Boris Johnson news - live: PM doubles down on no-deal threat hours after government claims he would seek Brexit delay

Labour MP Helen Jones has claimed there is a “culture of contempt for women” in the party at all levels which must be addressed by the leadership.

In a scathing piece for Politics Home, Jones claimed female MPs were among those who faced bullying and harassment in the party.

Referring to the reselection ballots faced by Diana Johnson and Margaret Hodge, she said: “It’s no surprise to anyone that the first two Labour MPs to face trigger ballots are women nor is anyone really shocked that this has happened to women who are highly regarded in Westminster.”

Robert Craig, president of the Penrith and The Border Conservative Association, has suggested the reason for Rory Stewart’s resignation – and his next move – would become clear later today.

He also suggested Stewart may not have resigned if he had not had the whip removed by Boris Johnson.

“It’s a great shame and it is not unexpected given he is still out in the wilderness with the whip removed,” Craig told the Press Association. “I suppose had that changed... it seems to have become clear that that wasn't going to change and he has other ambitions."

Asked if Stewart would not have taken the decision if the PM had not withdrawn the whip, Craig replied: “Possibly.”

Craig said the resignation reason will become clear later in the day and that Stewart told him of the decision about two weeks ago. But he said he did not try and convince Stewart to stay in the post and instead “congratulated” him on his next venture, which he declined to reveal at this stage.

Craig praised Stewart and criticised Johnson for taking the party in an “extreme” direction. “The direction of the party... I really struggle now to align myself with the leadership and where we are heading, the extremity of where we are at. It’s not broad it's not moderate, it’s extreme.”

A lot of argument on social media this morning about whether Michael Gove was heckled at an event at the German embassy last night.

King’s College London professor Peter R. Neumann has claimed people shouted “nonsense” after he compared Brexit to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Gove’s adviser has told The Telegraph’s Peter Foster he wasn’t heckled, but others claim he was. So there you go.

Rory Stewart, writing in a piece for The Cumberland and Westmorland Herald, said he hoped to “start work in another part of the country”.

He’s expected to do some interviews this afternoon, so we might find out what his next move is.

All the details of his resignation from the Tory party here:

And there you have it: Rory Stewart standing to be Mayor of London.

We’re expecting the Court of Session hearing – aimed at making sure Boris Johnson abides by the Benn Act and asks the EU for a Brexit extension when requested – to begin around 11am this morning.

Barrister Jolyon Maugham, who has brought the case along with Joanna Cherry QC, has produced this handy guide to the case.

Rory Stewart has now done one of his videos, explaining why he’s taking on Sadiq Khan next year in the London mayoral race. He thinks the capital is “in danger” – from Brexit, among other things.

Reform of a contentious Stormont voting mechanism could be “helpful” in addressing concerns about handing the DUP a veto over post-Brexit arrangements, the Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith has suggested.

The Irish government is among those who have expressed fears that the” petition of concern” voting mechanism could essentially hand one Northern Ireland party, potentially the DUP, the ability to block the plan, even if a majority of politicians at Stormont support it.

Boris Johnson wants to give the currently defunct Northern Ireland Assembly a vote both on whether to opt into the all-island regulatory system in 2021 and whether to remain in it after an initial four-year period.

The petition of concern essentially allows a bloc of Assembly Members from either the nationalist or the unionist community a veto on certain decisions, even if they represent a minority in the chamber.

Ahead of talks with some of the parties on Friday at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down, Smith was asked whether reforming the petition of concern could help address concerns about the Brexit deal.

“That could be helpful,” he said. “I’ve always said that I thought consent could be an important part of unlocking this Brexit conundrum.”

He added: “I am not going to go into the detail of the negotiation with the EU but the Good Friday Agreement is very clear on consent - it means one party not dominating.

“But I think there are many ways of actually achieving it, and I think we have to really ensure that the parties keep talking and we get them back in the room, that we get them back into Stormont.

“And how that resolves itself in terms of Brexit, I think, will be a matter for the coming weeks for the negotiation team.”

Proceedings are under way in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, as the government is challenged to abide by the Benn Act.

Joanna Cherry, speaking to Good Morning Scotland earlier Friday, said: “We’re not bringing this case because we think there’s any loophole in the Benn Act.

“We’re bringing this case because we’re dealing with a British prime minister who brags about not obeying the law and has form for doing things that are unlawful.

“Boris Johnson is not above the law, whether in Scotland or south of the border, thanks to the decision of the UK Supreme Court.”

Cherry’s team are exploring the option of obtaining a nobile officium – widely known as a “nob-off” – which would allow the court’s clerk to draft and sign the Benn Act letter on behalf of the prime minister.

EU supporters outside Court of Session in Edinburgh (PA)