Got a TV Licence?

You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law.

Find out more
I don’t have a TV Licence.

Live Reporting

Pippa Simm

All times stated are UK

  1. Tuesday evening round-up

    The main political story of the day has been Labour MP Keith Vaz's resignation as chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, following newspaper claims he paid for the services of two male sex workers.

    Mr Vaz said it was in the "best interest" of the committee for him to step down - after nine years at the helm - so the committee could continue its work "without any distractions".

    In other news:

  2. Listen: 'Keith has put the work of the committee first'

    Radio 4 PM programme

    Video content

    Video caption: The acting chairman of the Home Affairs Committee explains why Keith Vaz has resigned

    Keith Vaz has announced he is standing down as chairman of the Home Affairs Select committee, following allegations in a Sunday newspaper that he had paid for the services of escorts.

    The acting chair of the committee, Conservative MP Tim Loughton, explained to PM why Mr Vaz had taken the difficult decision to resign after nine years in the role.

  3. Umunna: Shadow cabinet elections can help to heal Labour divisions

    BBC News Channel

    Labour MP and former shadow minister Chuka Umunna tells BBC News he voted in favour of re-instating elections to Labour's shadow cabinet, saying it would be a way for the party to "in part heal the divisions that there have been within the parliamentary party".

    "Once we have finished this leadership contest we need to come together" to focus on scrutinising the Brexit process as the UK leaves the EU, he says. "Having shadow cabinet elections is one way of achieving that," he adds.

    Mr Umunna rejects the idea that it could further divisions within the party, saying leader Jeremy Corbyn has been an advocate of elections to the party's front bench, and "in many respects (the vote) is simply implementing the will of the leader as expressed over several years".

  4. What would the Labour rule change mean?

    Re-instating elections to the shadow cabinet would give Labour MPs rather than the party leader the power to pick Labour's key team.

    Left wingers regard it as an attempt to curb the power of the current leader, Jeremy Corbyn. But the MP behind the idea, Clive Betts, said it was an attempt to make rival Labour politicians "work together".

    The issue will now be discussed by Labour's ruling body - the National Executive Committee - which could refer it to the party conference for a final decision.

    Mr Corbyn has suggested a wider debate on whether MPs, Labour conference or party members should have a say in picking the shadow cabinet.

    The parliamentary Labour Party is largely opposed to the current leadership - having backed a motion of no confidence in him by 172 votes to 40, while the party membership is widely seen as being pro-Mr Corbyn.

  5. Third reading: what does it mean?

    Finance Bill

    House of Commons

    Parliament

    The third reading is the final stage in the House of Commons and often immediately follows the report stage.

    Third reading provides MPs with a final opportunity to review the contents of a bill and debate is limited to what is actually in the bill rather than what might be included.

    After a successful third reading the bill then moves on to first reading in the House of Lords, but as a Money Bill peers will have no powers to amend the contents.

  6. Legislative Grand Committee on England, Wales and Northern Ireland

    Finance Bill

    House of Commons

    Parliament

    One of the Associate Serjeant at Arms removes the ceremonial mace, to signify the House is in committee
    Image caption: One of the Associate Serjeant at Arms removes the ceremonial mace, to signify the House is in committee

    John Bercow makes his final decision and some quick procedural formalities are required for the bill to pass its report stage.

    The House of Commons is briefly turned into a Legislative Grand Committee on England, Wales and Northern Ireland - where all members may take part in a debate, but only MPs representing England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to vote on amendments. 

    But with no contentious amendments the Grand Committee gives its consent to the bill, and is immediately disbanded.

    The bill now progresses to third reading. 

  7. Labour MPs back shadow cabinet elections

    The Parliamentary Labour Party has approved a motion in favour of re-introducing elections to the shadow cabinet. The motion asks Labour's ruling National Executive Committee - which must approve any changes - to bring forward a rule change at this year's annual conference.

    Appointments have been the leader's responsibility since 2011 when the elections system was scrapped.

