Boris Johnson news: PM abandons claim no-deal Brexit is ‘one-in-a-million’ risk, amid barrage of abuse on Facebook Q&A

Mark Sedwill has responded to Jeremy Corbyn's letter, which asked him whether Boris Johnson could suspend parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit.

"The purdah rules are set out in Chapter 2 of the Cabinet Manual," the cabinet secretary replied, according to Sky News' Aubrey Allegretti.

"Let me reassure you that I am ready to ensure their full and proper application according to the circumstances at the time."

He does not rule out the possibility of allowing a future suspension.

"It is the issue on which the success of Brexit now appears to hinge. Boris Johnson won’t do a deal that includes it; Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the EU won’t do a deal without it. It is of course the backstop," writes The Independent's columnist Ben Kelly.

"Often referred to as “the Irish backstop” or “the Northern Irelandbackstop”, it actually relates to the entirety of the UK.

"In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the whole country would remain aligned to EU regulations in order to prevent the need for customs checks on the Irish border, which is the desire of all involved.

"But it doesn’t have to be this way."

Read more here: 

Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has said she believe it is unlikely Jeremy Corbyn could win a general election and become prime minister.

Ms Dugdale, who quit the party in July to take up a new role at the John Smith Centre at Glasgow University, said it would be "very difficult" for Labour to make significant gains in Scotland and across marginal seats in England.

Speaking during an Edinburgh Festival Fringe event on Wednesday, the former Lothian region MSP said an election dominated by Brexit would also be difficult for the party.

Asked whether she thinks Jeremy Corbyn will win, Ms Dugdale said: "I think that people who are in the business of winning elections think more than normal people do about electoral maths and the actual practicalities of how you win.

"So on the basis of the electoral map, rather than any perceived political view I might have - because I'm in a non-partisan role now and I have to be very careful about how I talk about these issues - I think it looks very unlikely that Jeremy Corbyn could win a general election.

"My reason for that is that he either has to do tremendously well in Scotland or he needs to do tremendously well in Labour-Tory marginals in middle England and there's nothing I see from the policy platform at the minute which is designed to capture those particular voters."

She added: "So as much as I would love for that to happen, I want to see a Labour Government, I don't think I can hide that given what I've done in my life, but I think it's very difficult.

"And that's before you factor in what would happen in a General Election dominated by the question of Brexit because, whether we like or not, it will be dominated by that one question and you'll see a consolidation of people around both the Leave and Remain camps and they'll vote for whatever candidate is the strongest Leaver or Remainer in their constituency, wherever that might be in the United Kingdom."

Hilary Benn, Labour chairman of the Exiting the European Union Committee, has said he believes Boris Johnson is "in a hole" and "lashing out".

On the plan to block a no-deal Brexit, Mr Benn said the first step is prevent the UK leaving the EU on 31 October.

He told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: "That requires Parliament taking control of the order paper to legislate and we have shown previously, through the example of Yvette Cooper's Bill, that it was possible for Parliament to do that and the Government is very aware that's possible again."

Mr Benn said standing order 24, which can result in emergency debates in the Commons, could be utilised.

He explained: "If what is normally a neutral motion, as a result of that emergency debate being granted by the Speaker, were capable of amendment, then Parliament could use that to - in the system - book a date where Parliament could debate a business motion... which would then book another date where legislation to prevent a no-deal Brexit could be brought before the House of Commons."

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said the Government has issued an "invitation to tender" for £300 million of freight to make sure supplies can reach the UK after Brexit.

He said he will attend the Exit Operations Committee in the Cabinet Office to "plan the detail to make sure that when we do leave, which we will do on 31 October, it is as smooth as it possibly can be"

A Scottish official has urged the UK government not to withdraw from a number of EU committees and working groups.

In a letter to Brexit minister Stephen Barclay, Scotland's External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop said leaving the committees would "surrender any ability to influence EU business" despite the UK still currently being a member.

Ms Hyslop made clear the Scottish government would "object in the strongest possible terms" to the removal of the UK from such meetings and groups.

In her letter, Ms Hyslop wrote: "It is clear beyond any doubt that the UK Government should not take a decision on this possible step without proper involvement of the Scottish Government or other devolved administrations.

"Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the UK Government must involve the devolved governments as fully as possible in discussions about the formulation of the UK's policy position on all EU and international issues which touch on devolved matters.

"As the MoU establishes, we have a particular interest in those many aspects of European Union business which affect devolved policy."

Boris Johnson will appear before the House of Commons Liasion Committee next month. 

It will be Mr Johnson's first appearance before the select committee as prime minister.

Plans by the Home Office to put knife crime stories on fried chicken boxes have been labelled "embarrassing", "stupid" and "racist".

More than 321,000 chicken boxes that feature the Government's #knifefree campaign have been distributed to over 210 outlets in England and Wales.

However, the move has been criticised and branded an "embarrassment" and "ridiculous" as well as "borderline racist".

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbot tweeted: "Instead of investing in a public health approach to violent crime, the Home Office have opted for yet another crude, offensive and probably expensive campaign.

"They would do better to invest in our communities not demonise them."

TV and comedy writer James Felton said: "Honest to God, if the best idea you have to tackle knife crime is to write stuff on fried chicken you should quit power forever in embarrassment, not tweet it out proudly like you've just solved world hunger."

Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: "Is this some kind of joke?! Why have you chosen chicken shops? What's next, £KnifeFree watermelons?"

Peter Grigg, director of external affairs at The Children's Society, said: "More government investment is needed in education for young people about knife crime, healthy relationships, and exploitation, as well as in early intervention and prevention, and ministers must urgently address the £3bn shortfall facing council children's services departments by 2025.

"This investment should be used to help children overcome challenges in their lives which may leave them more susceptible to risks outside the home but also to fund the youth clubs and services which provide the kind of positive activities highlighted in this campaign but which have been devastated by Government funding cuts."

Diane Abbott has also criticised the Home Office's anti-knife crime scheme focused on fried chicken shops.

"Instead of investing in a public health approach to violent crime, the Home Office have opted for yet another crude, offensive and probably expensive campaign," the shadow home secretary said on Twitter.

"They would do better to invest in our communities not demonise them."

The backlash to the Home Office's chicken boxes continues.

"In a move so characteristic of Boris Johnson’s government that it could almost pass for satire, the Home Office has announced the distribution of “special #knifefree chicken boxes” in chicken shops all over England and Wales," writes Kuba Shand-Baptiste.

"Let’s just sit with that for a moment.

"The government has chosen to promote a campaign to stop knife crime by taking up the marketing real estate on takeaway chicken boxes.

"And so a complex issue around crime, policing and society that ought to demand a careful and deep policy response is instead tackled by courting former Tory party voters who like their politics with a side of xenophobia and racism. "

Read her blistering piece here: