Summary

  • EU referendum campaigning latest

  1. Round-up of Monday's storiespublished at 23:22 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    It's been another day dominated by EU referendum campaign-related stories. Here's a look at the headlines:

    In other news:

    • The government was defeated in the House of Lords for a second time over plans to cut some disabled people's benefits by £30 a week

  2. End of Businesspublished at 22:21 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    And with that the Scotland Bill completes its report stage scrutiny in the House of Lords, brining to an end today's business in the House of Lords.

    Peers will have one last chance to amend the bill when it comes back the chamber for its third reading, its final stage in the House of Lords.

    Peers will be back tomorrow at 2.30 pm when the main business will be committee stage of the Housing Bill.

  3. 'Time for freedom', says Boris Johnson as he makes his case for EU exitpublished at 22:09 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Boris Johnson has said that Britain is facing a "critical moment" in its relations with Europe. The upcoming referendum, he said,  was a "once in a lifetime chance for us to change the direction of Britain."

    The EU was "evolving in one direction" which was "not where we want to go", he said, adding:

    Quote Message

    This is an inflection point in the history of Britain's relations with Europe. We either choose a different future or we continue like the frog in the pot, to get boiled by a system we can't control".

    Boris Johnson, London mayor

    Speaking during a visit to Belfast, Mr Johnson added: "We can't control our borders. EU legislation - just in London - is making it more difficult for us to go ahead with building new homes, for instance".

    "The things I want to do as Mayor in London - making our lorries safer, stopping cyclists being crushed - I can't do it because of Brussels, because it's done at an EU level. Time for freedom folks, is what I would say". 

  4. Corbyn meeting with Labour MPspublished at 21:30

    Ross Hawkins
    Political correspondent

    Jeremy Corbyn addressed Labour MPs and peers this evening but left without taking questions.

    A spokesman described discussions about the coming elections, led by shadow minister Jon Trickett, as "robust" and "open and frank". Mr Corbyn was "very well received", the spokesman added.

    The meeting was interrupted by a vote, after which the Labour leader rushed off to do a television interview. Soon afterwards several MPs left.

    He will return to take questions at the next meeting.

    An optimistic take on recent polling was put to the meeting, and the argument that the gap to the Conservatives had tightened. They were, a spokesman said, confident of a good result in the May elections.

  5. Labour withdraw amendmentpublished at 21:58 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord McAvoy replies that his party are "reasonably happy" with the government's arguments and agree to withdraw their amendment. 

  6. Dunlop: No need for new committeepublished at 21:50 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Scotland Minister Lord Dunlop dismisses the need for a new joint committee, saying welfare devolution is already monitored by the Joint Ministerial Working Group.

    As he tells peers, the working group has met four times since February last year and will meet again soon after the Scottish parliamentary elections.

    Lord Dunlop says he will explore how we can make the joint group "more visible in this place".

    Scotland Minister Lord Dunlop
  7. Labour call for Committee on Welfare Devolutionpublished at 21:40 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Labour's Scotland spokesman Lord McAvoy tables another amendment, this time calling for a Joint Committee on Welfare Devolution to be set up to monitor the transfer of welfare powers to Scotland.

    Under the plans the committee will be made up of: 

    • the Scottish Secretary - who is to be the chair of the Committee
    • the Scottish Minister responsible for welfare
    • the Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee in the House of Commons
    • the Chair of the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament  
    • two non ministerial MPs
    • two non ministerial MSPs, and   
    • two persons representing local government in Scotland.
  8. Amendment withdrawnpublished at 21:39 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Scotland Minister Lord Dunlop replies that the government already set out changes to Scotland's block grant "at every spending review as well as twice a year at budgets and autumn statements when required". 

    Labour withdraw their amendment.

  9. Labour amendmentpublished at 21:30 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Labour Scotland spokesman Lord McAvoy tables an amendment to the government's plans calling for a full record of all meetings and correspondence on the payment of grants to Scotland be laid before parliament each year.

    Lord McAvoy tells peers Labour have "always advocated more transparency in these matters" as opening the proceedings up to the realm of "public opinion"  will help "both governments come to satisfactory conclusions".

    Labour Scotland spokesman Lord McAvoy
  10. New borrowing powerspublished at 21:13 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Peers are debating the government's plans to increase the borrowing powers of the Scottish Government.

    Under the plans, the Scottish government could borrow up to £600m "should their tax revenues decline as the result of a economic shock which adversely affect Scotland". The total amount borrowed under these plans will be capped at £1.75bn.

    The cap on capital borrowing will be set at £3bn, while the annual limit will increase to £415m a year.

