London mayor Boris Johnson rejects a French minister's warning his country could end UK border controls in Calais if Britain leaves the EU.

More on the comments from British Chambers of Commerce chief John Longworth about leaving the EU.

The UK's long-term prospects could be "brighter" outside the EU, he said, describing EU referendum as a choice between the "devil and the deep blue sea".

He told the BCC's annual conference that voters faced "undoubtedly a tough choice".

One was staying in an "essentially unreformed EU", with the other being the uncertainty of leaving the union.

Read the full story

London mayor Boris Johnson has been asked about a French minister's warning his country could end UK border controls in Calais if Britain leaves the EU.

"Donnez-moi un break as we say in Brussels," Mr Johnson, who is campaigning to leave the EU, replied.

He said the Calais arrangement was agreed by an international treaty and "has nothing to do with the EU".

House of Commons
Parliament

Problems with gangs and youth violence are largely, though not exclusively, a crisis affecting black and ethnic minority groups, argues Labour's Karen Buck.

She says that in her constituency of Westminster North, a young man was stabbed in front of witnesses in January 2016, and describes several other cases, including a man being stabbed in the heart and "violent clashes" in another part of the area.

"Every single one of these incidents are tragedies and they impact on the community."

House of Lords
Parliament

Several peers attack the government's plans to set the cap on properties available to first time buyers at £450,000  within London.

Labour peer Lord Campbell-Savours tells peers that the cost of a £450,000 mortgage is "£28,000 per annum". 

"Are these affordable?" he asks. 

Communities and Local Government Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford replies that £450,000 and the "implied price" - based on the average first time buyer price for new builds in London - is £365,000.

British Chambers of Commerce chief says UK voters face a "tough choice" on whether to stay or leave the European Union.

House of Commons
Parliament

It's quite attractive, for some 12 or 13-year-olds to join a gang, argues Labour's David Lammy.

We have young people stabbing other young people  as if they do not realise the consequence of that stabbing. It's quite bizarre, he continues, telling MPs that he has seen YouTube videos of young people engaged in violent attacks.

"Much of it goes completely unreported."

Image source, PA

Who will be the next Conservative leader, Tory peer Lord Finkelstein is asked. Boris Johnson "has the ball at his feet" he replies, adding that the "question is will people find that bluster charming or will they find it disguises [the fact] that he's confused?"

The Daily Politics

Labour's Treasury spokesman Richard Burgon is challenged on how his party would reduce the deficit. It is "firmly committted" to doing this, he says, and would do it by "investment for long-term growth". He rejects the suggestion that this would lead to a short-term rise in the deficit.

Andrew Neil
Presenter, The Daily Politics

The Daily Politics

The Daily Politics panelists are discussing Chancellor George Osborne's Budget statement, which is coming on 16 March.

Paul Johnson, of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, says the chancellor has set himself a clear target of achieving a surplus in 2019 - and has not left himself very much room for manoeuvre.

The committee stage puts a bill through detailed "line by line" examination and scrutiny.

For major and complex legislation is considered in a Committee of the Whole House – like today.

All proposed amendments can be considered and debate on amendments is unrestricted; however, amendments are rarely put to a vote as there as still two more legislative stages to go before the bill completes its journey through the Lords.

If the bill is passed at committee stage the legislation moves on to report stage.

House of Commons
Parliament

I think we should be absolutely honest about this, says Chuka Umunna, bringing his speech to a close.

"If we were talking about middle class children, this issue would be much higher up the national agenda."

He says that he thinks it is a "damning indictment" that society is becoming immune to the issue of youth violence.

Concluding, he tells MPs that he wants to be "very, very clear that every single young life matters" and pledges that they will not "stand by, because they are our future".

Reality Check

It was suggested to a BMW board member on Radio 4's Today Programme that BMW would be trying to persuade the German government to do a free trade deal with the UK if it left the union, because it imports more BMWs to the UK than it exports from the UK.

BMW has confirmed the figures this morning. The company imported 157,000 cars (of all its badges) from the rest of the EU to the UK last year, and exported around 100,000 cars from the UK to the rest of the EU.

Of course, it's not just about what happens to whole cars. BMW also exported about 140,000 engines from the UK to the rest of the EU.

On a broader point, the chart from the ONS, external above confirms that the UK has been importing a considerably higher value of cars from the EU than it has been exporting. 

And overall, in 2015 the UK exported 1,277,881 cars according to the industry body the SMMT, external, of which 57.5% went to other EU countries.

It may be anecdotal, but businesses I have spoken to this morning suggest the leave EU campaign has had a reasonable start

House of Commons
Parliament

I don't see this as a party political issue, I'm not trying to score points, Chuka Umunna tells MPs.

"We have got to ensure that outside of school hours, there are more meaningful things for our young people to do," he continues.

A former deputy leader of the SNP launches a campaign urging independence supporters to vote to leave the EU.

House of Lords
Parliament

Up first is a series of amendments tabled by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Shipley, which would prevent "cash sales" on houses set aside for first-time buyers.

Under the bill, planning authorities will be required to promote the supply of Starter Homes for first-time buyers under the age of 40, sold at a discount of at least 20% of the market value.

The amendment would "require a mortgage to be taken out when buying a starter home".

Lord Shipley argues that "cash buyers do not need a starter home".

A secondary linked amendment is also tabled "requiring someone buying as a first time buyer to occupy the property as a principle residence".