The justice system could be undermined if a ruling that only Parliament can trigger Brexit is overturned, a former lord chief justice has said.

Lord Judge said it could be seen as a victory for pro-Brexit demonstrators if the Supreme Court reverses last week's controversial High Court ruling.

He told BBC Newsnight: "Let's say for the sake of argument the Supreme Court decides the High Court was wrong, it will undoubtedly be conveyed as a victory for the demonstrators.

"It won't be but that's what will be conveyed. And if that is conveyed, you've undermined the administration of justice."

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

The former head of the child abuse inquiry has said she will not appear before MPs to give evidence about her handling of the controversy hit inquiry.

Dame Lowell Goddard also attacked what she called "malicious, defamatory attacks." by the British media.

Dame Lowell Goddard  - in a letter - said she had been disappointed that the government had not sought to defend her against such press criticism.

Her decision was condemned as "disgraceful" by the Labour chair of the Home Affairs Select committee Yvette Cooper.

Ms Cooper said the committee would examine forcing her to give evidence "should she enter the UK again".

In her letter, Dame Lowell repeatedly attacks what she says are "false allegations".

She says if she were to give oral evidence it could compromise her "judicial independence" as a judge in New Zealand.

She said she had been advised by lawyers not to appear before the committee.

There have been claims by senior members of her staff that she was "challenging" to work with and a mediator had to be called in to communicate with her.

Her resignation has also prompted criticism of Theresa May over claims she did nothing once alerted to problems with Goddard's chairing of the sex abuse inquiry.

The government is to defer four rail electrification projects along the Great Western London to Bristol line.

The announcement has been made in a Department of Transport written statement published this morning.

The projects being deferred are between Oxford and Didcot Parkway, Bristol Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads as well as electrification of the Henley and Windsor Thames Valley branches.

In the statement, the Rail Minister Paul Maynard says the government believes benefits expected by passengers can be achieved "without requiring costly and disruptive electrification works". 

Select Committee
Parliament

Professor David Jesson from University of York says reintroducing selective education is both "obtuse" and "perverse". He tells the committee only 3% of grammar school pupils are on free school meals.

He goes on to say that some primary schools and independent schools are so focused on schooling children to get into grammar school that "we will replace selection at age 11 with recruitment at the age of five or seven".

Professor Jesson says the government needs to make a clear commitment to requiring existing grammars to support all local schools. He says the green paper touches on it, but it is not enough.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative Lucy Frazer says she understands from what the witnesses are saying that grammar schools do well but the schools in the surrounding area then suffer. 

She asks why those schools should not be raised up to the same level rather than removing the grammar schools.

Rebecca Allen, from University College London, says: "You have to ask why are those schools doing worse?" 

She says if the problem is something about the policies that have been put in place in that area then you could potentially improve those schools but she says it is "really difficult" to address. 

She tells the committee that problems at secondary moderns manifest themselves because there are grammar schools, not despite them.

The Board of Sports Direct International plc ("Sports Direct" or "the Company") is delighted that members of the BIS Committee finally accepted the Company's invitation to visit the Sports Direct's warehouse on an unannounced basis (first issued during Mike Ashley's appearance at the Select Committee hearing in June).

That said, the Board is disappointed that the MPs chose to visit on a day when they knew Mike Ashley would not be on site.  The BIS Committee had been informed of Mr Ashley's travel plans through to December and knew that he would not be at Shirebrook yesterday.

The Board understands that the MPs met many members of staff who expressed their positive views of Sports Direct as evidenced by Redcar MP Anna Turley's comment: "We had a positive tour around, we got to speak to a lot of the workforce and we got to see a lot of people who were very positive about the brand.".

The Board understands that at an impromptu open session arranged for the workforce to share their views with the MPs in the afternoon many workers expressed their dissatisfaction with how the Company was portrayed by the Committee and the media. 

As such, the Board is disappointed that reporting of a possible recording device (the veracity of which has yet to be determined) has overshadowed the truly important issues that this visit should have focused on - the true working conditions and worker satisfaction at Shirebrook.

The Board would like to make it clear that it did not authorise or have any knowledge of the possible recording device

Commenting on yesterday's events, Mike Ashley said: "I stand firmly behind the people of Sports Direct, who through no fault of their own have been made a political football by MPs and unions.".

In a statement, the board of Sports Direct said: "the board is disappointed that the MPs chose to visit on a day when they knew Mike Ashley would not be on site. 

"The BIS Committee had been informed of Mr Ashley's travel plans through to December and knew that he would not be at Shirebrook yesterday," It continued. 

On the subject of the alleged secret filming, the statement added: "the board is disappointed that reporting of a possible recording device (the veracity of which has yet to be determined) has overshadowed the truly important issues that this visit should have focused on - the true working conditions and worker satisfaction at Shirebrook."

 "The Board would like to make it clear that it did not authorise or have any knowledge of the possible recording device."

Select Committee
Parliament

The Education Committee's one-off session this morning aims to review the existing evidence for selective education, ahead of the conclusion of the public consultation on 12 December, on the government's green paper Schools that Work for Everyone, external.

Chair of the Committee Neil Carmichael begins by asking his witnesses about the government's green paper. Professor Anna Vignoles from the University of Cambridge says that there is no evidence that grammar schools improve social mobility. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, PA

Following government proposals to overturn the existing ban on new grammar schools and extend selective education, the Education Committee is holding an 'evidence check' session with the Department for Education, academics and policy experts. The witnesses are:

• Dr Rebecca Allen, Reader in Education, University College London, and Director of Education Datalab
• Professor David Jesson, Professor of Economics, University of York
• Luke Sibieta, Programme Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies
• Professor Anna Vignoles, Professor of Education, University of Cambridge

Followed by

• Nick Gibb MP, Minister for School Standards, Department for Education
• Dr Tim Leunig, Chief Scientific Adviser and Chief Analyst, Department for Education
• Donna Ward, Chief Analyst, Department for Education

Coverage of Tuesday at the Northern Ireland Assembly, as MLAs debate a call for a more detailed action plan on disbanding paramilitary groups.

It's a stunning morning in Westminster. There's not a cloud in the sky but the cold wind is biting. It's the last day of business in the House of Commons before MPs take a short November recess and there is a huge amount to fit in today.

Our first port of call is the Education Committee which is taking evidence on government proposals to overturn the existing ban on new grammar schools. 

Image source, Reuters

The Hungarian parliament is due to vote on a constitutional amendment which would ban the settlement of "foreign populations" in the country.

The vote comes in response to an EU-set migrant quota agreed in 2015 which would relocate 160,000 migrants across the bloc.

Hungary would receive 1,294 migrants.

Last month, Hungarians voted to reject EU quotas in a referendum vote, but a low turnout rendered it invalid.

Read more...

A group of food takeaway couriers working for Deliveroo are taking legal steps in the UK to gain union recognition and workers' rights.

It comes after two drivers for Uber won a tribunal case in which they argued they were workers not contractors.

If the couriers win, it could encourage thousands of those working in the so-called gig economy to seek to unionise and receive rights such as paid leave.

Deliveroo said it was committed to providing "great opportunities".

Read more...

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

After over a year of build-up, campaigning and controversy, the US presidential election has arrived. 

Here's the BBC's guide to tonight's election coverage from the states: US election 2016: Hour-by-hour guide to the night