Tory leadership debate: Johnson rules out general election before Brexit, as he and Hunt attack Corbyn over 'antisemitism'

The latest updates from Westminster, as they happened

Boris Johnson 'absolutely' rules out holding a general election before Britain has left the EU, saying: 'It would be the height of folly'

The two candidates vying to be the next Tory party leader both ruled out a general election before delivering Brexit, and joined the prime minister in condemning Donald Trump's "totally unacceptable" tweets.

Speaking at what was expected to be the last live debate of the leadership contest on Monday evening, Boris Johnson said "we will have an election at some stage in 2022".

His rival Jeremy Hunt said he agreed with prime minister Theresa May in condemning Mr Trump after the president told US congresswomen to “go back” to the “broken and crime-infested places from which they came”.

Mr Johnson added that the language used by the US president was “totally unacceptable”.

However neither politician would go as far as to call the comments racist.

Earlier in the day, Mr Johnson was warned that suggestions he could strike an early US trade deal in October would be a "breach" of EU law.

International trade secretary Liam Fox dismissed reports that the Tory frontrunner could broker a deal with Washington as soon as the UK leaves the EU on 31 October, saying it was impossible to negotiate anything in earnest until after Brexit.

See below for live updates

Key Points

• Theresa May condemns Trump over 'completely unacceptable' racist tweet
• Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt go head to head for final Tory leadership debate
• Labour faces fresh recriminations over antisemitism row
• ... but party receives poll boost after shift in Brexit stance
• Incoming EU chief open to extending Brexit talks beyond October
• Boris Johnson says he would rule out general election before delivering Brexit
• Johnson and Hunt condemn Trump's 'totally unacceptable' tweets

[15 July 2019 13:23 · Ashley Cowburn]

Liberal Democrats leadership contender Jo Swinson has waded into the row over Donald Trump's remarks, describing the US president as "a racist"

"Every political leader should call this out," she tweeted. "Will you Boris Johnson?"

[15 July 2019 13:37 · Ashley Cowburn]

A Tory former minister has said he will step down at the next election because the Conservatives are becoming an English "nationalist" party that is trying to "appeal to the extremes".

Guto Bebb, who resigned as a defence minister last year in protest at Theresa May's Brexit policy, said he would not feel able to support either Jeremy Hunt or Boris Johnson as leader.

The leadership contest between the pair had exposed "attitudes within the Conservative Party that don’t appeal to me at all", he said.

[15 July 2019 13:53 · Lizzy Buchan]

Jeremy Hunt has responded to those who believe a Boris Johnson victory is a foregone conclusion in the Conservative leadership contest.

[15 July 2019 14:09 · Lizzy Buchan]

Campaigner Gina Miller is launching legal action to stop Boris Johnson suspending parliament in order to force through EU withdrawal without a deal.

The businesswoman’s lawyers have written to the probable next prime minister warning it would be “constitutionally unacceptable” and unlawful for him to lock MPs out of the Commons to stop them from blocking a no-deal outcome.

She has assembled the same legal team that successfully forced Theresa May in early 2017 to grant MPs a vote before triggering the Article 50 process that set the clock ticking on the UK’s exit from the EU. 

[15 July 2019 14:25 · Lizzy Buchan]

In another twist in the row over antisemitism in Labour ranks, more than 200 staffers have written to Jeremy Corbyn to complain about the response to the recent Panorama documentary. 

[15 July 2019 14:38 · Lizzy Buchan]

"I have been told to ‘go home’ – especially on Twitter, when someone disagrees with me. Back a People’s Vote? Go home. Talk about sexism in football? Go home. And now, I assume, I would get the same treatment from the leader of the free world," writes Labour's shadow sports minister Rosena Allin-Khan.

Read her take on the Trump tweets row here:

[15 July 2019 14:52 · Lizzy Buchan]

Labour peer Lord Wood has captured a very funny image from the cricket world cup TV coverage yesterday.

Sir John Major - who threatened legal action if Boris Johnson suspends parliament to force through no deal - is chatting to Matt Hancock - the former leadership contender who has enthusiastically embraced a no-deal Brexit and Mr Johnson's campaign in recent weeks.

Wonder what they could be talking about? 

[15 July 2019 15:13 · Lizzy Buchan]

Will German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen become EU Commission president, asks our Europe correspondent Jon Stone.

She has to be approved by the European parliament before she gets the post, and it’s not looking like plain sailing.

[15 July 2019 15:25 · Lizzy Buchan]

The long-awaited domestic abuse bill will be in the Commons tomorrow, according to Home Office minister Victoria Atkins.

[15 July 2019 15:41 · Lizzy Buchan]

Jeremy Corbyn has called for honesty over the scale of Britain’s contribution to global warming, warning that much of the reduction in greenhouse gases in recent years is due to “outsourcing” of carbon emissions to poorer countries.

The Labour leader promised that if he wins office, he will amend the Climate Change Act to require the publication of a “total carbon footprint” figure, taking in not only emissions from the production of goods and services in the UK but also the production and transport of imports for consumption here.