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| Clive Lewis enters Labour leadership race – live news | Clive Lewis enters Labour leadership race – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the Queen’s speech and Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn speaking in the subsequent Commons debate | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the Queen’s speech and Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn speaking in the subsequent Commons debate |
| The author of the Queen’s Speech was “clearly” Dominic Cummings, with whom the prime minister “is said to be mesmerised”, writes Simon Jenkins. | |
| And beyond the headline commitments to getting Brexit done, “the rest of the speech was intriguing”. | |
| There is scant Christmas cheer for supporters of the Labour party, but as Andy Beckett points out here, it wasn’t nearly as bad as 1983, when Michael Foot’s party slumped to 27.6% of the vote and the Tories had a thumping 144-seat majority. | |
| He cautions against the party tacking too far to the right and blaming last week’s defeat on the left of the party, as Labour grandees such as Alan Johnson have already begun to do. | |
| And one thing for Labour supporters to feel optimistic about is their standing among young voters: | |
| In the Queen’s Speech debate, which has not exactly been troubled by many moments of soaring oratory, the Liberal Democrats’ joint leader Sir Ed Davey warned the prime minister that his “willingness to jump unashamedly over every red line he had previously been willing to die in the ditch for will have been noted in Brussels by Europe’s rather more skilful negotiators”, suggesting that Boris Johnson’s greatest weapon in the negotiations to come would be his “unmatched flexibility with the truth”. | In the Queen’s Speech debate, which has not exactly been troubled by many moments of soaring oratory, the Liberal Democrats’ joint leader Sir Ed Davey warned the prime minister that his “willingness to jump unashamedly over every red line he had previously been willing to die in the ditch for will have been noted in Brussels by Europe’s rather more skilful negotiators”, suggesting that Boris Johnson’s greatest weapon in the negotiations to come would be his “unmatched flexibility with the truth”. |
| “His so-called triumph of achieving a deal for Brexit phase one was only possible because he betrayed his big promise to the DUP,” Davey added, describing the PM’s tactics as “bulldog bluster combined with the record of a turncoat”. | “His so-called triumph of achieving a deal for Brexit phase one was only possible because he betrayed his big promise to the DUP,” Davey added, describing the PM’s tactics as “bulldog bluster combined with the record of a turncoat”. |
| He said: “I don’t believe this is the right approach and I don’t believe he’ll succeed without reneging on almost all of his previous promises to Leave voters. | He said: “I don’t believe this is the right approach and I don’t believe he’ll succeed without reneging on almost all of his previous promises to Leave voters. |
| “Whether or not, in the dark Conservative forests of the Brexit Spartans, his erstwhile friends have yet smelt betrayal.” | “Whether or not, in the dark Conservative forests of the Brexit Spartans, his erstwhile friends have yet smelt betrayal.” |
| The Northern Ireland secretary, Julian Smith, has announced that there will be no return to power-sharing in the region before Christmas, blaming the DUP for preventing the move which would have seen the government release extra money for the NHS there. | The Northern Ireland secretary, Julian Smith, has announced that there will be no return to power-sharing in the region before Christmas, blaming the DUP for preventing the move which would have seen the government release extra money for the NHS there. |
| Smith said: “I am deeply disappointed that we have not got all five parties in agreement,” and asked the DUP, the largest party in Northern Ireland, to reconsider. | Smith said: “I am deeply disappointed that we have not got all five parties in agreement,” and asked the DUP, the largest party in Northern Ireland, to reconsider. |
| The party said there were outstanding issues under negotiation that would not be resolved in the coming days, and work remained to be done to achieve a “fair and balanced” agreement. | The party said there were outstanding issues under negotiation that would not be resolved in the coming days, and work remained to be done to achieve a “fair and balanced” agreement. |
| The second largest party, Sinn Féin, had joined the British and Irish governments in making a push to re-establish devolved institutions, ending a three-year hiatus. | The second largest party, Sinn Féin, had joined the British and Irish governments in making a push to re-establish devolved institutions, ending a three-year hiatus. |
