Westminster today: Theresa May faces senior MPs questions over Cambridge Analytica and Vote Leave row - as it happened
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Your support makes all the difference.Whistleblower Christopher Wylie has appeared before MPs to discuss his work at scandal-hit Cambridge Analytica, as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg turned down an invitation to give evidence to Parliament on the row.
Mr Wylie sparked an international outcry when he revealed the firm had harvested Facebook data from more than 50 million users, which was used to influence voters in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential run.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson appeared before MPs this morning following news of the mass expulsions of Russian spies from the US and other allies, to show their support for Britain over the Salisbury nerve agent attack.
Theresa May, meanwhile, was grilled about the Cambridge Analytica row and Brexit during an appearance in front of the Liaison Committee. She announced a new funding model for the NHS will be introduced within the next year.
As it happened...
Christopher Wylie says Ukip paid for services from Cambridge Analytica, and he had been shown invoices with the party name on them.
When questioned on how that might work - as Ukip is in financial difficulty, he said the firm did not need to make money, as its owner is so wealthy.
He offers to put MPs in touch with the person who has the paperwork, as he does not have it himself.
Earlier, Christopher Wylie said he was aware of contacts between Alexander Nix - CA boss - and the Russian oil firm Lukoil, which he claimed had close links with Vladimir Putin's FSB security agency and had shown an interest in the company's harvesting of information about US voters.
And he said he was aware that Lukoil had been told that Aleksandr Kogan - the Cambridge academic who developed the app allegedly used to gather data about Facebook users - was a regular visitor to Russia.
"I'm not saying that Alexander Nix or Aleksandr Kogan or anybody involved knowingly colluded with Russia to undermine the American election," Mr Wylie told the committee.
"I am saying there was a very significant risk that was created by notifying this company not only of the existence of this data but telling them that the person in charge of this data was operating in part out of Russia.
"It would make it incredibly easy for them to get access to this data. For me, that's concerning and I think it should be looked into."
Mr Wylie also urged the committee to look into the role of Leave.eu founder Arron Banks's Eldon Insurance company.
He told MPs that he had seen documents on Eldon-headed notepaper discussing the performance of Leave.eu messaging and online advertising.
MPs are becoming more critical of Wylie, asking him if he is a "failed Alexander Nix" (the boss of Cambridge Analytica).
Wylie says he is not carrying out some sort of personal vendetta. He says he has no problem with data harvesting if its done in the right way.
Dominic Cummings, of Vote Leave, has posted on his blog - describing Mr Wylie as a "fantasist/charlatan".
However Wylie says he has worked with Channel 4, the Observer, New York Times and the Information Commissioner's Office - so there has been a lot of fact checking.
European Parliament Brexit chief Guy Verhofstadt has waded into the row.
Theresa May is facing renewed calls to sack her political secretary, Stephen Parkinson, after it emerged a press statement she claimed he had released in a "personal" capacity was actually issued with an "OFFICIAL" Downing Street tag...
Theresa May is under pressure over her refusal to discipline an aide blamed for revealing a Brexit whistleblower is gay, after a No 10 email cast doubt on her claim he made a “personal statement”. Labour MPs and Shahmir Sanni, the whistleblower, have ridiculed the suggestion – one MP arguing the statement was “handled and disseminated by No 10”.
The marathon hearing has now come to an end, after more than three and a half hours.
Sajid Javid, the Culture Secretary, has said he will send commissioners in to Northamptonshire County Council, which has run into financial problems.
Mr Javid said an independent investigation found the Tory-run authority had "failed to comply with its duty" to deliver services.
Speaking in the Commons, he quoted Max Caller, who led the Government investigation, as saying: "The problems faced by NCC are now so deep and ingrained that it is not possible to promote a recovery plan that could bring the council back to stability and safety in a reasonable timescale."
Mr Javid said: "I am therefore minded to appoint commissioners to oversee the authority.
"From day one I propose that they take direct control over the council's financial management and overall governance, getting these basics right must be the first step in stabilising the authority.
"I also propose giving them reserve powers to act as they see fit across the entirety of the authority's functions if they consider that they must step in."
A Government minister has called Julian Assange a "miserable little worm".
Sir Alan Duncan, a Foreign Office minister, said it was "about time" the WikiLeaks founder leaves the Ecuadorian embassy and answers questions about rape charges against him.
Asked about the issue during Foreign Office questions, Sir Alan replied: "It is of great regret that Julian Assange remains in the Ecuador embassy.
"It is of even deeper regret that even last night he was tweeting against Her Majesty's Government for their conduct in replying to the attack in Salisbury.
"It's about time that this miserable little worm walked out of the embassy and gave himself up to British justice."
Theresa May is facing renewed calls to sack her political secretary, Stephen Parkinson, after it emerged a press statement she claimed he had released in a "personal" capacity was actually issued with an "OFFICIAL" Downing Street tag...
Theresa May is under pressure over her refusal to discipline an aide blamed for revealing a Brexit whistleblower is gay, after a No 10 email cast doubt on her claim he made a “personal statement”. Labour MPs and Shahmir Sanni, the whistleblower, have ridiculed the suggestion – one MP arguing the statement was “handled and disseminated by No 10”.
The chairman of an influential parliamentary committee has called Mark Zuckerberg's refusal to appear before MPs "absolutely astonishing".
Damian Collins, who chairs the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, asked the Facebook founder to answer the committee's questions, but Mr Zuckerberg instead offered to send his deputies.
Mr Collins said Zuckerberg himself was "the right person to give evidence" over alleged data breaches and repeated his call for him to face MPs either in person or by video link.
Speaking after the committee spent three and a half hours questioning Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie, Mr Collins said: "Given the extraordinary evidence we have heard so far today... I think it is absolutely astonishing that Mark Zuckerberg is not prepared to submit himself for questioning in front of a parliamentary or congressional hearing, given that these are questions of fundamental importance to Facebook users as well as to our inquiry.
"I would certainly urge him to think again if he has any concern for the people who use his company's services."
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