Image source, Getty Images

A 20-page dossier detailing a culture of bullying within the Conservative Party's youth wing was handed to party chairman Lord Feldman in 2010, according to a former activist.

The activist, who says he was himself a victim of bullying, told BBC Newsnight that the dossier was given by Ben Howlett, now an MP, to Lord Feldman.

Lord Feldman insists he was not aware of any complaints before August 2015.

Two activists involved in producing the document say it named Mark Clarke.

Mr Clarke is the volunteer organiser at the heart of the bullying scandal which has bedevilled the party since September.

He has been accused of bullying, sexually harassing and planning to blackmail other activists - allegations he has robustly denied.

More here.

David Cameron met the leader of the European Parliament's liberal group, Guy Verhofstadt, at Downing Street today as part of his ongoing EU reform talks.

Mr Verhofstadt, Belgium's former prime minister, warned that "some areas would be "more difficult than others" in the renegotiations.

A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Cameron explained "that he wanted Britain to stay in a reformed EU" and added:

The PM said he looked forward to "a substantive discussion" on these issues at the upcoming European Council meeting, said the spokesman.

A group of campaigners who pledged to camp outside the Scottish Parliament until Scotland is independent have been served with a notice to leave.

Sheriff officers visited the site outside the parliament on Tuesday afternoon and posted a legal notice.

The letter gives the group notice that they must leave by Thursday afternoon.

Members of the People's Voice group, who have set up a caravan and several tents, said they do not intend to leave.

More here.

MPs have agreed to the UK opting back in to a European agreement on cross-border cooperation to combat terrorism and organised crime.

An attempt by eurosceptics to block the move was defeated by a huge majority of 503 votes to 26.

The so-called "Prum Decisions" allow police to search EU member states' databases for DNA profiles, fingerprints, and vehicle registration information.

Home Secretary Theresa May told the Commons that a pilot scheme had already led to a Romanian national being charged with attempted rape.

The UK opted out of all police and criminal law measures in 2013 - but this agreement was not one of the ones the UK opted back in to in 2014.

Labour and the SNP backed the government - but there was criticism from some Conservatives who believe it tramples on civil liberties.

The agreement goes before the House of Lords for their approval tomorrow.

A look at the main political stories so far today:

• David Cameron regards comments made by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump as "divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong", Downing Street has said
• Limiting EU migrant workers' rights to benefits will do little to cut inward migration, according to a member of the Office for Budget Responsibility
• Green MP Caroline Lucas has quit her role as patron of the Stop The War Coalition, citing disagreements with some of the anti-war group's "recent positions"
• MPs rejected an attempt by the House of Lords to give 16 and 17-year-olds a vote in the planned referendum on Britain's EU membership
• Momentum, the grassroots group set up by backers of Jeremy Corbyn, is to curb the influence of far-left groups in it
• London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith said he regretted promising to quit as an MP if David Cameron gives the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow
• Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has taken up a role on an advisory panel at a global investment management firm

James Landale
Deputy political editor

The government's negotiations to reform Britain's relations with the EU are coming to a head.

David Cameron will travel to Romania and Poland tomorrow to make his case once again. There will be a key summit in Brussels next week.

And the debate is focusing on the UK's central demand - to make EU migrants wait four years before they can claim in-work benefits, to deter them from coming to the UK. The problem is that this breaks EU anti-discrimination rules.

Mr Cameron has indicated that he is open to different ways of trying to reducing the incentives.

But today the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith urged the prime minister to stick by the Tories' manifesto commitment for a four year ban, which he claimed was backed privately by some EU leaders.

And he tried to stiffen the prime minister's resolve by invoking Margaret Thatcher's successful campaign in the 1980s to cut Britain's contributions to the EU budget.

Mr Duncan Smith's fear is that Downing Street might compromise on the benefit curbs to get an overall deal with the EU.

Some options that have been floated by officials include imposing the benefit curbs on Britons too, so they are non-discriminatory, or reducing the amount of time migrants have to work in the UK before they can claim benefits.

But the prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Cameron remained determined to address incentives that attract migrants to the UK, including the fact that they can access in-work benefits from day one.

