Brexit news: Remain forges eight-point lead over Leave in new poll as Labour faces backlash over election leaflets
Updates from Westminster as it happened
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Your support makes all the difference.Jeremy Corbyn faced fury within Labour after campaign leaflets for the European elections suggested the party wanted to press ahead with Brexit, as a new opinion poll shows Remain has an eight-point lead over Leave.
A flyer drafted by the leader's office makes no mention of the party's policy for a second referendum on the UK's departure from the EU.
Labour MPs are reportedly writing to the ruling National Executive Committee to demand support for a fresh public vote be outlined in the party's European election manifesto, with some said to be prepared to quit over the issue.
Hilary Benn tweeted: "Labour has twice supported a confirmatory referendum in votes in the House of Commons. It’s our policy. Why isn’t it mentioned in this leaflet?"
Following reports that the Labour leadership had "forgot" the put the pledge in its draft leaflet, the party insisted that the manifesto would only be finalised at a meeting of the National Executive Committee on Tuesday.
“There are a number of different texts for different leaflets in circulation, including for a freepost and for other campaign purposes," a party spokesman said. "They all reflect existing party policy. Our manifesto for the European elections will be decided next Tuesday.”
Meanwhile new EU polling showed 45 per cent of Brits would vote to remain in the UK in a second referendum, compared to 37 per cent who would want to leave.
Every country in the EU would vote to remain if a referendum was held tomorrow, the survey found.
See below for the rolling updates throughout the day.
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Labour's Hilary Benn has spoken out publicly over those EU election leaflets:
The EU election leaflet that has provoked fury within Labour is being "hastily rewritten", according to HuffPost's Paul Waugh, who broke the original story:
The Labour leadership claims the authors of the EU leaflet "forgot" to include a reference to a second Brexit referendum, according to ITV's Robert Peston:
Jeremy Corbyn has turned down an invitation to a state banquet with Donald Trump at Buckingham Palace during the US president's official visit to the UK.
The Labour leader said Theresa May "should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honour a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rherotic".
House of Commons speaker John Bercow and Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable have also said they would not attend.
Here's our breaking story:
Sadiq Khan says the "disgraceful" way the government has treated Windrush generation migrants and their families makes him fear for the rights of EU citizens after Brexit.
Writing for The Independent, the London mayor said "we’re already seeing warning signs that the government has not learnt its lesson".
Read the full piece:
Support for remaining in the EU stands at well over 80 per cent in most member states, according to a new poll – suggesting that Britain’s on-going political crisis is a poor advert for leaving, writes The Independent's Brussels correspondent Jon Stone.
The latest opinion poll from YouGov shows Labour three percentage points ahead of the Conservatives (an increase of two points since last week's YouGov poll). The Brexit Party also slightly increase their share.
SNP immigration spokesman Stuart McDonald MP has warned that new rules risk creating a "second class" of EU citizens.
From 7 May, EU citizens who have not been in the UK for the five years necessary to obtain settled status will need to meet tougher criteria to access universal credit, child benefit or tax credits.
Mr McDonald MP said: "This disgraceful move by the UK Government - snuck in over the recess period and without debate - risks creating a cohort of second-class EU citizens living in the UK and must be halted.
"Creating a two-tier system for EU nationals applying for social security in the UK will disadvantage pre-settled EU nationals with families - potentially leaving them worse off by thousands of pounds and having to gather complicated evidence to prove their right to reside.
"Once again, the Tories will expect the voluntary sector to pick up the pieces while they wash their hands of responsibility and reneging on its promise to protect the rights of EU nationals in the UK."
Britain's entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest has called for the public to "focus on the song" rather than the continuing Brexit crisis.
Michael Rice, 21, from Hartlepool, County Durham, won the singing show All Together Now last year and hopes this year's Eurovision will be a "turning point for the UK".
The UK has not won in 22 years and it has been a decade since it finished in the top 10.
"With Brexit and everything that is going on, we need to focus on the song and the UK really getting behind the Eurovision artist," he said.
"It's the biggest competition in the world. Especially now X Factor is not coming back, this is the only show that can involve song-writing and musicians.
"It can get really good songs in the next few years. And get Eurovision back at the top.
"Everyone is going on about this Brexit. I'm only 21, so I don't know anything about politics. It's not about politics. It's about having the right song."
The frontrunner to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as the next European Commission president has urged the UK not to take part in the European Parliament elections in May.
Manfred Weber told Germany's Funke Media Group: "It would be good if British politicians quickly ensured clarity about Brexit - and didn't take part in the European election."
Mr Weber was quoted as saying that "a country which is leaving the European Union shouldn't have a significant role in shaping the EU's future", according to Associated Press.
He added he was "bothered by the fact that the Europe-hater Nigel Farage with his Brexit Party is leading the British polls. That's absurd".
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