Image source, AFP

May's French presidential election is likely to have quite a big bearing on Brexit and, as a result, domestic British politics.

Things are hotting up, in particular for under fire Republican candidate Francois Fillon. Here's a guide to the allegations surrounding the former prime minister and his Welsh wife which have been dubbed "Penelopegate". 

The Daily Politics

Labour MP Kate Hoey has given Theresa May a surprisingly glowing endorsement, telling Daily Politics that she "likes her style" and is "proud" of her performance on the international stage.

The PM, Ms Hoey says, is doing a "very good job", illustrated by the fact that the Conservatives are a "lot more united" over Europe than Labour.

The MP for Vauxhall, a longstanding eurosceptic, concedes her comments might led to her being "trolled" by some people on social media but she says it is time to be less partisan and focus on the national interest. 

Martin Rosenbaum
Freedom of information specialist

What else does the BBC's study of referendum voting patterns tell us?

• Across the country and in many council districts we can point out stark contrasts between localities which most favoured Leave or Remain
• There was a broad pattern in several urban areas of deprived, predominantly white, housing estates towards the urban periphery voting Leave, while inner cities with high numbers of ethnic minorities and/or students voted Remain
• Around 270 locations can be identified where the local outcome was in the opposite direction to the broader official counting area, including parts of Scotland which backed Leave and a Cornwall constituency which voted Remain
• Postal voters appear narrowly more likely to have backed Remain than those who voted in a polling station

Read the full analysis here

Martin Rosenbaum
Freedom of information specialist

The BBC has obtained a more localised breakdown of votes from nearly half of the local authorities which counted EU referendum ballots last June.

This information provides much greater depth and detail in explaining the pattern of how the UK voted. Here are some of the findings.

• The data confirms previous indications that local results were strongly associated with the educational attainment of voters - populations with lower qualifications were significantly more likely to vote Leave. (The data for this analysis comes from one in nine wards)
• The level of education had a higher correlation with the voting pattern than any other major demographic measure from the census
• The age of voters was also important, with older electorates more likely to choose Leave
• Ethnicity was crucial in some places, with ethnic minority areas generally more likely to back Remain. However this varied, and in parts of London some Asian populations were more likely to support Leave
• The combination of education, age and ethnicity accounts for the large majority of the variation in votes between different places

Read more

Image source, Reuters

The British and Israeli prime ministers, Theresa May and Benjamin Netanyahu, are settling down for talks in No 10.

Before that, there is the time-honoured handshake for the cameras. 

German-owned firms in the UK worry Brexit might hit them through "massive cost increases".

Nigel Farage's wife has told the Press Association that she and her husband have been living "separate lives".

Kirsten Farage said the former UKIP leader had moved out of the family home in Kent and the situation "suits everyone" involved.

Mr and Mrs Farage married in 1999 and have two children.

Mr Farage has not commented on the statement put out by his wife.

The Brexit vote is already having a negative impact on business, a survey of bosses from some of the UK's biggest companies has suggested.

Market researcher Ipsos Mori, external found 58% of respondents said their firms had suffered since last June's exit vote.

Nearly a third of respondents thought the referendum had not made any difference, and 11% felt it had been positive.

More than 100 bosses of FTSE 500 firms responded to the survey. Read more

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

There were two demonstrations on Whitehall, opposite Downing Street, as the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Theresa May. 

A pro-Israeli gathering are waving Israeli flags. One sign reads "UK and Israel: supporting democratic values."

Nearby, pro-Palestinian demonstrators carrying "Free Palestine" banners are chanting: "Two, four, six, eight, Israel is an apartheid state."

Conservative MP Steve Baker has found a eye-catching way of drawing attention to the number of amendments tabled to the Article 50 bill.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at Downing Street for talks with Theresa May. 

His host does not immediately come out to greet him and he has to wait a few seconds before the door of No 10 opens and he heads inside.

A few moments elapse and then the two leaders come out to give a wave to the assembled photographers. All's well then...

The Foreign Office has paid tribute as Queen Elizabeth II marks 65 years on the throne, another significant milestone in her reign. Read full story