the nation's role in the Iraq war will be published soon and Mr Blair has read any criticism of him in advance. 

Here's a sample of what Tony Blair said:

Here's a selection of the reaction to Tony Blair's interview, as posted on Twitter:

Eleanor Garnier
Political Correspondent

Across the political divide the parties in the Lords are preparing for an almighty row as the debate over controversial cuts to tax credits could now become a constitutional crisis.

The Conservatives do not have a majority in the Upper House. But there are century-old conventions that the Lords do not block financial measure that have already been approved by elected MPs in the Commons.

There have been hints that any attempt by unelected peers to kill off or delay a policy designed to save more than four billion pounds could result in the creation of 100 or more Conservative peers.

Back in April David Cameron said child tax credits would not be cut. Today the Cabinet Office Minister Matthew Hancock was challenged on why the Lords should back down and support the changes...

The Liberal Democrats' so called "fatal motion" which would kill off the cuts to tax credits is unlikely to pass.

But there is more chance that a Labour motion to delay and mitigate the impact for three years and a similar motion from a cross bencher could succeed.

If Peers delay the cuts and force George Osborne to rethink it would be a significant blow for him and he would come under increasing pressure to revise his plans.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron says Labour abstained "shamefully" on the welfare bill in July but in "comradely fashion we will" support Labour's effort to delay them ("it's better than nothing") but "we are going further and trying the block them". Forget the "political nonsense", he says, three million people will be worse off by Christmas. Labour's Owen Smith ends the interview by saying he believes Labour's motion to delay the introduction of the tax credit changes could succeed and says the only people happy to hear squabbling between Labour and the Lib Dems would be the Conservatives.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Labour's work and pensions spokesman Owen Smith says he hopes the Lib Dems will back the Labour motion to delay the measure (Tim Farron says they will) but accuses the Lib Dem leader of being a bit "holier than thou" on asking Labour to back his effort to scrap the measure, given the cuts brought in by the Conservatives with Lib Dem support during their coalition government. Owen Smith says Labour wants the government "to go back to the drawing board" on their tax credit cuts. By delaying, rather than scrapping the plan, he says Labour is keeping the focus on the issue of tax credits rather than turning it into a constitutional row between the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron says that he wants his party to block the tax credit changes in the House of Lords because millions of hardworking families would be worse off - and says that the government "had no mandate" for the change because it was not in their election manifesto and - he says - David Cameron specifically ruled out the measure a week before polling day. "We say you don't balance the books on the backs of the poorest workers," he says.   

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Earlier on Today the government minister Matt Hancock defended the government's plans, saying he hoped that if the Lords didn't agree with the changes they would back a "regret" motion rather than backing a move to axe or delay a measure that had been debated and passed three times by MP. He said the government was "in listening mode" and also rejected the claim that the change was at odds with David Cameron's general election pledge not to cut child tax credits. 

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Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of political developments. The main story of the day for us looks set to be the possible House of Lords challenge to the government's plans to cut tax credits.