Brexit news - live: Tory PM candidates prompt anger and derision with remarks on LGBT, feminism and opium, as Boris Johnson likened to 1930s fascists
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The EU's chief Brexit negotiator has issued a warning to Conservative leadership contenders vying to replace Theresa May, telling them the current withdrawal agreement is "the only option".
Michel Barnier made the remarks as Tory contenders publicly declare their intentions to make changes to the UK-EU agreement - including the contentious Irish backstop - despite repeated refusals from Brussels.
His comments came as the Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon issued a fresh attack on frontrunner Boris Johnson, claiming he would be a "disaster" as PM as she cited his "ridiculous" tenure as foreign secretary.
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Donald Trump has lavished praise on Tory leadership favourite Boris Johnson, while claiming he "hasn't thought about supporting" him, writes Andrew Griffin.
Speaking outside the White House, the president was asked if he intended to visit the Conservative MP and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage during his UK state visit next week.
Whether or not Mr Johnson would welcome the warm remarks is unclear, but no doubt the ex-foreign secretary is open to less hostile attacks on his character.
Labour will review the decision to expel Alastair Campbell from their ranks after he voted for the Liberal Democrats in an act of Brexit protest.
Shami Chakrabarti, the shadow attorney general, said political parties have "automatic rules" for people who express public support other parties but it was "appropriate" to reconsider the decision to cast out Tony Blair's former spin doctor.
The expulsion of Mr Campbell over his European election vote has triggered a major row, with deputy leader Tom Watson describing it as a "spiteful" move.
Jeremy Corbyn has inched closer towards throwing Labour’s full support behind a second referendum, saying the only way out of the Brexit crisis is to “go back to the people”.
Amid intense pressure to stem the exodus of remain voters to pro-EU parties, the Labour leader said letting the people decide the country’s future through a general election or a public vote was the only option.
Mr Corbyn will travel to Dublin on Thursday for meetings with political leaders, where he will pledge to “do whatever is necessary to stop a disastrous no-deal” Brexit as a new Tory prime minister could back a disorderly exit from the EU.
Cabinet minister Amber Rudd has become the latest senior Tory politician to criticise remarks from the leadership hopeful Esther McVey, after she suggested parents should be free to stop their children learning about LGBT+ relationships in school.
A British firm that lost out on a £490m contract to make blue passports after Brexit has seen its chief executive quit and profits crash 77 per cent.
The chief executive of Basingstoke-based De La Rue announced his departure on Thursday as the firm unveiled a major overhaul in the wake of the contract loss.
Last year, the government awarded the contract to make passports after Brexit to Franco-Dutch rival Gemalto, meaning that the symbolic documents will be made in France rather than on British soil as they are currently.
Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary, says she will be advising Theresa May to intensify efforts to restore power-sharing at the Stormont assembly.
Following the latest round of talks with the Northern Irish parties, Ms Bradley said:
"I'll be recommending that we now move into a very intensive period of talks at leadership level to make sure that we can address the issues that remain.
"I am positive that there is the right attitude and there is the right will there, but I think it would be wrong for me to do anything other than to be clear that there are still significant challenges that still remain.
"We will continue to work to deliver what the people of Northern Ireland rightly want and deserve and need, which is government in Stormont."
Leo Varadkar has said the chances of the EU agreeing to delay Brexit any further than 31 October are "pretty slim".
The Irish premier said he had warned Jeremy Corbyn during a meeting in Dublin today that the prospect of another delay was remote.
Mr Varadkar said he had had a "very good meeting" with the Labour leader and added:
"I very much emphasised to him that the Withdrawal Agreement is closed and any sort of change to the political declaration, for example, is possible but the Withdrawal Agreement itself is closed.
"The only way that could ever change would be if there was a fundamental change in red lines from the next UK prime minister or the next UK government. For example, a decision to stay in the customs union or the single market.
"I think that was well understood by him."
George Osborne has predicted that the next Tory leader will have to choose between a no-deal Brexit and revoking Article 50.
The former chancellor told BBC Radio 4's PM:
"I think increasingly the country is going to face the ultimate choice which is leave with no deal because you can't negotiate a better deal, or revoke Article 50.
"Now you'd probably revoke Article 50 after a referendum or maybe a general election. But that's either go ahead with Brexit or don't.
"And I can see that that's the looming choice for the Conservative Party and for the country and others"
He also warned the Conservative leadership candidates against promising tax cuts or spending increases unless they could explain where the money would come from.
He said: "At the moment they're getting away with kind of economic murder, if you like, when it comes to their promises."
Theresa May's Brexit deal is the 'only option' for Conservative leadership candidates wanting to avoid no deal, Michel Barnier has said
Theresa May spoke at a free schools reception at Downing Street this evening.
Addressing teachers at the event, she hailed free schools as "a radical new approach to education"
She said:
"It’s easy to look up the number of children currently attending a free school.
But the schools you have created and built up are not just for today in this moment.
Because of your hard work and dedication, countless children are benefiting for generations to come.
An unknown and unknowable number of lives transformed, of talents unleashed, of opportunities made possible.
And because you and others like you chose to stand up and do something incredible."
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