Summary

  • Court rejects challenge to Jeremy Corbyn automatically being on Labour ballot

  • Boris Johnson meets French counterpart in Paris

  • Theresa May holds Brexit talks in Slovakia and Poland

  • Hinkley Point nuclear plant set to get final investment approval

  1. Labour MP Stephen Kinnock denies concealing child's private educationpublished at 09:32 British Summer Time 27 July 2016

    Stephen Kinnock

    Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock has denied concealing details about his daughter's private education when seeking selection for the safe Labour seat.

    Mr Kinnock's eldest daughter Johanna attended Atlantic College, near Llantwit Major, in the Vale of Glamorgan from 2013 to 2015.

    He said her study was "partly funded by a standard Danish state scholarship".

    He was responding to an accusation that he failed to reveal the matter when seeking selection, something he denies.

    Read more

  2. Blame it on the Brexit: But is it just an excuse?published at 09:04 British Summer Time 27 July 2016

    Blame it on the Brexit

    There is no shortage of companies blaming Brexit for their bad news these days - from job losses to price rises - but is this just a handy excuse?

    Read More
  3. Is Hinterland in jeopardy after Brexit?published at 09:04 British Summer Time 27 July 2016

    Dark cloud over Hinterland after Brexit

    The producers of Hinterland say the Welsh detective noir may never have been made without EU funding.

    Read More
  4. Owen Smith to call for strengthened workers' rightspublished at 08:37 British Summer Time 27 July 2016

    Norman Smith
    Assistant political editor

    Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith is to unveil plans to strengthen workers rights and trade union powers.

    Mr Smith will call for the re-introduction of wages councils, which were abolished by Mrs Thatcher. They will be established across different sectors of industry to boost pay above the minimum wage in low paid sectors such as retail and care.

    He  will also call for minimum guaranteed working hours and the abolition of zero hours contracts, demand the scrapping of trade union reforms curbing the ability of unions to call strikes and will pledge that a Labour government would establish a Ministry of Labour.

    Mr Smith will also demand that agency workers are given the same rights as full time workers and that workers are placed on company remuneration committees - and call for a ban on companies being allowed to recruit only foreign workers.

    Mr Smith will say that Britain has become "the poor man of Europe for job insecurity and workers' rights" and he will pledge to introduce "a revolution in the workplace".

    Mr Smith is also expected to call for an end to private provision in the NHS, more spending on public services and higher taxes on the wealthy.

  5. Scottish Labour publishes Brexit economy 'action plan'published at 08:37 British Summer Time 27 July 2016

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  6. Brexit migrant 'spike' warning from MPspublished at 08:37 British Summer Time 27 July 2016

    EU flag and Houses of ParliamentImage source, PA

    There could be a spike in UK migration ahead of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union and the possible end to free movement rights, MPs have warned.

    The Home Affairs Committee urged the government to state an "effective cut-off date" for when EU citizens in the UK would be granted the right to stay.

    It added there could be fresh delays and backlogs in the immigration system if more people tried to enter the UK.

    Ministers said it would be "wrong" to set out details before exit talks.

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  7. Owen Smith to make equality pitch to Corbyn supporterspublished at 08:17 British Summer Time 27 July 2016

    Owen Smith

    Greater equality must be at the heart of Labour's "mission for Britain", Owen Smith is to say in a direct pitch to supporters of his rival Jeremy Corbyn.

    In a speech on Wednesday, Mr Smith will commit to focusing Labour policies on achieving "equality of outcome" rather than "equality of opportunity".

    He will say he wants the UK to be the "envy of the world" in terms of fair employment and conditions at work.

    Mr Corbyn's campaign said he had led the way in promoting equality.

    Read more

  8. Highlights of Owen Smith rally in Londonpublished at 21:37 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    Owen Smith speaking at a rally earlier

    Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has been speaking at a campaign rally in central London. Here are some of the highlights of what he said.

    • He repeated his commitment to invest £200bn in hospitals, schools, roads, rail, housing, broadband and the UK's other "arteries", to be paid for by increased borrowing
    • He said he would re-write Clause 4 of Labour's constitution to make explicit its intention to reduce inequality
    • He would give Parliament greater say in authorising military action through a new War Powers Act
    • He would re-instate the Department for Energy and Climate Change on "day one" of a Labour government
    • He criticised the government for its plan to open a new trade office in North Carolina, saying it was the "wrong thing to do" in light of a controversial law passed by the state in March limiting protections for gay and transgender people.
  9. Estonia to take over UK's EU Presidency rolepublished at 21:17 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    Estonia will take the UK's place as the holder of the rotating six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2017, it has been announced. 

    Last week Theresa May announced the UK would relinquish its turn following the referendum vote in favour of Britain leaving the EU    

  10. Woolfe: UKIP will listen to those 'left behind' by Labourpublished at 21:10 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    Steven Woolfe (right) with Nigel Farage at press conference during the EU referendumImage source, PA

    UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe has said that if he were elected the party's new leader he'd send out a "very positive message that this is a bright new UKIP which will challenge Labour in the North".

    Speaking at a campaign event this evening, he said he'd pursue social mobility in education, housing and health to make sure that "those people who've been left behind by the Labour Party have a party that actually listens to them as we did on immigration and on the referendum, to make sure that this is their new home".

    He pledged a "grammar school revolution" by introducing selective schools in the 50 poorest boroughs.   

