Peers had amended the EU Referendum Bill to lower the voting age in the forthcoming referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union.

But the proposal was rejected by MPs at the end of a short debate in the Commons.

The House of Commons has voted by 303 to 253 - majority 50 - to overturn the House of Lords' decision to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the planned EU referendum.

Tom Barton
BBC Look East political reporter

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has stepped down from her formal role in Stop the War Coalition.

Ms Lucas had held the position of one of the anti-war campaign group's patrons, alongside figures such as Diane Abbott, George Galloway, the actor Mark Rylance and the musician Brian Eno.

The BBC understands her decision was, in part, motivated by the controversy that has surrounded the anti-war group in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.

Ms Lucas's spokesman said that "in light of some recent StWC positions that she didn't support, she felt standing down was the responsible thing to do".

He insisted her "busy parliamentary and constituency schedule" has stopped her from being able to "fully engage with the role".

Caroline Lucas remains opposed to British bombing in Syria, and has spoken at Stop the War events recently. Her spokesman wouldn't be drawn on whether she would take part in future events.

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Image source, PA

The SNP has said if boxer Tyson Fury wins the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award later this month, the broadcaster would effectively be endorsing his “virulently homophobic views”.

The party’s culture spokesman John Nicholson has written to BBC director general Tony Hall calling for the boxer to be removed from the shortlist for the award in light of comments he has made about homosexuality and paedophilia. He told the BBC:

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Asked to respond to economist and OBR member Sir Stephen Nickell's claims that in his opinion curbs on in-work benefits won't make much difference to EU migration, Iain Duncan Smith replies "that's his opinion... that is just one opinion of the individual concerned". He suggests that the availability of welfare is "critical" to the relationship between the UK and EU and the UK public clearly want politicians to address the "pull factors" encouraging migrants to come to the UK.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Asked whether getting limits on in-work benefits for EU migrants was a "red line" for him in the UK's EU negotiations, Iain Duncan Smith says his job is to make sure the prime minister gets the "best possible deal" from the talks and he, like others, will decide which way to campaign in a referendum when the time comes. 

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Iain Duncan Smith says the government is "smoothing out" the transition for benefit claimants from tax credits to Universal Credit and anyone affected will be "cash protected". The work and pensions secretary says Labour's claims that single parents are set to lose out thousands of pounds as a result of the change are "misleading" and "misrepresent" the situation, suggesting the opposition's figures and other analysis by independent forecasters do not factor in the contribution of free childcare. As it is rolled out, he says Universal Credit will ensure that people will earn more money for every extra hour they work.

Shadow foreign office minister Pat McFadden says Labour supports lowering the voting age to 16 for the referendum.

He argues that young people are engaged in politics, elections and referendums:

SNP MP Patrick Grady points out that the Scottish Parliament has lowered the voting age to 16 for elections in Scotland.

He asks why a 16-year-old constituent of his should be denied a vote in the EU referendum.

Cabinet Office Minister John Penrose says such differences are "an inevitable result of devolution",

Debate has begun in the House of Commons on a government motion to "disagree" with an amendment made in the House of Lords.

Peers voted to allow 16 and 17-years-olds to vote in the EU referendum but the government backs a minimum voting age of 18.

Cabinet Office Minister John Penrose says the voting age is set at 18 for UK parliamentary elections..

He adds that MPs defeated a Labour attempt to lower the voting age in local elections yesterday, when the Commons rejected an amendment to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill.

MPs are debating the issue of whether to give 16 and 17-year olds a vote in the referendum on the UK's future in the EU. The Lords said yes last month but MPs look set to overturn this. However, one Tory MP has suggested she will rebel over the issue. 

A senior member of the Office for Budget Responsibility has cast doubt over the impact plans to limit in-work benefits would have on EU migration. Appearing in front of the Commons Treasury Committee, Sir Stephen Nickell was asked about the difference the changes would have on migration levels. He replied: "In my opinion, not much." But he stressed it was his personal view and the OBR hadn't and probably wouldn't carry out any work to establish the impact of proposed changes to the benefit system: 

However, he acknowledged that economic differences between different countries do drive migration flows.  

Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston says there should be a discussion within government about barring Donald Trump from the UK after his controversial comments about Muslims being prevented from entering the US. She told BuzzFeed, external:

The Daily Politics

Work and Pensions minister Justin Tomlinson and Labour's Owen Smith have been discussing welfare and the roll out of the Universal Credit benefit system. Mr Tomlinson takes issue with analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that 2.6 million single parents are set to lose £1,400 a year as a result of the phasing out of tax credits and the end of the so-called work principle. He says these are "static" figures that do not take into account the financial effect of the new national living wage, a rise in personal tax allowance and more free childcare. For "those already in the system there will be transitional support" and for every extra hour people work in future, they will earn more money. Mr Smith says he supports the general principle of Universal Credit in terms of simplifying the benefit system but "it doesn't do the second part of the job - which is making work pay". Working families, he argues, will lose out by exactly the same amount than if proposed cuts to tax credits had gone ahead next year. 

The Daily Politics

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has launched an outspoken attack on Chancellor George Osborne, suggesting he has used patronage to cement his position in the party and spent "the last 10 years buying up votes on the backbenches and frontbenches" in preparation for a tilt at the party's leadership.

She tells Daily Politics that she believes "someone of privilege" should not be able to act like that and suggests that he will not make it into the final two of a future leadership contest, which she says will pit Boris Johnson against Theresa May.