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. Chris Grayling EU comment 'not a disaster' for Number 10published at 09:58

    Ross Hawkins
    Political correspondent

    Chris GraylingImage source, Getty Images

    Westminster is not reeling at the shock revelation Chris Grayling is a Eurosceptic. It was hardly a secret. But his declaration in print still matters.It proves cabinet ministers can start a good row, even they’re supposed to be agreeing.

    Just listen to the former minister Damian Green accuse him of “peddling myths”.It all but confirms that there will be at least one cabinet member campaigning to leave the EU. But it’s hardly a disaster for Number 10.

    Some senior Eurosceptics felt only pro-EU cabinet voices were being heard, and blamed bias in Downing Street. For them, this piece will help correct the balance.

    What really matters though is what happens next. When are better-known political beasts – Theresa May and Boris Johnson – forced to show their hand? And will a bitter row between Tory tribes begin rather sooner than the PM expected? 

  2. MPs 'shocked by level of abuse' of trans peoplepublished at 09:55

    Maria MillerImage source, Getty Images

    MP Maria Miller, who heads up the new Women and Equalities Committee, says: "When we took evidence from more than 260 people and organisations for our enquiry... we were shocked by the level of abuse and public service failure when it comes to trans people."

    The committee's report has 30 recommendations, but the area that particularly concerned the committee was the NHS. "The evidence that we've received suggests that it's not there in the way that it needs to be for trans people." NHS staff need "proper training" about how to support trans people, she adds.

  3. NHS not supporting trans people, says Maria Millerpublished at 09:55 Greenwich Mean Time 14 January 2016

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  4. Treaty change would take 'considerable' timepublished at 09:29

    In response to a question from Hungarian Fidesz MEP György Schopflin, Jonathan Faull says he agrees that whatever deal is agreed should not undermine the EU's "four freedoms". 

    Italian social democrat Mercedes Bresso asks what the possible process might be for formalising whatever is agreed for the UK. 

    "Everything will depend on what is to be done", says Mr Faull in reply - although he notes that changes to the EU treaties would take "a considerable length of time". 

    Mercedes Bresso
  5. EU renegotiation deal expected in Februarypublished at 09:40 Greenwich Mean Time 14 January 2016

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  6. Tory MP champions transgender rightspublished at 09:38

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    A report released by the Women and Equalities Committee said the UK has "a long way to go" to achieve equality and that transgender people "face high levels of transphobia". Maria Miller chairs the committee that released the report and has recently called for passports to be degendered as including gender causes problems for transgender people.

    Read about the report here

  7. Nuclear weapons report 'in 8 to 10 weeks'published at 09:27

    BBC Newsnight

    Ken LivingstoneImage source, Getty Images

    Ken Livingstone, former London mayor, on Labour's Trident policy review, told BBC Two's Newsnight: "We will desperately try and do it as rapidly as possible. So we will focus on the Trident issue ahead of the rest of the defence review ... With a bit of luck that can be done in eight to 10 weeks. It will take a lot of work for me and Emily, but that's good."

  8. Listen: Baroness Jowell on losing mayoral campaign and Jeremy Corbynpublished at 09:25

    Media caption,

    Baroness Jowell of Brixton tell Vanessa she isn't in the twilght of her career.

  9. Tessa Jowell doesn't want to 'get in the way' in Mayoral electionpublished at 09:20

    Tessa JowellImage source, Getty Images

    Baroness Tessa Jowell has told BBC Radio London that she doesn’t want to be “the auntie, getting in the way” ahead of May’s London Mayoral election. Baroness Jowell was defeated by Tooting MP Sadiq Khan to become the Labour London mayoral candidate. Reflecting on that result on the Vanessa Feltz breakfast show this morning she said she’d lost because Labour had moved to the left.

    Baroness Jowell said:

    Quote Message

    It was hard and it was a terrible disappointment... but something extraordinary happened in the Labour Party over the summer in the context of our election defeat and the leadership contest… I didn't win because the Labour Party turned left and I'm known, always have been, a politician of the centre left."

