Politics Live: Friday 15 January

As our coverage begins to wind down, here are some of the stories that have been making the news on Friday:

• The BBC understands Ken Livingstone will not have a formal role on Labour's defence review, which will consider the party's stance on Trident
• The UK's EU referendum represents a "once-in-a-lifetime decision", Chancellor George Osborne has said
• More than a million benefits claimants may be facing destitution after disappearing from the welfare system, Labour ex-minister Frank Field claims
• An MP and former Anglican cleric has said he is giving up on the church for taking action against its American arm for approving same-sex marriage
• Twelve former residents of children's homes say they were abused by Lord Janner, a BBC investigation has found, as criminal proceedings against the late peer end
• David Cameron was forced to confront the situation in Libya this week when he was quizzed by MPs.  

AFPCopyright: AFP

Tony Blair has declined an invitation to answer questions about why Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was never asked by the government to compensate victims of IRA attacks carried out with weapons supplied by Tripoli.

In December, the former Labour prime minister wrote to the Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

He said "any attempt to implicate me in deliberately trying to stop IRA victims receiving compensation is utterly without foundation and wrong".

The chair of the committee, Conservative MP Laurence Robertson, then invited Mr Blair to appear in person to answer further questions about the issue. Read more

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond met Syrian refugees who fled to Turkey and are living in camps, partly supported by British aid. He later told journalists that omens for the latest round of peace talks in Vienna are not good but they have to proceed even "if it is unlikely there will be much progress". 

GMBCopyright: GMB

Labour's defence review should focus on the future of workers whose livelihoods depend on the Trident nuclear programme, GMB union leader Paul Kenny has insisted.

Mr Kenny said it was "not helpful" for workers to hear senior politicians who claim to have major influence over the outcome making "announcements on what their position is".

"The review has to honestly deal with the issue that is of great concern to GMB and others about what is going to happen to the tens of thousands of jobs that directly depend on the current Trident programme and the successor programme," he said.  

Thousands of workers are employed on the Trident programme in areas like Barrow, where he said there were no other jobs.

"The unions are not going to surrender responsibility for defending members' jobs," he said.

"We want to know what the plans are to ensure that communities like Barrow are not devastated."

The review, he added, should also look at the annual cost of renewing the programme.  

A judge at the Old Bailey has dropped the child abuse case against Lord Janner, who died at the end of last year. 

But a BBC investigation has heard evidence from 21 people who say they were abused by the Labour peer. 

Home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds spoke to some of the alleged victims and gave this exclusive report to BBC Radio 4's The World At One.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Media attention is being "deflected away from Tory incompetence" over issues such as flooding and the EU referendum by Labour's "revenge reshuffle", former shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt has claimed.

Writing in The Spectator, Mr Hunt also suggested there was a "power struggle" going on in Jeremy Corbyn's office.

"The divisiveness and futility of the shadow cabinet ‘revenge reshuffle’ continues to reverberate across the parliamentary Labour party," he said.

"You will recall that Europe spokesman Pat McFadden was sacked for suggesting that terrorists should be held accountable for their crimes. Shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle was moved for supporting Labour party policy. And culture minister Michael Dugher got the axe for not living in Islington.

"All the while, media attention was deflected away from Tory incompetence over flooding, the Europe referendum, Letwin’s ugly memos, and the wretched Housing Bill (with its ambition to kill council housing forever)."

The author and historian added: "Kremlinologists suggest there is a power struggle going on in Jeremy Corbyn’s office between the socialist action mensheviks and the bolsheviks of the Labour representation committee. 

"But all factions are united in their determination to make it to 2017, and the centenary of the great October socialist revolution."

BBCCopyright: BBC

There are some musical chairs to report in Whitehall -with Chris Wormald, the top civil servant at the Department of Education, moving up the road to become permanent secretary at the Department of Health. 

He succeeds Dame Una O'Brien, who is stepping down from the role. The appointment was made by the cabinet secretary with the approval of the prime minister and the health secretary.

Prior to that, Mr Wormald served in the Cabinet Office and Department for Communities and Local Government, as well as being principle private secretary to two ex-education secretaries, Charles Clarke and Estelle Morris. 

Daily Politics reporter Ellie Price spoke to Women's Equality Party founder Sandi Toksvig.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Unite boss Len McCluskey has welcomed clarification of the terms of reference of Labour's defence review and its likely duration.

The union, Labour's largest financial donor, is a strong supporter of Trident because of the number of high-skilled and well-paid jobs it supports in the defence industry and the supply chain. He said. 

Quote Message: Our members will be reassured by the scope and calendar of this review because it is evidently designed to ensure that all voices are heard in this important process. This announcement also sends a clear signal to Labour MPs and members that Jeremy Corbyn is determined this review will result in a policy that will equip the country for the modern-day defence challenges. Importantly too for Unite, it also confirms to the tens of thousands of workers in the defence sector that they will be playing a full and active part in shaping any future Labour party policy, and we will be making a very strong case for their jobs and communities."

Our members will be reassured by the scope and calendar of this review because it is evidently designed to ensure that all voices are heard in this important process. This announcement also sends a clear signal to Labour MPs and members that Jeremy Corbyn is determined this review will result in a policy that will equip the country for the modern-day defence challenges. Importantly too for Unite, it also confirms to the tens of thousands of workers in the defence sector that they will be playing a full and active part in shaping any future Labour party policy, and we will be making a very strong case for their jobs and communities."

Sources have told the BBC the former mayor of London Ken Livingstone will not now have a formal role on Labour's defence review. 

Mark Mardell talks to political correspondent Carole Walker.  

Former Labour minister and peer Lord West has reiterated that he would probably resign the Labour whip if the party reversed its pro-Trident policy. Speaking to the Daily Politics, the former First Sea Lord said unilateralism was "not a good idea". 

Sophie Walker, leader of the Women's Equality Party, spoke to the Daily Politics about the party's political ambitions.

Daily Politics reporter Ellie Price looks back at the week's headlines.

The leader of the Women's Equality Party says "it's very likely" it will win seats in elections locally and in the devolved administrations.

Sophie Walker told BBC's Daily Politics: "I think we will win seats - the growth and speed of this party is phenomenal. People really have had enough."

The party will be contesting seats in the Greater London Assembly, Scotland, Wales, and is currently looking at the London mayoral contest.