Summary

  • Theresa May to discuss Brexit at EU summit

  • Voters going to polls in Witney and Batley and Spen by-elections

  • Thousands of men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences to receive pardons

  • Scottish parliamentary boundary change plans unveiled

  • MPs back stripping Sir Philip Green of knighthood

  1. US election 2016: Stop whining, Obama tells Donald Trumppublished at 09:05 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Donald Trump tweetsImage source, Twitter

    US President Barack Obama has told Donald Trump to "stop whining" as he rejected his claim that next month's White House election will be rigged.

    He said Mr Trump's attempt to discredit a poll before it has even taken place was "unprecedented" for a US presidential candidate.

    Also "unprecedented", said Mr Obama, was the Republican candidate's "flattery" of Russia's president.

    Mr Trump is facing sinking poll numbers and accusations of sexual assault.

    Read more...

  2. Travis Perkins says 600 jobs at risk amid branch closurespublished at 09:05 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    a man carries a breeze block in a builders' yardImage source, Reuters

    The UK's biggest builders merchant, Travis Perkins, is closing 30 branches, putting 600 jobs at risk.

    The company, which employs 28,000 people across its 2,060 stores, said it was taking the steps due to an "uncertain UK outlook" for next year.

    Profits will also be lower than expected this year, external due to weak sales in its plumbing and heating division.

    The firm is closing branches of Travis Perkins, Benchmarx, BSS and PTS, but not its DIY store Wickes.

    Read more...

  3. Boundary review: Scottish proposals tomorrowpublished at 08:52 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

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  4. David Davies defends stance on refugee dental checkspublished at 08:43 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    David DaviesImage source, Conservative Party

    Monmouth MP David Davies has defended his call for child refugees from the Jungle camp in Calais to have their ages confirmed by dental examinations. 

    Mr Davies told the Today programme that authorities should not be "naive" about adults attempting to abuse the process.

    He said: "It's no good Lily Allen turning up with tears in her eyes and all the rest of it - we need to be quite hard-nosed here.

    "People are desperate, I understand that, and they will say what they need to say to get in."

    The British Dental Association has criticised Mr Davies' stance, saying such checks would be unethical and also cast doubt over whether dental radiographs are even able to accurately determine a person's age. 

    Read more: Dentists condemn call for child migrants' teeth to be tested

  5. Post-Brexit aid system 'to be decided'published at 08:26 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    A decision has not yet been made on who will allocate cash to replace EU funding, the Brexit secretary says.

    Read More
  6. Europe's simmering crisis: Key EU challengespublished at 08:26 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    The EU faces a perfect storm of challenges: migrant pressures, Brexit and unemployment, the BBC's Laurence Peter reports.

    Read More
  7. Homeless told to sleep rough to get help, St Mungo's sayspublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    a homeless manImage source, PA

    Some homeless people have been told by councils to sleep rough so they can get help, a charity has said.

    Research by St Mungo's found some local authorities turned away those in need or told them to sleep on the streets in order to access services.

    It wants the government to ensure local authorities stop sending away those with nowhere to go.

    Ministers say no-one should ever have to sleep rough and money was being invested to help those in need.

    Read more...

  8. Annuity re-selling plans shelved by governmentpublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    Pensioners by the seaImage source, Getty Images

    The government has abandoned plans to let pensioners raise money by selling their annuities to insurance firms.

    The controversial idea was first aired in the March 2015 Budget by the then Chancellor George Osborne as part of his plan for "pension freedoms".

    Despite deciding last December that the plan would go ahead next April, the government has changed its mind.

    It admitted that too many pensioners might be lured into making the wrong decision.

    Read more...

  9. Dentists condemn call for child migrants' teeth to be testedpublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    a child migrantImage source, PA

    A Tory MP who called for child migrants arriving in the UK from Calais to have their teeth tested to verify their ages has been condemned by dentists.

    A number of unaccompanied children from the "Jungle" camp have arrived to join relatives in the UK - amid suggestions they could be adults trying to get in.

    David Davies, MP for Monmouth, said mandatory teeth checks would reassure people the UK was not being exploited.

    But the British Dental Association said such checks would be unethical.

    Read more...

  10. By-election campaigns in Witney and Batley and Spen enter final daypublished at 08:19 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    WestminsterImage source, PA

    Campaigning is entering its final day in two Westminster by-elections.

