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. New Scottish independence bill publishedpublished at 12:38 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    The Scottish government publishes its draft bill on a second independence referendum, with the proposals now going out for consultation.

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  2. Ex-Cameron aide Daniel Korski on the referendum losspublished at 12:34 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

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  3. 'Will I have to leave after Brexit?'published at 12:30 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Polish-born Suzanna says she is anxious about her future as MPs debate an SNP motion calling on the UK government to guarantee the rights of EU nationals in Britain.

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  4. BHS collapse a 'Greek tragedy'published at 12:30 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    BHS debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    A BHS shop in LondonImage source, PA

    Labour's Frank Field, who co-chaired a joint select committee inquiry into the collapse of BHS, is opening the debate and compares the fall of BHS to a "Greek tragedy". 

    He says he found no evidence for former BHS owner Sir Philip's reputation as "king of the high street", instead calling him a "very successful traditional asset stripper".

    He wonders why Sir Philip is so unwilling to surrender "a modest part" of his "megafortune" to help plug BHS's pension deficit.

    Sir Philip Green sold BHS last year for £1 to a three-times bankrupt former racing driver called Dominic Chappell. BHS ceased trading this year, with 11,000 jobs lost and a pension deficit of £571m.

    Sir Philip still owns major high street brands including Topshop, Topman, Evans and Burton Menswear.

  5. Labour peer: Brexit is 'the greatest foreign policy disaster since appeasement'published at 12:30 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Foreign and security policy co-operation in Europe

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    "In the months of depression I've suffered since 23 June," Labour peer Lord Liddle says, "nothing has got me away from the terrible thought that this is the greatest foreign policy disaster that Britain has undergone since appeasement in the 1930s, in terms of weakening our influence in the world."

    Quote Message

    I hope I live long enough to see the guilty men held to account."

    Lord Liddle, a former adviser to the European Commission, says "Brexiteers" have an "illusion" about the world based on "attempting to revive the anglosphere".

  6. Tory peer urges 'stronger Commonwealth military alliances'published at 12:29 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Foreign and security policy co-operation in Europe

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Conservative peer Lord Howell of Guildford says he views leaving the EU as "a golden opportunity for the reform of our own and...Europe's security strategy in an age of entirely new threats and challenges".

    He adds that Europe's stability and security will "remain our stability and security as well".

    The former Foreign Office minister says the UK's future security should be "based on a stronger Nato, on close relations with France and Germany" but also on relationships outside Europe, including "stronger Commonwealth military alliances".

  7. Watch: Nick Clegg talking honours and Brexitpublished at 12:28 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    The Daily Politics

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  8. Standards chairman 'did breach MPs code'published at 12:12 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    The chairman of the Commons Standards Committee did breach the MPs' code of conduct by accepting payment for hosting events for a drug company in Parliament. 

    But the offences were at the least serious end of the spectrum because Sir Kevin Barron did not personally benefit, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner said.

    Kathryn Hudson is taking no further action against the MP, who stood aside from his standards post after sponsoring two dinners and a breakfast at Westminster. 

    The fees he received were donated to charity. 

  9. On Thursday's Daily Politicspublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

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  10. MPs to vote on stripping Sir Philip Green of his knighthoodpublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    BHS debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    At the start of the debate on the collapse of BHS, the Speaker, John Bercow, announces that the amendment to today's motion will be voted on. 

    The amendment calls for the Honours Forfeiture Committee to "recommend his [Sir Philip Green's] knighthood be cancelled and annulled".

    Parliament does not have the power to remove an honour: that is left to civil servants on the Honours Forfeiture Committee.

    You can read about some people who had their honour removed here.

  11. Smaller pharmacies will 'suffer'published at 12:12 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Community pharmacies statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Toby Perkins says it's "interesting" that the minister refers to the "evils of these major chains". He says that the "people that will suffer" will be smaller pharmacies.

    Minister David Mowat says that the "scheme is blind to ownership" and he does not believe that the "efficiency savings we are asking for will cause widespread closures".

  12. Debate on foreign and security policy co-operation in Europepublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The first of today's debates begins.

    Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Lord Wallace of Saltaire has tabled a motion asking "that this House takes note of the implications for foreign and security policy co-operation with European countries of the result of the referendum for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union".

    Referring to a recent response by Brexit secretary David Davies to calls for greater parliamentary scrutiny of the Brexit process, Lord Wallace says this debate is not an attempt "micro-manage" the government's negotiations but a call for it to set out broad outlines.

