Summary

  • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon predicts new independence referendum if UK votes to leave EU

  • Tory London mayor candidate Zac Goldsmith says he is a "non head-banging" Eurosceptic

  • Labour has been accused of a "whitewash" over the report into its election defeat

  • Ex-Labour frontbenchers Frank Field and Chuka Umunna warn over the party's electoral chances

  1. May 'disturbed' by Litvinenko findingspublished at 12:35 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2016

    Home Secretary Theresa May has said she is 'deeply disturbed' by the findings of a public inquiry into the murder of ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko.

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  2. 'A calculated snub'published at 12:05

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Liam FoxImage source, bbc

    Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox reminds the House that Andrei Lugovoi has not only not been extradited to the UK but has been "lionised in Russia".

    Mr Fox says that the actions of Mr Putin in relation to Mr Lugovoi during the course of the investigation amounts to "a calculated snub desinged to add insult to injury".

    The Putin government, he says therefore "can never and should never be treated as a full international partner". 

    Ms May agrees that the lauding of Mr Lugovoi in Russia "tells you everything you need to know about Russia's attitude to this action".

    The home secretary says that in relation to Russia as an international partner, the UK will co-operate "guardedly with Russia" on a range of issues including the resolution of the conflict in Syria.

  3. Schools ranked by raw GCSE results for last timepublished at 12:30

    Graphic

    Schools in England are being judged on the basis of raw GCSE results for the last time, heralding the end of school league tables in their present form.

    Head teachers are welcoming changes that means from next year, schools will be measured on a broader range of results across eight subjects.

    The government says schools have risen to its moves to toughen standards.

    The number of schools falling below the current floor standard has remained stable at 312.

    Secondary schools are "underperforming" if fewer than 40% of pupils get five GCSEs at grade A*-C, including English and maths, and if the school has a below average score for pupils' progress.

    Read more (and see interactive version of map on this entry)

  4. Contaminated blood statementpublished at 12:30

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Health Minister Jane Ellison is making a statement on reform of financial and other support in the cases of infected blood outlined in the Penrose Inquiry.

    Ms Ellison begins by saying "I can't right the pain of 30 years and the truth is no amount of money can make up for the impact this tragedy has had on people's lives".

    The minister again apologises on behalf of the government "to everybody involved in this tragedy".

    She says the Department of Health has put aside £100m for the proposals outlined in the settlement, which is "in addition to the current spend and the £25 million announced in March 2015".

    Ms Ellison says this will "more than double our annual spend on the scheme".

    Blood
  5. The diplomatic challenge aheadpublished at 12:21

    Alexander Litvinenko statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Crispin Blunt

    Foreign Affairs Committee chair Crispin Blunt calls the report "a triumph for Marina Litvinenko and the British legal system".

    Mr Blunt says that the current state of relations with Russia is already "heavily conditioned" by the understanding of this case, and says the challenge remains to "advance our remaining common interests" with Russia against violent Islamic extremism and ending the civil war in Syria, "with this as the backdrop".

    Theresa May agrees that "our relationship with Russia is already heavily conditioned" by the case and says a "guarded engagement with Russia on certain issues" will be important.

  6. Stephen Kinnock on UK economic riskspublished at 12:24

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  7. UK response to Litvinenko reportpublished at 12:23

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  8. Oil price warning from Alan Duncanpublished at 12:22

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  9. Cabinet ministers to campaign for leave vote?published at 12:21

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  10. UK 'still needs to engage with Russia'published at 12:15

    Despite the apparent involvement of the Russian state at the highest level in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the UK still needs "to engage" with Russia, albeit "guardedly", Home Secretary Theresa May said.

    Issues such as Syria and the conflict there mean the UK still has to talk to Russia as a permanent member of the UN security council, she adds.

  11. Should Russia host the 2018 World Cup?published at 12:10

    Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham had a list of questions for Theresa May over the killing of Alexander Litvinenko, including whether the UK should consider expelling all Russian FSB officers from the UK, and whether the UK should push for Russia to be dropped as host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

  12. Report needs 'careful' considerationpublished at 11:55

    Alexander Litvinenko statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham says that "first and foremost, this was a family tragedy". He says the report needs to be considered "carefully".

    He welcomes what the home secretary has said about renewed efforts to bring the culprits to justice and hopes for an in-principle commitment to further asset freezes and action against the "wider network" mentioned in the report.

