Boris Johnson news: Brexiteers' bid to force no-deal suffers legal blow, as constitutional expert warns UK 'heading for deep trouble'
John Bercow vows to stop prime minister suspending parliament as political crisis continues
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Your support makes all the difference.Britain is in “deep trouble” unless Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn can act like “good chaps” and find a way to resolve the Brexit crisis, a leading constitutional expert has warned.
In a boost for pro-EU campaigners, a Court of Session judge has ruled that a legal challenge seeking to prevent Mr Johnson from suspending parliament to force through a no-deal exit will be heard before 31 October.
It comes as No 10 is said to be ready to pull British diplomats out of Brussels. Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton, meanwhile, said the UK was “first in line” for a trade deal with the US after meeting the PM.
Meanwhile John Bercow, the House of Commons speaker, has warned that he will try to stop the prime minister from suspending parliament.
Mr Bercow told an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe festival that he "strongly" believes the House of Commons "must have its way", in remarks reported by the Herald newspaper.
"And if there is an attempt to circumvent, to bypass or - God forbid - to close down Parliament, that is anathema to me," he said.
"I will fight with every breath in my body to stop that happening."
Amber Rudd also told the BBC on Tuesday that she would urge the prime minister not to suspend the Commons.
If you would like to see how the day's events unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below:
Former foreign secretary Jack Straw has sounded a sceptical note on the White House official John Bolton’s promise the US has put the UK “first in line” for a trade deal.
“This is a highly transactional admin – strictly business. You don’t get something for nothing,” Straw told the Today programme, calling Bolton “myopic” and “dangerously bellicose”.
On a potential trade deal, Straw added: “In return for easing on imports of machinery into the US, we will be expected to take so-called chlorine-washed chicken.
“I actually don’t mind chlorine-washed chicken, but that’s what going to happen, and that will have a big impact on our trade with Europe.”
He also criticised Bolton’s moves to dismantle the Iran nuclear deal, and laughed off claims Bolton had once called him “Tehran Jack”.
Unemployment has risen by 31,000 in just three months, according to the last official data.
Our business editor Olesya Dmitracova has all the details.
Labour MP Wes Streeting is not the only one criticising the latest ComRes poll for The Telegraph – which appeared to show majority support for the PM delivering Brexit by any means, even proroguing parliament if necessary.
Plenty of people on social media pointing out that the survey result was 44 per cent in favour of that proposition and 37 per cent against, with 19 per cent don’t knows. The leading question also left out the fact that a group of MPs are trying to extend Article 50 rather than stop Brexit completely.
No 10 has banned all government special advisers from going to the Lords to watch the second test between England and Australia, according to Politico.
The poor spads “may not accept invitations to events during working hours” according to a directive, ruling out the first few days of this week’s cricket.
Thousands of academics from the EU left their posts at Britain’s top universities in the year after the Brexit vote – an 11 per cent rise on the year before, new analysis have revealed.
Our education correspondent Eleanor Busby has the details.
A legal challenge seeking to prevent Boris Johnson from suspending parliament to force through a no-deal scenario will be heard before the 31 October.
Our correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the details.
The Scottish and Welsh governments have sent as joint letter to the UK education secretary Gavin Williamson raising concerns over the future of the European student exchange programme after Brexit.
The letter from Richard Lochhead and Kirsty Williams calls on the government to continue to participate in the Erasmus+ scheme in the event of leaving the EU without a deal in place.
Mr Lochhead and Ms Williams state in their letter that leaving with no deal – and without any new arrangements being reached – would leave universities, colleges, and schools across the UK ineligible to submit applications to participate in the final year of the current Erasmus+ programme in 2020.
Lochhead said: “The Scottish and Welsh governments are clear that we must remain a full participant in Erasmus+.
“I am also alarmed to hear the UK Department for Education could be considering an Erasmus+ replacement programme for England only – with potentially no consequential funding for devolved administrations to put in place their own arrangements.
“That’s why we have written to the UK government calling for urgent action and assurances that Scottish students won't miss out.”
Having sounded cleared warnings about the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit, cabinet minister Amber Rudd has claimed “it’s very difficult to tell” what will happen if we crash out of the EU on 31 October.
In case anyone has missed today’s front pages, Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds were photographed together for the first time at an official reception in Downing Street.
The PM, who has been in post since July 24, was snapped standing next to his partner at an event to honour staff from six hospices.
In a tweet, No 10 said the reception was a chance for Mr Johnson to pay tribute to hospice staff's “hard work, dedication and compassion”.
Pictures from the event show Johnson smiling with guests wearing t-shirts with the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice logo, as Symonds greeted visitors.
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