    He said he agreed with Suzanne Evans' call for a new professionalism within UKIP, but he wouldn't be drawn on whether her suspension should be lifted. That, he said, was a matter for the party's National Executive Committee, of which he wasn't a member.

    Quote Message

    "We're not a party of the left, we're not a party of the right. We're a party that crosses the political spectrum."

  11. Summary of Tuesday's main storiespublished at 19:30 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    Here's your Tuesday evening round-up:

  12. Malhotra: Office intrusion 'should not have happened'published at 19:30 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    Seema Malhotra

    Seema Malhotra has issued a statement in response to the latest twist in the Labour office row, saying she regrets the "distress" caused by the episode but stopping short of issuing an apology asked for by shadow chancellor John McDonnell.

    The MP says she recognises that Speaker John Bercow did not have "sufficient evidence" to conclude there had been a breach of parliamentary privilege but there were important unanswered questions about who had gained access to her office and why. Read more

    Quote Message

    I welcome the Speaker’s statement that “nobody should enter a Member of Parliament’s office or the office of their staff, locked or unlocked, without their permission.” This vindicates my view that what happened should not have happened.

    Quote Message

    I believe a number of questions remain unanswered about who precisely entered my office and why. I do want to see that this concern never arises for any Member of Parliament in the future.

    Quote Message

    My staff have been distressed by what has happened. I regret the distress that has been caused on both sides. But I come back to what this is all about: Our office was entered without our knowledge and without my permission. And the Speaker has ruled today that should not happen.”

  13. Arlene Foster's phone call with Brexit ministerpublished at 17:46 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

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  14. Court warned it should be 'wary' of interfering in political party's rulespublished at 17:19 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    BBC News Channel

    Iain Watson

    BBC political correspondent Iain Watson says the crux of the court case on Labour's leadership election rules is that party donor Michael Foster is calling for Jeremy Corbyn to be "treated in the same way his as challenger Owen Smith".

    That means he would need to obtain nominations from 50 MPs in order to stand again. However, the party's national executive ruled that Mr Corbyn automatically gets on the ballot as the current leader.

    The court heard "very detailed arguments on both sides", Iain says, with lawyers for the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn warning that "the court should be very wary of interfering in the rules" of a political party.

    According to this argument, if the judge rules in Mr Foster's favour, it could "set quite a major precedent for the interference of the courts in political matters from now on", Iain tells BBC News, adding:

    Quote Message

    That's what's at stake. We'll find out the result on Thursday."

  15. John McDonnell calls for apology from Seema Malhotrapublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    John McDonnell
    Image caption,

    John McDonnell has claimed some of Jeremy Corbyn's critics are willing to destroy Labour in order to remove him

    Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has called on Labour MP Seema Malhotra to apologise for claiming aides to himself and leader Jeremy Corbyn gained "unauthorised entry" to her office.

    Following the Speaker's ruling that there was nothing to justify a possible breach of the rules, Mr McDonnell said:

    Quote Message

    It's only right and fair that Seema now apologises for the stress she has caused to my staff over the last few days. As I said on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, the Labour Party needs to unite and actions like this which are only being used to try to undermine Jeremy Corbyn's leadership must stop."

  16. Bercow: Malhotra office access claims didn't breach rulespublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    Seema Malhotra and Jeremy CorbynImage source, PA

    More on the news that Speaker John Bercow has ruled that claims by Labour MP Seema Malhotra that her office was accessed without her permission do not amount to a possible breach of Commons rules.

    Ms Malhotra - who resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury last month in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's leadership - claimed there had been unauthorised access to her office "on more than one occasion".

    She wrote to Mr Bercow calling for an official Commons investigation, but the Speaker has reponded: "Having taken advice, I am satisfied that there is nothing in your letter or in the information subsequently elicited by the deputy Serjeant at Arms which would justify regarding these events as a possible breach."

  17. Labour election judgement likely on Thursdaypublished at 16:40 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    BBC producer tweets...

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  18. Corbyn lawyer defends automatic ballot inclusion in High Court casepublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    BBC journalists tweet...

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  19. Wall Street Journal on Liam Fox's US visitpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    Liam FoxImage source, PA

    "The UK’s top trade official sought to assure Americans on Monday that London wants to preserve and advance close economic ties as the country moves to exit the European Union," is the Wall Street Journal's take, external on Liam Fox's first overseas trip as International Trade Secretary.

    Following an interview with Mr Fox, the newspaper interpreted the UK's post-Brexit trade strategy in this way: "The UK can’t sign trade agreements with other countries while it is still part of the EU, and London hasn’t issued the formal notification to start negotiations on leaving - a process that could take two years. 

    "The timing is still being debated by the new Conservative government, but early next year could be best since the UK wants to figure out its new relationships before general elections in 2020."

    On Monday, US trade representative Michael Froman told Mr Fox that the two countries cannot launch negotiations on bilateral trade and investment deals until more is known about the UK's future relationship with the EU.

    US trade representative Michael FromanImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    US trade representative Michael Froman said more needs to be known about future UK-EU relations

  20. Tory MP's 'appeal' to UKIP's Suzanne Evanspublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 26 July 2016

    Conservative MP tweets...

    Suzanne Evans said earlier that she remained committed to UKIP despite concluding reluctantly that she would not be able to run for leader after being suspended by the party.

    But that has not stopped one Conservative MP from trying to woo the prominent UKIP politician - who used to be a Tory councillor.

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