    Voters will choose new MPs for Witney, in Oxfordshire, and Batley and Spen, in West Yorkshire, on Thursday.

    Former Prime Minister David Cameron, who stood down as an MP after quitting Downing Street, is being replaced in Witney.

    The by-election in Batley and Spen was prompted by the death of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, in June.

    Read more...

  11. On Wednesday's agendapublished at 08:19 British Summer Time 19 October 2016

    • Dentists condemn calls for dental checks to confirm refugees' ages
    • Final day of campaigning in Witney and Batley & Spen by-elections
    • Prime Minister's Questions at noon
  12. Vote to ratify Brexit deal 'very likely'published at 22:24 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    Downing Street says it's "very likely" MPs will be able to vote on the final Brexit agreement reached between the UK and the European Union.

    Read More
  13. Foster: PM's Brexit letter 'significant'published at 20:24 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    First Minister Arlene Foster hails the prime minister's response to Brexit letter as significant and rejects criticism of how it was made public.

    Read More
  14. Extra £240m for NHS in Welsh budgetpublished at 19:12 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    An extra £240m for the NHS is announced as Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford unveils Labour's spending plans.

    Read More
  15. A round-up of today's top storiespublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    • The prime minister has confirmed via a letter to ministers that they will be able to make their own views known during a consultation on airport expansion
    • Parliament is "very likely" to vote on the final Brexit deal, a government lawyers said
    • MPs were told the former head of an inquiry into child sexual abuse kept panel members at a distance and would rather have worked alone
    • Downing Street was forced to defend the Troubled Families Programme after a report said it had made no impact
  16. What now for UKIP after Woolfe resignation?published at 17:36 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    UKIP MEP Bill Etheridge, who is standing for leader, and the NEC member and former leadership hopeful Liz Jones, want the party to move on after Steven Woolfe quit the party and its leadership race.

    They spoke to Daily Politics presenter Jo Coburn about the latest contest to find a party leader.

  17. Scottish Six would 'drive a wedge' between nationspublished at 17:33 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    BBC charter renewal debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Alberto Costa

    Alberto Costa, a Conservative who represents Leicestershire South, is from Scotland and is speaking in opposition to the SNP's amendment, calling for a "Scottish Six" news programme to replace the current six o'clock news.

    He says the SNP is "hell bent on destroying the Union by any means possible", and that the amendment is intended to "drive a wedge" between the constituent nations of the UK.

    He says that in a poll this year 63% of Scots said they wanted the BBC's news output to continue as it is.

    He adds that he likes the current arrangement because it enables his constituents in England to be informed of "the SNP's terrible record" in government.

  18. Permanent Secretary defends Justice Goddard's severance paymentpublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    Child sex abuse inquiry

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Tim Loughton

    The committee comes to an end with a question about Justice Goddard's severance payment.

    Tim Loughton asks why the arrangement was so generous.

    Mark Sedwill acknowledges that the Home Office could have made the case for offering a smaller severance payment but explains that he wanted to avoid a potentially very expensive legal battle.

    And there the hearing concludes. 

  19. Heathrow and Gatwick respond to PM's letter on airport expansionpublished at 17:19 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    planes stackingImage source, Getty

    A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport has said that the decision to hold a public consultation on options for airport expansion in south east England before a final decision is "the expected and appropriate political process" and that "there is no delay."

    They added: "Heathrow expansion has the support of the majority of MPs. In recent polling, 71% of Conservative MPs and 73% of Labour MPs back a new runway at Heathrow. 

    "We also have the support of business, unions and the majority of airports in the UK."

    Gatwick airport also said the process was as expected. 

    The prime minister sent a letter to government ministers advising them of the decision to hold a sub-committee meeting to decide on a preferred expansion scheme later in October. 

    The government's preferred scheme will then be subject to a "full and fair" public consultation before a final decision is made in the Commons in the winter of 2017-18. 

  20. MP calls for 'fair' funding of local radiopublished at 17:19 British Summer Time 18 October 2016

    BBC charter review debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative Peter Heaton-Jones says that local radio is an underfunded part of an underfunded division of the BBC, the one that deals with regional services.

    "Time and again regional services, and local radio in particular, are singled out by BBC managers for cuts," he says. 

    He calls for the BBC to fairly fund local radio, and says he believes the BBC has the ability to do that if it wants.