HMRC chief executive Lin Homer, who faced criticism from MPs, will step down in April, the government has said.

Ms Homer's departure after four years in charge of the UK tax office comes just weeks after she was awarded a damehood in the New Year's honours.

But under her leadership, HMRC has been criticised by MPs for "unacceptable" customer service and "disappointing progress" on tax evasion.

She will take a break over the summer after 36 years as a civil servant.

Her damehood aroused controversy among MPs, who argued her record in charge of HMRC and before that, the UK Border Agency, did not merit such recognition.

Ms Homer said she felt it was "a sensible time to move on" as HMRC had started to implement the government's latest spending plans.

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The DUP MP Jim Shannon is being investigated by a parliamentary watchdog over his expenses claims.

The investigation is being carried out by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's compliance officer Peter Davis.

He is looking into whether Mr Shannon has been paid a sum of money which should not have been allowed.

This relates to claims by Mr Shannon for travel and subsistence.

The watchdog says no further details will be made public until after the investigation.

Jim Shannon is a long-serving DUP representative.

He was first elected as MP for Strangford in 2010 and held the seat in last year's general election.

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The Daily Politics

The first junior doctors' strike in 40 years is due to start on Tuesday morning, unless a last-minute deal is reached with the government.

The strike, over pay and conditions while talks continue, begins across England at 08:00 GMT, from when junior doctors will only provide emergency care.

But what do the public make of the planned industrial action? Giles Dilnot tested the mood with the completely unscientific moodbox, for Monday's Daily Politics.

Vicki Young
Chief Political Correspondent

Shadow Minister Jon Ashworth said he's not surprised by the resignation of Shadow Attorney General, Catherine McKinnell, who quit Labour's frontbench with a warning to Jeremy Corbyn that he was taking the party "down an increasingly negative path". 

Mr Ashworth told BBC 5 Live that Ms McKinnell was "a woman of integrity and absolutely dedicated to her constituency.

He said:

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Image source, PA

Paul Kenny also has a warning for Jeremy Corbyn over Trident (the Labour leader does not want to renew the nuclear deterrent).

The GMB chief says his union is organising a conference for workers whose livelihoods depend on the nuclear programme. "Everyone keeps talking about the wonderful principles of Trident" he says, whereas he plans to ask workers at 50 sites across the UK "what they think about the Labour Party effectively shutting down their jobs".

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Sir Paul Kenny, of the GMB union, says changes to trade union affiliation fees proposed by the government will cost Labour between £35m and £40m over the cycle of each parliament. He says:

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

It's very clear Jeremy Corbyn wants to get wider Labour Party members involved in the decision over whether to renew the UK's nuclear missile system, BBC political correspondent Carole Walker says. Members would be more likely to share the leader's opposition to Trident, it is thought.

HMRC chief executive Lin Homer, who has faced criticism from MPs, will step down in April, it's been announced

Ms Homer's departure after four years in charge of the UK tax office comes just weeks after she was awarded a Damehood in the New Year's honours.

Under her leadership, HMRC has been criticised by MPs for "unacceptable" customer service and "disappointing progress" on tax evasion.

She will take a break over the summer after 36 years as a civil servant.

Read more

Image source, PA

David Cameron has urged junior doctors to rethink planned strike action. 

He accused the doctors' union - the BMA - of giving misleading information before members were balloted over strike action, and described some of their claims about pay cuts as simply not "true". 

He told junior doctors to "look very carefully at the offer that is on the table". He said any junior doctor working legal hours won't have their pay cut and most would see a pay increase. 

He added the strike would cause "real difficulties" for patients.

Asked by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg about the strength of the commitment behind spending on mental health, David Cameron replied: "There is no conflict" between necessary spending to build a big society and creating a stable economy. 

Taking a slight detour to answer a question from BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Europe, Mr Cameron said the government did not hold a neutral position on the EU.

He insisted there was a very clear agenda, to "secure the prize of being in this vitally important market for our prosperity". 

He said those who took a different view could express them after the renegotiation. 

Speaking about addiction David Cameron paid tribute to Charles Kennedy, the former Liberal Democrat leader who died last year after battling a drink problem.

Describing him as "a kind, lovely man", he said Mr Kennedy had been starting a new life in a place that he loved and "had everything to live for, but at 55 he was gone".

People needed to be treated with more "compassion", he said, as he announced a new £30 million "social outcomes fund" to encourage the development of new treatments for alcohol and drug addiction.