Boris Johnson news: Johnson repeatedly refuses to rule out suspending parliament to achieve no-deal Brexit

Gordon Brown has warned that Scotland could face decades of “constitutional conflict and division” if new ways are not found for them to “live side by side”.

Brown claimed a modern UK constitution would help to balance the national autonomy which he says Scots want.

In a speech at the Edinburgh Book Festival on Monday, Brown is expected to say: “Unless we find new ways for Scotland and England to live side by side, our country, with or without independence, faces decades of the 21st century riven by constitutional conflict and division without ever creating what Scots really want - a nation rich in opportunity and free from poverty.

“Scotland is today trapped between two extremes - Boris Johnson’s anti-European conservatism, with Tory austerity now in its 10th year, and the hardline separatism now advocated by Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP that is a recipe for hyper-austerity.”

“If we are serious about addressing Scotland’s very real social and economic problems, the debate within our country must move beyond this Conservative-Nationalist Punch and Judy show - with every future election simply a re-run of the bitterly divisive 2014 referendum and without ever making a difference to real lives.

“The starting point of a modern union is that promoting co-operation between Scotland and England within the UK will achieve far more than a seemingly endless confrontation between Scotland and England.

“The vast majority of us are proud Scottish patriots who love our country and its institutions and most of whom would not describe ourselves as nationalists who see life only in terms of a never-ending struggle between an ‘us’ and a ‘them’.”

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said his meeting with Boris Johnson had left him convinced that the British leader could deliver Brexit, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a G7 summit.

When asked if he believed Johnson could deliver Brexit he said: “I tell you, sat in that room with him this morning you would be absolutely convinced of it.”

He also said that he hoped a trade deal with Britain could be done in less than a year, but cautioned that any agreement must be right for both sides, and said he did not want to create an arbitrary deadline.

Boris Johnson has described Japan’s decision to resume commercial whaling as “disappointing” at the G7 meeting.

After earlier indicating he would like to make an official visit to Japan when he met the country’s prime minister Shinzo Abe, Mr Johnson also raised the subject of whaling.

According to The Telegraph, Mr Johnson told Mr Abe he was very disappointed with the decision to continue the practice, which has been condemned by numerous conservation organisations.

Mr Johnson’s partner Carrie Symonds has also campaigned against whaling in her role as a senior adviser at environmental group Oceana.

A Brexit mural by the street artist Banksy appears to have been painted over. 

The side of a building that had borne a famous painting of a worker chipping away one of the golden stars from the European Union's flag — symbolizing Britain's impending exit from the bloc — was covered in white paint on Monday.

Scaffolding had been erected over the weekend at the building in the southern British port city of Dover. 

It was unclear what exactly had happened to the mural. The Godden Gaming Organization, which owns the building, previously said it was exploring options to remove, maintain or sell the artwork. 

Emails to a Banksy representative and to Dover's local council seeking clarification about the fate of the artwork went unanswered on Monday, PA said.

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has suggested a trade deal with the UK could be done within a year.

Mr Morrison was speaking after a meeting with Boris Johnson at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France.

The Australian PM took the opportunity to congratulate the prime minister on England’s dramatic cricket victory over his country in the Ashes on Sunday.

His comments come after Mr Johnson said that US president Donald Trump was hopeful of a trade deal with the UK within a year, and suggest he believes Canberra may beat Washington to sign an accord.

"You've just got to get round the table and work it through," said Mr Morrison. "I'm not going to create any arbitrary deadlines on this."

He suggested a move to "lock in what we can lock in and get that moving, and I think that will create momentum for the UK for arrangements with Australia and others to be concluded quickly".

"But, at the end of the day, it's got to be in our interests,” he said. “We are not going to sign up to something we don't think helps us and neither will they."

Pushed on whether it could be done in a year, he said: "I would hope so."

Downing Street spokesman said the pair "discussed their enthusiasm for an enhanced and deep trading relationship once the UK leaves the EU".

"The Prime Minister set out the increase in the UK's diplomatic presence in the Pacific, which Prime Minister Morrison welcomed,” said the spokesman.

"The two leaders were concerned about the current situation in Hong Kong and agreed that it was paramount for all sides to remain calm and peaceful, and to maintain Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy as guaranteed by the legally-binding Joint Declaration."

Donald Trump has been talking about Boris Johnson and Theresa May during a press conference at the G7 summit in Biarritz.

Speaking about the UK leaving the European Union, the president said: “Theresa May was unable to do a deal. She chose to do it her way and it didn’t work out so well.”

“Boris Johnson will be a great prime minister. We like each other… I’ve been waiting for him to be prime minister for about six years, I asked him ‘what took so long?’.”

He said: “He’s very smart and he’s very strong… He loves your country.”

He added: “Boris has to try and do something with Brexit. It’s very tough. The EU is a very strong group of people… they’re not easy to deal with, I can tell you.”

More from Donald Trump on the UK and Boris Johnson: “I love the UK. I own great property in the UK. I love the UK. I have no idea how my property is doing because I don't care. But I own Turnberry and I own in Aberdeen and I own in Ireland, as you know – Doonbeg. Great stuff.”

He added: “I’ll be honest with you, he [Boris Johnson], is just going to do a great job. You know it takes a lot. It’s so many different elements to being a great prime minister, and you needed him. I just think his time is right. This is the right time for Boris.”

Boris Johnson has opened his speech at the G7 summit with impassioned statements about protecting environments around the world.

In what could be regarded as a rebuke to Donald Trump, who boasted of the levels of oil and gas being produced in the US, Mr Johnson said: “We can’t just sit back as animal and plants are wiped off the face of the planet.”

He said he had announced the UK was contributing £10m to protect rainforests.

He also highlighted the problems of plastics polluting oceans.

“If we don’t act now, our children and our grandchildren won’t know a world with the great barrier reef… and black rhinos.”

Speaking about Brexit, Mr Johnson said: “Our friends on the other side of the channel want to get this thing done. They talk about Brexit as an encumbrance.”

“It’s time that we in the UK began to think about all the ways we can see a post-Brexit Britain. Doing things bigger and doing things better.”

He added: “We need a new way of thinking about it.”

He also reiterated the 31st October Brexit date.

Asked about England’s victory on Sunday at the Third Ashes test, Mr Johnson said: “It was one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever witnessed.”

Questioned whether he thought Ben Stokes should be knighted, Mr Johnson said:  “I’ve already said Ben Stokes should get a dukedom, but it’s not a matter for me.”