The Institute for Government has interviewed 30 former ministers who served in the coalition government for an insight into how the machinery of Whitehall works and what they did to try and maximise their effectiveness in office. Among those who talk about their experiences include Liam Fox, Vince Cable, Andrew Mitchell, Jo Swinson and Chris Huhne. 

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Momentum, the grassroots organisation set up by Jeremy Corbyn after his election victory, is to curb the power of other organisations inside the group. 

It is understood Momentum is to bar non Labour Party members from taking party in some of its meetings. 

The move follows mounting criticism of Momentum from senior Labour figures who have accused it of planning a purge of Labour moderates and of acting like the Militant Tendency in the 1980s. 

Under new rules, Momentum supporters who are not Labour Party members will not be allowed to vote or take part in meetings about the Labour Party. 

The move is designed to restrict the influence of organisations like the Communist Party, the Socialist Workers Party and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. 

The new rules - which are due to be finalised shortly - will still allow members of such groups to attend Momentum meetings on non Labour Party issues - such as campaigning on Syria. 

A Momentum source said: "This is to stop the Socialist Party doing stupid things, but we're trying to be as open and pragmatic as possible." 

Momentum has strongly divided opinion within the Labour Party. While the shadow chancellor John McDonnell has spoken at a number of their meetings, the party's deputy leader Tom Watson has described them as "a rabble".

It is a very busy day in the committee corridors in Parliament. This morning ITV chief executive Adam Crozier will appear before the Culture and Media Committee to talk about the future funding of the BBC. The head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Robert Chote, will be questioned about the Spending Review while the top civil servant at the Department for International Development Mark Lowcock will talk about the allocation of the foreign aid budget. In the afternoon, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers will be questioned about the outcome of the recent all-party talks in Northern Ireland while the head of the National Crime Agency, the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and the Anti-slavery Commissioner will all appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee. 

The health service in Wales is set for a £260m cash boost as the Welsh government unveils its spending plans.

Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the 2016/17 draft budget would back the Labour administration's "principles and priorities".

She claimed the Welsh government faced a 3.6% cut in UK government funding over five years, once the effects of inflation were taken into account.

Ms Hutt said the aim was to support key public services while also encouraging business.

Read our full story

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Environment Secretary Liz Truss has defended the amount the government is spending on flood defences and said it will review the modelling and predictions of extreme weather.  

Speaking on Radio 4's Today from Carlisle she said it was a "devastating situation" with many people still out of their homes or without power. She said the flood defences in the Cumbrian town had protected it against three previous storms but this time the flood defences were "overtopped".   

She said the scale of the flooding was "extraordinary" with river levels half a metre higher than ever before but the defences had reduced and delayed the impact. 

Ms Truss said the government is spending £2.3bn over six years, an increase on the amount spent in the previous parliament and this would protect 300,000 homes. She said the government is also spending £171m on flood maintenance and the government has promised to protect that in real terms.

She said the extra spending would "reduce the risk of flooding but what it can't do is eliminate the risk". ":

Image source, AFP

GPs should actively encourage patients to go online for booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions, according to a review of digital services in the NHS in England.

Baroness Martha Lane Fox, former internet entrepreneur and government adviser, wants the NHS to push forward with an IT revolution.

Her recommendations include ensuring every NHS building provides free wi-fi.

She says every GP practice should get 10% of patients to go digital by 2017.

Read our full story

David Cameron is meeting the former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, now a leading figure in the European Parliament, this afternoon as part of his campaign to win support for the UK's EU renegotiations. But one commentator and broadcaster is not that impressed:

It is going to be a busy day in Parliament, with MPs set to debate the EU Referendum Bill and whether 16 and 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote. The Lords said yes last month but MPs are expected to over-rule them and remove it from the bill. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron is put forward a private member's bill calling for the UK to give asylum to 3,000 orphans from Syria and other conflict zones. And there is a debate, to be led by Home Office minister James Brokenshire, on crime-fighting co-operation across the European Union. The Commons library has produced a useful guide to what this is all about. 

Image source, Reuters

Environment Secretary Liz Truss has been facing questions this morning about whether the government has done enough to stop flooding, as seen in Carlisle in the past few days.

She has highlighted on Today the money that has been spent by the government and says the "devastating situation" has been caused by "absolutely extraordinary" weather.

Engineers are battling to reconnect more than 33,000 homes left without power in the wake of Storm Desmond.

