The Times

The vote is cast but for those looking for the real reasons behind Brexit, David Aaronovitch writing in the Times, external says it wasn't really about a widely-touted view of people being left behind. 

When the data is compared amid the dust that has settled, he says, you can learn more about why the majority voted to leave the EU through looking at the figures on which party they vote for, immigration and their views on the death penalty. 

Russia must end its participation in the bombing of Aleppo and allow full and sustained humanitarian access to the Syrian city, the International Development Secretary has said. 

 "What is needed is a return to a full and lasting cessation of hostilities, including safe humanitarian access, across the whole country as well as in Aleppo," she said.     

Priti Patel said movement of trapped residents out of the besieged city "must be voluntary and overseen by independent monitors to ensure civilian protection". 

"A short pause in the onslaught against Aleppo is woefully inadequate. More than a quarter of a million civilians are still trapped in Aleppo. They are in a dire situation as they face regular bombing and severe shortages," she added.

A "humanitarian pause" in attacks on rebel-held eastern Aleppo is due to end later today. 

House of Lords
Parliament

Jonathan Caine, former special adviser to ex-Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers, is the second Conservative peer to take the oath.

Mrs Villers and the current Northern Ireland Secretary, James Brokenshire, are present in the chamber.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Pete Wishart asks about a government plan to pardon thousands of gay men convicted of since-abolished sex offenses.

He is angered that the government will not support an SNP private member's bill on the matter, instead supporting a Lib Dem amendment to the Policing and Crime Bill in the Lords. 

He says this move will "further undermine the credibility of private members' bills" and the elected chamber. The bill is due to be debated tomorrow.

Leader of the House David Lidington says that the government can't support the bill because it does not take into account the need to "check that the offences were genuinely consensual and were not committed against a minor".

House of Lords
Parliament

Just before questions in the Lords, two new peers are being introduced.

The first is Conservative Party donor and treasurer Andrew Fraser, who takes his seat as Tory peer Lord Fraser of Corriegarth.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative backbencher Philip Davies asks for an urgent statement on the "farce" of the scheme to bring child refugees from Calais into Britain. 

The Home Office has admitted that "two thirds of successful applicants as child refugees are actually adults", he says. It's a "serious concern" of his constituents' what the government is going to do to make sure that "child refugees are actually children".

Leader of the House David Lidington says the UK works "very hard with the French authorities" to make sure the children actually are under 18. 

They already carry out checks complaint with High Court judgements. On the much talked about "dental checks" he says that the British Dental Association say they are "not a reliable indicator" of age as well as "unethical".

House of Lords
Parliament

The House of Lords will sit in a few minutes' time. The session, as usual, begins with questions to ministers.

There will be two Brexit-related debates today, both on topics chosen by the Liberal Democrats.

The first is on "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".

Before the second debate, government spokeswoman Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen will repeat a statement on community pharmacies for the benefit of peers.

The second debate is on "the future of environmental and climate change policy in the light of the result of the referendum".

Britain will be able to negotiate a new trade deal with Europe at the same time as Article 50 divorce talks are taking place to leave the EU, the Brexit secretary has said.

The Article 50 mechanism covers the UK extracting itself from European Union institutions and some issues like immigration arrangements - but not future trade. 

It has led some MPs to raise fears the UK will fall "off a cliff" out of the Single Market... and back onto World Trade Organisation tariff rules for imports and exports.

In the Commons, David Davis dismissed concerns that European partners were refusing to hold talks in tandem. 

He said: 

House of Commons
Parliament

After outlining forthcoming business in the House of Commons, the Leader of the House David Lidington is taking questions from MPs.

Labour's Valerie Vaz, the shadow leader of the House, says we have "government by urgent question" and "if we're lucky" statements, and asks for debates on the government's u-turn on annuities and plans for community pharmacies.

She also pays emotional tribute to Jo Cox, the former MP for Batley and Spen who was killed before holding a constituency surgery in June. 

She was a "supporter of the vulnerable" who "gave great service to her country", she says. Voters in the constituency go to the polls today to elect her replacement.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

More than 100 MPs have backed a Commons motion to strip Sir Philip Green of his knighthood.

