House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith says the "horrors" inflicted on Mosul since its capture by so-called Islamic State in 2014 are "unimaginable". 

She talks about the women killed by the group for not wearing the full face veil and the gay men thrown from buildings. She says that Labour "fully supports" the operation to liberate the city. 

She goes on to ask the defence secretary for more detail on the involvement of the RAF, as well as what plans are in place to stop the city descending into sectarian fighting after its liberation.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says he "welcomes the full support" of Labour for a "complex" operation. 

He says the RAF will continue to strike "deliberate targets" like command and control centres in and around Mosul, as well as providing "close air support to the ground assault as it begins". 

On the concerns around sectarian fighting, he says it is being "very carefully evaluated" by Iraq and Kurdish leaders and that there are "red lines" for where Kurdish and Iraqi fighters can go.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Reuters

Labour's John Woodcock has tabled an urgent question on the battle currently being waged in Iraq for the city of Mosul, and other operations against the self-styled Islamic State.

This morning a Pentagon spokesperson said that Iraqi army-led operations to take Mosul back from IS were "ahead of schedule". Mosul is the biggest city still controlled by the group.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says that "this will not be a quick operation" and we can "expect Daesh to fight hard". 

But he says that "confidence is high" and "it is clear that Daesh is now failing" after a "series of crushing defeats". He says that "real progress is being made" and operations will help make the "streets of Britain and Europe safer".

In his follow up, John Woodcock says we all "owe a debt of gratitude" to those who are fighting to take Mosul.

House of Commons
Parliament

Former minister Anna Soubry has spent her time since leaving government asking questions on the subject of Brexit from the backbenches. She was a strong supporter of the Remain campaign.

"It's not just the foreign secretary's bank manager who'll miss his many columns," she says to laughter in the chamber. 

She mentions one written by Boris Johnson on 26 June where, she says, he said the only change for Britain would be that the UK would "extricate" itself from EU law. She asks if he "still believes it's in the country's interest to remain in the single market".

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says his view remains "adamantine", that the country will be better off out of the "toils" of the EU legal system, and by leaving the "penumbra" of EU legislation. He says it is the "right thing to do" and we will go forward with a "fantastic" free trade deal in goods and services.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is on the front bench to hear shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry say that the House will welcome the 72 hour truce in Yemen. But she wants to know when we can expect "full, independent, UN led investigations" into Saudi airstrikes in Yemen "on civilian targets".

Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood says that in warfare "when a mistake is made" a country will "produce their own investigation and report". 

He says that if the Saudis produce a report he believes to be "undervalued" and that is "somehow to be dismissed" he will join calls for a UN-led investigation.

Earlier this month, at least 140 people were killed and over 500 injured in air strikes on a funeral gathering in Yemen's capital Sanaa, a senior UN official says.

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting Yemeni rebels has said it will launch an investigation. 

BBC Newsnight

UKIP leadership candidate Raheem Kassam has said the party  is in an "existential crisis", and he would like to "make the party great again". He was speaking in an interview with Newsnight's Evan Davis a few hours after MEP Steven Woolfe quit UKIP.

In the interview, Mr Kassam said he would "probably" support Donald Trump in the US presidential race as he would be a better choice for America than Hillary Clinton.

Daily Politics presenter Jo Coburn looks at the fallout from the resignation of Steven Woolfe, before she heard from MEP Bill Etheridge, who is standing for leader, and by the NEC member and former leadership hopeful Liz Jones.

Vicki Young
Chief Political Correspondent

Downing Street has announced that a committee of Cabinet ministers will choose a "preferred option" for airport expansion next week.

After the decision a special arrangement will be put in place, allowing ministers with long-held opinions on the subject to set out and express their views for a limited period.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokeswoman said a range of views were expressed at Cabinet today but there was a strong consensus around the table on the importance of the decision for the economy.

Lord Pannick is leading the legal team in a case at the High Court brought by Investment manager Gina Miller.

The case is contesting the government's authority to proceed with Brexit without recourse to Parliament - arguing the principle of parliamentary sovereignty underpins the constitution and the rule of law in the country.

The team is arguing that invoking Article 50 will threaten the rights of individuals enshrined in the 1972 European Communities Act - which paved the way for the UK to join the European Economic Community.

Appearing for the government, Attorney General Jeremy Wright has said it was a "proper and well established" principle that governments use the royal prerogative in such cases.

But those bringing the case argue that it is vital MPs and peers get a say.

Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the Brexit process, is to be triggered by the end of next March.

Campaigners say the prime minister lacks the power to do this without the prior authorisation of Parliament.

House of Commons
Parliament

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has responded to a question on whether Italian citizens currently living in the UK will retain their right to remain after Brexit.

Mr Johnson began his answer in Italian before switching to English to say all EU nationals currently in the UK will be able to stay post-Brexit, provided that British people living in other EU countries were allowed to stay too.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry asks Boris Johnson about the draft newspaper column he wrote in favour of the Remain campaign in February, before coming out as a supporter of Leave.

She quotes from parts of the article where he argues in favour of the single market and asks why the government is heading for "hard Brexit", which would entail leaving the single market. She wants to know "why he no longer agrees with himself".

Boris Johnson says "the arguments have moved on" and "the people have spoken overwhelmingly". 

He adds that his pro-Remain article features "one of the most powerful cases that could possibly have been made for Leave".

House of Commons
Parliament

Congratulations to Conservative MP John Baron who becomes the first MP to use the word "remoaner" in the main House of Commons chamber. He asks Boris Johnson what he says to "pessimists and remoaners" who talk down Britain's future after Brexit.

Boris Johnson says he rejects the term because "we're all in this together".

"Remoaner" is a recent neologism, favoured by the tabloid press, that describes people who voted to stay in the European Union and who want a second referendum.

(The term has been used in a recent Westminster Hall debate - here it is as reported in Hansard, external, courtesy of Conservative MP Jake Berry.)

House of Commons
Parliament

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Chris Bryant asks a question on UK relations with Russia. 

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says that "in view of the ruthless and brutal" actions of Russia in Ukraine and Syria, it "cannot be business as usual".

In his follow up Chris Bryant says that "what might make a difference" is stopping Putin's "cronies" coming to London. He wants to know "why on earth do we allow those involved in the murder of Sergei Magnitsky to come to this country?"

Boris Johnson says that it's "absolutely right" that we keep up sanctions on "key members of the Putin regime".

Select Committee
Parliament

Crossbencher Lord Cromwell asks where Polish and Romanian immigrants will go if the UK were to "close its doors".

The Polish ambassador believes that Germany will become the popular destination for Poles.

The Romanian ambassador notes that Italy and Spain are currently the top countries for Romanians to emigrate to. He adds that future trends in movement will depend on demand.

"The hand of the market will determine," concludes Baroness Kennedy.

And there the session ends.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, BBS

Labour's Baroness Hughes wants to know what has been the reaction to Brexit in the Polish and Romanian communities.

Arkady Rzegocki identifies two issues.

Firstly he says Poles are worried about "the hate crime situation."

However the biggest problem, he says, is uncertainty - "it is not good for businesses, for the economy, for families, for individuals."

House of Commons
Parliament

Proceedings have begun in the Commons, with a question on the situation in Indian-controlled Kashmir, and the use of pellet guns by Indian police to control protesters.

Foreign Office Minister Alok Sharma tells that House that he is "concerned" about the use of pellet guns by Indian police but that crowd control methods have been placed "under review" and that it is believed that they will change.