Summary

  • MPs are gearing up for Britain's first pre-Christmas election campaign in nearly a century

  • Boris Johnson says it is time for the country to "come together to get Brexit done"

  • Labour's Jeremy Corbyn says the snap poll gives the country a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity

  • Leaders clash in the longest ever Prime Minister's Questions

  • MPs backed the PM's 12 December election bill on Tuesday - peers are considering it today

  • Amber Rudd, David Lidington and Patrick McLoughlin join the ranks of MPs standing down ahead of the election

  1. Under 35s drive voter registrationspublished at 14:10 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    139k voter registrations graphImage source, GOV
    Image caption,

    There has been a spike in digital voter registrations, according to the government website. It says there were 123,000 online applications on Tuesday.

    under 35s drive applicationsImage source, GOV
    Image caption,

    Of the applications registered on Tuesday, the stats show 90,500 came from those aged 34 and under

    You can register to vote here., external

  2. Johnson pledges 'active' role for Grenfell survivorspublished at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris Johnson pledges to support families affected by the fire "long after the television cameras are gone".

    He says survivors will also be given an "active" role in implementing the lessons from the fire, including in the government's draft legislation on social housing.

  3. PM: Individuals must be held accountable for errorspublished at 13:59 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris Johnson says politicians must ensure the "failures" identified by the Grenfell Tower report are "corrected".

    It is important to ensure individuals "are held accountable for their errors", he says - although he also pays tribute to the "brave" firefighters who responded to the fire on the night.

    The fire, he says, put them in a situation they "should never have been in".

    He says ministers will "legislate accordingly" where the report's author, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, recommends central government take over responsibility for fire safety.

    "Where action is called for, action will follow," he adds.

  4. Parliament 'could dissolve on Thursday night'published at 13:58 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

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  5. Duchess thanks MP for letter of 'solidarity'published at 13:57 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    The Duchess of Sussex called Labour MP Holly Lynch this morning to thank her for a cross-party letter of solidarity from female MPs, the MP has said.

    Speaking to ITV's political correspondent Joe Pike, Ms Lynch said: "I got a phone call here in Westminster. It was Buckingham Palace asking me was I available to speak to the Duchess of Sussex.

    "She was calling to thank myself and other women MPs for standing with her."

    On Tuesday, 72 cross-party MPs signed an open letter to Meghan, which criticised the tone of recent stories about her as "outdated", "colonial" and invading her privacy.

    Ms Lynch added: "She was pleased to have seen that letter."

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  6. Abbott: Tory MPs laughed at Corbyn's Grenfell tiepublished at 13:48 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

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  7. Richard Braine resigns as UKIP leaderpublished at 13:46 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    Richard BraineImage source, PA Media

    Richard Braine has resigned as UKIP leader, following his suspension from the party last week after he was accused of stealing data from the party - accusations he denied.

    In a resignation letter posted on the Kipper Central website, external, he said the party's chairman, Kirstan Herriot, had requested that her responsibility to report to him be removed.

    “I did not join UKIP in order to waste time on internal conflict, but I have found myself powerless to prevent a purge of good members from the party," he says in the letter.

    "I had believed that UKIP was a highly democratic party, but I have not been able to stop political interference in UKIP ballots. I can not therefore stand publicly for UKIP with a clear conscience.”

  8. 'Hard to see security upside' to Brexit - former MI5 bosspublished at 13:44 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    An ex-MI5 boss has said it is "very hard to see any security upside" to Brexit.

    Speaking at an event in London on Wednesday, Lord Jonathan Evans - director-general of the security service from 2007 to 2013 - raised concerns about the UK's access to intelligence held by Europol and other resources after leaving the European Union.

    Speaking about how crime-fighting and security strategies could be affected after Brexit, he added: "It seems to me that our task is to minimise the downside."

    He suggested intelligence-sharing between the UK and Europe would not be "significantly hampered" but said: "The risk, in my view, with Brexit is that there will be differential impact on the one hand on the intelligence relationships, and on the other the law enforcement agencies."

    It is "absolutely vital" that close links with Europol remain, he said.

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  9. Johnson: Grenfell report 'of national importance'published at 13:36 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris JohnsonImage source, HoC

    Continuing, the prime minister says the 2017 Grenfell fire "shocked the nation and the world", saying the report published today is of "national importance".

    He says his predecessor Theresa May was determined that, unlike victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, they would not be "forced to fight the establishment year after year" to get justice.

  10. Rudd: 'PM asked me to stand in election'published at 13:35 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    Amber Rudd tweets following reports chief whip Mark Spencer told her she would not be getting the Tory whip back.

