Senior Tory reveals plot to oust Boris Johnson on first day as PM in extraordinary revelation

Labour MP Tulip Sidiq, whose British-Iranian constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been detained in Tehran since 2016, has asked for reassurance that the escalation of tensions between the UK and Iran will not damage her chances of release.

The MP for for Hampstead and Kilburn said Iran had "previously used my constituent as a bargaining chip" and pointed out that the country's supreme leader had last week "promised retribution" for the dispute over Iranian-flagged tanker Grace 1, which was seized by Royal Marines in Gibraltar.

She asked Jeremy Hunt: "Will the foreign secretary reassure me that he's taking proper steps to ensure that this situation does not mean that my constituent's chance of freedom is further ended and that she will be returning to West Hampstead with her family?"

Mr Hunt said every time he speaks to his Iranian counterpart he raises the case of Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

He added: "We will never forget the fate of even one British national being treated the way that Nazanin is."

Former Lib Dem leader Sir Nick Clegg has commented on Jo Swinson being named the party's new leader.

He said:

In the up and down history of the Lib Dems, there can be few times when opportunities abound as much as they do today.

And Jo Swinson has all the gifts and skills to take full advantage of them.

The Brexit crisis has revealed a profound split between openness and insularity in Britain - and Jo has expressed the hopes of millions in speaking up for an open, tolerant Britain.

Her voice will only grow in importance in the years ahead.

Almost a million public-sector workers, including teachers, hospital doctors and the military, will receive above-inflation pay rises for a second year running, Philip Hammond has confirmed.

The chancellor said the awards - following the recommendations of independent pay review bodies - were in recognition of the need to recruit and retain the best staff.

The increases, which will be backdated to the start of the financial year, are 2.75 per cent for teachers, 2.5 per cent for consultants and dentists, 2.5 per cent for police officers, 2.9 per cent for armed forces personnel, at least 2.2 per cent for prison officers, and 2 per cent for senior civil servants and senior military staff.

The Treasury said they would mean a £1,000 increase for the average classroom teacher while hospital doctors will get an average of £1,500.

The pace of change to overhaul building safety regulations following the Grenfell Tower fire has not been sufficient, MPs have been told.

The Government launched a consultation last month on proposals to reform building safety requirements post-Grenfell following the recommendations of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety last year.

But Dame Judith Hackitt, the review's chairwoman, told the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee it was unfortunate it had taken "so long to get this far".

When asked whether the pace of change had been sufficient, she said "not at all".

A reminder that earlier today Sir Alan Duncan used his resignation letter to take a veiled swipe at Boris Johnson over his handling of the case involving the imprisonment of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in Iran. 

Jeremy Corbyn has outlined proposals to accelerate the expulsion of antisemites from Labour's ranks, as he vowed to "confront this poison" at an emergency meeting of the shadow cabinet.

Following weeks of damaging internal rows over the party's handling of antisemitism allegations, the Labour leader told his top team he would propose a "new way of dealing with the most extreme cases". 

His remarks came ahead of a meeting of Labour's governing body - the National Executive Committee - on Tuesday to discuss options geared at improving disciplinary procedures already in place.