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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Your support makes all the difference.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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Gordon Brown has warned Conservative leadership candidates not to try to copy Nigel Farage's "toxic them-versus-us nationalism".
Speaking in Peterborough ahead of next week's by-election, the former prime minister said there is a battle raging for the "soul" of Britain between "two views of our future competing against each other".
He said:
"Winning this battle will take time and its outcome cannot be predicted with certainty - but I know one thing for sure: we will never reunite as a nation unless we walk away from such intolerant nationalism.
"But it is a battle that is is difficult because it is not just Farage that we have to worry about.
"Britain is now witnessing a Tory leadership contest the outcome of which will decide not just our relations with Europe but the direction of our country - and one in which Nigel Farage is, the back-seat driver steering the Tory leadership race.
"To the next prime minister, and indeed to all candidates for the Tory leadership, I say you have a fundamental choice: to run against him or race to the bottom with him.
"For when it comes to this toxic them-versus-us nationalism, no prime minister, indeed no candidate for such a national office, can be permitted to equivocate on what is unequivocally wrong."
Tory leadership contenders have been warned that a no-deal Brexit would cause severe damage to business.
Confederation of British Industry director-general Carolyn Fairbairn urged the next prime minister to reach an agreement with Brussels, warning that the "vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no deal".
In an open letter to the 11 participants in the race for No 10, she said the next prime minister needed to listen to "clear, detailed evidence" from businesses when deciding their Brexit approach.
Esther McVey has said the UK needs to "actively embrace leaving the EU without a deal", while Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab have both said they would work to renegotiate the terms on offer with Brussels but would make sure the UK leaves on October 31, with or without an agreement.
A member of the influential 1922 Committee has said it is time to review how the Tory leadership race is run in future.
Nigel Evans, an executive member of the backbenchers' grouping, told ITV News the contest was in danger of getting out of hand, with 12 candidates having already declared they are standing.
He said that with days still to go before declarations close, the field could reach up to 20 - and some candidates were or would be "clearly positioning themselves for a Cabinet job", rather than hoping to be leader, and that was wrong.
The committee is due to meet on Tuesday and will discuss potential changes.
Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, has called for a new vote on the deputy leader of the Labour party, to replace Tom Watson.
That's it from The Independent's live updates from Westminster today, thanks for joining us.
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