Brexit news: Jeremy Hunt claims Merkel is willing to look at new deal as PM hopeful lays out withdrawal plans

All the developments from Westminster on Monday

Jeremy Hunt claims Angela Merkel is willing to look at new deal as PM hopeful lays out withdrawal plans

Tory leadership hopeful Jeremy Hunt has unveiled his 10-point plan to handle a no-deal Brexit, vowing to “cease all discussions” with Brussels on 30 September if the EU fails to budge.

He also claimed to have been told by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, that she would be willing to look at any new Brexit the next British PM comes up with.

It came as his rival, Boris Johnson, was heckled at a garden centre and accused of misrepresenting the ideas of a 14th century Tunisian scholar after claiming he could cut taxes and increase revenue.

Meanwhile, pro-Jeremy Corbyn organisation Momentum has launched a fresh drive to unseat Mr Johnson – who could not name the amount paid under the living wage during his latest TV interview – at the next general election.

Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load:

Key Points

• Jeremy Hunt claims Angela Merkel will consider new Brexit deal
• Speaker blocks MP's plan to stop no-deal Brexit
• Boris Johnson called ‘crazy’ by garden centre heckler
• Jeremy Hunt pledges £6bn war chest and vows to end Brexit talks early
• ... as plan to ban civil service summer leave sparks fury

[1 July 2019 09:26 · Adam Forrest]

Hello and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the Conservative leadership campaign and all the latest developments at Westminster.

[1 July 2019 09:33 · Adam Forrest]

Momentum insiders have told The Independent they expect hundreds of campaigners to flock to Boris Johnson’s parliamentary constituency in a bid to unseat him at the next general election.

Here’s Ashley Cowburn with the details.

[1 July 2019 09:53 · Adam Forrest]

Jeremy Hunt has pledged to create a £6 billion war chest to handle a no-deal Brexit.

Food producers should be treated like the financial services industry during the 2008 financial crash, the Tory leadership candidate is expected to tell supporters at a hustings event later this morning.

Mr Hunt will set out a 10-point plan, including a Cobra-style committee to “turbocharge” Whitehall preparations and keep Britain open for business in the event of World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs coming into effect.

He is also preparing to set up a temporary “No Deal Relief Programme”, including the war chest for farmers and fishermen exporting to Europe.

It follows his admission on the Andrew Marr show that a no deal Brexit would destroy jobs, having previously criticised his rival Boris Johnson for his willingness to bring on such economic pain.

[1 July 2019 09:56 · Adam Forrest]

Labour MPs who back a fresh Brexit referendum face losing their seats to the Lib Dems unless pro-EU parties form a “Remain alliance”, new analysis has found.

Here’s our political correspondent Benjamin Kentish with the details.

[1 July 2019 09:59 · Adam Forrest]

[1 July 2019 10:00 · Adam Forrest]

Boris Johnson has again criticised Russian president Vladimir Putin’s claim that liberalism is dead, saying Britain was the best example of the “triumph of liberal values”.

“The country that possesses these essential building blocks of liberalism will succeed; the country without them will - eventually - face disaster,” he wrote in the Telegraph.

“I don’t want to put too fine a point on it, Vladimir, but there are some countries where capitalism is believed to be in the hands of oligarchs and cronies, where journalists are shot, and where ‘liberal values’ are derided ... and where real incomes have declined for each of the past five years.”

[1 July 2019 10:06 · Adam Forrest]

If you missed his interview with Sky News host Sophie Ridge, Boris Johnson revealed he didn’t know how much the living wage currently is.

He also defended his infamous description of black people in Africa bearing “watermelon smiles” as “wholly satirical”.

[1 July 2019 10:10 · Adam Forrest]

More on Jeremy Hunt’s no deal Brexit plan. He is set to outline more details at a Policy Exchange hustings event at 11am this morning.

He is expected to say: “I will mitigate the impact of no-deal Brexit on you and step in to help smooth those short-term difficulties. If we could do it for the bankers in the financial crisis, we can do it for our fishermen, farmers and small businesses now.”

Here’s what we know so far.

[1 July 2019 10:14 · Adam Forrest]

Lib Dem leadership contender Jo Swinson has said she would not rule out a future deal with either the Conservatives or Labour.

The deputy leader, running against Sir Ed Davey for the top job, said there is no immediate prospect of becoming allied with either the Tories and Labour currently as both are “led by Brexiters”.

But in an interview with The Herald newspaper, she said a confidence and supply arrangement might be possible. “I have not said never in any future scenario, where things are different.

“I’m looking at the situation right now in terms of being led by Brexiters on both sides. The same holds for confidence and supply. We need to stop Brexit and work with people who agree with us on that, and that's not the leadership of the Conservatives or the Labour Party.”

[1 July 2019 10:29 · Adam Forrest]

Boris Johnson has been accused of trying to appropriate and misreading the economic ideas a 14th century Tunisian scholar with his claims taxes could be cut and revenues raised.