    The limit on borrowing in the case of a financial forecast error will be increased to £300m to "reflect the volatility of tax and welfare responsibilities".

    Setting out the new measures, Scotland Minister Lord Dunlop tells peers these new powers will "boost the capacity of the government to manage the increased risk of tax powers devolved in this bill".

  11. Division on the Fiscal Frameworkpublished at 20:49 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Peers divide on Lord Forsyth's amendment to delay the implementation of the fiscal framework until "each House of Parliament has passed a motion expressing its approval of the agreement".

    Lord Forsyth didn't initially intend to push this amendment to a vote - instead planning to push a later amendment to require the Scottish Secretary to publish a report on the fiscal framework deal, which would then need to be approved by both Houses - but was convinced to call a vote by Lord Higgins on the grounds that this was the lead amendment in the group just debated.

    Results are expected at 8.55pm.

  12. Brexit would not affect border: Johnsonpublished at 20:32 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Boris Johnson says he does not believe the Irish border would be affected if the UK left the European Union.

    Read More
  13. Deal 'better' than no dealpublished at 20:27 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Scotland Minister Lord Dunlop argues a deal on the fiscal framework is "far better" than no deal.

    "If we hadn't got a deal, the financial outcome for the rest of the UK would have been no better than under the deal we have negotiated," he argues.

    He adds that the deal needed to be done before the upcoming elections to the Scottish Parliament, scheduled for Thursday 5 May.

    "One can only imagine what would happen after the Holyrood election around re-opening the debate about more powers. I don't think that that is something that would be in the interest of the UK as a whole and the Union."

    Scotland Minister Lord Dunlop
  14. Labour support for frameworkpublished at 20:25 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Labour Scotland spokesman Lord McFall of Alcluith says that while the fiscal framework may not be a "neat solution", it is a "good deal from the Treasury" which gives Scotland the "same autonomy as in 1707".

    He says the deal only "takes us five years down the road" before another settlement will have to be agreed, but he says Labour wishes the government well with its current negotiations.

    Labour Scotland spokesman Lord McFall of Alcluith
  15. Labour investigation into its youth wingpublished at 20:18 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Ross Hawkins
    Political correspondent

    Labour is conducting an investigation into claims about the behaviour of members of its youth wing. 

    A probe into allegations of anti-Semitism at the Oxford University Labour club was first announced on Friday.

    This evening the party confirmed it would also consider reports that members of the Young Labour Party had been bullied in the contest for the youth representative slot on the National Executive Committee.

    The peer Lady Royall is to head the investigation.

    A spokeswoman said:

    Quote Message

    The Labour party takes all allegations of anti-Semitism, racism, bullying, intimidation and candidate misconduct very seriously."

  16. Recap of Monday's headlinespublished at 19:45

    Here's a recap of the stories that have been making the headlines so far.

    • Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon warns David Cameron against fighting a "miserable, negative, fear-based" EU referendum campaign
    • Ministers argue there will be at least 10 years of uncertainty if the UK exits the EU but the claim is branded "ludicrous" by Leave campaigners
    • The government has been defeated in the House of Lords for a second time over plans to cut some disabled people's benefits by £30 a week
  17. Would EU exit prompt 10-year uncertainty?published at 19:39 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    The government says a British vote to leave the European Union would prompt a decade of uncertainty - but how realistic is that?

    Read More
  18. Division result correctedpublished at 19:01 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Update

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Proceedings are interrupted to update the house of the results of the government defeat during Welfare Reform and Work Bill earlier today.

    As sometimes happens there was an error in the voting figures initially announced.

    Deputy speaker Lord Haskell announces that the accurate figures show that the government was defeated by 286 votes to 219.

    It had been announced earlier the difference was 289 votes to 219.

    Deputy speaker Lord Haskell
  19. It's a datepublished at 19:01 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Referendum motion

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The government wins the vote with 475 voting for the resolution and 59 against - a majority of 416.

    And so, the date of the EU referendum is set - 23 June. As the deputy leader of the House tweets:

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  20. 'Unfair to the UK'published at 18:53 Greenwich Mean Time 29 February 2016

    Scotland Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord Forsyth tells peers the agreed fiscal framework is "unfair to other parts of the United Kingdom".

    Under the agreement the Scottish Parliament will get "all of the benefits of tax devolution with very few of the risks", he argues.

    The former Scottish secretary complains that the deal is "too generous" to Scotland, noting the deal includes a "£200m one off payment to the Scottish Government" to help set up the tax regime - the "exact figure" quoted by Alex Salmond as the "entire cost of setting up an independent Scotland".