Ross Hawkins
Political correspondent

Image 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? 

Image 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.

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". 

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

BBC Newsnight

Image 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."

Image 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:

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.

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."

Image source, Reuters

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. 

BBC Breakfast

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:

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image 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."

The Guardian

Image 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: 

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

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."