Summary

  • Labour says Ken Livingstone will not have a formal role in its defence review, which will consider policy on Trident

  • Shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry says the review will be based on evidence and will aim to publish its interim findings in June

  • Jean-Claude Juncker says agreement on the UK's EU re-negotiations is likely next month

  • More than a million benefits claimants may be facing destitution after disappearing from the welfare system, Labour ex-minister Frank Field claims.

  • Head teachers warn the system for creating new school places in England is fragmented and confusing, risking harm to children's education

  1. EU has 'raised UK's environmental standards'published at 10:34

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  2. Junior doctors standing up to 'Cabinet bully boys' - Green MPpublished at 10:30

    Caroline LucasImage source, Caroline Lucas

    Green MP Caroline Lucas said junior doctors on the picket line were "making a stand against the bully boys in the Cabinet". 

    As she joined those protesting outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London, she said the government "simply isn't listening".

    Ms Lucas said Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt should get back around the table and "stop trying to impose a contract that is both unfair for doctors and, crucially, potentially unsafe for patients".

    Quote Message

    This contract change is just one strand of the government's attack on our NHS. Student nurses have had their grants snatched away – and costly NHS marketisation is continuing. Now junior doctors are making a stand against the bully boys in the Cabinet.

  3. Tory political cabinet agrees 'referendum guidelines'published at 10:26

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  4. Blame Jeremy Hunt for cancelled operations, says Labourpublished at 10:10

    Jeremy Hunt

    Labour have said patients who have had their operations cancelled today due to strike action by junior doctors should blame the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

    Justin Madders, shadow health minister, said Mr Hunt had chosen to "pick a fight" with junior doctors leaving them with "no choice" but to strike. 

    He said: "Junior doctors don’t want to become embroiled in a political dispute but the government’s refusal to listen to their concerns has led to this point."

    Quote Message

    Any patient who has had their operation cancelled or appointment postponed today should be clear – don’t blame the junior doctors, blame Jeremy Hunt."

  5. Today's agenda in the House of Commonspublished at 10:01

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  6. Toyota to stay in UK even if it leaves the EUpublished at 10:00

    Toyota factory in Burnaston, near DerbyImage source, PA

    Toyota has said it will stay in the UK, even if the country decides to leave the European Union in an upcoming referendum.

    Aiko Toyoda, the great-grandson of the Japanese car company's founder, told the Financial Times, external that he wanted Toyota to be making cars in Britain in a hundred years time. 

    He said: "We want to deepen our roots to deliver ever better cars so...all can see we've built a truly British company".

    The news will be seen as a blow for the 'In' campaign which has previously warned that foreign businesses would leave the UK if the UK decided to exit the EU.

  7. Doctors strike 'dangerous' says Taxpayers Alliancepublished at 09:45

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  8. Pic: Health secretary arrives at Downing Streetpublished at 09:38

    Jeremy Hunt
  9. Croissant criticism for Corbyn from former MPpublished at 09:37

    Lord Watts

    There's been quite a bit of coverage of the maiden speech made by former Labour MP Dave Watts in the House of Lords yesterday.

    In it, Lord Watts, a former chairman of the parliamentary Labour Party, criticised the party's leadership, using some colourful language.

    He complained that last week had been disastrous for Labour, saying the party had become involved in an unnecessary reshuffle when it should have been holding the government to account. 

    Lord Watts advised the Labour leadership to pay less attention to what he called the "the London-centric hard left" who, he said, sat around their "million pound mansions eating their croissants at breakfast and seeking to lay the foundations for a socialist revolution".

    Michael Dugher, the only member sacked from the shadow cabinet by Jeremy Corbyn last week, backed the comments: "The hard left are often the posh left - good at telling the workers what's good for them."    

  10. EU debate: Carwyn Jones and Nigel Farage dispute job impact in Walespublished at 09:24

    Carwyn Jones (left), Adrian Masters (centre) and Nigel Farage (right)Image source, ITV
    Image caption,

    Carwyn Jones (left) and Nigel Farage (right) debate Europe with journalist Adrian Masters moderating

    Carwyn Jones and Nigel Farage have disputed the likely impact on jobs in Wales if the UK left the European Union.

    In a head-to-head debate in Cardiff, the first minister of Wales warned an EU exit would have "devastating consequences".

    The UKIP leader claimed being in the EU had left the first minister "impotent" over the fate of the steel industry.

    Mr Farage said British people should "reclaim their birthright" while Mr Jones said Wales and the UK should not "surrender" their role in the world.

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  11. Opposition parties react to doctors strikepublished at 09:22

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  12. Jeremy Hunt: There is money for 24/7 NHSpublished at 09:11

    Media caption,

    Jeremy Hunt: There is money for 24/7 NHS

    Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been asked about the junior doctors strike as he left his home in central London. This is what he said. 

  13. Text of Nick Clegg's speech on inequalitypublished at 09:06

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  14. Activists 'will not give evidence' to Tory bullying inquirypublished at 09:04

    Elliot JohnsonImage source, PA
    Image caption,

    Elliott Johnson took his own life in September

    Nine Tory activists whose claims are at the heart of the party's bullying scandal say they won't give evidence to the inquiry set up to investigate it.

    They told BBC Newsnight they have lost faith in the inquiry set up after the death of activist Elliott Johnson.

    A Conservative spokesman said it was "not appropriate to comment" while the probe is ongoing.

    Clifford Chance, the law firm undertaking the inquiry, insists it has made "significant progress to date".

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  15. Norman Smith: Where is Jeremy Hunt?published at 08:55

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  16. Harold Wilson's widow Mary celebrates 100th birthdaypublished at 08:51

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  17. Apologise to junior doctors, says Jeremy Corbynpublished at 08:44

    Junior doctors on the picket lineImage source, PA

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called the treatment of junior doctors by the government as "nothing short of appalling" and has urged ministers to apologise.

    In a statement on his Facebook account he writes "the blame must be laid at the door of this government" for the strike action and he accuses them of smearing junior doctors in the media. He has called on the government to work on a fairer deal. 

    Quote Message

    Everybody in Britain recognises and is grateful for the hard work and long hours put in by junior doctors. Their treatment by this government has been nothing short of appalling, leading to the strike action in our NHS today. No NHS worker takes lightly the decision to strike, but the blame must be laid at the door of this government for the way it has treated doctors and now seeks to smear them in the press. It is time for this government to apologise to junior doctors and negotiate a fair deal that gets our NHS working again."

  18. Put differences on junior doctors' contracts aside, urges Nick Cleggpublished at 08:34

    BBC Breakfast

    Nick Clegg

    Nick Clegg, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, told BBC Breakfast something had "gone wrong" to result in junior doctors striking.

    "I don't want to see them on strike", he said, adding it wasn't good for patients or the NHS. Mr Clegg called junior doctors "very hardworking" and said "something's gone wrong here, something has gone awry" as both sides still had good will towards the NHS and the government insisted its proposed changes to medics' contracts weren't about saving money.

    He said it was time for both sides to put their differences aside for the sake of patients.

  19. Labour peer attacks 'croissant-eating lefties'published at 08:32

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  20. Labour MP 'saner' without Twitterpublished at 08:29

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