Westminster today - LIVE: Theresa May condemns Russia for 'brazen and reckless' attack as she arrives at EU Council summit

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Russia 'staged a brazen and reckless attack' on UK, says Theresa May

Theresa May has condemned Russia for the "brazen and reckless" nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal as she arrived in Brussels for a crucial European summit.

The Prime Minister will urge EU leaders to unite against the "pattern of Russian aggression" at the two-day meeting, where the heads of the 28-nation bloc will also vote on the terms of the Brexit transition deal.

Brexit Secretary David Davis hailed the draft deal as a "significant step" earlier this week, but plans for the two-year transition period still need to be rubber-stamped by EU leaders

Meanwhile, the Government has been told to explain to UK workers why new British passports to be introduced after Brexit will be made in France.

The passports had become a totemic issue for Brexiteers, who celebrated the Government's decision to bring back the traditional blue covers.

See below for live updates

Key Points

• Theresa May urges EU leaders to unite against "reckless and brazen" attack by Russia
• Government criticised after awarding contract for making new British passports to Franco-Dutch company
• Russian ambassador condemns Boris Johnson for Putin-Hitler comparison
• Sajid Javid admits some Grenfell families will not have been rehoused one year on from disaster
• Jeremy Corbyn launches Labour local election campaign

[22 March 2018 14:14 · Lizzy Buchan]

The Prime Minister has been speaking to reporters as she arrived in Brussels for the European Council summit.

Theresa May said: "Russia staged a brazen and reckless attack against the United Kingdom when it attempted the murder of two people on the streets of Salisbury.

"I'll be raising this issue with my counterparts today because it is clear that the Russian threat does not respect borders and indeed the incident in 

Salisbury was part of a pattern of Russian aggression against Europe and its near neighbours from the western Balkans to the Middle East.

"Today we also commemorate the anniversaries of terrorist attacks in Westminster and Brussels and as we remember the victims of those attacks, I will once again be stressing the UK's unconditional commitment to the future security of Europe and I believe that together we can work to ensure that we overcome the challenges that we all face."

[22 March 2018 14:19 · Lizzy Buchan]

The Prime Minister was speaking after the Russian ambassador gave an extraordinary press conference in London, where he claimed that Britain had stores of the Novichok nerve agent before the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal.

Story here:

[22 March 2018 14:43 · Lizzy Buchan]

Arriving at the Brussels summit, Theresa May said: "I'm looking forward to talking about Brexit.

"We made considerable progress through the agreement on the implementation period, which will bring certainty to businesses and people.

"I look forward to the European Council endorsing that agreement and moving on swiftly to talk about the future partnership that we all want to build together."

[22 March 2018 15:05 · Lizzy Buchan]

Leaders of eight European countries have called for a further referendum for the British public on the final Brexit deal, in a dramatic intervention in the negotiations.

As Theresa May arrived in Brussels for a crucial EU summit, a group of European prime ministers signed a joint statement calling for the UK Government to allow voters a say on the final terms of the Brexit agreement.

Developing story here:

[22 March 2018 16:00 · Kristin Hugo]

Alexander Nix, the founder and chief executive of Cambridge Analytica, has been recalled to appear in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Here's chair Damian Collins' letter to him:

[22 March 2018 16:17 · Kristin Hugo]

NEW: The Government says it will formally announce which company will make the new British passport in ten days' time. 

[22 March 2018 16:45 · Kristin Hugo]

Matt Hancock, the Culture Secretary, has blamed EU rules for the Government's decision to give a Franco-Dutch company the contract to make the new UK passports.

He told a Westminster lunch: "There's rules that we have to obey in doing these procurements.

"There is an irony, which is these rules are European rules and we are going to be leaving the European Union and then we may be able to - if we choose to - set out our own procurement rules."