Brexit news: Tory leadership candidates brace for screenings of TV interviews as time runs out for votes to be cast
Updates from Westminster as Tory leadership candidates prepared for major TV interviews
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt were braced for the release of a grilling by the BBC's Andrew Neil as the Conservative leadership contest begins to draw to a close.
The pair were each interviewed for half an hour in a programme to be aired on Friday night, with less than two weeks to go until the new prime minister is announced.
It came after Greg Clark, the business secretary, warned that a no-deal Brexit would mean "many thousands" of jobs in the UK being lost.
And Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach, said the decision to leave the EU would send the UK into decades of decline.
Follow the developments as they happened
This is interesting... Diane Abbott, Labour's shadow home secretary, has retweeted a post calling on Tom Watson, its deputy leader, to consider his position. The original tweet was by Claudia Webbe, a member of Labour's ruling executive and chair of its disputes panel.
Ms Abbott later tweeted to say that retweeting "does not mean agreement", but this is still likely to ruffle a few feathers.
This is a change of tone from Donald Trump...
The US president has said he wishes former British ambassador Sir Kim Darroch well after he was forced to resign following the leak of critical comments he had made about Mr Trump's administration.
The Republican told reporters in Washington that he had been told that Sir Kim had actually said "some very good things" about him.
He added: "I wish the British ambassador well," he told reporters in Washington.
Sir Kim resigned on Wednesday, saying his position had become "impossible" after Mr Trump branded him a "very stupid guy" and a "pompous fool".
Dominic Grieve has said the chances of a poll on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK will increase if there is a no-deal Brexit.
Speaking in Dublin, the pro-EU Conservative MP said:
"A crash-out Brexit makes a political crisis in respect of Northern Ireland's future status more likely... clearly the chances of a border poll go up for a whole variety of reasons.
"The status of Northern Ireland under the Good Friday Agreement remaining in the UK has worked because in truth there's been a clear majority of the population who have been very comfortable with the arrangements that the Good Friday Agreement has delivered and that includes sections of the nationalist community as much as the unionist and that will be thrown into jeopardy by a no-deal Brexit
"Indeed Brexit itself is probably likely to put it under strain even if it is done in a controlled fashion."
Tom Watson, Labour's deputy leader, has come under fire over his attack on the party's general secretary, with Diane Abbott sharing a call for him to resign
Boris Johnson has admitted that his comments about Sir Kim Darroch were a factor in the ambassador's decision to resign - but claims he was "misrepresented".
In a preview of his interview with the BBC's Andrew Neil, to be aired tonight, the frontrunner to be the next prime minister says he spoke to Sir Kim, then the UK's ambassador to the US, the day after a televised debate on Tuesday in which Mr Johnson refused to give the beleaguered diplomat his support.
Asked by Mr Neil whether his comments had played a part in the resignation, Mr Johnson said that what "somebody had relayed to him had certainly played a - had been a factor in his resignation".
But he added: "I think that unfortunately what I said on that TV debate was misrepresented to Kim".
The EU's Brexit coordinator hits back after Boris Johnson claims the Brexit Party's success in the European elections will help him negotiate a better deal with Brussels.
Jeremy Hunt has refused to commit to taking Britain out of the European Union by Christmas if he becomes prime minister.
In an interview with the BBC's Andrew Neil, the Foreign Secretary admitted it might not be possible to agree a new deal by the deadline of 31 October.
Asked if the UK would be "gone by Christmas", Mr Hunt said: I'm not going to give you those commitments."
He added: "Because getting stuff through parliament... It's because prime ministers should only make promises they know they can deliver."
How long will Boris Johnson last as prime minister? Make your best guess here.
Here's the developing story on Boris Johnson's admission of his role in the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch.
It was made during a BBC interview by Andrew Neil, due to be broadcast at 7pm today - along with Mr Neil's interrogation of fellow leadership contender Jeremy Hunt.
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