Electricity North West said it has successfully restored supply to 10,000 homes in Lancashire and its teams were trying to reconnect a further 32,000 homes and another 1,450 in Cumbria.

Thousands of people have left flooded homes, and more rain is expected this week across the north of the UK.

There are 16 severe flood warnings, external, indicating danger to life, in place.

Storm Desmond battered north-west England, as well as parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and southern Scotland, over the weekend.

Record-breaking amounts of rain fell in Cumbria - the worst-hit county - prompting it to declare a major incident.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has taken up a role on an advisory panel at a global investment management firm.

Pimco said it had formed a five-strong group of "world-renowned experts on economic and political issues".

The other members include former US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, and Jean-Claude Trichet, former president of the European Central Bank.

A spokesman for Mr Brown said he was taking on "a minor advisory role" and would not financially benefit.

The spokesman added: "Any money goes to the office of Gordon and Sarah Brown to support their charitable and public service work."

The advisory board will meet several times a year.

Read more

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

The CBI has warned David Cameron that further delay to a third runway at Heathrow would be "a failure of leadership."

Amid mounting speculation that a planned decison will be put off - until at least after the London Mayoral elections - the boss of the CBI warned the longer the delay "the greater the sacrifice in terms of jobs and exports".

Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI said a decision was "urgent, not optional... we really need a decision".

The government's committee on Heathrow is due to meet later this week - with an announcement expected the following week.

Downing Street yesterday said the Prime Minister would give "a clear direction" over Heathrow but did not commit to a decision.

Read a guide to the politics of Heathrow expansion

In case you missed this story last night - Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn defended the Stop the War Coalition, following calls for him not to attend a fundraiser for the group this Friday.

It comes after Labour MP Tristram Hunt called on Mr Corbyn to "step back" from the anti-war group, saying it is a "disreputable organisation".

Mr Corbyn said people who oppose war "shouldn't be condemned or denigrated".

Asked by the BBC if he would still be going to the event, he said: "I'll attend all the things on my diary."

Mr Corbyn's defence of the Stop the War Coalition, of which he was chairman until recently, came at an event in Paris on Monday evening.

He said the organisation had "consistently said we need foreign policy that brings about political solutions to desperately complicated problems, which is why last week I voted against the deployment of British forces into Syria".

"Not because I'm any sympathiser for Isil or any of the other groups in area", he said, "but because I want to see a speeded-up political process through the Vienna conference".

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Image source, AFP

Hello and welcome to Tuesday's rolling coverage. We normally focus on UK politics but there's one political story from the US which is leading the BBC news bulletings this morning - namely that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for a halt to Muslims entering the US, in the wake of the deadly California shootings.

In a campaign statement, external, he said a "total and complete" shutdown should remain until the US authorities "can figure out" Muslim attitudes to the US.

At a rally in South Carolina hours later, frontrunner Mr Trump repeated the pledge, to loud cheers.

Criticism from the White House and other Republicans was swift.

Mr Trump's comments were contrary to US values and its national security interests, a statement from the White House said.

Republican Jeb Bush, also running for president, said the New York businessman was "unhinged".

Mr Trump's statement was delivered as the US comes to terms with its deadliest terror attack since 9/11.

Last week a Muslim couple, believed to have been radicalised, opened fire and killed 14 people at a health centre in San Bernardino.

Read more

Before we sign off for the evening, a look at today's main political stories.

• There are "substantial political differences" over the PM's demands for welfare curbs for EU migrants, European Council President Donald Tusk has said
• Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has defended the Stop the War Coalition, following calls for him not to attend a fundraiser for the group this Friday
• A decision on whether to build a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick is going to be delayed for at least six months, says BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed
• Lord Janner is unfit to stand trial over allegations of child sexual abuse spanning four decades, a High Court judge has ruled
• Plans to let 16 and 17-year-olds vote in the UK's EU membership referendum look set to be blocked by the government after ministers claimed the move would cost £6m
• David Cameron has insisted that the Conservatives are delivering on manifesto pledges on childcare, home ownership and skills training, as he set out the "progress" made since the election
• The number of Church of England bishops who sit in the House of Lords should be cut to make way for leaders of other faiths, a new report said
• Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader Nigel Dodds has ruled out standing for the leadership of the party

Our rolling coverage will resume on Tuesday morning, beginning with the latest political lines from BBC Radio 4's Today programme. See you then.