Boris Johnson news: PM faces fresh court action over Brexit ‘lies’, amid more jeers on UK tour as Irish leaders unite against him

PM faces unified anger over 'catastrophic' Brexit policy

Boris Johnson: The Brexit backstop is dead

Boris Johnson has faced unified anger over his “catastrophic” Brexit policy as he met politicians at Stormont on the third day of his UK tour.

The new PM was also criticised for "wining and dining" the Democratic Unionist Party – whose MPs propped up Theresa May’s government – ahead of talks aimed at restoring powersharing in Northern Ireland.

Amid growing speculation over the prospect of an early general election, Mr Johnson was warned the Tories could be “annihilated” at the polls unless the UK leaves the EU by Halloween.

Elsewhere, video footage emerged of Mr Johnson’s top aide, Dominic Cummings, claiming that Tory MPs do not care about poorer people.

This live article has now ended. Recap how we covered developments as they happened below:

Key Points

• Boris Johnson faces Supreme Court bid to make him stand trial for Brexit 'lies'
• Johnson met with jeers and unified anger from Irish leaders on third day of UK tour
• DUP's Arlene Foster accuses EU of being 'belligerent" over Brexit
• Labour would be 'off our rockers' not to back remain in referendum, says Thornberry
• Tories could be 'annihilated' at the polls if Brexit is not delivered, says Farage

[31 July 2019 15:58 · Lizzy Buchan]

[31 July 2019 16:14 · Lizzy Buchan]

A senior Labour frontbencher has said the party would be "off our bloody rockers" not to back Remain in a fresh Brexit referendum.

In a stance at odds with Jeremy Corbyn's comments just three days' ago, Emily Thornberry insisted any deal should be put to a referendum, with Labour backing Remain - even if the party is in power.

At the weekend, Mr Corbyn reiterated that Labour would back Remain in a fresh vote in order to prevent a no-deal Brexit or an unacceptable agreement reached by Boris Johnson.

More here: 

[31 July 2019 16:27 · Lizzy Buchan]

'Dominic Cummings is a fantasist without an adequate Brexit plan – so much for being a ‘political genius’', writes Simon Richards for The Independent.

Read his piece here:

[31 July 2019 16:44 · Lizzy Buchan]

Boris Johnson has been accused of imperiling the Northern Ireland peace process by “wining and dining” Democratic Unionist Party leaders ahead of talks on the restoration of power-sharing institutions.

As Mr Johnson made his first visit to Northern Ireland since becoming prime minister, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald warned he must not allow himself to become the “gopher” of Arlene Foster’s party, on whose votes he relies for a working majority to deliver his Brexit policy in parliament.

Read Indy political editor Andrew Woodcock's write-through of all the action from the PM's trip to Stormont today:

[31 July 2019 16:55 · Lizzy Buchan]

[31 July 2019 17:14 · Lizzy Buchan]

Parents are skipping meals and surviving only on cereal during the school holidays to ensure their children are fed, MPs say.

Frank Field, chair of the work and pensions select committee, said the cross-party group of MPs have heard "profoundly distressing" evidence from families who struggle during the summer holidays.

In a letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson and work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd, Mr Field has called for urgent action to stop children going hungry during the school break.

More here:

[31 July 2019 17:30 · Lizzy Buchan]

The British car industry has dealt a blow to Boris Johnson's Brexit strategy, warning “you can never be ready for no deal”.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), also reported on Wednesday that UK car production in the first half of 2019 is down by a fifth on the same period last year, while investment is at a standstill.

More here:

[31 July 2019 17:47 · Lizzy Buchan]

Disposable plastic bag use in England’s main supermarkets has fallen by more than 90 per cent since the introduction of a 5p charge in 2015, according to new figures.

The average English shopper now uses just 10 bags a year, compared to 140 before the charge came in.

Government data suggests that more than 25 billion fewer single-use bags have been issued by the seven biggest food retailers in the three and a half years of the charge than if use had continued at previous rates of 7.6 billion a year.

[31 July 2019 17:59 · Lizzy Buchan]

[31 July 2019 18:52 · Chris Baynes]

Harriet Harman, who chairs the Commons Human Rights Committee, has accused the government of breaching human rights after the Home Office rejected a recommendation to introduce a time limit on immigration detention despite overwhelming cross-party support.

The committee's report earlier this year had warned the current system of indefinite detention could trigger or exacerbate mental health conditions and reduced incentive for the Home Office to progress cases promptly.

But Caroline Nokes, the former immigration minister, said the government was "unable to agree" to the committee's recommendation of a 28-day limit. Her response to Harman was sent on 23 July, before she was sacked by incoming prime minister Boris Johnson, but has only been made public today.

Responding to the decision, Harman said: "Home Office immigration detention is arbitrary, unfair and breaches human rights.

"Repeated detention and release, which characterises the system, shows that it must be reformed."

A Home Office spokesman said: "No-one is detained indefinitely. Most people detained under immigration powers spend only short periods in detention.

"We have made significant improvements recently, but we are committed to doing more and introducing further alternatives to detention, increasing transparency and improving the support available for vulnerable detainees."