BBC Radio 4
Today

Image source, Reuters

Willie Walsh, the chief executive of the company that owns British Airways, has said he doesn't think the outcome of the EU referendum will make much difference one way or other to his business. He told Radio 4's Today there was a degree of uncertainty "weighing on people's minds" but the referendum was unlikely to have a huge effect on the aviation market.

His views contrast with those of Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary who said earlier this week that he will actively campaign for the UK to remain in the EU, fearing a vote to leave would reduce economic growth. 

Lord Howard says EU nations are "quite likely" to reconsider their position if the UK voted to leave.

Image source, PA

Former Conservative leader Michael Howard is backing a UK exit from an "outdated, flawed and failing EU".

He told the BBC the UK should have the "national self confidence" to go its own way, arguing that it could prosper economically by doing so.

He said David Cameron should stay on as PM even if the UK voted to leave in order to negotiate the terms of exit.

But Chancellor George Osborne has said if Britain voted to leave the EU it would have a profound economic shock.

Mr Osborne said the economy faces more risks of uncertainty than at any point since the financial crisis in 2008, so it would be the 'very worst time' for Britain to take the "enormous economic gamble".

Read more.

Prime Minister David Cameron says a UK government could not guarantee making up any shortfall in the EU aid Wales receives if Britain was to leave the union.

The Observer's Andrew Rawnsley reviews the Westminster headlines of the week.

UKIP's former co-deputy chairman reflects on losing her job in a party reshuffle.

More than half of Scottish small businesses do not feel well informed about the EU referendum, a survey finds

Chancellor George Osborne tells the BBC an EU exit would cause a profound economic shock, as ex-Tory leader Lord Howard backs the Out campaign.

Question Time continues on BBC One, and right afterwards Andrew Neil and co will be here with This Week. You can watch it all on the live coverage tab above.

On Friday George Osborne's trade visit to China gets under way, as does the Spring conference season - with the Green Party first up.

We may also hear more about former Tory leader Michael Howard's decision to back the Leave campaign in the EU referendum.

Earlier today:

• New migration figures sparked a row between the two sides in the EU debate
• Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would keep police and crime commissioners in place as he launched his party's campaign for May's elections, and:
• The government cancelled a contract to develop a GPS tracking system for offenders after spending £21m on the project

Speaking on Question Time tonight, Downton Abbey creator and Conservative peer Julian Fellowes said he'd like the UK to leave the EU.

He said it was "nonsense" and "complete fantasy" that German car makers or French wine producers would "turn their back on one of their best markets".

Although he loved being European, he said leaving the EU would mean Britain would have "unfettered access to other world markets" and  "we won't have to live under rules we haven't asked for or voted for."

Lord Fellowes said immigration was not one of the reasons he wanted to leave the EU. He said although the UK needed a better balance with immigration, the UK should "never want to shut our doors completely" and "why shouldn't they (immigrants) want a better life?"

Shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott says she is glad an EU referendum is taking place - she hopes it will be "a referendum for the people" and not be based on "games" within the Conservative Party. The UK does not have an "open door" immigration system, she adds.

Free movement goes "hand in hand" with the single market, says Environment Secretary Liz Truss. "There's no utopia where we can simply close the borders and say our economy will remain intact," she adds.

The first question asks whether we have to leave the EU to get control of immigration.

Here's what the Local Government Association says about the increase in rough sleeping in England that was revealed earlier:

Ross Hawkins
Political correspondent

The long awaited childhood obesity strategy will not now be published before the summer, the Department of Health has confirmed.

It means a row about a possible new sugar tax has almost certainly been delayed until after the referendum.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The childhood obesity strategy will be a key step forward in helping our children live healthier lives.

"There is still work across government to be done to get it right, so we are now confirming that the strategy will be published in the summer."

The EU referendum campaign has been in the spotlight again, after a row between the leave and remain campaigns over the latest immigration statistics.

Net migration to the UK - the difference between the number of people leaving and arriving - stands at 323,000, with 172,000 migrants arriving from Europe last year.

David Cameron said the figure was "still too high" but insisted his EU reform deal would help to cut immigration to the UK. But senior Conservatives including employment minister Priti Patel said the only way to control immigration was by leaving the EU

In other developments:

• David Cameron said "jobs would be at risk" if the UK left the EU, in a speech at BAE systems in Lancashire
• Jeremy Corbyn has pledged Labour would retain the posts of police and crime commissioners and make them "more accountable"
• The number of people sleeping rough in England increased by 30% in a year, new figures show
• There have been sharp increases in the number of new homes being started and finished in England compared with a year ago, according to new figures
• Scottish MP Natalie McGarry has been briefly detained by security forces in Turkey
• Communications watchdog Ofcom has said BT must open up its cable network and allow competition to improve UK internet connections