Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt is first asked about the search for Nicola Bulley - and the police's decision to release personal information about her.

Officers told the media she was struggling with alcohol issues brought on by the menopause.

Mordaunt says it was "quite shocking" and "really does grate with a lot of women", who have to put up with all kinds of sexist behaviour in all kinds of settings - and that's why people are so upset.

She says the police were motivated to try and explain how complex this case was but there are still serious questions to be asked.

"The most important thing in all this is that they find her," she adds.

Kuenssberg begins by speaking to SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn about the decision of Nicola Sturgeon to step down as Scotland's first minister.

Flynn says he found out the news early on Wednesday morning, and was "gutted". He reiterates that he saw his boss as an inspiring figure.

Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is just getting under way on BBC One.

You can watch it live here by clicking the Play button above.

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Another of Kuenssberg's guests shortly is America’s deputy secretary of state, a role she has held since mid-2021.

Between 2011 and 2015, Wendy Sherman served as the under secretary of state for political affairs and helped to negotiate the Iran nuclear deal.

For this and other diplomatic accomplishments, she was awarded the National Security Medal by President Obama. Sherman also previously served as a special adviser to President Bill Clinton.

Many front pages lead with the government's plans to strike a new deal to settle the UK's post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland, but the Sunday Telegraph reports on a twist to proceedings.

As we reported a short time ago, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned Rishi Sunak that ditching the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill that was put together during his time in office would be a mistake. Mr Johnson's first major intervention over Brexit since he resigned "points to a growing rebellion" over Sunak's plans, the paper says.

Prince Andrew is afraid the King is trying to force him out of his £30m home in Windsor by slashing his annual grant, according to the Mail on Sunday's lead story.

The paper says the Duke of York - who no longer receives public money after stepping down from royal duties following accusations of sexual assault, which he denies - is "furious" at the situation, telling friends that without hundreds of thousands of pounds from his brother he will have to move out of the 30-room property by September.

You can read a full review of today's newspaper front pages here

At the risk of ruining the magic of TV, we can’t pretend that Hugh Jackman is appearing live on the show this morning.

In a pre-recorded interview, Jackman said he believed it was "inevitable" that Australia would become a republic. You can get a sneak peak of his comments here.

Image source, PA Media

Yvette Cooper is Labour’s shadow home secretary and has been the MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford since 1997.

She served in Gordon Brown’s cabinet as chief secretary to the Treasury and secretary of state for work and pensions and is a former housing minister.

In 2015, Cooper ran for the leadership of the Labour Party and came third, losing to Jeremy Corbyn, but did not stand in the 2020 race to replace him.

Image source, Reuters

Penny Mordaunt is the Leader of the House of Commons and the MP for Portsmouth North, a seat she has held since 2010.

She also currently holds the role of Lord President of the Council, presiding over the Privy Council – the governmental body that advises the sovereign.

Mordaunt has held various ministerial positions and was the Secretary of State for both International Development and Defence.

Last year she ran in both Tory leadership contests. In the first, she finished behind Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. And she pulled out of the second just minutes before the formal nomination deadline.

Image source, PA Media

Despite hopes that a deal with the EU could be on the way soon, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cautioned yesterday that there was still "work to do" on securing a new trade arrangement for Northern Ireland. However, he hailed a "positive discussion" with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

But what is the Northern Ireland Protocol?

It’s the trade deal that was agreed to ensure the smooth movement of goods across the Irish land border after Brexit.

After the UK left the EU, special trading arrangements were needed because Northern Ireland borders the Republic of Ireland, which remains part of the EU. This became the key sticking point of the Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU.

A land border is a sensitive issue because of Northern Ireland’s troubled past and it was feared that cameras or border posts - as part of these checks - could cause fresh instability.

So, the UK and the EU signed the protocol as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, and it's now part of international law.

Former PM Boris Johnson has urged Sunak to not abandon legislation he introduced which would give the Westminster government the power to unilaterally decide to move away from Northern Ireland's current arrangements. This has been paused while the UK and EU try to find a deal.

You can read about the NI Protocol in more detail here.

Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is due up at the top of the hour, and you'll be able to watch the programme without leaving this page by clicking on the Play button in the picture above.

Stay with us for the latest news lines, quotes, and video clips as we follow the show.

Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

Image source, PA Media/BBC

Half term in February. Kids bored at home. MPs away from Westminster. Not much is meant to happen, right?

Blink and you would have missed it, but these quiet winter days, according to one government minister, witnessed a "draw-the-line moment where a new chapter opens".

One veteran political campaigner reckons we have just lived through the week "that changes the next election".

In those few days, Nicola Sturgeon quit. Keir Starmer told Jeremy Corbyn in plain terms that he couldn't run again as a Labour MP. And a Conservative prime minister edged close to resolving the tangle over the Northern Ireland Protocol, the last vestige of the long-running arguments over Brexit.

The first minister's presence in UK politics, Jeremy Corbyn's shadow over Keir Starmer's leadership and the Conservatives' fraught conversations over Northern Ireland have been fixtures of our politics for years.

The combined effect of removing those three factors could be immense. But, as ever in politics, beware pundits making grand assertions.

• Read more here

Image source, Reuters

Of course, the major political story of the last seven days was the surprise announcement by Nicola Sturgeon that she was resigning as Scotland’s first minister.

The SNP leader made the announcement on Wednesday after more than eight years in the job, citing the "brutality" and "intensity" of modern politics.

Sturgeon insisted her departure was not in response to the "latest period of pressure" - which has included controversies over gender recognition reforms and questions over her strategy for Scottish independence - but was a decision she had been weighing up for some time.

As well as the main guests, Kuenssberg will be joined by a panel of three key players who bring their own opinions and expertise to bear on the issues of the day.

This week, that trio comprises:

• Stephen Flynn MP, the SNP’s leader in Westminster - who’s described Nicola Sturgeon as his inspiration
• Wendy Morton MP, the former Tory chief whip who served during the short-lived government of Liz Truss
• Bill Browder - financier, author, and critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin

Kuenssberg will be joined by Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt, and from Labour she has Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary.

We can expect to hear from both women on the departure of Nicola Sturgeon, and their thoughts on the future of the union as Scotland prepares for a new leader.

The post-Brexit trade status of Northern Ireland has also been dominating headlines, amid hopes that a deal between the UK and EU could be imminent.

We’re also joined by two international guests: actor Hugh Jackman and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

James FitzGerald
Live reporter

Hello there - welcome to our live coverage in text and video of this week’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

It’s been a momentous week in politics with the announcement that Nicola Sturgeon is stepping down as Scotland’s first minister.

There’ll be a lot to get stuck into when the programme goes on air at 09:00.

With my colleagues James Harness and Jen Meierhans, I’m poised to bring you some of the show’s key moments right here. You’ll also be able to stream the episode live on this page.