Summary

  • EU referendum campaigning latest

  1. What are the main changes David Cameron has agreed?published at 16:01 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    EU Renegotiation

    Union Jack and EU flag

    Last week David Cameron agreed a package of changes to the UK's membership of the EU after two days of intensive talks with other member states' leaders in Brussels. 

    The agreement, which will take effect immediately if the UK votes to remain in the EU, includes changes to:

    • Child benefit - Child benefit payments to migrant workers for children living overseas to be recalculated to reflect the cost of living in their home countries.
    • Migrant welfare payments - The UK can decide to limit in-work benefits for EU migrants during their first four years in the UK. This so-called "emergency brake" can be applied in the event of "exceptional" levels of migration, but must be released within seven years - without exception.
    • Eurozone - Britain can keep the pound while being in Europe, and its business trade with the bloc, without fear of discrimination. Any British money spent on bailing out eurozone nations will be reimbursed.
    • Protection for the City of London - Safeguards for Britain's large financial services industry to prevent eurozone regulations being imposed on it.
    • Sovereignty - There is an explicit commitment that the UK will not be part of an "ever closer union" with other EU member states. This will be incorporated in an EU treaty change.
    • 'Red card' for national parliaments - It will be easier for governments to band together to block unwanted legislation. If 55% of national EU parliaments object to a piece of EU legislation it will be rethought.
    • Competitiveness - The settlement calls on all EU institutions and member states to "make all efforts to fully implement and strengthen the internal market" and to take "concrete steps towards better regulation", including by cutting red tape.
    • Some limits on free movement - Denying automatic free movement rights to nationals of a country outside the EU who marry an EU national, as part of measures to tackle "sham" marriages. There are also new powers to exclude people believed to be a security risk - even if they have no previous convictions.
  2. Who thinks Corbyn will be the next PM?published at 15:49 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Three-quarters of Labour voters approve of their leader, but that view is only shared by a quarter of the UK electorate, polling has found.

    Andrew Neil looked at the findings with ex-shadow minister Chuka Umunna, along with Joe Twynam from the YouGov polling company, which included Jeremy Corbyn's chances of winning the 2020 general election.

  3. Pro-EU 'lack of vision'published at 15:46 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Europe debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative grandee Sir Edward Leigh complains there is a "lack of vision on the pro-European side" which was not the case when the UK held a referendum on joining the European Economic Community in 1975.

    He says the only argument against leaving seems to be life outside the EU is unknown. 

    "If we are united in this House on staying out of Schengen and staying out of the common currency, then why are we told that there will be Armageddon when the people vote to leave?" he asks 

    "Let's trust people, let's not be afraid and let's regain our freedom," he adds.

    Conservative grandee Sir Edward Leigh
  4. Speaking time reducedpublished at 15:31 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Europe debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Deputy Speaker Natascha Engel

    As the debate enters its third hour, Deputy Speaker Natascha Engel intervenes to reduce the MPs speech time to seven minutes.

    The Eurosceptic contingent of MPs seem to be happy to leave it up to Conservative backbenchers to do most of the debating - no Eurosceptics Labour MPs or MPs from the Eurosceptic DUP appear to be looking to speak.

    MPs stand to indicate they would like to make a speech
    Image caption,

    MPs stand to indicate they would like to make a speech

  5. Why are there fewer people on the electoral register?published at 15:11 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    The level of voter registration among younger people is "frightening" but there have been "huge numbers" joining the register since they were allowed to register online, says Lord Hayward.

    The election strategist, who is part of the team advising the Conservatives on boundary reform, spoke to Jo Coburn and Labour MP Chuka Umunna about changes to electoral registration.

    Lord Hayward defended the changes against claims that they had been rushed through and that they will lead to under-registration in Labour constituencies.

  6. Staying in is 'real unkown'published at 15:10 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Europe debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin says the real "unknown" is what will happen if the UK votes to remain in the European Union.

    Countering claims that voting to leave the EU is to "leap into the unknown" he tells MPs "the real question is what will happen if we vote remain: what laws will we have imposed on us, what judgements form the European Court of Justice will be imposed on us".

    "We know what will happen if we stay, we will get our powers back, we'll get control of borders and we'll get our money back - around £350m a week," he adds

    Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin
  7. Labour questions cost of bespoke tags for offenders U-turnpublished at 15:10 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Commenting on the MoJ's decision, Labour said it "beggars belief" that the department has "had to abandon yet another procurement process" - and demanded to know how much it had cost. Jo Stevens, shadow prisons and probation minister, said:

    Quote Message

    From the overcharging scandal to G4S and Serco still being paid to deliver tagging equipment after they had been barred from running the contract, this whole saga has been a shambles from start to finish.

  8. Gove axes another Grayling justice policy - this time, bespoke electronic tagspublished at 15:10 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Electronic tagImage source, Scie

    Plans to introduce bespoke electronic tags for offenders released from jail have been dropped by Justice Secretary Michael Gove.

