Politics news – live: Sir Lindsay Hoyle voted new Commons Speaker as Farage unveils 600 Brexit Party candidates
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Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been elected as the new Speaker of the House of Commons, winning the fourth and final ballot with a commanding 325 votes to Chris Bryant's 213.
Parliament missed the chance to elect its second female Speaker in 600 years, as Dame Eleanor Laing and Harriet Harman, the longest-ever continuously serving female MP, left the race.
Party leaders congratulated Mr Hoyle on his appointment, with Mr Johnson appearing to make a not-so-subtle dig at outgoing Speaker John Bercow as he stressed the need for the position to be impartial.
Earlier in the day, Nigel Farage accused the Conservatives of “conceited arrogance” as he unveiled 600 Brexit Party candidates who could split the Leave vote and scupper Boris Johnson’s chances of electoral victory.
Farage claimed the election is “likely” to result in a hung parliament and his MPs would be kingmakers. The senior Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg has pleaded with Mr Farage to “retire from the field ... it would be a great shame if he carries on fighting”.
Labour were forced to deny reports of an “allotment plot” which saw Jeremy Corbyn and his allies agreed to make the opposition a Remain party – before the plan was foiled by Corbyn’s adviser Seumas Milne.
Nigel Farage say PM’s deal ‘doesn’t get Brexit done’
The Brexit Party Nigel Farage is in feisty mood as he unveils 600 election candidates at an event in Westminster.
His faithful flock have booed the Lib Dems and Labour. “Five million Labour voters voted Brexit and have now been betrayed by the Labour party,” he says.
Turning his attention to the Tories (also booed) and Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, he says: “This is not Brexit.”
He compliments Johnson by saying he has brought “optimism, energy and fun” back after Theresa May, but says the PM’s agreement “doesn’t get Brexit done” and claims it takes us into three years of negotiations with the EU.
Nigel Farage speaking to Brexit Party candidates
Farage accuses Rees-Mogg of ‘conceited arrogance’
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage says the “clock is ticking” and its only 10 days until nominations close – the deadline he offered to the Conservatives to take him up on an electoral pact (or “Leave alliance” as he calls it).
“Jacob Rees-Mogg, who I like personally, has said this morning the Brexit Party should stand aside and leave it to the Conservatives.
“What kind of conceited arrogance is this? … I say this you and I will say it as I tour the country – there will be no Brexit without the Brexit Party. Of that I’m certain.”
Farage sounds very put out by the idea his party will harm the Tories. “They say we will split the vote. But we won’t split the vote … They all said the Ukip vote would lead to Corbyn and SNP being in coalition, and what did we do? We did far more harm to the Labour party than we did to the Conservative party.”
He votes to go out campaigning in Labour constituencies from tomorrow.
Seven candidates make their pitch for Speaker
Our correspondent Lizzy Buchan is following the pitches made by the seven candidates to replace John Bercow.
Dame Rosie Winterton is up first in the Commons, promising she would be a “unifying speaker”. A mobile phone rings only for Dame Rosie to say “Order!” – to much laughter.
She is followed by Chris Bryant, who says he will be “an umpire not a player”, followed by Sir Edward Leigh who wants to be a “servant” of the House. Dame Eleanor Laing says the House of Commons “is full of good people”.
‘I’ll be director not an actor,’ says Speaker candidate
The last three candidates have set out their stall to follow John Bercow in the Speaker’s chair. Meg Hillier says he wants to be “a director rather than an actor” and vows to tackle bullying in parliament.
The bookies’ favourite Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said he wants to do all he can “to make people feel safe”.
And Harriet Harman says he will “fearless in standing up for the right of the House”.
Publication of report into Russian meddling unlikely before general election
A controversial report into alleged Russian interference in the UK democratic process is unlikely to be published before the election, it has emerged.
Dominic Grieve, the chairman of the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), has called on No 10 to clear its report for release before Parliament is dissolved on Wednesday.
However, the PM’s official spokesman indicated the necessary clearance process has yet to be completed.
“There are processes reports such as this have to go through before publication. The committee is well-informed of these,” the spokesman said.
The ISC oversees the work of the agencies - MI5, MI6 and GCHQ - and in the course of its work has access to highly sensitive intelligence material.
Its reports are submitted to the Government before publication to ensure no sensitive information is inadvertently made public.
Grieve, a former attorney general who now sits as an independent after losing the Tory whip, has said the process was normally completed within 10 working days.
However, this was disputed by government sources who said that it usually took six weeks.
Grieve has expressed concern that the report - which is reported to have looked into whether Russian interference affected the result of the 2016 EU referendum - contained information “germane” to voters in the forthcoming election.
What does the Sinn Fein-SDLP electoral pact mean?
Republican and pro-remain parties in Northern Ireland announced an electoral pact of sorts on Monday morning that will probably end up costing the DUP seats.
Jon Stone has taken a look at the significance of the move:
MPs vote on new Commons speaker
The first ballot to elect a Commons speaker has just closed, with a result expected at about 4.15pm.
If any candidate scores more than 50 per cent of the vote, then that will be that: they will have won and will replace John Bercow in the chair. If not, then any candidates who received less than 5 per cent of the vote are eliminated and we'll move onto the second ballot with those remaining.
The process could take several votes in all.
UK terror threat level downgraded
Britain's terrorism threat level has been downgraded from "severe" to substantial, the home secretary has announced.
But the risk of an attack is still "likely", Prit Patel said.
"Despite the change in the threat level, terrorism remains one of the most direct and immediate risks to our national security," she added in a written ministerial statement to parliament.
The decision was made independently by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, which conducts a formal review of the threat level every six months.
Lib Dems 'will pursue legal avenues' over leaders TV debate
Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat leader, has vowed to take take legal action if ITV does not change the format of its televised leaders' debate to include her.
Speaking outside Parliament, Swinson said: "As Liberal Democrats we will take any action required to make sure that that voice of Remain is represented in those debates.
"We are taking legal advice and we will pursue legal avenues if ITV do not change their format.
"Because it is so important that millions of Remainers can make sure their voice is represented, that it is a fair debate between the different options on offer, and that for the girls and young women across our country they see that women can be political leaders and prime ministers too."
Results of first vote on next Commons Speaker
Chris Bryant - 98
Harriet Harman - 72
Meg Hillier - 10
Lindsay Hoyle - 211
Eleanor Laing - 113
Edward Leigh - 12
Rosie Winterton - 46
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