| Smith said: “We want all parties to be positively part of the new Stormont. The DUP is a crucial part of that. | Smith said: “We want all parties to be positively part of the new Stormont. The DUP is a crucial part of that. |
| “I don’t think time is going to make any difference, I think hanging around, delay, not making decisions is not going to make any difference, it is only going to cause more heartache and problems for citizens in Northern Ireland. | “I don’t think time is going to make any difference, I think hanging around, delay, not making decisions is not going to make any difference, it is only going to cause more heartache and problems for citizens in Northern Ireland. |
| “I just hope there is time tonight to reflect on that decision.” | “I just hope there is time tonight to reflect on that decision.” |
| People in the DUP did want to break the deadlock, he said, and he asked them to make their voices heard. | People in the DUP did want to break the deadlock, he said, and he asked them to make their voices heard. |
| “I would urge them to move forward so that we can get this done.” | “I would urge them to move forward so that we can get this done.” |
| The shadow Treasury minister, Clive Lewis, has thrown his hat into the ring to become the next Labour leader. Writing in the Guardian, the 48-year-old MP for Norwich North, who is seen to be on the left of the party, said that Labour had suffered “its own Dunkirk” at the election, but that they could bounce back if they gave activists a stake in any changes. | The shadow Treasury minister, Clive Lewis, has thrown his hat into the ring to become the next Labour leader. Writing in the Guardian, the 48-year-old MP for Norwich North, who is seen to be on the left of the party, said that Labour had suffered “its own Dunkirk” at the election, but that they could bounce back if they gave activists a stake in any changes. |
| Lewis claims that the party still has to make a clear break with the New Labour era: | Lewis claims that the party still has to make a clear break with the New Labour era: |
| Yvette Cooper, who has yet to comment on whether she will run for the Labour leadership, has also responded to the lack of a commitment to negotiate an agreement to allow unaccompanied refugee children to come to the UK to join relatives (see 17:27). | Yvette Cooper, who has yet to comment on whether she will run for the Labour leadership, has also responded to the lack of a commitment to negotiate an agreement to allow unaccompanied refugee children to come to the UK to join relatives (see 17:27). |
| Paul Golding, the leader of the far-right group Britain First, said that he has attempted to join the Conservative party, to show his support for comments that Boris Johnson has previously made about Islam. | Paul Golding, the leader of the far-right group Britain First, said that he has attempted to join the Conservative party, to show his support for comments that Boris Johnson has previously made about Islam. |
| Golding told the Press Association that he liked the “cut of the cloth” of Johnson when the prime minister described women wearing the burqa as resembling “letterboxes” in a column in the Daily Telegraph. | Golding told the Press Association that he liked the “cut of the cloth” of Johnson when the prime minister described women wearing the burqa as resembling “letterboxes” in a column in the Daily Telegraph. |
| Golding, who has been convicted and imprisoned for religiously aggravated harassment and is a former British National Party councillor, said: “Primarily, we had the experience of Momentum joining the Labour party en masse to consolidate the leadership position of Jeremy Corbyn. | Golding, who has been convicted and imprisoned for religiously aggravated harassment and is a former British National Party councillor, said: “Primarily, we had the experience of Momentum joining the Labour party en masse to consolidate the leadership position of Jeremy Corbyn. |
| “We have decided to do the same but in reverse. We are all joining to see if we can consolidate Boris’s leadership over the Tory party. He is getting Brexit done but, as well as that, he has made a lot of comments in the past referring to burqa and niqab-wearing women as ‘letterboxes’. | “We have decided to do the same but in reverse. We are all joining to see if we can consolidate Boris’s leadership over the Tory party. He is getting Brexit done but, as well as that, he has made a lot of comments in the past referring to burqa and niqab-wearing women as ‘letterboxes’. |
| “After the London Bridge attack, he said he wanted to crack down on the early release of terrorist prisoners. We like the cut of the cloth on Boris Johnson.” | “After the London Bridge attack, he said he wanted to crack down on the early release of terrorist prisoners. We like the cut of the cloth on Boris Johnson.” |
