Brexit news - as it happened: Corbyn-backing union shies away from backing fresh Brexit referendum
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Britain’s biggest union, Unite, has shied away from backing a fresh referendum on the final Brexit deal but said it “remains open to the possibility” of one.
At the start of the day, it looked like Unite would support a public vote on Theresa May's exit terms, which flies in the face of Labour's official policy.
However delegates voted overwhelmingly in a favour of a weaker statement, which said: “Our priority will be to force an early general election which can lead to the election of a Labour government which would, among other things, reach a better deal with the European Union and improved relations with Europe all round.”
“We are also open to the possibility of a popular vote being held on any deal, depending on political circumstances.
“Within these principles, the executive council has authority to respond as it thinks best to a fast-changing political situation.”
It comes as the prime minister’s warring cabinet has been urged to “get on with the job” by senior Tories as UK businesses warned their patience is reaching “breaking point” over the government’s inability to answer key questions on Brexit.
Women and equalities minister Penny Mordaunt says Theresa May will launch the government’s consultation on the gender recognition act later this afternoon.
In the Commons just now, Labour's shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler has just challenged her government counterpart Penny Mordaunt to a dance off a London Pride this weekend.
Accepting the challenge, Mordaunt says: "I feel as the honourable lady has thrown down the gauntlet with a dance off - I'll see her there."
Former justice minister Phillip Lee accused Brexiteers of "planning a coup" against Theresa May, the Press Association reports.
The Bracknell MP called for "courageous, rational leadership" after reports in the Daily Express that supporters of Jacob Rees-Mogg had amassed a £750,000 fund to fight a leadership campaign if Theresa May is forced out.
Dr Lee, who quit the Government in June to vote against it on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, tweeted: "We need courageous, rational leadership to get our country successfully through £Brexit: courage to stand up for what's right for our country; rationality to take decisions based on reality and evidence, not dreams and dogma.
"The last thing we need is a leadership challenge. But when an MP & his supporters have collected £750k to do just that, there is no doubt that Brexiteers are planning a coup. I call on other rational members of the party to stand against this nonsense."
Treasury minister Mel Stride has failed to rule out a rise in fuel duty, amid concerns that lifting the freeze would be "madness".
Mr Stride was asked about reports that the government is considering removing the fuel duty freeze to help fund investment in the NHS.
But he failed to rule out such a move, telling MPs that ministers would be "looking at taxation" with "everybody in their different ways paying a little bit more" to meet the commitment.
Conservative former minister Robert Halfon, speaking during Treasury questions in the Commons, said such a rise would be "absolutely madness", warning it would hit working people across the UK.
Mr Halfon said: "Given that the independent CEBR said that a fuel duty freeze had contributed to creating 121,000 jobs and the Treasury in 2014 said the benefits of the fuel duty freeze would offset the loss in tax income.
"Does he not agree that it would be absolutely madness to raise fuel duty and hit working people up and down this country?"
Mr Stride replied: "Going forward we will of course be looking at taxation and everybody in their different ways paying a little bit more to make sure that we fund the significant amount that we have now committed to our National Health Service."
Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, is now making a statement on the fight against Daesh.
Labour has confirmed the suspended MP Jared O’Mara has had the party whip reinstated. He has been suspended since 2017 for previous abusive social media posts.
A party spokesperson said: “The disputes panel has ruled on the balance of the evidence that a formal warning should be issued after mandatory requirement to attend training”.
This is the story from last year:
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