Brexit news: Theresa May 'plans to force fourth vote on deal next week' after Tory MPs' latest bid to oust her fizzles out

Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister, Jo Platt, asks why Huawei has been given the go-ahead to help provide 5G services in the UK despite warnings over cyber-security.

Jeremy Wright, the culture secretary, insists a final decision has not been made. He says the leak of discussions of the National Security Council is "serious" and that the government "intends to treat it serious".

He says Huawei equipment is used across the world and that there is already a lot in use in the UK. The government will listen carefully to security officials, he adds.

Veteran Brexiteer Bill Cash says the 1922 committee's decision on whether to tweak the rules on removing the PM was 9 votes to 7, with two abstentions.

He is clearly not happy with the result:

Following leaks of information on National Security Council discussions about Huawei, Theresa May's official spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is clear that the protection of information on matters of national security is of the highest importance."

The spokesman declined to say whether a leak inquiry had been launched, telling a regular media briefing: "I don't think you would expect me to comment on leaks or questions about leak inquiries."

New centrist party Change UK has responded to criticism by Muslim community groups of one of its candidates by branding it a “smear campaign” and suggesting its critics are “cultists”.

Nora Mulready was criticised by the Muslim Council of Britain and racism reporting service Tell MAMA after comments emerged in which she appeared to conflate Islam with terrorism, questioned Pakistani immigration, and suggested the concerns of far-right leader Tommy Robinson should be acknowledged.

More here:

Jeremy Wright has told the Commons that "we cannot exclude the possibility of a criminal investigation" into the leak from Tuesday's NSC meeting.

He was asked by Tory MP Victoria Prentis whether he agreed that members should "choose our words very carefully" on Huawei as the reports could "become the subject of a criminal prosecution".

The Culture Secretary said he did agree, adding: "We cannot exclude the possibility of a criminal investigation here, and everybody will want to take seriously that suggestion."

Pressed on the issue again by Labour MP Nick Smith, who wanted to know if the leak inquiry would be come a "criminal investigation".

Mr Wright said "that's not a matter for me", but added he "cannot rule it out" and that it was "a matter for investigating and prosecution authorities to consider".

Tory veteran Edward Leigh has thrown his hat into the ring to be the next Commons Speaker, with a veiled jab at John Bercow by saying he would "submerge" his personality into the office.

Bercow has said he will step down in the summer but no date has been set. He extended his stay as Speaker to see through the Brexit process, which we know is far from over.

Announcing next week's House of Commons business, Commons leader Andrea Leadsom makes no mention of votes on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which reports suggested could be introduced in the coming days. 

That doesn't necessarily mean that it won't be introduced, however, and a decision is not expected to be made until the end of this week. Ministers could still table it next week and, if needed, put forward a new business motion next week to make time for the bill.

Downing Street is aware of the need to be seen to making progress to deliver Brexit, but it won't want to introduce the bill unless there is a reasonable expectation it could pass.

Self-harm and violent assaults in prisons have hit a record high for the seventh year in a row despite an overall drop in inmate numbers, figures show.

There were 55,598 incidents of self-harm in 2018, a 25 per cent surge on 2017, while the number of violent assaults increased by 16 per cent over the same period, according to newly published government figures.

Shocking story here from our social affairs correspondent May Bulman: 

There are fears EU citizens may have difficulty voting in the European elections as an MP accused the government of a "complete lack of action".

Labour MP Catherine West said EU citizens living in the UK have to undergo a "two-stage process" to vote in the European elections, and need to complete additional forms or return to vote in their "home countries".

She said: "Even if they are already registered to vote in local elections next Thursday the second of May, they are separately required to complete an additional form to vote in the elections three weeks later, unlike other UK nationals."

Ms West said the move is supposed to prevent people voting twice, in the UK and in the EU citizens' home countries, but says she is worried the rule will "disenfranchise" EU citizens as the majority of EU registers are now closed, meaning people will be unable to vote if they don't register in the UK in time."

She said the "Brexit shambles" had meant most local authorities had not been told until "very late in the day" about the process for registering EU nationals.

She said: "These unusual circumstances and the Government's complete lack of action have helped create an artificial barrier to the enfranchisement of EU citizens. We are already hearing reports of a formal legal challenge to the Government. Yet another Brexit mistake."