EXCLUSIVE:

Keir Starmer’s migration policy:

* Treat people smugglers like terrorists, freeze assets & restrict movement

* Pursue EU-wide returns deal

* Scrap Tory 'unsustainable' plans to ban cross-channel migrants from claiming asylum

thetimes.co.uk/article/ff8875… Starmer wants to use civil orders used to target terrorists and serious criminals against people traffickers

The orders enable the authorities to restrict movements, communications & freeze assets pre conviction

Exclusive:

Privileges Committee has found Boris Johnson knowingly misled Commons after rejecting central defence

MPs found no evidence to back his claim he was assured by officials that Covid guidance had not been breached - in fact they found opposite

thetimes.co.uk/article/58f392… Johnson was told by his PPS Martin Reynolds not to claim that social distancing guidance has been followed at all times in No 10 - he said it was ‘unrealistic’

Johnson went on to make claim repeatedly in Commons anyway

BREAKING

Boris Johnson is standing down as the Tory MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, triggering an immediate by-election

Comes after Privileges Committee recommended suspension of more than 10 days Boris Johnson on Privileges Committee:

'It is very sad to be leaving parliament - at least for now - but above all I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically, by a committee chaired and managed, by Harriet Harman, with such egregious bias'

EXCLUSIVE from @hzeffman

Boris Johnson referred to police by the Cabinet Office over visits by friends to Chequers and Downing Street while covid restrictions were in place

Met Police and Thames Valley Police confirm they are considering evidence

thetimes.co.uk/article/7d1115… Boris Johnson's govt-funded lawyers raised concerns about a series of visits between June 2020 and May 2021 listed in his ministerial diary

They were going through the diary in preparation for public inquiry into Covid pandemic

Exclusive:

Officials emailed Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team after she asked if they could intervene over speeding fine

They were concerned it was inappropriate - the Cab Office told them not to get involved

Follows @HarryYorke1
scoop

thetimes.co.uk/article/suella… @HarryYorke1 Rishi Sunak is going through the emails as he weighs up whether to refer Suella Braverman to the independent adviser on ministerial interests

Braverman supporter says officials contacted Cabinet Office as a matter of 'due process' to establish if they could help her

Exclusive:

Meet the New Conservatives - Tory MPs from right of the party in 2017 & 2019 intakes who are seeking to realign Tory Party to Midlands & Red Wall

They profess loyalty to Rishi Sunak but want action on migration, tax cuts, size of armed forces

thetimes.co.uk/article/lee-an… Lee Anderson, deputy chairman of Tory Party, says there is a risk Britain will become 'full' and there will be 'no space in this island'

'Our children, our grandchildren will say why? You had a chance to sort this out. At some stage our country will be full. What do we do then?'

Exclusive:

Tories risk losing next general election and becoming 'party of Nimbyism' after dropping housebuilding targets, Tory MPs warn in leaked whatsapp messages

They accused the government of short-termism after it bowed to rebels earlier this year

thetimes.co.uk/article/tory-r… Greg Hands, the Tory party chairman, highlighted Labour's plans to reinstate housebuilding targets on Whatsapp group for Tory MPs earlier this week

'This could play badly for Labour in many places ahead of polling on Thursday.' he said

It did not go down well

BREAKING:

Kemi Badenoch weighing up whether to change legal definition of sex to 'biological sex' in equality act

Badenoch asked EHRC to consider 'benefits or otherwise'

It could bar trans women from accessing single sex spaces and competing as women

thetimes.co.uk/article/badeno… Baroness Falkner, chair of EHRC, says that new 'biological sex' definition 'merits further consideration

She identifies 8 areas where change could benefit both biological women & trans men

They include single sex spaces ie hospital wards & sport

Times splash:

Boris Johnson told Commons covid guidance was followed 'at all times' despite being warned by senior adviser it was 'not realistic'

Johnson deleted reference from opening statement - but used it again 30mins later during debate

thetimes.co.uk/article/aide-w… Martin Reynolds, Johnson's PPS, suggested removing claim that 'all guidance had been followed at all times' from his statement given 'nature of working environment in No 10'

Johnson agreed and removed reference 'to ensure it was consistent with the reassurances I had received'

Breaking:

Boris Johnson partygate dossier:

1. He accepts that the Commons was mislead but says that he made his statements 'in good faith' & would never have dreamed of recklessly or intentionally misleading the Commons 2. He says the only evidence that he intentionally misled the Commons is from the 'discredited Dominic Cummings', and that Cummings' assertions are not 'supported by any documentation'

**Boris Johnson's defence**

(i) Inquiry unlawful

(ii) Inquiry politically biased

(iii) New Whatsapp message showing he was advised rules weren't breached

(iv) 'General assumption' at time that events were compliant

(v) He acted in 'good faith'

thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-… Johnson will argue inquiry is unlawful because the burden of proof is too low