It's the first time MPs have taken such a step to try to remove a knighthood from a member of the public. 

The outcome of the debate won't be binding - but it will significantly increase the pressure on the Honours Forfeiture Committee to take action. 

Downing Street this morning declined to comment on whether Sir Philip should lose his knighthood. 

However, in her Conservative Party conference speech Theresa May appeared to single out Sir Philip for condemnation when she criticised directors who take out "massive dividends while knowing that the company pension is about to go bust". 

The Pensions Regulator says it is still waiting for Sir Philip Green to produce any "comprehensive" plan to help former BHS staff. They have held several meetings during the summer.

Labour MP Frank Field is pressing for the regulator to take legal action against Sir Philip to make good the BHS pension deficit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative backbencher Anna Soubry asks what plans have been made by the government if they lose the current High Court case on who has the authority to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty: the prime minister or Parliament. 

The government is arguing that the authority to trigger Article 50 lies with the prime minister alone, as a "royal prerogative" power.

Brexit Secretary David Davis says "gently" that "ministers do not comment on court cases in progress".

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Alex Salmond asks why the chancellor at a select committee meeting yesterday offered an "unambiguous guarantee" to bankers over their residency rights, but the government is "not prepared" to do the same for EU citizens.

Philip Hammond, talking about post-Brexit immigration controls, told the Treasury Select Committee that he "cannot conceive of any circumstances in which we would be using those migration controls to prevent banks, companies moving highly-qualified, highly-skilled people between different parts of their businesses".

Minister Robin Walker says that the former first minister of Scotland is "inadvertently misrepresenting" the chancellor and he was "making clear his role" for the negotiations, rather than making guarantees.

Image source, Getty Images

Thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences are to receive posthumous pardons, the government has announced.

It will mean formal pardons for those convicted over consensual same-sex relationships before homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK.

Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said the move was "hugely important".

It honours a government commitment made after World War Two code-breaker Alan Turing was pardoned in 2013.

More on the 'Alan Turing law'.

House of Commons
Parliament

Talk in the Commons turns to the issue of the rights of EU citizens in the UK to continue to live here after Brexit. 

Labour's shadow Brexit minister Paul Blomfield says that in a survey "41% of companies" had EU staff who had expressed worries about their place in the country, 15% of university staff have considered leaving the UK and the NHS chief executive in England had "called for early reassurance". 

He asks if the government will "resolve this uncertainty" and guarantee their right to stay. 

Brexit Minister Robin Walker says the "government recognises the enormous contribution" made by EU citizens in the UK and that "we want to ensure that their rights are protected", but will only do so via negotiation.

Cities including Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle should be able to allocate work visas to allow companies to recruit foreign workers after the UK leaves the EU, the Financial Times reports (£), external. 

The consultancy PwC has made recommendations based on regional visa policies in countries like Australia and Canada. 

Both countries have tried to bring migrants to specific areas of low population growth and target skills gaps.

One plan would see businesses request a visa from their local authority. It would then vet applications and ask the Home Office for work permits. 

Coverage of Thursday at the Northern Ireland Assembly, as the Communities Committee hears from police and local government officials on a new alcohol licensing bill.

The Daily Telegraph

The UK's exit from the European Union is far from secure, says Allister Heath, in the Daily Telegraph, external.

He says the fight for Brexit must press on as Remain campaigners blame bad financial news on fears over the UK leaving the single market and "tough statements" from "European elites" are taken at face value.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Hilary Benn, soon to take up the chair of the new Brexit select committee, asks about transitional arrangements for financial services. 

He says "uncertainty about our future trading relationships" is the "major concern for business". He asks for an assurance that if a new agreement hasn't been agreed with the EU at the end of the two year long Article 50 process, the government "will seek a transitional arrangement".

Hilary Benn says that without such an assurance "businesses may begin to take decisions because they don't know what the future holds".

Brexit Secretary David Davis says the stability of the City of London and European financial markets is "central to what we do" and the "transition should be capable of being managed very clearly".