Theresa May avoids further cabinet resignations as Donald Trump says UK 'in turmoil' - as it happened
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May chaired the first meeting of her new-look cabinet as she battled to keep her job amid chaos in the Conservative Party.
The prime minister reshuffled her senior ministers on Monday after David Davis and Boris Johnson dramatically resigned in protest at the government's Brexit policy. Jeremy Hunt was moved to foreign secretary and Matt Hancock promoted to health secretary.
However, Ms May's attempts to reassert her authority were dealt a blow when Donald Trump, speaking ahead of his UK trip later in the week, claimed Britain was "in turmoil" and refused to say whether he thought Ms May should keep her job.
"That's up to the people," the US president said.
Ms May and Mr Trump will meet at the Nato summit in Brussels before holding talks in the UK on Thursday and Friday.
In the Commons chamber, Labour's Barry Sheerman has just used a point of order to raise concerns about unwanted smells in Parliament and "queues that are gathering around the Palace".
He says:
"Most of the entrances to this great royal palace are filthy with the smell of urine, with vomit and dirt - and I don't want to go into details of what you can see at all the entrances of this palace."
John Bercow, the Commons speaker, says he is "not unconscious" of what he calls "malodours matters" but questions whether the smells are as "pervasive" as is being suggested.
Sheerman asks Bercow to accompany on a "walk around the Palace" so he can prove his point. The Speaker says he can think of "few things in this life more pleasurable". Aw.
NEW: Donald Trump has claimed the UK is "in turmoil" and suggested his meeting with Vladimir Putin may be easier than his talks with Theresa May.
Speaking before departing for the NATO summit in Brussels, the US President said:
"It's going to be an interesting time in the UK and an interesting time at Nato. We will work it out and all countries will be happy.
"So I have Nato, I have the UK - that's a situation with turmoil. And I have Putin. Frankly, Putin may be the easiest of all."
He also re-iterated his call for Western allies to spend more on defence, he added:
"We do have a lot of allies. But we cannot be taken advantage of. We're being taken advantage of by the European Union. We spend 75 per cent on Nato and frankly, it helps them more than it helps us."
Andrew Bridgen, one of the most vocal Tory critics of the government Brexit policy agreed at Chequers last week, is reported to have submitted a letter to Graham Brady, chair of the Conservatives' 1922 Committee, to say he has no confidence in Theresa May. If 48 such letters are received, Brady is obliged to all a vote of no confidence.
The RAF has just conducted a flypast over Parliament to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the air force. A Lancaster bomber and several spitfires were seen in the skies over Westminster.
Donald Trump has made further comments that, to put it mildly, will not be welcomed by Downing Street ahead of the US president's visit to Britain later this week.
Trump praised Boris Johnson, who resigned as foreign secretary yesterday in protest at the government's Brexit policy.
He said:
"The UK certainly has a lot of things going on. Boris Johnson is a friend of mine. He's been very, very nice to me - very supportive. Maybe I'll speak to him when I get over there. I like Boris Johnson, I've always liked him."
Not quite the words Theresa May would have wanted to hear from her US counterpart...
Here's our developing story on Donald Trump's comments on Theresa May, Boris Johnson and the UK being "in turmoil"...
Tom Watson, Labour's deputy leader, has suggested the party could back a second Brexit referendum if MPs do not agree the deal Theresa May negotiates with Brussels. Watson said his party would "keep options open".
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