He says it must go beyond 'balance of probabilities' & prove he is 'significantly more likely than not' to have misled Commons

Committee advised by retired Court of Appeal judge that it's appropriate

CONFIRMED

* Delay in HS2 services to Euston as govt prioritises Old Oak Common

* HS2 between Birmingham and Crewe will be delayed by two years

* Aim to deliver services to Crewe and North West 'as soon as possible accounting for delay' - not clear when Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the statement by Mark Harper, the transport secretary, is that there does not appear to be a date on HS2 to Crewe and Manchester

It simply says govt will deliver it 'as soon as possible after accounting for delay'

New asylum laws:

* Nearly all small boat claims inadmissible

* Home Sec under legal duty to remove migrants

* New mass detention powers - home office buying two RAF bases

* Curbs on judicial review

* Lifetime ban on return to UK

* Cap on refugees

thetimes.co.uk/article/c474cb… There are huge legal, practical and political obstacles to new migration laws

Ministers admit it is at ‘outer limits’ of ECHR obligations

Legal challenge inevitable

Big questions over where migrants will be detained & where they will be sent

thetimes.co.uk/article/e239d7…

Here's where we are at 9.30am on Brexit:

* Ministers unlikely to quit - Steve Baker & others like what they've heard but waiting to see full text

* Senior ERGers also think it's a good deal - they're impressed with concessions - but will move in 'lock step' with DUP Over the weekend Dom Raab did a series of briefings on the deal with Eurosceptic Tories, answering questions on everything from medicines to pets to VAT & customs

MPs said he was reading from a script - albeit a very detailed one - but they were impressed

BREAKING:

Rishi Sunak to announce mini-reshuffle tomorrow and is considering up major changes to Whitehall departments

He's replacing Nadhim Zahawi as Tory chair but some in govt think it's much more far-reaching

He's looking at refocusing Whitehall to reflect his priorities There are suggestions that Beis could be broken up to reflect Sunak's priorities

During the leadership campaign he pledged to reinstate the department for energy

He's also pushed for a greater focus on tech and innovation

Nadhim Zahawi committed SEVEN breaches of the ministerial code and repeatedly failed to be 'open & honest' about his tax affairs, ethics watchdog concluded

Sunak felt he had no choice but to sack him

Here's the timeline of those breaches in full BREACH ONE

HMRC investigation into Zahawi begins in April 2021.

Zahawi does not declare it, claiming he did not realise it was a formal investigation. He thought he was clarifying questions

Laurie Magnus says he should have realised he was under investigation

BREAKING:

Rishi Sunak has sacked Nadhim Zahawi for breaching the ministerial code Rishi Sunak in letter to Nadhim Zahawi:

'It is clear that there has been a serious breach of the Ministerial Code

'As a result, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in HM Government'

EXCLUSIVE:

Rishi Sunak is poised to announce minimum strike legislation as soon as tomorrow

It will enable employers to sue unions and sack employees if they refuse to accept

Hearing six sectors covered - NHS, schools, rail, borders, fire, nuclear

thetimes.co.uk/article/69f2c0… The strike law will remove legal protections from unions & employees if they refuse to provide minimum level of service

Will mean employees could be sacked for breach of contract if they were designated to work but refused to do so. Unions could be sued

Exclusive:

Rishi Sunak will be forced by the Lords to abandon plans for a bonfire of EU laws by end of year

Senior govt source says it is 'inevitable' govt will have to extend deadline for retaining, scrapping or changing laws from 2023 to 2026

thetimes.co.uk/article/rishi-… Officials are already struggling to cope with the sheer number of man hours needed to review the 4,000 pieces of EU-derived legislation on UK statute books

Deadline likely to be extended to 2026 for Beis, DfT & Defra

Grant Shapps said to be sympathetic to delay

Matt Hancock confirms he is going on I'm a Celebrity

Political ally says it's an 'incredible opportunity for him to engage with 12m Britons who tune in every single night'

They say that Hancock believes politicians must 'embrace popular culture' & not look down on reality TV The key line from a political ally of Matt Hancock on I'm a Celebrity appearance

'Matt's of the view that we must embrace popular culture. Rather than looking down on reality TV, we should see it for what it is - a powerful tool to get our message heard by younger generations'

EXCLUSIVE:

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak *did not* strike a deal last night

Johnson told his supporters this morning that he is the only candidate with a democratic mandate

He said he wants to form a Govt that will reach 'far and wide' Boris Johnson said that he would treat the Privileges committee with the 'utmost courtesy'

He said that he did not intentionally mislead the Commons

He urged supporters to get on the phones. 'Let's do this,' he said