Boris Johnson news – live: EU reveals no Brexit talks arranged despite no-deal threat as PM ‘absolutely’ rules out calling election before 31 October
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Your support makes all the difference.The EU has revealed that no Brexit talks are currently scheduled with Boris Johnson‘s government, despite Britain being on course to leave the bloc without a deal in less than three months.
A spokesperson for the European Commission said they had “no further announcements” to make about future negotiations.
Later on Friday evening, Mr Johnson received a call from Donald Trump, the US president, in which the pair agreed to begin free trade talks as soon as the UK leaves the EU, Downing Street said.
A spokesperson said the two world leaders discussed the “unparalleled” trade opportunities offered by Brexit.
It came after Mr Johnson suffered a blow to his efforts to woo hardline Brexiteers when a senior Eurosceptic MP snubbed his offer of a government job.
However, he may have more success in other areas of recruitment, as insiders said he had requested a dog to join him in No10.
The new prime minister is understood to raised the idea with staff when he addressed them on his arrival and received an enthusiastic response.
Follow how the day in Westminster unfolded
Tobias Ellwood, the defence minister and a vocal opponent of a no-deal Brexit, has said he will not be continuing as a minister under Boris Johnson. It is unclear whether he resigned or was sacked.
Full story: Tobias Ellwood leaves government role as defence minister
Andrea Leadsom, the new business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) secretary, has been urged to "ramp up" efforts to tackle global warming.
Labour MP Rachel Reeves wrote to Ms Leadsom calling on her to do more to promote electric vehicles and greater energy efficiency.
She said the new business secretary "will need to hit the ground running" and "act quickly to ramp up efforts on the policies and actions crucial to tackling climate change and capitalising on the opportunities of a low-carbon economy".
She wrote:
"The secretary of state should also seek to overcome Treasury resistance and ensure that her colleague at No 11 examines the potential benefits as well as the costs of the transition to net zero.
"The government should also overcome its ideological opposition to on-shore wind - the cheapest form of electricity generation in the UK - and set out plans to fulfil this technology's huge potential."
Boris Johnson spoke to Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, this afternoon.
The prime minister's official spokesman said:
"The PM today received a call of congratulations from German chancellor Angela Merkel. They agreed to continue to strengthen our bilateral relationship, and to work together closely on foreign policy and security issues.
On Brexit, the PM said that he would be energetic in reaching out as much as possible to try to achieve a deal, but he reiterated the message he delivered in the House of Commons yesterday: parliament has rejected the Withdrawal Agreement three times and so the UK must fully prepare for the alternative – which is to leave without a deal on October 31.
He said the only solution that would allow us to make progress on a deal is to abolish the backstop. The PM and chancellor agreed to stay in contact."
Speaking after a visit to Belfast and Derry, new Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith
said he had held "good discussions" with all of the political parties and had planned further meetings early next week "to ensure we move forward at pace" with attempts to restore power-sharing at the Northern Ireland assembly.
He said:
"I have had a wonderful afternoon here in Derry/Londonderry talking about the city deal, talking about all of the challenges for this wonderful city as we get to the 31st October.
"I have had the warmest of welcomes and I am so grateful, not only to be doing this job, the privilege of doing this job, but also for the warmth of welcome that people have given me in the various meetings I have had today."
Boris Johnson has been accused of "cynical rebranding" after appointing himself as "minister for the union"
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the new leader of the House of Commons, has issued a "style guide" to his staff, according to ITV News. The instructions include orders to refer to "non-titled males" as "esquire", use "imperial measurements" and avoid words including "very", "got" and "disappointment".
Mr Johnson was greeted by pro-People's Vote protesters on his first official visit since taking office.
The new prime minister was touring a police training college in the West Midlands on Friday.
Mr Johnson visited West Midlands Police's Tally Ho facility in Birmingham with Priti Patel, the home secretary, where they met Chief Constable David Thompson.
As Mr Johnson's convoy arrived at site's entrance, banner-waving protesters greeted him with chants of: "What do we want? - People's Vote, when do we want it? - now", and "Boris is a liar".
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of the House of Commons, has issued a set of rules for staff in his office to follow, including a list of banned words, a requirement to use imperial measurements and two spaces after a full stop.
According to the style guide obtained by ITV News, Mr Rees-Mogg insists all non-titled males are given the suffix Esq and words including "ongoing" and "hopefully" are banned.
In a call for accuracy he tells staff: "CHECK your work."
Other directions include a call for a double space after full stops and no comma after the word "and".
He also set out a series of banned words and phrases that should not be used by his staff.
They include: very, due to, unacceptable, equal, yourself, lot, got, speculate, meet with, ascertain and disappointment.
Staff should avoid "too many 'Is"' in their writing, Mr Rees-Mogg will not be "pleased to learn" anything, he will not "note/understand your concerns" nor will he "invest (in schools etc)", and the phrase "no longer fit for purpose" has been deemed no longer fit for purpose.
In the latest batch of ministerial appointments, Lord Duncan of Springbank has been made a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and at the Northern Ireland Office.
Lord Agnew of Oulton remains as a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Education.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble remains as a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Baroness Sugg remains as a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for International Development.
And Baroness Vere of Norbiton remains as a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Transport.
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