Brexit news: Boris Johnson admits Tories 'staring down the barrel of political extinction', as Jeremy Hunt faces fox hunting backlash
The latest updates from Westminster, as they happened
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has warned the Tories are "staring down the barrel now of political extinction" over Brexit ahead of a hustings before voting in the leadership contest gets underway.
The frontrunner told Reuters that the party faced being wiped out unless the referendum result was delivered by 31 October, with or without a Brexit deal.
Elsewhere, his rival Jeremy Hunt made a humiliating u-turn over his calls to overturn the ban on fox hunting, which were branded "cruel" by Tory MPs.
To follow events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below
George Osborne has reportedly told his friend he would like to succeed Christine Lagarde as head of the International Monetary Fund.
Friends of Britain’s former chancellor and now editor of London’s Evening Standard said he was giving the newly vacant position “serious thought” last night, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The Financial Times said Mr Osborne had told friends he was perhaps best-placed to win backing from Europe, the US and China.
A detachment of Royal Marines was involved in a "bold" and "brave" operation to seize a supertanker suspected of carrying oil destined for Bashar Assad's Syrian regime.
The marines worked alongside the authorities in Gibraltar to detain the Grace 1, which was believed to be heading to the Banyas refinery in breach of European Union sanctions.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the swift action by the authorities on the Rock and the Royal Marines would deny valuable resources to Assad's "murderous regime".
The marines were brought in to use their specialist boarding skills to help ensure the Royal Gibraltar Police could gain access to the tanker at sea.
Royal Marines from 42 Commando were involved in the operation and no shots were fired.
The Ministry of Justice is conducting an investigation and audit of its Serco contracts, a minister has confirmed.
Justice minister Paul Maynard was questioned by shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon over the continued role of Serco in prisons contracts after the firm was fined £19.2 million and ordered to pay £3.7 million in investigation costs after it overcharged the Government for tagging contracts.
Mr Burgon called for a full audit of Serco's contracts with the MoJ and said the firm should not be awarded any contracts to run new prisons.
In response, Mr Maynard told MPs: "The ministry has already begun an investigation and audit into its contracts for prison escort and custody services that Serco currently hold."
Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe has attracted ridicule for comparing the UK's departure from the EU to slaves rising up against their owners (read it here).
After the speech, Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: "Anne Widdecombe just compared Britain leaving the EU to "slaves" rising up "against their owners".
"It is impossible to explain how offensive and ahistorical it is for you to equate my ancestors tearing off their chains with your small-minded nationalist project. Shame on you."
Fellow Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan tweeted: "It is disgusting that Ann Widdecombe would reference slavery and colonisation to describe our relationship with the EU. Her and Farage are bankrolled by elites - she's part of the establishment which has created such a divide in this country."
And Guy Verhofstadt responded: "Nigel Farage facing some stiff competition as chief clown of the Brexit Party in the Europarl-EN.
"By the way, when Widdecombe talks about "colonies liberating themselves from their empires", is she really referring to the American Revolution of 1776?"
The government has moved to once again push back the deadline for a Northern Ireland Assembly election amid continued deadlock in talks to re-establish devolution.
Momentum has drained from the latest talks process, established in the wake of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee by dissident republicans in April, and a breakthrough is thought unlikely during the summer marching season.
Jeremy Hunt appears to be having a nice day on the campaign trail...
Picture by Stefan Rousseau/PA.
The break-up of the United Kingdom would be "deeply regrettable" but a price worth paying to deliver Brexit, Nigel Farage has said.
The Brexit Party leader said he did not believe claims that Scotland could leave the union and said his priority was the UK becoming an "independent self-governing nation" outside the EU.
Several senior Conservatives, including Jeremy Hunt, have warned that leaving the EU without a deal would pose a major threat to the union, with Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, already ploughing ahead with plans for a second referendum on Scottish independence.
On a campaign walkabout in Guildford, Jeremy Hunt insisted his campaign had not been knocked off course by the row over his foxhunting comments.
He told PA: "I have been talking about lots of other things as well, including my plans to turbocharge our economy and to walk tall in the world with our defence spending.
"Actually most of the day I have been in schools talking about my plans to abolish illiteracy.
"Those are the things I want to change, but I am also someone who gives a straight answer to a straight question, and how I have voted in the past is a matter of public record and I will always be straight with people.
"But what I want to change is to unlock the amazing potential of our great country."
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