As the debate on fracking drew to an end, climate minister Graham Stuart tells MPs in the Commons that it is "not a confidence vote".

It appears to be climbdown from the previous position, as Tory MPs were earlier told in a message seen by the BBC that they must vote with the government.

The message said: “This is a confidence motion in the government.

“We cannot, under any circumstances, let the Labour Party take control of the order paper and put through their own legislation and whatever other bits of legislation they desire.

“We are voting NO and I reiterate, this is a hard three-line whip with all slips withdrawn."

Nick Eardley & Joshua Nevett
BBC News

Three Tory MPs were set to defy the government on fracking, after a vote on banning shale gas extraction was branded a "confidence motion" - though it looks like the government are now rowing back on that.

Voting has started and Labour wants to use the vote in Parliament to force the introduction of a draft law to ban fracking.

The government has ordered Tory MPs to support its policy, or face expulsion from the parliamentary party.

Ahead of the showdown, three Tory MPs signalled they could not "vote tonight to support fracking".

Former ministers Chris Skidmore, Tracey Crouch, and backbencher Angela Richardson, suggested they would not support the government, meaning they could lose the whip.

Read more here.

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

Let's turn to Parliament for a moment, where plenty of action continues.

The government made it clear earlier that Labour’s upcoming vote - which will decide whether MPs should get a vote on fracking - is now being treated as a test of loyalty in the prime minister and government - a confidence vote in all but name.

If Tory MPs vote with Labour, they could lose the whip - meaning they will have to sit as independent MPs.

That could well be about to happen to a number of MPs, some of whom have already stuck their head above the parapet to say they will vote against the government.

"I cannot personally vote tonight to support fracking and undermine the pledges I made at the 2019 General Election," said MP Chris Skidmore. "I am prepared to face the consequences of my decision."

This is really significant as it shows the level of disagreement in the Tory Party with its current leaders is so stark that some MPs would rather not represent the party at all than support policies they don’t agree with.

In Grant Shapps's short statement outside the Home Office, some have noticed the new home secretary praised the (also relatively new) chancellor, but did not mention Prime Minister Liz Truss at all.

After acknowledging the government had been through a "turbulent time", Shapps told reporters: "Jeremy Hunt has done a great job settling issues in relation to that mini-budget."

No mention was made of what Truss had said to him in No 10 after appointing him to the role a few moments earlier.

New Home Secretary Grant Shapps has just spoken to reporters waiting outside the Home Office in Westminster.

He says it's a "great honour" to serve in the role and he's looking forward to getting on with the job and providing the security British people need.

Asked whether the government has broken key pledges in areas such as migration, he says: "You'll forgive me, I'm literally 10 minutes into the job, so I'll refrain from commenting on the specifics of this role for the second."

He adds he accepts the government has had a difficult period, before turning to walk into the Home Office.

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

Away from Downing Street for a moment, new chancellor Jeremy Hunt has just finished addressing backbench Tory MPs.

There wasn’t a big turnout of Tory MPs in the room, though one left saying they were “very happy”.

A government source said his principal message was about how the party needed to unite, and how he needs to “balance” the pressures on spending and tax.

They added it was a “good reception” with about “five or six rounds” of table banging - the traditional sign of approval in Westminster circles.

Image source, Reuters

The new Home Secretary Grant Shapps has just left 10 Downing Street.

He was asked by reporters outside No 10 what was happening with the government, but walked away without offering any comment.

Downing Street has just officially confirmed that Grant Shapps has been appointed as home secretary, replacing Suella Braverman.

There's a lot of chatter about whether there's more to Suella Braverman's resignation than a breach of email security protocols.

Paul Goodman, the rather well-informed editor of Tory grassroots website Conservative Home, reports that the outgoing home secretary had a row with Downing St about migration policy.

In a tweet, Goodman says Braverman was under pressure from No 10 to announce a "liberalising migration plan that would make it easier for the OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) to say the government would hit its growth target".

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

There are a lot of people talking about tofu right now on Twitter in the wake of Braverman's resignation, including food writer Nigella Lawson.

Why? Well, it’s not to do with it being a decent source of vegetarian protein.

It’s because the now former home secretary recently blamed the “Guardian-reading, tofu-eating, wokerati” for climate protests.

This tirade was not a factor in her resignation, but cue lots of jokes being made that her departing from government is a win for the “tofu lobby”.

In a short letter accepting Suella Braverman's resignation, Prime Minister Liz Truss writes: "It is important that the ministerial code is upheld and that cabinet confidentiality is respected."

"I am grateful for your service as home secretary. Your time in office has been marked by your steadfast commitment to keeping the British people safe. You oversaw the largest ever ceremonial policing operation, when thousands of officers were were deployed from forces across the United Kingdom to ensure the safety of the Royal Family and all those who gathered in mourning for Her Late Majesty The Queen.