    "I respect the decision he had been asked to make," she writes.

    The former home secretary earlier announced that she will not be standing at the general election in December.

    Speaking to the Evening Standard, the Hastings and Rye MP said she was "not finished with politics" but would not be defending her seat.

    Ms Rudd, who had a majority of 346 at the last election, resigned from the cabinet and surrendered the Tory whip over Brexit in September.

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  11. PM: Grenfell victims 'shamefully failed'published at 13:33 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Opening the debate, Boris Johnson says the Grenfell victims have shown "great dignity" in their fight to "uncover the truth" about the 2017 disaster.

    He says their fight for the truth has however "not always been matched" by their faith in the ability of the system to deliver for them.

    They were "shamefully failed" by institutions that were supposed to serve them afterwards, he says - after having been "let down too many times" in the past.

  12. Longest PMQs everpublished at 13:31 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    John BercowImage source, Getty Images

    John Bercow's last Prime Minister's Questions as Speaker - and the final one before the upcoming general election - was a record-breaking one.

    At 1h 11m 13secs, it was the longest PMQs ever.

    The previous record - also presided over by Mr Bercow - was in July of this year, for Theresa May's final PMQs.

    That one lasted 1h 2m 55s - both a far cry from the expected half hour PMQs is supposed to last.

  13. Bercow gives tearful thanks to family and collegauespublished at 13:24 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    John Bercow

    Speaker John Bercow addresses MPs after his final (and lengthy) prime minister's questions.

    He thanks the PM and colleagues for their "kind and generous remarks" in paying tribute to him, and thanks staff of his "past and present" who are watching him from the gallery.

    "We have had fantastic relations and a terrific bond and I hugely appreciate they have bothered to turn up on this occassion," he adds.

    But, as his voice breaks, he then pays tribute to his family.

    Tearfully, he says: "I want to thank my wife Sally, and our three children, Oliver, Freddie and Jemima, for the support, stoicism and fortitude which they have displayed through thick and thin over the last decade.

    "I'll never forget it and always be grateful for it."

  14. MPs observe minute's silence ahead of Grenfell debatepublished at 13:23 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    PMQs has ended – but Boris Johnson will be remaining in the chamber to open a debate this afternoon on the first-phase report into the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

    Before the debate begins, however, MPs observe a minute’s silence.

  15. New Parliament, new characterspublished at 13:22 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

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  16. Swinson urges PM to take part in election debatepublished at 13:16 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jo SwinsonImage source, HoC

    Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson begins by paying tribute to the Speaker John Bercow.

    "Speaker, we wish you well on a decade as a modernising Speaker," she says.

    She then goes on to say: "At this general election, voters deserve better than the choice between two tired old parties.

    "People deserve to hear from a leader who wants to stop Brexit and build a better future.

    "Will the prime minister commit to take part in those three-way debates?"

    Mr Johnson replies: I'm not disposed to believe in the promises of the Lib Dems when their leaflet in London says they want to revoke Brexit and in the south west it doesn't mention Brexit at all.

    "They stand for nothing but a policy of dither and delay.

    "To take this country forward... she should join this party, vote for this government and support us in the general election."

  17. Watch: MPs applaud departing Ken Clarkepublished at 13:12 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    The father of the House has been an MP for 49 years.

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  18. Saville Roberts: PM is 'lord of misrule'published at 13:11 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

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    Parliament

    Liz Saville Roberts

    The leader of Plaid Cymru in Westminster, Liz Saville Roberts, says the country was coming close to the end of "nine years of Tory misrule... and broken promises".

    She adds: "Leading us in this merry dance is the prime minister - a lord of misrule at this shambolic Christmas election".

    But Ms Saville Roberts says her party has "long been prepared" for an election and will campaign to secure the votes of Wales.

    She adds: "There is only one way out of this [Brexit] chaos [and that] is to remain in the European Union."

    Mr Johnson responds by reminding her how Wales voted in the referendum.

    "The most important thing that she might bear in mind is the people of Wales voted to leave the European Union.

    "It is high time they honoured that promise."

  19. Is Johnson's claim correct?published at 13:08 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    The idea that the UK would no longer have to pay money to the EU if it passed the Withdrawal Agreement Bill is one that crops up often, but is it true?

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  20. DUP MP urges PM to support abuse victimspublished at 13:07 Greenwich Mean Time 30 October 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Westminster leader for the DUP Nigel Dodds asks the PM to "please do something for the victims of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland?"

    The prime minister replies: "The government has fulfilled its promise to introduce legislation on the matter.

    "The most powerful way of addressing this issue is if we can all work together to get the Stormont executive back up and running to deal with the matter themselves."