Summary

  • Committee of MPs says tax credit reforms should be postponed

  • Treasury says report out of a date as revised plans are due

  • Ex-Labour leader Gordon Brown defends tax credit in rare foray into frontline politics

  • Boris Johnson cuts short West Bank visits after anger at his criticism of those wanting boycott of Israeli goods

  • David Cameron attends an EU migration summit in Malta

  • Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is sworn in to the Privy Council

Live Reporting

Rajdeep Sandhu

  1. 'Tax credit proposals fundamentally flawed'

    Speaking about the changes to tax credits, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the proposals are "fundamentally flawed". 

    You see, the tax credit proposals, like what Mr Osborne is thinking of for Universal Credit, are based on two fundamental flaws. One is that whatever else he is trying to do, he is hurting children. He is taking money away from children. And the second thing is, by increasing the tapers, and therefore the withdrawal is earlier of money for people who are in work, he is undermining work incentives."

    He adds "if [George Osborne] passes these reforms by moving, if you like, the cuts to Universal Credit, it will have exactly the same effect on incentives in our society."   

    He says the Conservatives are usually "policies of the wrong century" and the "wrong country".

    You can not therefore repair a damaged policies when it is so fundamentally flawed, you can not gloss over it, you can not sort of phase it in, you can not make it less harmful, unless you're prepared to change it, transform it or abandon it altogether."

  2. Brown criticial of restricting tax credits to two children

    Asked about restricting benefit payments to the first two children, Gordon Brown said he did not see how it could be justified.

    It bears no relationship to the reality of peoples' family lives and the way families are constructed today. And it does no justice to the needs of children, who ought to be the first people that a government is concerned about. So I cannot see how this policy can either work or be justified."

  3. 'Scotland will reject tax credits'

    Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he believes Scotland will reject the Conservative government's proposals on tax credits.

    He says there is a chance that over the next few years Scotland will have a "different social model" to the rest of the United Kingdom.

    He adds a Scottish parliament could remove or eradicate the impact of cuts to tax credits by a Scottish parliament, if they choose.

    I can see a situation where even if the tax credit proposals go ahead in England, in a modified form, but still go ahead. These tax credit proposals will be rejected in their entirety by the Scottish electorate when they vote next May."

  4. 'Political parties should be electable'

    Gordon Brown

    Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown says political parties need to be "electable". 

    He says it is "obvious and normal that if you lose two elections a party will want to return to its first principles". Referring to the Labour Party's current predicament, he said: 

    While you cannot deliver policies without principles you cannot deliver principles without having power. You have quickly to move to a stage where emphasising your principles, you build a programme then call for popular support. Making the desirable possible requires us to make the desirable popular, electable, credible and something that people want to hold on to.”

  5. Boris 'doesn't know what academic boycott is about'

    BBC News Channel

    Professor Jonathan Rosenhead

    LSE professor Jonathan Rosenhead, a supporter of boycott of Israeli universities, says Boris is "clearly not very up to date on academic fashions", after his "bunch of corduroy-jacketed lefty academics" dig.

    He also suggests the London mayor doesn't know what the academic boycott is about or how much it's supported. "It's now the middle ground of academic opinion," he adds.

  6. Watch: Boris Johnson defends comments about those who back Israel boycott

    Boris Johnson defends comments on Israel boycott

    In the interview the Mayor of London says he does not regret comments he made about backers of a boycott on Israeli goods and blamed the row on "some elements" who have been "whipping up social media". 

    Mr Johnson, on a trade trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, said advocates of a ban were a "bunch of corduroy-jacketed lefty academics". Those who endorsed it were "foolish" and in a "very small minority".

    Several of his visits to the West Bank had to be cancelled today because of security fears.

    Speaking after a planned meeting with the Prime Minster of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, Mr Boris said his comments were a "simple repetition of what is not only British Government policy but also policy that is supported by the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority".

    "Elements here who do think that is the way forward...and who want to make a point and they are using this as a pretext to make that point and whipping people up in such a way that some people are a bit anxious about the security implications for some of these meetings and that is a bit depressing."

    Mr Johnson said it was a "great shame" some meetings in the West Bank couldn't go ahead, as it was just as important to visit Palestinians on his trip to the region. 

    "It's a bit of a shame because of the politics that are going on here that some people have whipped up a bit of feeling against us on the issue of the boycott when it's not supported...as far as I can tell by the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority himself."

  7. Gordon Brown gives Osborne advice

    Former Chancellor Gordon Brown's advice to Chancellor George Osborne:

    I used to say there were two kinds of chancellors - those who fail, and those who get out just in time. He can make up his mind which he wants to be."