| Golding added: “He is more of a populist leader and I think in recent weeks he has nailed his colours to the mast against immigration and being for Brexit.” | Golding added: “He is more of a populist leader and I think in recent weeks he has nailed his colours to the mast against immigration and being for Brexit.” |
| Golding shared a screenshot of an email from the Tories following his application which was electronically signed by Tory chairmen and MPs James Cleverly and Ben Elliot, welcoming him to the party at 2pm on Thursday. | Golding shared a screenshot of an email from the Tories following his application which was electronically signed by Tory chairmen and MPs James Cleverly and Ben Elliot, welcoming him to the party at 2pm on Thursday. |
| It reads: “Your membership is now activated. You can now attend party events both locally and nationally. Your membership card will be sent out shortly.” | It reads: “Your membership is now activated. You can now attend party events both locally and nationally. Your membership card will be sent out shortly.” |
| However a Tory spokeswoman said today: “Paul Golding’s application for membership of the Conservative party has not been approved. | However a Tory spokeswoman said today: “Paul Golding’s application for membership of the Conservative party has not been approved. |
| “While we welcome new members from a wide variety of backgrounds, we are vigilant against those seeking to join the party who do not share our aims. There is a process in place for local Conservative associations to approve members who apply to join, or to reject those who do not share the party’s values or objects. | “While we welcome new members from a wide variety of backgrounds, we are vigilant against those seeking to join the party who do not share our aims. There is a process in place for local Conservative associations to approve members who apply to join, or to reject those who do not share the party’s values or objects. |
| “We support local associations with this work to ensure they can and do take action where needed.” | “We support local associations with this work to ensure they can and do take action where needed.” |
| The Independent Group for Change, the party formally known as Change UK which launched in February 2019, has announced that it is beginning the process of winding itself up. | The Independent Group for Change, the party formally known as Change UK which launched in February 2019, has announced that it is beginning the process of winding itself up. |
| At its high-water mark the party boasted 11 MPs from the two main parties, but after failing to make any electoral headway in May’s European elections, six of the party’s MPs left, many to join the Lib Dems. Only three MPs stood in last week’s election, all of them losing their seats. | At its high-water mark the party boasted 11 MPs from the two main parties, but after failing to make any electoral headway in May’s European elections, six of the party’s MPs left, many to join the Lib Dems. Only three MPs stood in last week’s election, all of them losing their seats. |
| Here is Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, responding to the revelation that the new EU (withdrawal agreement) bill does not contain a commitment to negotiate an agreement to allow unaccompanied refugee children to come to the UK to join a relative that was in the original version. | Here is Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, responding to the revelation that the new EU (withdrawal agreement) bill does not contain a commitment to negotiate an agreement to allow unaccompanied refugee children to come to the UK to join a relative that was in the original version. |
| LabourList has a full story on this here. | LabourList has a full story on this here. |
| No 10 says the absence of this clause from the bill does not mean its policy has changed. A spokesman said: | No 10 says the absence of this clause from the bill does not mean its policy has changed. A spokesman said: |
| That’s all from me for today. | That’s all from me for today. |
| My colleague Seth Jacobson is now taking over. | My colleague Seth Jacobson is now taking over. |
| No 10 is now ruling out making judicial appointments subject to political approval, the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn says. An earlier briefing did not rule this out, leaving reporters to conclude it was an option (particularly in the light of the PM’s previous remarks on this). See 5.01pm. | No 10 is now ruling out making judicial appointments subject to political approval, the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn says. An earlier briefing did not rule this out, leaving reporters to conclude it was an option (particularly in the light of the PM’s previous remarks on this). See 5.01pm. |