Brexit news: Boris Johnson unveils ‘book of Trump’ agenda to prevent courts challenging government and make voter ID mandatory
All the latest developments as they happened
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Boris Johnson has unveiled plans for new photo ID requirement at polling stations, sparking the move is designed to suppress voting by young people and disadvantaged groups.
The Queen’s Speech also revealed a Royal Commission on the criminal justice system and separate review of every aspect of the post-Brexit constitutional settlement – condemned by Labour as “vindictive revenge” for his defeat in the prorogation case and “another play from the Book of Trump”.
Meanwhile Emily Thornberry, the first figure to declare she is standing for the Labour leadership, has attacked Jeremy Corbyn’s closest aides – and questioned why they were not “under threat” of losing their roles in the leaders’ office.
Boris Johnson unveils plan to increase number of flights, despite global climate emergency
New government plans to ramp up the number of flights will make it "all but impossible" for the UK to cut its carbon emissions to the required levels, environmentalists have warned.
Downing Street was accused of "a total disregard for the planet" after it unveiled a new air traffic management bill on Thursday to lift practical limits on the number of planes British airspace can accommodate.
The bill was included in Thursday's Queen's Speech and forms part of the government's legislative programme for the coming years – despite pledges in the Tory manifesto to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Zac Goldsmith appointed life peerage
Downing Street confirm Zac Goldmsith – after losing his Richmond Park seat at the general election last week by over 7,000 votes to the Lib Dems – has been handed a life peerage and will continue to serve as environment minister from the Lords.
UK could be thrown out of European Arrest Warrant system, government admits
The UK is set to be thrown out of the European Arrest Warrant system after Brexit, the Queen's Speech admits, triggering a warning it will become “a haven for Europe’s worst criminals”.
Boris Johnson has unveiled plans for an extradition bill, to ensure “a person wanted by authorities in a trusted country for a serious crime is arrested quickly”.
The measure will also give the police powers to arrest someone wanted for a serious crime in a non-EU country “without having to apply to a court for a warrant first”.
The Independent Group for Change will no longer operate as a political party
"We came together & took a stand when others wouldn’t. It was right to shine a spotlight on Britain’s broken politics. But having taken stock and with no voice now in Parliament, we begin the process of winding up our party. Thanks to all who stood with us," a statement from the party said after it failed to get any of its MPs elected to the Commons last week.
In a statement to members, the group said: "We need to be realistic and therefore we have agreed to start the process of winding up the party. We have ended your monthly subscription and are beginning the process of closing down our office and organisation. We will contact the Electoral Commission to de-register as a political party."
Government accused of rowing back on living wage pledge for low-paid workers
Boris Johnson's government has been accused of watering down its manifesto commitment to increase the national living wage to more than £10 an hour in a blow to low-paid workers.
Millions of low earners were promised a boost of £4,000 a year through a hike in their hourly pay announced by Sajid Javid at the Conservative conference in September and contained in the party's manifesto.
The chancellor claimed the rise would make the UK the first major economy to "end low pay altogether", as he vowed to increase the hourly pay rate from £8.21 per hour to £10.50 per hour over the next five years.
Outrage over PM's voter ID plans
Boris Johnson has confirmed plans to press ahead with new requirements for photographic ID at polling stations, in the face of accusations that the move is designed to suppress voting by young people and disadvantaged groups.
The prime minister faced immediate calls to ditch the “dangerous” proposal from the Electoral Reform Society, which warned: “Make no mistake – these plans will leave tens of thousands of legitimate voters voiceless.”
Campaigners accused the PM of taking action on an “imaginary” problem while ignoring more serious threats to British democracy, such as anonymous political ads, dodgy donations and fake news.
Meanwhile, the 15-year limit on expats voting in general elections is to be lifted, allowing UK citizens living abroad to continue casting their ballots for the rest of their lives.
Boris Johnson's new Brexit plans have "torn up" a government pledge to protect child refugees in Europe seeking to reunite with family in the UK, according to campaigners.
The PM's new withdrawal agreement bill, which sets out plans for the UK’s exit from the EU, has scrapped a previous commitment to negotiate a new deal for child refugees after Brexit.
More here from social affairs correspondent May Bulman:
The prime minister's new Brexit bill also scraps powers for MPs to scrutinise future trade deals after Brexit.
This means the UK could be forced to accept lower standards as a price for a trade agreement with the US.
Full details here from political correspondent Lizzy Buchan:
Boris Johnson has been criticised for allowing defeated ex-Tory MP Zac Goldsmith to keep his ministerial post by making him a life peer.
Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney, who took the minister's Richmond Park Commons seat in last week's general election, said the move made a mockery of Mr Johnson's claim to lead a "people's government".
It comes after Nicky Morgan, who stood down as an MP at the election, kept her cabinet post as culture secretary as she was made a life peer.
Ms Olney said: "Along with the appointment of Nicky Morgan, we are seeing Boris Johnson now making a mockery of his so called 'people's government'.
"It is the first days of Parliament returning and already Boris Johnson is rewarding his cronies with peerages."
PA
An ousted Labour MP has won £75,000 in damages after pursuing a High Court case against a union and a blogger for libel.
Anna Turley - who lost her seat in Redcar, North Yorkshire, in the recent general election - had sued Unite and blogger Stephen Walker.
Ms Turley said a 2017 article on Mr Walker's left-wing Skwawkbox blog, which contained a press statement from Unite, libelled her by conveying the meaning that she had acted dishonestly when submitting an application to join the union.
She also said Unite had misused her private information.
More details here from reporter Kate Ng:
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