  13. Call for public inquiry into prisons following Pentonville stabbingspublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Lords questions

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    HMP PentonvilleImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    HMP Pentonville is a category B Victorian prison

    The final question comes from Lord Ramsbotham, asking for a government response to "the call by the Prison Governors Association for an independent public inquiry into the state of prisons in England and Wales".

    The crossbench peer is a former chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales.

    Justice Minister Lord Keen of Elie says the government is to publish "a white paper on prison safety and reform" and says it is not the right time for a public inquiry.

    The question follows stabbings in Pentonville Prison, in which an inmate died and two others were critically injured. The Prison Governors Association (PGA) said inmates at Pentonville were living in "squalid and brutal conditions".

  14. NHS money for 'patients, not profits'published at 12:12 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Community pharmacies statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Michael Gove

    Conservative Michael Gove congratulates the minister on recognising "what Labour failed to", that NHS money should be for "patients, not the profits of private equity firms".

    David Mowat says the pharmacy sector is "quite concentrated towards public companies" and that "something like" 25% of pharmacies are owned by "two or three public companies".

  15. Style guide from New York...published at 12:10 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    BBC political editor tweets...

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  16. Labour peer says former PM 'gambled a country and lost'published at 11:50 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Lords questions

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Labour peer Lord Rooker

    The third question is from the Bishop of St Albans, who asks what is being done to protect those at risk of gambling-related harm.

    Labour peer Lord Rooker manages to get a reference to the EU referendum - and a dig at ex-PM David Cameron - into a supplementary question, asking: "What counselling is available for someone who gambles a country for a political party and loses?"

    A straight-faced Culture Minister, Lord Ashton of Hyde, replies: "The Gambling Commission will take a close interest in things like that I'm sure."

  17. Importance of community pharmacies 'greater than ever'published at 11:50 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Community pharmacies statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour shadow health minister Barbara Keeley says there has been "widespread concern and dismay", and notes that there have been 2.2 million signatures on a petition against proposals for cuts. 

    She says that the "importance of community pharmacies is greater than ever" as they help reduce demand on GPs and out-of-hours services.

    She asks how many community pharmacies the minister expects will be closed and says she's "not reassured" by the minister's comments on the impact on needy areas.

    In his reply, David Mowat accuses Labour of "scaremongering". 

    He says he "doesn't know" how many pharmacies will close, but says that the cuts they're making are a lot below the average operating margin of a pharmacy, which he says is 15%. 

    He says that "no community in England" will be without access to pharmaceutical services.

  18. Brexit court case: What hearing told uspublished at 11:44 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    An in-depth look at the arguments in the 582-page transcript of the High Court hearing into whether or not MPs should vote before the Brexit process is triggered.

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  19. Government plans to extend voting rights for British citizens overseaspublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    Lords questions

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Conservative peer Lord Lexden to asks about plans to extend voting rights in parliamentary elections to British citizens who have been living abroad for 15 years or more.

    Government spokeswoman Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen confirms that the government plans to extend voting rights to all overseas citizens who were previously resident in the UK and entitled to vote - but Lord Lexden asks when the plans "will see the light of day".

    Baroness Chisholm says ministers intend the change to be in place before the next general election but it will "require primary legislation" and "there is not timetable for introduction of the bill".

    Labour peer Lord Grocott says there is an "ugly rumour" that the government wants to extend voting rights because it believes these overseas citizens will vote Tory.

    "I can't speak for anyone else but it certainly hadn't entered my head," Baroness Chisholm replies.

  20. Minister making pharmacies statementpublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 20 October 2016

    David Mowatt

    Health Minister David Mowat is making a statement on NHS funding for community pharmacies. It comes after a BBC story claimed that budgets would be cut by 12% from December.

    He says that current funding arrangements don't do enough to promote "efficiency or quality". He says that the average pharmacy receives £1m per year but that 40% are now in "clusters of three or more" and that "community pharmacy must play its part" in NHS spending cuts.

    He announces that the government has reached a "two year funding settlement", which will see budgets drop by 4% in 2016/17 and a 3.4% reduction in 2017/18.

    He also announces a "pharmacy access scheme" in areas with fewer pharmacies or higher need, which includes all pharmacies which are more than a mile from another pharmacy. And he also announces additional funding above the basic settlement for pharmacies in more deprived areas.