Tory leadership debate: Boris Johnson brandishes kipper on stage as he declares May's Brexit deal ‘defunct' at final hustings
The final Conservative Party leadership hustings with Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, as it happened
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Tory leadership contenders Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt both stood by their stated approaches to handling Brexit at the final hustings before the polls close for Conservative members to vote for their party’s new leader and the country’s next prime minister.
Mr Johnson repeatedly refused to rule out suspending Parliament as PM to force through Brexit and said the UK would leave the European Union by 31 October with or without a deal.
Mr Hunt meanwhile said he could delay Brexit beyond that point if a deal was in reach, but he has also not ruled out walking away from negotiations without an agreement.
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Former Tory MP Nick Boles - who now sits as an independent - has a dig at Nigel Farage for not accepting the result of the election of the new EU Commission boss.
Stephen Barclay acknowledged that a no-deal Brexit would be "disruptive" but it would be better than not leaving the EU at all.
"A no-deal Brexit would be disruptive," he told the Commons Brexit committee.
"But no Brexit is the worst of those two outcomes."
Following warnings from the National Farmers' Union that a no-deal exit from the EU would result in shepherds being forced to slaughter their flocks because there would be no market for their meat, Mr Barclay acknowledged the problems that would face the industry.
He said the sheep meat industry was an "outlier" because 97% of exports go to the EU but the Government was working on intervention measures and compensation.
Philip Hammond has thrown caution to the wind in his last days in No 11, and is becoming by far the most outspoken critic of a no-deal Brexit.
He said it was 'terrifying' that Jacob Rees-Mogg - an ally of Boris Johnson - thinks no-deal won't be harmful.
"Boris Johnson will steer Brexit Britain onto the rocks – the mutiny of sensible Tories is our only hope," writes senior Lib Dem Sir Ed Davey.
Sir Ed, who is in the running to lead his party, compares Conservative MPs to rats trying to stay aboard a sinking ship.
Read his piece for The Independent here:
The EU will give in “very quickly” after a no-deal Brexit and start talks on a trade deal because of the UK’s “size and importance”, Stephen Barclay has claimed.
The bloc’s unity will crumble under pressure from its voters and businesses once the “impact of no-deal” is felt, the Brexit secretary told a committee of MPs.
It's nearly time for Theresa May's penultimate PMQs - as we continue the longest of long goodbyes for the prime minister.
Here are the lucky MPs with questions to the PM today.
Theresa May kicks off by congratulating sportsmen and women after a great weekend - praising Lewis Hamilton and the England Cricket Team, who she welcomed to Downing Street on Monday.
Labour MP Lilian Greenwood has the first question, and raises questions about the ownership of Notts County football club.
May says football clubs are very important to their local areas and the government is not complacent about holding owners to account.
Jeremy Corbyn also pays tribute to the cricket team and to Lewis Hamilton.
The Labour leader goes in on climate change, asking why the government has been accused of "coasting" by experts.
May says Corbyn presents himself as a champion of fairness and yet he must apologise for his failure to stamp out antisemitism. She reads out the Guardian advert and brandishes it at Mr Corbyn.
Not even an attempt to answer the question from the PM.
Corbyn says his party stood up against racism and there is no room for antisemitism in any party. He challenges Ms May on Islamophobia, saying why do 60% of Tories decry Islam.
He goes back to climate change, asking her how much progress has been made on cutting emissions.
May says historic steps have been made to fight climate change. She pivots back to antisemitism, saying he has not apologised and quotes Trevor Phillips, of the EHRC, who said Labour was a 'textbook' example of institutional anti-Jewish hate.
Corbyn says his party condemns racism in any form. He tells her to look to her own party, pointing to hostile environment and the the Windrush scandal.
He asks again about climate change.
May says he still has not apologise for antisemitism and rebuts hims criticism on climate change. She says he needs to deal with issues that affect Labour members.
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