"I am also grateful for your previous work as attorney general, as my cabinet colleague and in particular your work on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

"I look forward to working with you in the future and wish you all the best."

The incoming Home Secretary Grant Shapps was seen walking into No 10 a short time ago - with reporters shouting their questions to him.

Take a look:

We think he might say a few words when he leaves No 10 - stick with us and we'll bring you the latest.

Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, said in response to Suella Braverman's resignation:

“This Tory government is falling apart at the seams.

"To appoint and then sack both your home secretary and chancellor within six weeks is utter chaos. This is no way to run a government," she tweeted.

She said Braverman's admission of breaching security procedures raises serious questions.

"There are also reports of major disputes about policy and we have had weeks of disagreements.

"We need an urgent statement from the prime minister. Home affairs, security and public safety are too important for this kind of chaos."

She says the problems go beyond one home secretary.

"If the Conservatives can’t even manage the basics they need to get out of the way and hand over to people who can. The public doesn’t need changes at the top of the Tory party, it needs a Labour government.”

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

Suella Braverman's resignation letter is a grenade that's been thrown into the mix.

The letter makes abundantly clear that the now former home secretary is furious with the government, and furious at Liz Truss.

There's a heavy hint in there that the prime minister should be taking responsibility for the mistakes she's made. It was only yesterday Truss was telling the European Research Group of Brexiteer MPs that she had made a mistake. It sounds to me like the former home secretary is suggesting the prime minister should resign.

Braverman has some allies in the party who might not be happy about this, and the PM clearly thought this was an important issue because she cancelled a high-profile visit this afternoon, where she was supposed to be doing some more media to explain her relaunch.

Image source, EPA

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

Meanwhile the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has just gone in to address backbench MPs on the 1922 Committee.

He was putting the finishing touches on what he was going to say outside the room, scribbling in a notebook surrounded by a few supportive Tory MP colleagues.

He’ll be hoping to get a better reception than Liz Truss got in this room recently - where she faced a barrage of criticism from her own MPs, heavily briefed out afterwards to the media, unhappy with her budget that the chancellor has now mostly reversed.

Image source, PA Media

The incoming Home Secretary Grant Shapps was a major backer of Rishi Sunak during the Tory leadership contest.

He was fired from his role as transport secretary by Liz Truss when she became prime minister and was replaced by Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Shapps was considered one of Boris Johnson's best cabinet communicators.

He was one of the leading voices urging Liz Truss to ditch her plans to scrap the top rate of income tax during the Tory party conference earlier this month.

He warned the PM not to have a "tin ear" to voters' concerns about rising living costs.

Suella Braverman was the UK's home secretary until this afternoon.

She held one of the top jobs in government, with responsibilities including overseeing UK borders, policing and counter-terrorism.

The 42-year-old Brexiteer strongly supported controversial plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

On the right of the party, Braverman ran in the Tory leadership contest herself that Liz Truss ultimately won, pledging to stand up to "woke rubbish".

Read more about her here.

Chris Mason
Political editor

Image source, Getty Images

The BBC understands that Grant Shapps will be the new home secretary.

It is also understood that the cabinet secretary informed the prime minister that there had been two breaches of the ministerial code by Suella Braverman.

The first related to the use of a personal email account and the second to the sending of a government document to someone not authorised to receive it.

Whilst the information did not amount to a breach of national security it was potentially market-sensitive as it did contain government policy.

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

Suella Braverman may have resigned over a security issue.

But her resignation letter reads like an attack on Liz Truss and her government.

She writes that the business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes, and that carrying on “as if everyone can’t see that we have made them” and hoping things “magically” come right is not serious politics.

As someone who has just resigned after admitting a mistake, it rather reads like a call on Liz Truss to do the same thing after the series of U-turns following her mini-budget.

Braverman also makes clear she has concerns about the “direction” of the government and whether it is honouring the manifesto it was elected on.

This is striking language for someone who, until this afternoon, held one of the government’s most senior roles.

She now becomes yet another backbench MP unhappy with No 10.

Suella Braverman's resignation letter continues:

"Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government's commitment to honoring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings.

"It has been a great honour to serve at the Home Office, in even the brief time that I have been here, it has been very clear that there is much to do, in terms of delivering on the priorities of the British people.

"They deserve policing they can respect, an immigration policy they want and voted for in such unambiguous numbers at the last election, and laws which serve the public good, and not the interests of selfish protestors.

"I am very grateful to all of my officials, special advisers and ministerial team for all of their help during my time as Home Secretary.

"I especially would like to pay tribute to the heroic policemen and women and all those who work at Border Force and in our security services. To oversee Operation Bridges - the largest policing operation in a generation - was a great honour and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve.