Boris Johnson news – live: PM's minister 'cosying up' to far-right Brazilian government official as Amazon burns
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Your support makes all the difference.A close ally of Boris Johnson has been accused of “cosying up” to the Brazilian government and failing to publicly speak out about the damage being wreaked upon the Amazon rainforest by wildfires.
It comes as No 10 claimed the PM’s meetings with Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel showed they were “willing to engage” on the idea of a new Brexit deal.
Philip Hammond, meanwhile, is reportedly preparing told hold talks with EU leaders in a bid to make sure any legislation forcing the government to seek an extension to Article 50 is supported by Brussels.
See below for live updates
More from Labour on the Bolsonaro government and the Amazon rainforest.
Northern Powerhouse minister (yes, there is one) Jake Berry has claimed there is a “chink of light" in negotiations with the EU.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme, Berry said: “The government has refocused absolutely on no-deal planning, but it is really important that your listeners realise that that is not our preferred route.
“Of course, our new prime minister Boris Johnson was in Germany and Paris this week, and I thought we started to see a crack or a chink of light with Europe softening its stance.”
Oxfam activists have staged a rather nice photo op protesting against inaction on climate change in Biarritz on the eve of the big summit.
The firefighter costumes and big head masks depict G7 leaders Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau, Shinzo Abe and Angela Merkel.
The sign says “crisis of inequalities”.
Oxfam activists in Biarritz (AFP)
The UK’s waste management trade body has warned that rubbish from the heavily-populated south east could be trucked up to the north of England in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Mary Creagh, Labour MP for Wakefield in West Yorkshire, is angry. “What we ask from the south is more power and equivalent investment... yet what we get in no-deal Britain is literally, rubbish.”
Here’s Colin Drury with all the details.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more on Labour’s response to the Amazon fires – and the government’s efforts to woo Brazil’s trade ministry.
Trade minister Conor Burns has responded to the criticism over his trip to Brazil.
Boris Johnson warned that getting a Brexit deal would “not be easy” and people should not “hold their breath” awaiting a breakthrough.
Speaking to reporters in Devon he said the “mood music” on his visits to Germany and France was “very good”.
“They could see that we want a deal, they can see the problems with the backstop. Clearly Angela Merkel thinks that the solutions can be found within 30 days - actually what she meant was if you can do it in two years you can certainly do it in 30 days.
“But I want to caution everybody, OK? Because this is not going to be a cinch, this is not going to be easy. We will have to work very hard to get this thing done.”
Green MP Caroline Lucas has accepted Jeremy Corbyn's invitation next week to discuss all tactics for avoiding a no-deal Brexit.
Jeremy Corbyn has done the right thing by reaching out to colleagues and I welcome the fact that all the opposition parties in the House of Commons have accepted his invitation for discussions,” she said.
“I would urge all MPs who have been approached and who recognise the danger this country faces to join these talks with an open mind. We all need to put our country’s future first.
“That means either pursuing legislative measures or a vote of no confidence in a Boris Johnson government which is showing every intention of driving this country off the edge of a cliff, and replacing it with a caretaker government which is committed to giving the people the right to decide on the Brexit deal.
“I am prepared to support Jeremy Corbyn as leader of this caretaker government, as should any MP who wants to stop a no-deal Brexit. But if he cannot gain the support of a sufficient number of colleagues across parliament, I hope he will be prepared to back another MP from his party, or another, who can. I will ask him again to make his position clear in our discussions next week.”
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