Brexit today: David Davis vows UK will not be plunged into 'Mad Max-style' world after EU exit - as it happened
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Fears that Britain will be plunged into a "Mad Max-style" dystopia after Brexit are baseless, David Davis has told business leaders in Vienna.
In the latest in a series of high-profile speeches on the EU withdrawal, the Brexit Secretary insisted that ministers are not planning to sweep away regulations in a "race to the bottom" on taxes and standards.
As pressure mounts on Theresa May to unite her warring Cabinet, Brexiteers Michael Gove and Liam Fox delivered major speeches, while Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson faced questions from MPs in the Commons.
Oxfam GB chief executive Mark Goldring apologised for appearing to downplay allegations of sexual misconduct by some charity staff in Haiti following a devastating earthquake in 2010.
More than 7,000 people have cancelled regular donations to the charity since the scandal broke, he told MPs on the International Development Committee.
Elsewhere, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn vowed to strip the City of London of its dominance in a speech accusing the financial sector of having a “pernicious and undemocratic” control over British politics.
As it happened...
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European Union countries’ fears that Britain will start a “race to the bottom” on taxes and standards when it leaves the EU are “based on nothing”, the Brexit Secretary is to claim.
David Davis is travelling to Austria where he will attempt to reassure an audience of local business leaders that the UK will not try to undercut the EU after it leaves.
Full story here:
Jeremy Corbyn will also make a high-profile speech today, where he will vow to strip the City of London of its dominance in the UK, before accusing the financial sector of having a “pernicious and undemocratic” control over British politics.
The Labour leader will argue that the City’s growth has had a destructive impact on the “real economy”, as he pledges to swing the UK back towards an industry based model.
More here:
Sacked Cabinet minister Damian Green has maintained he did not behave inappropriately when he reportedly texted a Tory activist to ask her for a drink after seeing her wearing a corset in a newspaper.
Mr Green was forced to resign as First Secretary of State over separate allegations probed by an inquiry which also looked at the claims of Kate Maltby, who said the Tory MP "fleetingly" touched her knee during a meeting in a pub in 2015, and a year later sent her the "suggestive" text message after she was pictured in the corset.
Mr Green repeated his apology to Ms Maltby "if she felt uncomfortable", but stressed: "I didn't believe I did anything in appropriate, I still don't".
Asked about the text, he told the Today programme: "That was a joke. I had political discussions with her over a number of years which continued afterwards, at no stage was there any inappropriate behaviour."
Mr Green, who was Theresa May's de facto deputy, said he was still friends with the Prime Minister, adding: "We've been at events together and we've spoken, yes."
Top bosses at Oxfam face a grilling from MPs over shock allegations of sexual misconduct by aid workers, which have engulfed the charity.
Oxfam GB chief executive Mark Goldring, chair of trustees, Caroline Thomson, and Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of Oxfam International, will appear before the Commons International Development Committee this morning.
The session comes amid continuing anger over allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by Oxfam staff responding to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
The charity has also released the report of an internal inquiry detailed four dismissals and three resignations by staff over allegations ranging from the use of prostitutes on charity property to sexual exploitation of employees.
Suspicions that under-age sex workers had been exploited "cannot be ruled out", according to the document.
The committee will also take evidence from Save The Children about proposals it has put forward on safeguarding and from the permanent secretary at the Department for International Development, Matthew Rycroft about what the department knew and what steps it is taking now.
David Davis' upcoming "Mad Max" speech has prompted a certain amount of mockery on Twitter.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer has issued a response to the trailed "Mad Max" speech, describing it as "not worth the paper it's written on".
He says: “How are people meant to trust the Brexit Secretary when his colleague Liam Fox has said current protections mean it’s ‘too difficult’ to fire staff and Boris Johnson has described workers’ rights coming from the EU as ‘back-breaking’?
“The truth is there are many in Theresa May’s government who want to use Brexit as an excuse to drive down standards and weaken fundamental rights.
“Labour rejects this approach. We want a close future relationship with the EU based on our values of equality. That includes maintaining and extending rights, standards and protections.”
New polling by IPPR shows the majority of British people want to retain or raise standards after Brexit. Director Tom Kibasi tweets the headline findings.
The Electoral Commission has fined four political parties in Northern Ireland for failing to comply with party rules.
Northern Ireland First has been fined £6,000 for failure to deliver reports in the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election. The party was de-registered by the Commission in November 2017 for not renewing their annual registration status.
Conservative and Unionist Party in Northern Ireland has been fined £1,500 for late delivery of 2016 accounts and spending return for Northern Ireland Assembly election in 2017, as well as inaccurate spending return for Northern Ireland Assembly election in 2016.
The Workers Party has been fined £1,300 for late delivery of pre-poll reports for the 2017 general election and spending return for Northern Ireland Assembly election in 2017. They have paid the fine.
Independent Network has been fined £500 for late delivery of quarterly donation and loans reports.
A fine of £3,000 has also . been issued to Enact, now a de-registered UK political party, for failing to deliver reports in the 2017 general election.
Allegations about Jeremy Corbyn's contact with a Czech spy in the 1980s have been described as "baseless right-wing propaganda" by Labour's deputy leader.
Coverage of the claims has dominated the newspapers over the past few days. Mr Corbyn was even forced to threaten legal action against Ben Bradley, an MP and a vice chair of the Conservatives, who, after reading the newspaper coverage, made claims on social media that the Labour leader had “sold British secrets” to communist spies.
Writing exclusively for The Independent, Tom Watson said they were not worth the paper they were written on.
Read his piece here:
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