  8. House suspended for EVEL

    Finance Bill

    House of Commons

    Parliament

    Speaker John Bercow suspends the house to make a deicision on EVEL
    Image caption: Speaker John Bercow suspends the house to make a deicision on EVEL

    The speaker has suspended the House to make a judgement on whether parts of the bill only relate to England, or England and Wales, and so will be subject to English Votes for English Laws procedures.

    Normal activities will be resumed within five minutes.

  9. MPs reject restricting VAT on energy saving materials

    Finance Bill

    House of Commons

    Parliament

    Tellers deliver the results of the vote
    Image caption: Tellers deliver the results of the vote

    MPs have rejected the Labour amendment preventing the government from raising VAT on energy saving materials - such as loft insulation - by 307 votes to 265.

  10. MPs reject review of dividend taxes

    Finance Bill

    House of Commons

    Parliament

    MPs have voted to reject Labour's amendment requiring a review on the impact of changes to the tax on dividend income, by 309 votes to 261.

    The 2016 Budget announced an overhaul of the dividend tax system, resulting in a significant tax hike for most limited company owners.

    According to government estimates, this new dividend tax is expected to raise £2.54bn during 2016/17, with smaller - but still significant - income flowing to the Treasury in subsequent years.  

  11. Call for taxi firms to improve accessibility

    Disability and equality debate

    House of Lords

    Parliament

    Lord McColl

    Conservative Lord McColl of Dulwich focuses his remarks on transport, calling for enforcement of equal access to minicabs, which was first set out in the Disability Discrimination Act. 

    He says that the Committee on Disability and the Equality Act heard evidence of many instances of disabled passengers being denied access to cabs, suggesting "the interests of taxi businesses have been placed above those of disabled people".

    He urges councils to use licensing powers to ensure that taxis are more accessible, and for mandatory installment of audio-visual announcements on buses. 

  12. 'Softly softly' approach to disability equality will not work - peer

    Disability and equality debate

    House of Lords

    Parliament

    Baroness Deech

    Crossbencher Baroness Deech is opening a debate on the report of the Select Committee on the Equality Act 2010 and Disability.   

    The report, published earlier this year, found that "much more needs to be done" and its witnesses "were almost unanimous in believing that it was a mistake to have attempted to deal with discrimination on grounds of disability, sex, race and other protected characteristics in a single Equality Act". 

    Baroness Deech says the debate "could not be more timely", pointing to Theresa May's recent announcement of an audit of public services. 

    She warns it will be "impossible for any government except a nasty party" to ignore its recommendations" and a "softly, softly approach will not work". 

  13. Referendums within 56 days on neighbourhood plans

    Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

    House of Lords

    Parliament

    Peers dispense with report stage of the Cultural Property (Armed Conflict) Bill and move on to a motion to approve the Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2016.

    The regulations prescribe the time frame in which referendums on neighbourhood plans can take place. 

    This would normally be within 56 working days of the decision being taken to hold a referendum, or 84 days in some exceptional circumstances.

  14. Government rejects shorter sentences for cultural property crimes

    Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill

    House of Lords

    Parliament

    Lord Ashton

    Responding to claims that the maximum sentences for ancillary cultural property offences are too high, Culture Minister Lord Ashton of Hyde says that it would be a matter for the courts and "in practice much shorter sentences or even a fine" could be handed down. 

    He adds that ancillary crimes are "not necessarily deserving of a lesser sentence" and it would need to be judged on a case-by-case basis. 

    The bill creates a range of offences designed to protect cultural property in the event of armed conflict, including attacking, thieving, pillaging, misappropriating or vandalising protected cultural property, with heavier penalties for extensive destruction and attacking property under enhanced protection.

  15. Tax changes needed on 'the cheapest way to get drunk'

    Finance Bill

    House of Commons

    Parliament

    Conservative MP David Burrowes

    Conservative MP David Burrowes is making the case for a review on increasing the alcohol duty on super strength cider. 