    The department is terminating its contract to develop the tags with British company Steatite, reversing former justice secretary Chris Grayling's policy.

    Dominic Raab, a minister at the Ministry of Justice, said it would be "more appropriate" to buy off-the-shelf technology which is already available.

    Mr Gove has scrapped several of his predecessor's policies, including the criminal courts charge and a controversial £5.9m bid to run prison training services in Saudi Arabia. 

  9. Listen: BBC must be 'eternally vigilant', says Lord Hallpublished at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    The World at One
    BBC Radio 4

    Media caption,

    Martha Kearney interviews BBC Director General Lord Hall as Savile report is published

  10. Calling for Brexit is 'idiotic', says Lib Dem MEPpublished at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    The Liberal Democrats' only MEP, Catherine Bearder, has labelled people campaigning for the UK to quit the EU "idiotic". During a debate in the European Parliament, she argued in favour of the UK staying a member, and said:

    Quote Message

    Those calling for EU exit are like lemmings jumping off a cliff; they cannot tell us what is on the other side. That's not patriotic, it's idiotic. They must not be allowed to put our country's future at risk."

    Catherine Bearder, MEP

  11. ECJ ruling on EU migrant benefitspublished at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Ben Wright
    BBC political correspondent

    Jobcentre Plus signImage source, PA

    The European Court of Justice has today confirmed that EU migrants can be refused social benefits for their first months living in another EU country. The Court's judgement refers to a long-running dispute between a Spanish family and a German employment centre. The family was refused subsistence benefits when it first arrived in Germany.

    This judgement confirms the Court's recent case law. In a legal opinion given in June last year the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice said excluding EU migrants from benefits during their first three months of residence was compatible with EU law. 

  12. A new electoral system on the menu?published at 15:06 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Should the UK start to use a new system to elect MPs at Westminster?

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  13. 'Illusion of sovereignty'published at 14:53 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Europe debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    "If anyone wants to see the illusion of sovereignty tell them to come here," Conservative MP Nigel Evans tells MPs. 

    Mr Evans says he will be voting out because the EU prevents the UK's elected representatives from delivering on their promises.

    He gives an example: "In our manifesto , externalwe said we'd stop child benefits being given to children who had never set foot in this country but we can't because the European Union will not let us."

    "It's all about sovereignty," he concludes.

    Conservative MP Nigel Evans
  14. A new electoral system on the menupublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    UKIP picked up nearly four million votes, and yet only won a single seat in Parliament at the general election.

    Some 331 of 650 MPs elected in May won their seat with less than half of the vote in their constituencies.

    Daily Politics reporter Ellie Price looks at the calls for a change in the voting system, but also hears why some think first-past-the-post leads to strong governments.

  15. Individual trade deals 'not all they appear'published at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Europe debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden calls on MPs who are claiming the UK can easily establish trade deals with large economies, such as China, to look at the detail of some of the trade deals between China and individual countries.

    He tells MPs he has read many of these deals and the "trade agreements are often complete and free access for China, and limited and tariffed access for the smaller country". 

    "I disagree we have a choice between trading with the world and trading with Europe. We can do both," he adds.

    Former shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden
  16. Cash: 'Voters are being cheated'published at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Europe debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee Sir Bill Cash tells MPs that "voters are being cheated" by claims that the UK's negotiation is "irreversible". 

    Sir Bill says his committee has found that the proposed renegotiation "cannot be guaranteed" as, amongst other things, it "does not bind the European Court of Justice". 

    "Unless the voter knows that they're going to get the whole package [of renegotiations] and can be guaranteed that it's going to come into effect they have no reason to have confidence in answering the question whether to stay in or leave," the Conservative MP adds. 

    Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee Sir Bill Cash
  17. EU reform deal 'will make a real difference' to immigration, says PMpublished at 14:20 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    David Cameron has admitted that net migration in Britain is "still too high" but said the government was taking action "across the board" to bring the numbers down.

    Speaking at a question and answer section with BAE employees in Preston, Mr Cameron said it was important to "fix the issue of welfare" concerning EU migrants and added "now that we have this agreement, that will have an impact".

    He said it was necessary to tighten up the rules regarding free movement, but that his EU reform measures would "do all of that and make a real difference".

  18. EU referendum: The view from Swindonpublished at 14:15 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Nick Robinson gauges the mood of people from Swindon about the EU referendum.

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  19. Cameron asked: What's the EU done for the North West of England?published at 13:39 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    David Cameron is asked: What's the EU done for the North West of England?

  20. 'Nothing patriotic' about leaving EUpublished at 13:34 Greenwich Mean Time 25 February 2016

    Europe debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Mr Benn remarks that there is "nothing patriotic" about leaving the EU and we need to face global challenges with "optimism". 

    The British people have to make a choice between "the fear" that we have lost our identity, and our experience that as a member of the European Union, Britain's voice has been "amplified", he says.

    The British people will make that choice in due course, he concludes.