Brexit news: Boris Johnson admits Tories 'staring down the barrel of political extinction', as Jeremy Hunt faces fox hunting backlash

The latest updates from Westminster, as they happened

What does a no-deal Brexit mean?

Boris Johnson has warned the Tories are "staring down the barrel now of political extinction" over Brexit ahead of a hustings before voting in the leadership contest gets underway.

The frontrunner told Reuters that the party faced being wiped out unless the referendum result was delivered by 31 October, with or without a Brexit deal.

Elsewhere, his rival Jeremy Hunt made a humiliating u-turn over his calls to overturn the ban on fox hunting, which were branded "cruel" by Tory MPs.

To follow events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below

Key Points

• Brexit Party MEP condemned for comparing EU membership to slavery
• Boris Johnson's key policy shot down by senior police chief ahead of hustings
• Jeremy Hunt makes humiliating u-turn over calls to end fox hunting ban
• Theresa May urges successers to save union in Scotland speech
• Labour slumps to fourth place in the polls for the first time

[4 July 2019 15:50 · Lizzy Buchan]

Jeremy Corbyn has weighed in over reports that George Osborne is mulling going for the top job at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

[4 July 2019 16:08 · Lizzy Buchan]

Boris Johnson was paid almost £43,000 for the speech that set Britain on course for a no-deal Brexit, sparking fresh criticism of his lucrative earnings.

The likely next prime minister pocketed the sum when he delivered his vow to leave the EU on 31 October “deal or no deal”, at an economic conference in Switzerland.

The lucrative speech – made within hours of Theresa May’s tearful resignation – was a toughening of Mr Johnson’s stance, immediately seen as making a crash-out Brexit far more likely.

[4 July 2019 16:27 · Lizzy Buchan]

Iran has summoned the British ambassador in Tehran over the "illegal seizure" of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar on Thursday, Iranian state TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi as saying.

British Royal Marines detained an oil tanker in Gibraltar suspected of carrying oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions, a dramatic step that could escalate confrontation between the West and Iran.

[4 July 2019 16:40 · Lizzy Buchan]

[4 July 2019 17:01 · Lizzy Buchan]

Theresa May is in Scotland, where she is making a speech on the importance of the union of the United Kingdom - in a not so veiled dig at her successors.

[4 July 2019 17:20 · Lizzy Buchan]

In her trailed words, Ms May said: “I am confident that whoever succeeds me in 10 Downing Street will make the Union their priority.

“He will be building on work done over the last three years, during which time strengthening the Union has become an explicit priority of government.

“The job of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland brings with it privileges and responsibilities which you only really feel once the black door closes behind you.

“One of the first and greatest is the duty you owe to strengthen the Union.

“To govern on behalf of the whole United Kingdom.

“To respect the identities of every citizen of the UK – English and Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish.

“And to ensure that we can go on facing the future together, overcoming obstacles together, and achieving more together than we ever could apart – a Union of nations and people.”

[4 July 2019 17:22 · Lizzy Buchan]

That's it for the politics liveblog for today. Thanks for following!