    He welcomes new "diplomatic pressure" but is "not sure it goes anywhere near enough". He also asks if the prime minister has raised the Litvinenko case with President Putin, and if he will attempt to talk to the Russian president today.

    He says Alexander Litvinenko believed in Britain, and that the government needs to show that his faith was not misplaced.

    Andy Burnham
  13. Home Secretary hopes for justicepublished at 11:51

    Alexander Litvinenko statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Theresa May tells the Commons that outstanding warrants for the two suspected killers, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, mean they will be arrested if they enter Britain, and says the government will make renewed attempts to get hold of them. 

    She says extradition requests have been repeatedly turned down by the Russian authorities.

    She says recent actions by Russia, including the annexation of the Crimea from Ukraine, mean there is already a package of "robust measures" against Russia, including sanctions against some individuals named in the report.

    She says that for the sake of Mr Litvinenko's family, she hopes those responsible can be brought to justice.

  14. UK to express 'profound displeasure' over Litvinenko killingpublished at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2016

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  15. May: Treasury to impose asset freezes on Litvinenko suspectspublished at 11:44

    Theresa MayImage source, Getty Images

    The UK Treasury is to impose asset freezes against Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, the two suspects in the killing of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

    Home Secretary Theresa May said his murder was "a blatant and fundamental breach of international law."

    The UK has also summoned the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Office.

  16. Government 'deeply disturbed'published at 11:40

    Alexander Litvinenko statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Home Secretary Theresa May says the report says there is a strong probability the two killers were working under the direction of the FSB, Russia's domestic security services, and the murder was probably approved by the then FSB head and President Putin.

    The home secretary says the government "takes these findings extremely seriously" and is "carefully considering report's findings in detail". 

    She says it's "deeply disturbing" that the Russian state was probably involved in the murder.

    Theresa May
  17. Alexander Litvinenko inquiry statementpublished at 11:33

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Home Secretary Theresa May is making a statement on the report on an inquiry into the death of Alexander Litvinenko, which has been released today.

    Alexander Litvinenko was a former Russian spy turned dissident, who died in 2006 after being poisoned by radioactive polonium-210, thought to have been put in a cup of tea.

    The report says that Russian President Vladimir Putin "probably" approved the murder, in part due to personal "antagonism".

    The Russian Foreign Ministry says the inquiry has been "politicised".

    Alexander LitvinenkoImage source, Getty Images
  18. Rotherham Council 'still not ready to run children's services'published at 11:32

    UK Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Greg ClarkImage source, Getty Images

    The Government has ruled that Rotherham Council is still not ready to take back responsibility for running children's services and adult social care ... nearly a year after the council was severly criticised for the way it dealt with child abuse allegations.

    Last February a damning report into the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal branded the town's council "not fit for purpose" in a report that detailed the sex abuse of hundreds of children between 1997 and 2013, mainly by gangs of men of Pakistani heritage.

    The Communities Secretary, Greg Clark, said: "Nearly a year on, a number of challenges remain but there have been significant areas of progress" and many of the authority's functions, which have been run by a team of Commissioners, will be returned to the council."

    However, Mr Clark added: "The returned functions do not include licensing; children's services; adult social care; audit; and other functions which still remain high risk." 

  19. John McDonnell: Labour wants to create 'right to own'published at 11:30

    Shadow Chancellor John McDonnelImage source, Getty Images

    Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has outlined Labour plans to give employees rights to buy out a company or factory that is being "dissolved, sold, or floated on the stock exchange."

    Quote Message

    We should look to be... offering employees first rights on buying out a company or plant that is being dissolved, sold, or floated on the stock exchange. The Tories have offered a 'Right to Buy'. Labour would seek to better this. We’d be creating a new 'Right to Own'."

  20. Coming up on Daily Politics from middaypublished at 11:25

    The Daily Politics

    Tim Montgomerie

    Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn will be joined by Times columnist and former Conservative Home chairman Tim Montgomerie to discuss the day's politics.

    They'll be discussing the implications of the fall in the markets, and analyse what the parties spent their money on during the general election campaign with former Labour strategist John McTernan.

    The programme will also look at the runners and riders in the US Presidential race, and speak to motoring journalist Quentin Wilson on the news that traffic wardens could be on the way out.

    All that and more on BBC Two from 12:00-13:00, or you can watch online by clicking on the 'Live Coverage' tab above and selecting Daily Politics.