  10. Labour nuclear weapons report 'in the coming weeks'published at 09:10

    Newsnight

    Ken Livingstone, who is the joint head of a review examining Labour's approach to Britain's nuclear weapons, said it will aim to make a recommendation before a Commons vote on whether they should be renewed. The party currently supports the Trident system, even though its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is strongly opposed. Mr Livingstone - who is co-chairing the review with the new Shadow Defence Secretary Emily Thornberry - said he wants to report back in the coming weeks on Newsnight.

  11. Jeremy Corbyn called on to publish 'hidden' election reportpublished at 09:05

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been called on to release a report done by Margaret Beckett into why Labour lost the election, the Times reports, external. "Jeremy Corbyn received the critical report in November but has not published it. Labour moderates believe that he is unwilling to do so because it contains the inconvenient conclusions that the party was not trusted on repairing Britain's finances and suffered from having an unconvincing leader."

  12. MEPs to question EU official on UK negotiationspublished at 09:00

    Jonathan FaullImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Jonathan Faull has worked at the EU Commission for over 30 years

    Over at the European Parliament, MEPs are shortly due to take evidence from Jonathan Faull, the long-serving EU Commission official who heads the body’s UK renegotiation taskforce.

    He has previously been the senior civil servant at the Commission’s financial services department, where he was responsible for overseeing work on EU financial services legislation.

    The small unit of officials was set up last summer, external to co-ordinate negotiations between the UK government and the European Commission.

    Prime Minister David Cameron recently said he is “hopeful” that a final deal on the negotiations can be reached at a summit of EU leaders next month.

    You can follow the appearance on our European Parliament live page

  13. Explainer: Ross Hawkins on Chris Grayling's EU warningpublished at 08:58

    BBC political correspondent

    BBC Breakfast

    Media caption,

    Explainer: Ross Hawkins on Chris Grayling's EU warning

  14. Tonight's Question Time line-uppublished at 08:50

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  15. Today's agenda in the House of Commonspublished at 08:45

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  16. Damian Green says he does not want Conservative history on Europe to repeat itselfpublished at 08:40

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    The question of Europe has been divisive for the Conservative Party for decades - in the 1990s the split was in part blamed for its defeat in 1997. Pro-European Conservative MP Damian Green said earlier:

    Quote Message

    We know what happened to the Conservative Party in the 1990s and I don't think anyone wants to repeat that, because we will all get together after the referendum and we will all want to desperately keep Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party out of power in 2020. But between now and then we can have a debate on the issues."

  17. Damian Green says Chris Grayling is 'peddling myths' on EUpublished at 08:35

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Damian GreenImage source, Getty Images

    In response to Chris Grayling saying EU membership has been disastrous for the UK, pro-Europe Conservative MP Damian Green (pictured) said earlier: "I think he [Chris Grayling] is peddling myths about Britain in Europe. The key myth in Chris's article is when he says there are calls for still more integration. It is a very explicit and very important part of the Prime Minister's renegotiation that Britain won't be committed to ever closer union. That is actually a big change in the relationship with the rest of the EU."

  18. Guardian survey indicates Corbyn supportpublished at 08:20

    The Guardian

    Labour Party Leader Jeremy CorbyImage source, Getty Images

    A survey has suggested "overwhelming support" support for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in his party at grassroots level, the Guardian says, external. The survey also shows "a decisive shift to the left and unhappiness with squabbling among MPs".

    The Guardian interviewed Labour secretaries, chairs, other office holders and members from more than 100 of the 632 constituencies in England, Scotland and Wales: 

    Quote Message

    Almost every constituency party across the country we contacted reported doubling, trebling, quadrupling or even quintupling membership, and a revival of branches that had been moribund for years and close to folding."

  19. Housing bill vote mappublished at 08:10

    Did your MP vote for tougher controls on landlords on Tuesday? The Independent has an interactive map, external that lets you check.

  20. 'Change in attitudes' to transgender peoplepublished at 07:49

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Maria Miller, the Conservative MP who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, says: "I think what we're seeing is a change in people's attitudes in society [to transgender people]. New research out from the Fawcett Society show that almost half the people in this country understand that gender is something that can shift over time in somebody's life. What we're seeing though is that evolving from people is not being reflected in changing law and changing approaches to public services."