Image source, Reuters

Asked if it was right that Boris Johnson should face questions about whether he can be trusted in the top job, rival Jeremy Hunt said: "It will be for all candidates to answer questions on their record."

But, the foreign secretary, added: "The central question is who is going to deliver Brexit, who is the person the EU will negotiate with, and get a deal through Parliament?

"Get this wrong and we could well end up with a general election and Jeremy Corbyn in No 10."

Talking about how he would handle Brexit, Mr Hunt said: "This is a time for a skilled negotiator not empty threats.

"I always wanted to keep no deal on the table as a negotiating lever, but we can’t be blind to the fact that there is a strong majority in Parliament against no deal and it is likely that Parliament would find a way to block no deal if that was being pursued by any prime minister.

"That’s why we have to find a way through this, that gets us a deal, and if we want Brexit, we have to choose a prime minister who is going to get us a deal."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Tory MP Ken Clarke asks Stephen Barclay whether he would support a future PM ending the current parliamentary session early - a process known as prorogation - to force through a no-deal Brexit against the wishes of MPs.

Tory leadership hopefuls Dominic Raab and Esther McVey have both indicated they would consider this tactic in order to drive through no deal.

Mr Clarke says this would be an example of "dictatorial" power and would be "contrary to our constitution".

In reply, Stephen Barclay says he would agree that the Queen should not be drawn into politics [it's the monarch that would actually prorogue Parliament, under something known as the royal prerogative].

The deputy political editor of the Independent spots a swerve...

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Responding for the government, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay says the motion is a "blind motion", because it does not specify the legislation that would be introduced under its terms.

He says Labour has previously criticised ministers of backing a "blind Brexit" because the future relationship is not spelled out in the withdrawal agreement - but this motion is guilty of the same approach.

It would mean one MP, with the assistance of the Speaker, would be able to override the government on business on 25 June, he adds.

He goes on to describe the motion as "flawed".

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Parliament

Conservative MP Steve Brine says Labour will eventually face a choice between backing a Brexit deal or cancelling it altogether by revoking Article 50.

He asks which the party would back in that event.

In reply, Sir Keir Starmer says today's debate is "not about the substance" but about the parliamentary timetable and making sure MPs aren't ignored.

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In reply to an intervention from Plaid Cymru's Hywel Williams, Sir Keir Starmer says there is "no such thing as a managed no deal".

Tory leadership contender Andrea Leadsom is among those who have backed a so-called "managed exit", with measures taken to lessen disruption without trying again to pass the withdrawal agreement rejected three times by MPs.

This would still cause "immense disruption" to judicial co-operation with the rest of the EU, Sir Keir says.

He says Theresa May eventually recognised such an exit "wasn't credible" - and speculates that this may have been because of its impact on security arrangements.

Sir Keir says the Conservative leadership contest has "become an arms race to promise the most damaging form of Brexit", which is why his motion is so important.

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Parliament

Image source, HoC

Sir Keir Starmer opens this afternoon's debate on the motion attempting to block a no-deal Brexit.

He says the "simple proposition" would grant time to MPs to introduce further legislation on Brexit - but he does not specify what exactly what form this would take.

It would be a "safety valve in the Brexit process", he says, ensuring that Parliament "cannot be locked out of the Brexit process" in the coming months.

It would allow Parliament to push back against a new PM "foolish enough" to pursue a no-deal Brexit without Parliament's consent, he adds.

Pressed on whether there is any precedent for this kind of move by Tory Sir Bill Cash, Sir Keir refers to the effort we mentioned in our previous post from earlier this year.

But the Labour shadow minister goes on: "We are in unprecedented times. Parliament has to have a chance to speak on this issue."

Labour has begun setting out its Brexit motion in the Commons, so let us explain it further.

Today's latest attempt to wrest control of the parliamentary agenda away from the government comes in the form of a "Business of the House" motion tagged onto an opposition day, external debate.

An attempt to change the parliamentary timetable in this way is unprecedented.

However, Commons Speaker John Bercow has allowed it onto today's order paper, or agenda, indicating he is happy it's within the rules.

Today's manoeuvre bears a similarity with what happened earlier in the year, when MPs seized control of the agenda to make time for a bill forcing an extension to Brexit talks.

That bill - spearheaded by Labour’s Yvette Cooper and Tory MP Oliver Letwin - eventually passed by just a single vote in early April.

Image source, AFP

Disputes over Brexit will rumble on in the Commons this afternoon, with MPs due to debate and vote on a cross-party motion seeking to stop a future PM pursuing a no-deal Brexit.

The motion aims to give MPs control of the parliamentary agenda on 25 June.

Labour says this would make it possible for MPs to introduce legislation on that day designed to avoid a no-deal scenario at the end of October.

MPs behind today's motion haven't specified exactly how they would try and do this - but one tactic might be to try and pass a law preventing a new PM from ending the current parliamentary session early to force through a no-deal exit.

The debate should get under way shortly, with the vote expected later this afternoon.

Image source, PA

The way The Brexit Party collects money from supporters leaves it open "to a high risk of receiving and accepting impermissible donations", the elections watchdog has warned.

The Electoral Commission, which visited the party's headquarters last month, said it had made a series of recommendations to help it meet its "legal responsibilities".

If it did not comply, the regulator said it could take enforcement action.

Party leader Nigel Farage has insisted all its donations are above board.

Follow the breaking story here.

Asked if becoming prime minister had ever crossed her mind, Ms Davidson said "no".

She said she had "played fantasy cabinet in the bath" before, but added: "I know the life I want for my son, who is only seven months old.

"I know the life I want him to have and it is not in the gilded cage of Downing Street, thank you very much."

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Asked for her views on Boris Johnson, she said she wasn't there "to take down" other candidates.

But if he were to become the PM, she said: "I would want to see Boris the prime minister do things differently from Boris the foreign secretary or Boris the candidate for the Leave campaign.

She added: "I am not hear to do a take-down job. The membership and people across the country deserve to see a good, clean fight."

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

The leader of the Scottish Tory Party, Ruth Davidson, has given her backing to Home Secretary Sajid Javid in the contest.

Asked by The World at One why, she said he was the "best man for the job".

"I have been inundated by calls and meetings [from the candidates] and pleased they wanted to sit down and talk… but a lot of the pitches were 'vote for me to beat the other guy'.

"I have got to look in the mirror after this and vote for who I think should be the next prime minister of this country.

"He can show a side of the UK post-Brexit to see what a modern country we are.

"He is a serious man for serious times."

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

Asked why he was backing Mr Johnson, the chairman of the European Research Group, said: "He is determined to deliver Brexit.

"He has a strategy for doing that, but also has ability to unite the party and make us electable."

Mr Rees-Mogg added: "People from across the party are supporting him.

"He doesn't just have narrow support from Eurospceptics. He has wide support, which is very impressive."

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Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey says she welcomes the carbon pledge, and accuses the chancellor of having "exaggerating the cost" of meeting the ambition.

She says Labour made the same pledge at its party conference last year, so it is good to see ministers moving in the same direction.

However, she says the "policy frameworks" for reducing carbon emissions have been "dismantled" since the Conservatives took office in 2015.

She says ministers have "abandoned" inshore wind as a source of energy, and reduced support for solar power - decisions which have "put the UK back years".