Boris Johnson news: PM confident 'our friends in the EU' will change Brexit position as No 10 refuses to recall parliament

Boris Johnson says he is confident in exiting October 31

No 10 has rejected Labour’s call for Boris Johnson to recall parliament to debate Brexit, as Jeremy Corbyn vowed to block a no-deal exit and called the prime minister “Britain’s Trump”.

The PM claimed he was “confident” that “our friends and partners” in the EU would change their stance on the backstop and come up with a negotiated deal.

It comes as Downing Street reacts with fury to the publication of the “Operation Yellowhammer” dossier setting out the negative impacts of a crash-out departure. The Home Office, meanwhile, plans to end the free movement of EU citizens on day one of no deal.

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Key Points

• Corbyn calls Johnson 'Britain's Trump' and 'hard right'
• Downing Street rejects calls to recall parliament
• Johnson 'confident' EU will change its backstop stance
• Freedom of movement will end on day one of no-deal Brexit
• No 10 says ex-minister 'deliberately leaked' Yellowhammer dossier

[19 August 2019 16:48 · Benjamin Kentish]

Opinion: The government admits a no-deal Brexit will be a catastrophe, but it carries on regardless, writes Matthew Norman 

[19 August 2019 17:36 · Benjamin Kentish]

  ↵Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has renewed her attack on Jeremy Corbyn, saying the Labour leader should support another candidate to lead a government of national unity if he is unable to command a Commons majority himself.

[19 August 2019 18:00 · Ashley Cowburn]

Here's our political sketch writer Tom Peck on Jeremy Corbyn's speech today in the marginal constituency of Corby

[19 August 2019 18:10 · Ashley Cowburn]

Opposition leaders have spent the past week squabbling over who should lead a caretaker government to stop Britain leaving the EU without agreement, writes political commentator John Rentoul

[19 August 2019 18:27 · Ashley Cowburn]

Boris Johnson has unveiled a campaign to stop the spread of misleading anti-vaxx information and to boost the number of children receiving vaccinations following a rise in measles cases.

Parents will be offered new evidence-based advice to address their concerns about jabs and to correct false information about the dangers of vaccinations, the prime minister will announce.

Just 87 per cent of children have the full dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab, a decline on previous years, which Downing Street says may be linked to the spread of measles.

[19 August 2019 18:57 · Ashley Cowburn]

It is "not justice in any sense" to strip Isis fighters of their British citizenship rather than putting them on trial, the government has been told.

Diane Abbott, Labour's shadow home secretary, said the UK has a duty to deal with Jack Letts and other captured jihadis itself.

“Whenever there are reasonable grounds to suspect that someone who is entitled to return to this country has either committed or facilitated acts of terrorism, they should be fully investigated and where appropriate prosecuted," she told The Independent.

[19 August 2019 19:09 · Ashley Cowburn]

Downing Street have just said Boris Johnson held a phone call with his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar this evening for "almost an hour".

No 10 added: “They shared perspectives on the Withdrawal Agreement.  The Prime Minister indicated that the Withdrawal Agreement in its current form will not get through the House of Commons, that the backstop would need to be removed, and that an alternative solution is required.  The Taoiseach reiterated the EU27 position that the Withdrawal Agreement cannot be reopened, and emphasised the importance of the legally operable guarantee to ensure no hard border and continued free trade on the island of Ireland.

“The Prime Minister made clear that the Common Travel Area, which long predates the UK and Ireland joining the EU, would not be affected by the ending of freedom of movement after Brexit."

[19 August 2019 19:39 · Ashley Cowburn]

According to reports, British diplomats across Europe were preparing to take part in  a government-wide rehearsal for a no-deal exit from bloc.

Buzzfeed News said the operation - codenamed "Exercise Yellow Rehearse" - is being led by the Cabinet Office and due to take place three weeks before the Brexit deadline of 31 October.

Responding, a government spokesperson said: “We are making all necessary preparations to make sure we are ready to leave the EU by 31 October, whatever the circumstances.

 “Government regularly conducts scenario-based exercises to ensure its plans are robust, including in relation to Brexit."