Boris Johnson news: UK to pull officials from EU meetings as Merkel rules out PM’s backstop demands

Boris Johnson has ordered UK officials not to take part in EU meetings after 1 September, unless there is a clear reason to do so.

The government said the move would free up ministers and diplomats to focus on delivering Brexit.

Full story from Lizzy Buchan:

Here are the full quotes from Angela Merkel, who has been speaking at a press conference in Iceland.

The German chancellor echoes other EU leaders in insisting that the current Brexit deal cannot be amended - a further slapdown of Boris Johnson's demand that the Northern Ireland backstop element must be removed.

She says the EU will look at "practical solutions" to avoid the need for the backstop coming into effect, but that this must be part of discussions on the future UK-EU relationship, not a renegotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement. 

She says:

"The moment we have a practical arrangement on how to preserve the Good Friday Agreement and at the same time define the borders of the [EU] internal market, we would not need the backstop anymore.

"This means we would naturally think about practical solutions. And I've always said that when one has the will to find these solutions, one can do so in a short period of time. The EU is ready to find a solution."

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson claims Boris Johnson has no intention of trying to secure a Brexit deal and is making demands he knows the EU won't agree to...

Brexit secretary Steve Barclay says UK officials attending EU meetings is "not the best use of their time"...

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is "obsessed" with keeping the SNP in power and not ending up in an "existential crisis" like Scottish Labour.

The first minister added seeing Labour go from being "impregnable" in Scotland to their current position as the third-largest party in the parliament had profoundly influenced her leadership.

Speaking to political comedian Matt Forde at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the SNP leader said: "I've seen Labour go from way up there - a seemingly impregnable position - to where they are right now, in single figures at elections and in an existential crisis.

"It's kind of hard-wired into me, it's in my DNA to avoid making the mistakes that I saw them make at every turn."

"I'm obsessed ... constantly assessing and reassessing what we are doing".

Boris Johnson has insisted that "under no circumstances will the UK be putting in any kind of checks at the border in Northern Ireland".

In an interview with Sky News, the prime minister said: "We simply don't think that that is necessary. And it's a bit of a paradox because it is the other side, a bit odd, the other side of the argument, the EU, who seem to think it might be necessary to have checks for them to preserve the integrity of the single market, the EU single market.

"We don't think that's true."

Boris Johnson has said he believes he will secure a Brexit deal, but suggested European leaders were holding out in the hope British parliament would block the UK's exit from the EU.

Speaking to Sky News before he begins a tour of Europe, he said: "We think there is a big opportunity now for everybody to come together, take out that backstop."

"I think actually we will get there.

"There is a real sense now that something needs to be done with this backstop. We can't get it through parliament as it is."

The prime minister said he will go into his first talks with EU leaders "with a lot of oomph". He is due to meet German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin tomorrow before meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday.

Mr Johnson said: "I hope we will be making some progress in the course of the next few weeks.

"But clearly, one thing that slightly complicates the picture is our EU friends still clearly think there is a possibility that parliament will block Brexit, and as long as they think that there is a possibility that parliament will block Brexit, they are unlikely to be minded to make the concessions that we need.

"So it is going to take a bit of patience."

Boris Johnson spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi spoke by phone this evening and told him tensions in Kashmir were for India and Pakistan to resolve, Downing Street has said.

Number 10 has just released this statement:

Prime Minister Modi began by congratulating the Prime Minister on his appointment.

The two leaders agreed on the importance of the UK-India partnership and the need to build on it further, particularly through trade and economic ties and through the living bridge that links our countries. Prime Minister Modi said there are immense possibilities for the UK and India which would increase prosperity in both countries.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi discussed the current situation in Kashmir. The Prime Minister made clear that the UK views the issue of Kashmir is one for India and Pakistan to resolve bilaterally. He underlined the importance of resolving issues through dialogue.

Ahead of the G7, the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi agreed on the importance of working together to tackle climate change and other threats to biodiversity. They looked forward to meeting at the summit this weekend to discuss this and other issues.

That's it from us for today. Thanks for reading.