  8. Boris stands by 'lefty academics' comment

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  9. Minister: We're listening on tax credits

    The World at One
    BBC Radio 4

    Employment minister Priti Patel says Chancellor George Osborne has been "very clear" that he will listen to concerns about the tax credit cuts and bring forward revised proposals.

    Asked if she can rule out cuts to child tax credits - a promise made by David Cameron before the general election, Ms Patel says it's not for her to preempt Mr Osborne's Autumn Statement.

    As I've said, this time is being used to listen and reflect on how we can make that transition to a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare economy."

  10. Tory MP boycott's minister's 'inappropriate' constituency visit

    The World at One
    BBC Radio 4

    Conservative MP Stephen McPartland, who has opposed the tax credit changes from the outset, has decided to boycott a visit by Treasury minister David Gauke to his Stevenage constituency today.

    Explaining why, he said it was "inappropriate" for Mr Gauke to talk about giving money away in tax credits to business when "as a member of the same government I'm trying to stop the disastrous impact the tax credit changes are going to have".

  11. Update on David Cameron and Oxfordshire County Council

    More on the rather heated exchange of letters between David Cameron and the Conservative leader of his local country council about proposed cuts. We've now received this statement from a spokeswoman for the PM:

    There is still significant scope for sensible savings across local government to be made by back office consolidation, disposing of surplus property and joining up our local public services; we will be discussing with Oxfordshire how this can be taken forward to help protect frontline services.”

  12. MP Oliver Colvile calls for hedgehog as UK symbol

    HedgehogThinkstock

    The "great British hedgehog" should become a national symbol of the UK, an MP has suggested.

    Oliver Colvile, Conservative MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said numbers of the prickly creatures had fallen by a third in the last decade.

    He said that declaring the hedgehog to be Britain's national symbol might enthuse people to protect it.

    But environment minister Rory Stewart questioned hedgehogs' suitability, and said the lion should remain the symbol.

    Mr Colvile said his love of hedgehogs stemmed from his mother reading Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to him as a child.

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  13. Trump and the latest US Republican TV debate

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  14. Gordon Brown speech on tax credits

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  15. Gordon Brown says tax credits cuts plan should be scrapped

    Gordon Brown

    Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown - the man who created tax credits - is delivering a speech in London urging a rethink on plans to cut tax credits.

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  16. Watch: Boris Johnson on having to abandon West Bank visits

    Karl Mercer
    Political reporter, BBC London

    Boris Johnson abandons West Bank visit

  17. 'Banks must prove they've changed'

    George Osborne

    Chancellor George Osborne says "it's going to take time" for banks to prove things have changed.

    He was speaking at a forum held by the Bank of England about the financial industry, and said banks:

    Have to prove to the public that things really have changed, there are tougher laws and tougher regulation and people who commit crimes go to prison."

    He adds the banking system should be bailed out by their creditors rather than the taxpayer if they face trouble in the future.

    "A huge amount of progress has been made" he says. 

  18. 'Social media to blame for cancelled West Bank visit'

    Boris Johnson, mayor of London, has been banned from attending events in the West Bank during his trip to Israel after making controversial comments.

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  19. Corbyn tight-lipped over Privy Council ceremony

    Jeremy Corbyn observed a two minute silence while at a nursery in Crawley. Afterwards he kept tight-lipped on whether he would kneel before the Queen or kiss her hand saying it would be a "normal kind of occasion".

    We have to remember all those who died in all the wars that have taken place. We have to bring up our children understanding the sacrifices that have been made by many over many generations but also children should understand we want to live in a world free from war."

    Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of Labour Party

    A spokesman for Downing Street said the Prime Minister had been on a flight to Malta when he took part in the silence. He is on his way to international talks in Malta to discuss the Mediterranean migrant crisis.  

  20. Prime Minister's row over cuts to local services

    Chris Mason
    Political Correspondent

    The Prime Minister's involved in a row with the Conservative leader of his local county council over cuts to local services.

    The BBC has seen correspondence between David Cameron and the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Ian Hudspeth - in which the Prime Minister says he is "disappointed" at suggestions "to make significant cuts to frontline services - from elderly day centres, to libraries, to museums".

    He urges instead the council "to move cautiously in setting out its Budget plans".

    In response Mr Hudspeth reminds Mr Cameron he "worked hard to assist you in achieving a Conservative majority".  

    Mr Cameron is the MP for Witney in Oxfordshire.

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