Westminster today - as it happened: Theresa May moves to shut down Cabinet revolt

All the latest updates from Westminster, as they happened

Prime Minister Theresa May leaves Downing Street (Getty)

Theresa May has faced down a revolt over the NHS from Boris Johnson after his allies briefed newspapers that he would lobby the Prime Minister for a £100m-a-week funding increase for the health service.

The Prime Minister and other members of her top team made clear to the Foreign Secretary that policy discussions should take place behind closed doors, during a weekly Cabinet meeting.

Ms May also faced anger from pro-Brexit Tories after senior EU figures told The Independent that the UK has already “agreed in principle” to a Norway-style transition deal, which accepts all EU rules without the power to shape them.

Ukip’s Henry Bolton battled on after mass resignations and a vote of no confidence from his party’s ruling body. The under-fire leader refused to resign after it emerged that his former girlfriend Jo Marney had sent racist texts about Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle.

Key Points

• Theresa May slaps down Boris Johnson in front of Cabinet members over NHS funding demands
• Brexit: UK has already 'agreed in principle' with EU to Norway-style transition
• Jeremy Hunt admits EU cancer drugs may not be easily available in UK after Brexit
• Nigel Farage compares embattled Ukip leader Henry Bolton to Jeremy Corbyn
• Rupert Murdoch takeover of Sky 'not in the public interest', government regulator finds

[23 January 2018 15:41 · Lizzy Buchan]

[23 January 2018 15:55 · Lizzy Buchan]

Jeremy Hunt has admitted that EU cancer drugs may not be available to British patients after Brexit, describing the risk as “uniquely damaging”.

The flow of some medicines would be cut off if the withdrawal negotiations break down, the Health Secretary acknowledged – echoing fears raised by the pharmaceutical industry.

More here:

[23 January 2018 16:01 · Lizzy Buchan]

Meanwhile, in the Home Affairs Committee, minister Nick Hurd got a bit muddled over Brexit.

[23 January 2018 16:17 · Lizzy Buchan]

[23 January 2018 16:45 · Lizzy Buchan]

The Government is to create a new unit to counter fake news and disinformation by foreign powers, Downing Street has said.

The move to set up a dedicated national security communications unit was agreed at a meeting of the National Security Council.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that it would be tasked with "combating disinformation by state actors and others."

[23 January 2018 16:48 · Lizzy Buchan]

[23 January 2018 17:02 · Lizzy Buchan]

Back at the Health Committee, Jeremy Hunt has backed Boris Johnson's call for extra NHS spending.

Mr Hunt said "I don't think any Health Secretary is ever going to not support potential extra resources for his or her department."

He added: "Let's say that there's a Brexit debate and there's an NHS debate and just occasionally those two debates come together."

[23 January 2018 17:25 · Lizzy Buchan]

Tory MP Ben Bradley - who got into hot water for suggesting benefits claimants should have vasectomies - has admitted he "cocked up" but stood by his "broad point".

Mr Bradley, 28, apologised for the "immature" language he used when he said people on welfare should stop having children if they could not afford them.

In a blog from 2012, the Mansfield MP supported the benefits cap and suggested it would not be long "before we're drowning in a vast sea of unemployed wasters".

But in a new Facebook video message, he said: "The broad issue that I was trying to address was that there are a lot of people, particularly in places like Mansfield, who work very hard and have to make very difficult decisions financially about whether they can afford to have kids.

"And I found that people find it frustrating when a very small minority of people appear to take advantage of the benefit system.

"Now we have the benefits cap and we have a two-child limit on child benefit and hopefully those things can't happen anymore.

"But language aside that was the broad point I was trying to make and I still stand by that."

The Conservative vice chairman for youth was given a reprieve by Downing Street last week and will hang on to his job after apologising.

[23 January 2018 17:47 · Lizzy Buchan]

[23 January 2018 17:51 · Lizzy Buchan]

That's it from The Independent's politics liveblog for the day. Thanks for following!