Tory leadership debate: Johnson rules out general election before Brexit, as he and Hunt attack Corbyn over 'antisemitism'

Interesting poll here from ComRes, which shows a shift in support for Labour over their Brexit position. 

Senior Labour peers have offered to investigate allegations of antisemitism in the party, as they warned Jeremy Corbyn that without full openness it is "a cancer that will continue to grow".

Baroness Smith of Basildon, the shadow leader of the Lords, was among signatories to a letter to Mr Corbyn in which the Labour Peers Group offered to establish a small panel to review the substance of allegations made in last week's Panorama programme.

The group's chairman Lord Harris of Haringey, shadow deputy leader of the Lords Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town, and shadow chief whip Lord McAvoy also signed the letter.

They wrote: "The purpose of these proposals is to ensure that the Labour Party can regain the trust of its members, supporters and the wider public.

"As the leader of our party you have a responsibility to ensure that we do this.

"In particular, you need to demonstrate decisive leadership that Labour is determined and committed to do everything possible to remove antisemitism, and those that defend it, from our party.

"Without full openness, this is a cancer that will continue to grow and, in hurting us, it will most hurt those that need a Labour government. We are prepared to do all we can to assist."

Ministers will announce a long-awaited decision about whether to set up a judge-led inquiry to investigate British involvement in the rendition of terror suspects later this week, Theresa May's deputy has confirmed.

In response to an urgent question from Tory grandee Ken Clarke, David Lidington told MPs: "I can confirm to the House today that the Government will make a definitive statement setting out its decision about a judge-led inquiry later this week."

Mr Lidington said the government would also outline its response to a consultation by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, Sir Adrian Fulford, to make proposals to the government about how its consolidated guidance of detainees overseas could be improved.

Mr Lidington said it had been "complex work which has involved some of the most sensitive security issues".

Mr Clarke urged the PM not to "bury the issue" by trying to get it out before the summer recess to avoid scrutiny.

He said: "I think we need to know how there was such a terrible breakdown in responsibility and communications to produce the misdeeds that took place in the time after 9/11 so that we can avoid the culture of the intelligence services and their relationships with ministers ever slipping back into the same thing again."

Mr Clarke added: "If the decision comes out in the last days of this session on the eve of the summer recess in the middle of the appointment of a new Prime Minister in an attempt to bury it away in the pages of Hansard and to escape any further challenge until the autumn comes round it will be the most blatant further attempt to get out of the most solemn undertakings."

The government should set aside the economic benefits from EU immigration in a special fund worth almost £5bn a year to help disadvantaged parts of the country which feel left behind in a “two-speed Britain”, a new report recommends.

More here:

A bid to block Parliament being prorogued to prevent a no-deal Brexit being pushed through with MPs absent has been launched in the Lords.

A cross-party group of peers warned that the "procedural gambit" was needed to stop a "constitutional outrage" happening.

But critics of the move branded it a "trick" aimed at frustrating the will of the people who voted to leave the EU in the referendum.

Philip Hammond has issued a fresh warning to Boris Johnson that he will do "everything I can" to prevent a no-deal Brexit.

The chancellor, who will not serve in new cabinet, insisted he would try to support the new administration led by Mr Johnson or Jeremy Hunt.

But if the new premier tried to "drive the UK over a cliff edge" with a no-deal Brexit, Mr Hammond vowed to do all he could to stop it.

Mr Johnson has promised to get the UK out of the European Union by October 31 with or without a deal and has refused to rule out suspending Parliament to prevent MPs blocking a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Hunt has said he would also accept a no-deal Brexit if there was no prospect of an agreement with Brussels, but has indicated he would delay beyond the October deadline if progress was being made.

The Chancellor, speaking to CNBC during a trip to New York, pointed out the slender majority the new prime minister would have to work with in Parliament - a figure which will be reduced to three if the Tories lose the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election on August 1.

Lucy Powell MP has suggested a public schoolboy cleared of murdering a friend may have been convicted had he been a black state pupil.

The Labour member for Manchester Central made the comments after the teenager, who cannot be named, was acquitted of stabbing 17-year-old Yousef Makki to death in the upmarket village of Hale Barns, Cheshire.

More here:

Public schoolboy may not have been cleared of murdering friend if he were black, MP suggests

Donald Trump seems unfazed by the reaction to his comments.

Speaking at the White House, he said: “If you’re not happy in the US, if you’re complaining all the time, you can leave, you can leave right now.”

The US president prompted fury and accusations of racism after suggesting that two unnamed female Democrat congresswomen should “go back” to the “broken and crime infested places from which they came”.

More here:

Theresa May condemns Trump’s ‘unacceptable’ tweet in unprecedented attack

The shadow cabinet will meet on Monday, ahead of a Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) meeting, to discuss antisemitism.

It is understood Jeremy Corbyn will address the PLP after the special meeting.