    Sparkling "white" cider of a strength exceeding 5.5% is has the lowest tax duty per unit of alcohol  and "represents the cheapest way to get drunk and continue dependency of addicts".

    Mr Burrowes says he won't support a uniform rise of alcohol duty, but something needs to be done on "the nasty stuff" that causes "disproportionate levels of harm", closely associated with dependency and teenage drinking.

    Three litre bottles of strong cider are available for as little as £3.50, allowing some to get "absolutely wasted" for the cost of a bottle of beer. 

    "This is an anomaly in how we deal with beer," he argues.

  16. Peer urges reduction in maximum sentence for cultural property offences

    Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill

    House of Lords

    Parliament

    Lord Brown

    Crossbencher Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood introduces an amendment to reduce the maximum sentence for ancillary offences under the Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill to 14 years.

    The bill creates a range of offences designed to protect cultural property in the event of armed conflict, including attacking, thieving, pillaging, misappropriating or vandalising protected cultural property, with heavier penalties for extensive destruction and attacking property under enhanced protection    

    He says the maximum sentence of 30 years is "absurdly high" and puts it on a footing with war crimes. 

  17. No 10 'won't comment on internal government documents'

    Tom Bateman

    Political Correspondent, Millbank

    Downing Street has refused to be drawn on a minister's inadvertent revelations on grammar schools, saying only that the government will set out its policies in "due course".

    It comes after a document was photographed being carried into No 10 by deputy Lords leader Earl Howe appearing to suggest new grammar schools could be planned for England.

    Asked about the document, the prime minister's official spokeswoman said both Theresa May and Education Secretary Justine Greening had already set out their views on "building a country that works for everyone not just the privileged few".

    She said: "That's why we are looking at a range of options to make sure that children can access a school that lets them rise as far as their talents will take them."

    Asked repeatedly about whether one of the options would be a return to grammar schools, the spokeswoman said: "We will set out policies in due course."

    On the question of whether Earl Howe had been told to cover up confidential government documents in future, the spokeswoman said: "I'm not going to get into commenting on internal government documents."

  18. Minister: UK can't identify all EU citizens in UK

    Select Committee

    Parliament

    Chuka Umunna

    Labour's Chuka Umunna asks immigration minister Robert Goodwill whether the UK government would be in a position to identify all EU citizens currently in the UK if it was deemed necessary to remove them from the country post Brexit.

    The minister looks slightly puzzled before replying no - but then adds the caveat that he could not "foresee a circumstance" in which such a situation would occur given the vital contribution EU citizens in the UK make to the economy and public life.

    If that is the case, Mr Umunna retorts, shouldn't ministers give up the "pretence" that the status of EU nationals in the UK might not be able to be guaranteed.

    Mr Goodwill says he sees the route that Mr Umunna wants to take him down but says he won't go there - prompting the Labour MP to suggest that he already has, adding.

    Quote Message: You have just told us you can't (get rid of EU citizens)...What on earth is the point, minister, in holding out the hope that you could not guarantee them the right to stay here?"
  19. Only PM has ultimate authority to 'cut a deal' in Europe

    Select Committee

    Parliament

    Robert Goodwill

    The discussion in the Home Affairs Committee meeting now moves on to Brexit. Mr Goodwill is pressed on how the Home Office will work with other government departments in implementing the will of the British people that the UK should leave the EU.

    He says it will be a collaborative exercise but that when it comes to immigration, the Home Office rather than the Brexit department will have the final say and that it is the PM who has the ultimate authority to "cut a deal" when it comes to the negotiations.

    Moving on to the status of EU nationals already living in the UK, he says there is no threat to their current status or their ultimate right to remain unless other EU countries do not give reciprocal rights to British citizens living elsewhere in the EU.

    Asked by Labour's Chuka Umunna if there might be a cut-off or reference point for deciding who can automatically stay, Mr Goodwill says it has not been decided and says a number of dates have been mentioned including the date of the referendum, the moment Article 50 is triggered or the actual date of departure from the EU.