House of Commons
Parliament

The motion for debate has been signed by Labour MP Lisa Nandy, Conservative MP Neil Carmichael, who chairs the Education Select Committee, and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas.

It reads:

The Scottish government will seek to oppose the UK government in the Supreme Court over Article 50.

Image source, AFP

Jean-Claude Juncker has said the EU will not "go to war" or seek "revenge" on the UK during Brexit negotiations, but restated his belief that the UK could not have free access to the EU's Single Market without accepting the free movement of workers.

In a speech in the Belgian city of Bruges, the president of the European Commission said the internal market of 500 million people was the EU's "main achievement" and when it came to the free movement of workers Europe must not "compromise... for the sake of peace in its relations with our British friends". 

Chris Page
BBC News NI Political Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

The Northern Ireland Attorney General has told a court in Belfast that one of two legal challenges to Brexit should be fast-tracked directly to the Supreme Court.

But a lawyer for the government expressed concern that the other case would be left to "lag behind".

Last month, the High Court in Belfast ruled against two challenges to Brexit based on Northern Ireland's circumstances.

The cases were brought by the Troubles victims' campaigner Raymond McCord and a cross-party group of Stormont politicians.

Both Mr McCord and the politicians are expected to appeal against the judgement.

A hearing was held this morning to consider whether the appeals should "leapfrog" the usual legal process and go straight to the Supreme Court, rather than to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal. 

John Larkin, who is Stormont's top law official, said the case brought by the politicians should go to the Supreme Court, as it concerned issues related to devolution.

The government barrister said the attorney general's plan to split the two cases might turn out to be a "treacherous shortcut".

There was no final outcome this morning and the judge asked for more written submissions.

Flood the Channel Tunnel. Ban cats from going outdoors. Bring back fish and chips wrapped in newspaper.

These are three demands - all rejected - from users of the government's e-petitions service, external.

Petitions gaining more than 100,000 signatures can be considered for a debate in parliament.

While some petitions - like Jamie Oliver's petition to tax sugary drinks - can make it all the way into law, others aren't quite so successful.

But what the Petitions Committee gives to Jamie Oliver, it takes away from may others, rejecting petitions that fall foul of its standards - set out in full here., external

You can watch Chris Mason read out a selection of the rejected petitions in the video clip above... or  a quick run through some of the most common reasons petitions never make it:

The Daily Politics

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Chris Bryant says it is "a particular irony for we British people" that 90% of people in the Commonwealth live in countries "where homosexuality is illegal because we, the British, wrote those colonial laws".

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan says such laws "are totally out of date, highly inappropriate and should be changed".

House of Commons
Parliament

The Business Secretary Greg Clark says reports that Sports Direct tried to bug a group of MPs are "extraordinary."

He told the Commons, "I find it extraordinary what was reported this morning, especially for a company that has made declarations that it wants to improve its reputation and its image."

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh say her party was "delighted" at the appointment of an LGBT expert and is "deeply concerned" at a UN resolution which could frustrate the appointment.

The UK government "must be doing everything possible... to stop this loathsome resolution being approved", she urges.

House of Commons
Parliament

Sarah Champion says the motion in the UN General Assembly from a number of African and Middle Eastern states has "has a realistic chance of passing".

The shadow women and equalities minister says she is disappointed that it took an urgent question for the House to discuss what she calls a "systematic attempt to frustrate the protection and advancement of LGBT rights internationally".

She adds: "At least 76 countries retain laws to criminalise and harass people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity."

Minister Sir Alan Duncan commends Ms Champion for raising the question.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Sarah Champion puts her urgent question to the government, on the appointment by the UN of an LGBT expert.

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan says the UN Human Rights Council's appointment of Vitit Muntarbhorn is "very welcome".

He tells the House: "We are now having to campaign in New York where a number of African nations have challenged" the appointment of an expert.

He says the UK government is "strongly opposed" to what he calls an "attempt to block" the appointment and "the UK's entire diplomatic network" is campaigning in support of the position.

House of Commons
Parliament

Speaker John Bercow makes a statement to MPs, saying that one of his duties is to "support emerging democracies around the world".

He announces he is launching a "Speaker's democracy award" for people who have made "outstanding contributions" to developing democracies.

He invites MPs to propose candidates for the award.

The Daily Politics

Each US state will declare its own result in the US presidential race, but the overall winner may be known before all 50 have come in. 

Daily Politics reporter Mark Lobel - with a little help from Andrew Neil - looks at the timings of when British viewers will know whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be the 45th US president.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow business secretary Clive Lewis asks if the government will "give all companies the Nissan treatment" and support them through the Brexit process.

Secretary of State Greg Clark asks if Mr Lewis's question was "rewritten by [Labour communications director] Seumas Milne" - a joke referencing a reported row over Mr Lewis's Labour conference speech in September.

Mr Lewis is mock-amused.

Mr Clark goes on to say he will be "vigorous and active... in promoting Britain as a good place to do business".

Asking another question later, Mr Lewis begins: "No walls or media advisers have been harmed in the formulation of this question."

The Daily Politics

Jeremy Vine explains the complicated maths that will decide the US presidential election result. Using computer graphics, he looks back at the 2012 election to explain why results in some states matter much more than others, with a look at how voters break down by sex and race.