Brexit news: Boris Johnson falls behind Jeremy Hunt in poll of British voters' preferred PM, amid Trump-esque hustings claim and no-deal hint

Meanwhile, across the floor, Labour's Chris Williamson is suspended a second time over antisemitism row

Boris Johnson says suspending parliament is still on the table

Boris Johnson has refused to rule out suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit as he stepped up his campaign to become the next prime minister.

The Tory leadership frontrunner confirmed the option was on the table after Jeremy Hunt urged him to be “straight with the people” and accused him of getting “some important facts wrong”.

It came as a senior ally of Angela Merkel savaged the former foriegn secretary by saying he "invented stories" while working as the Daily Telegraph's Brussels reporter - and that he "has not changed".

Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn came under huge pressure to sack Chris Williamson following a row over antisemitism - before the outcast Derby North MP had the whip suspended for a second time.

Mr Williamson, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, was first suspended in February after being recorded claiming Labour had “given too much ground” and been “too apologetic” in tackling antisemitism.

Theresa May met with Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Japan in a chilly encounter that will likely be remembered for the no-love-lost handshake the pair shared in front of press photographers.

The meeting followed the Russian president's claim that liberal values were now obsolete in the face of populist surges in the US and Europe.

See below how we covered the day's events

Key Points

• Jeremy Hunt overtakes Boris Johnson as voters' preferred PM
• Boris Johnson makes Trump-style hustings claim
• Boris Johnson refuses to rule out suspending parliament to force no-deal Brexit
• Johnson says he cannot remember calling the French 'turds'
• Theresa May meets Vladimir Putin for talks at G20 summit

[28 June 2019 18:53 · Jon Sharman]

The president of the European Council has hit back at Vladimir Putin's claim that liberalism is "obsolete" and has "outlived its purpose", writes Jon Stone.

Speaking ahead of a G20 summit in Japan Donald Tusk said the Russian president's claim, made in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, was wrong.

[28 June 2019 19:21 · Jon Sharman]

A senior ally of Angela Merkel has questioned Boris Johnson's suitability to become prime minister, warning that he cannot be trusted, writes Jon Stone.

Elmar Brok, a senior MEP from the Chancellor's CDU party, said he knew and liked Mr Johnson personally but that he had his doubts about his suitability for high office.

“I have fun with him. We’ve had many cigars and whisky in our lives together,” he said in an interview with parliament's The House magazine.

[28 June 2019 19:37 · Jon Sharman]

Chris Williamson has spoken out about his fresh suspension from Labour.

He tweeted: "They say a week is a long time in politics: it seems two days is even longer. I'm naturally concerned by the lack of due process and consistency in how my case is being handled.

"I've been a loyal Labour member for 43 years, and will do my utmost to fight for my membership.'' 

[28 June 2019 19:59 · Jon Sharman]

Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid have shown support for their cabinet colleague David Gauke, who is facing a Brexit-inspired no-confidence vote at his local Conservative Association.

Mr Hunt praised him as "outstanding" while Mr Javid said he had "consistently backed Government & manifesto commitments".

The Leave.EU campaign group hopes to unseat the justice secretary over his opposition to no-deal Brexit.

[28 June 2019 20:21 · Jon Sharman]

Anyone in any doubt that there is a concerted attempt by Brexit extremists to take over the Conservative party should toddle along to the Leave.EU website. There you will find these full instructions on deselecting Tory MPs you don’t care for, writes Sean O'Grady.

Under the heading “DESELECT THE TORY TRAITORS. THE TIME IS NOW. WHO’S NEXT?” you will be invited to fill in a form giving your contact details, (consenting for them to be shared), your membership number and when you joined.

The answer to the question “WHO’S NEXT?" is David Gauke, Lord Chancellor and secretary of state for justice, who has represented South West Hertfordshire since 2005. Tonight he faces his tormentors at the Kings Langley Community Centre.

His crime, as set out in the motion put down for tonight’s special general meeting by the hard men and women of Tring, Rickmansworth and Berkhamsted is to have “obstructed” Brexit.

[28 June 2019 20:33 · Jon Sharman]

“I am delighted to announce the introduction of the universal credit,” said Iain Duncan Smith at the Conservative Party conference on 5 October 2010. “[It] will, I believe, restore fairness and simplicity to a complex, outdated and wildly expensive benefits system. A real time system which will also help cut the cost of fraud and error.”

It may come as a surprise, then, that nine years on, the government’s spending watchdog has revealed that fraud and error in the welfare bill are at their highest levels since 2006 – with much of the rise down to the introduction of universal credit, writes May Bulman.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/universal-credit-underpayments-overpayments-claimants-benefits-national-audit-office-nao-iain-duncan-a8979006.html

[28 June 2019 20:47 · Jon Sharman]

Critics of Putin’s Russia hold that one of its primary aims is to weaken the Western alliances, Nato and the European Union, as it has shown by interfering in elections across the continent and investing in populist parties, writes Kim Sengupta.

In this context, Brexit Britain is a good target to cultivate. But Moscow will be focusing on Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, the probable future occupants of No10, to do this – not Theresa May.