Boris Johnson news – live: No 10 fails to deny PM discussed two top jobs for Carrie

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Nicola Sturgeon is set to lay out her government’s plan for holding another referendum on Scottish independence.

Ms Sturgeon launched the latest campaign for another vote to leave the UK last week, publishing a “scene-setting” paper - the first in a series that will make up a new prospectus for an independent Scotland.

Despite expected policy announcements in the coming months for a post-referendum Scotland, the path to the vote looks less clear.

The UK Government has repeatedly rejected a section 30 order - a clause in the Scotland Act that would allow for a legal referendum to be held - with little indication of any change in mindset from Westminster.

The SNP made clear last year it would seek to pass legislation for another referendum and would fight any legal challenge from the UK Government to strike it down.

During her speech from Bute House last week, the First Minister said she would deliver a “significant update” to Parliament before summer recess, and it is understood an announcement is due next Tuesday afternoon, provided it is agreed to by the cross-party group which sets the parliamentary timetable.

In her speech, the First Minister acknowledged there were legal “challenges” stemming from her plans to hold a referendum in October next year.

“What would be unfair to independence supporters, in fact unfair to the country, would be for me to stand here and pretend that there’s not challenges to navigate through,” she said.

She added that her party had been given a “mandate”, along with the Scottish Greens, for another vote.

The announcement drew the ire of Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron, who said Scots were “sick and tired of the SNP’s obsession with independence”.

Tory party elections which could decide whether Boris Johnson faces another no-confidence vote this year will be staged next month, The Independent has learned.

The new 18-strong executive of the powerful 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers will be chosen on 13 July – sparking a battle between supporters and opponents of the prime minister.

It will decide whether to change the rules currently preventing a fresh no-confidence vote for 12 months, which No 10 is hoping will avert another challenge until next year.

Rob Merrick reports.

A majority of voters think this week’s rail strikes are justified and two-thirds (66 per cent) think the government has not done enough to prevent them happening, according to a new poll.

The survey, by Savanta, found that 58 per cent of those questioned thought the strikes were justified, against just one-third (34 per cent) who say they are not.

Andrew Woodcock reports.

The head of the RMT union accused a Tory MP for “talking nonsense” about the rail network amid the train strikes happening this week.

Mick Lynch, secretary-general of National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) clashed with Stoke-on-Trent MP Jonathan Gullis on BBC Politics Live after the latter accused the rail network of being afraid of adopting modern technology.

It comes as half of Britain’s rail lines were closed on Tuesday as members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and Unite stage action over pay, jobs and conditions.

Mr Gullis suggested the payrise the trade union is asking for “will add more cost to the rail network, making it more unaffordable for working class people.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports.

Rishi Sunak is facing growing pressure to act amid warnings spiralling inflation means an extra 35,000 of Britain’s poorest families will lose out on a massive boost to their income.

Already 120,000 households are missing out on an average of £2,600 a year because of the benefit cap, new official figures show.

Analysis by the leading charity Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows that figure could rise to more than 150,000 unless the limit on how much help they can receive from the state is increased for the first time in six years.

Kate Devlin reports.

The Labour leader is planning to explain that he is not ‘backsliding on Brexit’, writes John Rentoul.

More than 115,000 Royal Mail workers are to be balloted for industrial action in a row over pay.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will vote in the coming weeks on whether to mount a campaign of industrial action. Ballot papers will go out on June 28 and the result will be known next month.

CWU deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger said in a video posted on Twitter: “Today we will be serving a notice on Royal Mail Group over a pay claim - our claim for an inflation-based, no-strings pay award.

“The company has imposed a 2% pay award, miles away from where inflation is, totally inadequate.”