Boris Johnson news: Ireland government says it ‘cannot possibly’ accept PM's Brexit plan, as he faces fresh Jennifer Arcuri claims

Parents’ right to remove children from relationships and sexuality education (RSE) classes in Welsh schools could be scrapped under government plans, writes Eleanor Busby.

Families could also be stopped from taking pupils out of religious education (RE) lessons by the Welsh government.

It comes as protests against LGBT+ lessons continue to take place outside schools in Birmingham.

The Irish government would accept unification as way to avoid a hard border, but its preferred solution is the backstop, Leo Varadkar has said.

the Taoiseach said the UK reversing its decision to leave the EU, or deciding to stay in the single market and customs union, were other potential ways to resolve the border issue.

He said a fifth theoretical solution, Ireland re-joining the UK, would never happen.

The Conservative Party has said it will investigate the death of a young activist who posted bullying allegations on social media before she died, writes Chris Baynes.

Jade Smith, 21, from Redcar in North Yorkshire, wrote tweets urging the party to change “for young people’s sake” before she was found dead in circumstances Cleveland Police have said were not suspicious.

"I am very glad that Prime Minister Boris Johnson presented this proposal. I think it's a good start for negotiations," the Swedish prime minister has said.

Speaking alongside Leo Varadkar in Stockholm where the pair have held talks, Stefan Lofven said his country stood with Ireland on Brexit.

"Sweden stands in solidarity with Ireland, we all remember the violence during the Troubles very clearly and the Good Friday Agreement must not be put at risk," he said.

"It's not up to Ireland to make concessions and say 'it's now your responsibility'. That's not the case, it's up to two parties - the United Kingdom and European Union - to try to find a solution."

Northern Ireland’s strict abortion law which bans the procedure even in cases of rape or incest infringes Britain’s human rights obligations, the High Court in Belfast has ruled, writes Maya Oppenheim.

The case was brought by Sarah Ewart, who was forced to travel to England for an abortion after being told there was no way her unborn child would survive.

Justice Siobhan Keegan said Ms Ewart, who was denied an abortion back in 2013, was a victim.

Jess Phillips echoes what her colleague Rosie Duffield said at the end of her extraordinary contribution to the domestic abuse bill debate yesterday - ask for help and it will be given.

If you missed Ms Duffield's moving speech, you can watch it below.

A former adviser to Boris Johnson has claimed that the prime minister asked for his friend Jennifer Arcuri to be included in a trade trip to Israel while he was mayor of London, it has been reported, writes Andrew Woodcock.

The ex-City Hall worker told Sky News that organisers of the visit were “shocked” to see the US businesswoman join them on the visit to Tel Aviv.

Speaking under condition of anonymity, the official said they understood that the mayor had personally asked for her to be involved, even though the visit was focused on a different sector of industry.

Tory peer Lord Caine, a former government adviser on Northern Ireland, warned that Mr Johnson's latest plan could lead to economic and political instability in the country.

In a statement in the Lords, he said: "It is absolutely crucial that we get this right because the way this is taken forward will have a profound impact on the result, whether it's a majority vote in the assembly or whether it's taken forward by a cross-community vote.

"Could I, in addition, share some of the concerns that have been expressed about a vote taking place every four years on this issue.

"My experience in Northern Ireland - which goes back 30 years - is that this issue will be used as a proxy every four years for a border poll.

"And that would have, I think, possibly profound consequences for economic and political stability in Northern Ireland."

Theresa May (remember her?) provoked outrage in 2017 (remember then? It was some time in the late Cretaceous) when she told a nurse who hadn't had a pay rise for years that there was "no magic money tree" she could shake to "suddenly provide for everything that people want".

Will Humza Yousaf, the Scottish justice secretary, now suffer the same level of opprobrium?

He has promised to listen to Police Scotland's pleas for more money to keep cars and buildings in working order, but in doing so warned chiefs that the fabled foliage of fortune is as rare north of the border as it is in London.

Mr Yousaf told Holyrood's justice sub-committee on Thursday that it was impossible for ministers in Edinburgh to make a "firm commitment" before the Westminster spending review, at which point "we see the colour of the money from the UK government".

He told MSPs: "I'm well aware that a lack of capital investment will mean that bills for repair and maintenance would start to increase and that in turn would be an additional drain on budgets.

"I've been a minister for the best part of seven odd years and in every ministerial role I've had, organisations have come to me with what their priorities would be.

"Of course if we had a magic money tree we would be able to spend and give every single organisation all the money they required, that they asked for. That is not always possible."

(Hat-tip to m'colleague Samuel Osborne on "fabled foliage of fortune".)

The government has asked a police watchdog to review Scotland Yard’s reaction to false claims about a “VIP paedophile ring”, writes Lizzie Dearden.

Police launched a 16-month investigation that ended in 2016 without a single arrest following allegations by Carl Beech, who is now serving an 18-year jail sentence.

He fabricated claims of historical rape, torture and murder by prominent figures in the military, security services and politics, triggering the Operation Midland probe.