The result of legal action challenging the election of Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael is due on Wednesday.

Four constituents raised the action against the Lib Dem MP under the Representation of the People Act 1983.

They claimed Mr Carmichael misled voters over a memo which was leaked before May's general election.

The result of the special election court hearing will be announced on Wednesday morning.

Read our full story

Image source, Reuters

Asked for his reaction to US presidential hopeful Donald Trump's comments, Nigel Farage said his "somewhat knee-jerk reaction" to the mass shooting in San Bernadino was perhaps for him "a political mistake too far".    

BBC News Channel

Nigel Farage says that for the British public to vote to stay in the EU, they would want Parliament to be able to veto legislation seen as against Britain's national interest, and immigration to the UK to be controlled.

BBC News Channel

UKIP leader Nigel Farage says David Cameron's plan to curb benefits for EU migrants is the "only substantive" demand the PM is making of the EU - but he agrees with Office for Budget Responsibility official Sir Stephen Nickell that it would have a minimal impact on inward migration to the UK. He tells BBC News:

The Daily Politics

Communities Secretary Greg Clark says people affected by the recent flooding won't have to pay council tax or business rates until they are back into their properties.

The decision was made at this morning's emergency meeting of the government's Cobra committee.

Mr Clark said: "If you have to move out of your home or your business is disturbed you won't have to pay business rates or council tax until back trading or back in your home."

He met insurers this morning and says they gave him a "cast iron guarantee that they stand ready and have the capacity to respond straight away to their customers".

He said he would be following it up "to make sure that happens in practice".

Image source, Robert Steele

The care of transgender prisoners in England and Wales is to be reviewed after two inmate deaths, the Ministry of Justice has said, external.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove ordered the review to ensure the care of such offenders is "fit for purpose".

Vikki Thompson, 21, was found dead in her cell in November and Joanne Latham, 38, died earlier this month. Both were placed in all-male prisons.

The MoJ said concerns had been reported over the current rules.

More here.

Alex Forsyth
Political correspondent

In his letter to EU leaders, Donald Tusk said there would be debate at a meeting of the European Council next week in order to develop concrete proposals ahead of February's summit of EU leaders, but he warned EU nations they must be ready to compromise. The European Commission spokesman said:

Alex Forsyth
Political correspondent

Image source, EPA

A spokesman for the European Commission has said it shares European Council President Donald Tusk’s assessment of the state of negotiations over the UK’s relationship with the EU ahead of the referendum on membership.

Mr Tusk said yesterday there was likely to be agreement on three of David Cameron’s proposed areas of reform but there was “no consensus” on plans to curb in-work benefits for migrants for four years.

A Commission spokesman said:

Image source, Reuters

Labour's London mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, has criticised US presidential hopeful Donald Trump for saying that parts of London are "so radicalised the police are afraid for their lives".

Mr Khan said Mr Trump "is clearly ignorant about London’s tolerance and diversity and also about how unified we are as a city", and should apologise for "pretending to speak on behalf of our police, who do such an incredible job".

Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News, Paris

The European Union has formed an alliance with 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in a final push for agreement at the climate summit COP21.

The new alliance has agreed a common position on some of the most divisive aspects of the proposed deal.

They say the Paris agreement must be legally binding, inclusive and fair - and be reviewed every 5 years.

The EU will pay 475 million euros to support climate action in the partner countries up to 2020.

Read more.

In case you missed it earlier, a reminder that London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has said he regrets promising to quit as an MP if David Cameron gives the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow.

The Richmond Park MP said he would stick to the pledge to trigger a by-election - but he would not quit as London mayor if elected in May.

He said it would be "an act of betrayal" for the prime minister to allow Heathrow to expand.

The PM is expected to soon announce a further delay to the Heathrow decision.

More here.

Limiting EU migrant workers' rights to benefits will do little to cut inward migration, a member of the Office for Budget Responsibility has said.

Asked what impact a proposed four-year ban on in-work benefits would have, Sir Stephen Nickell told MPs "not much".

But the economist said the watchdog had not done any analysis to back this up.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith disagreed with this "one opinion" on what is a key goal for the UK's renegotiation of EU membership.

More here.