Today’s political headlines includes Johnson putting Darroch’s future in doubt, MPs voting to extend same-sex marriage and abortion to Northern Ireland, Corbyn says Labour would back remain and Symonds reportedly asked to leave her Tory role over poor performance.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Johnson puts ambassador\u2019s future in doubt MPs vote to extend same-sex marriage and abortion to Northern Ireland Corbyn says Labour would back remain in referendum on Tory Brexit Symonds reportedly asked to leave Tory role over poor performance Ex-Change UK MPs form new group Lidington warns no-deal Brexit could lead to break-up of UK MPs\u2019 staff warned bullying and harassment report will be distressing Three peers quit Labour over antisemitism
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that Boris Johnson failed to say whether he would retain Sir Kim Darroch as ambassador to the USA if he was Prime Minister during last night\u2019s ITV leadership debate. Jeremy Hunt has said that Donald Trump was \u2018disrespectful and wrong\u2019, following Trump\u2019s description of Darroch as \u2018wacky\u2019 and a \u2018pompous fool\u2019, and that he would keep the ambassador in place until the end of the year, when he is due to retire.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that MPs voted to extend same-sex marriage and abortion to Northern Ireland as a result of amendments tabled by backbench Labour MPs, on which the Government gave MPs a free vote. The changes will come into effect unless the devolved administration is restored within the next three months. An amendment tabled by Dominic Grieve, requiring fortnightly reports to the Commons on restoring the assembly also passed. This is part of an attempt to prevent Parliament from being prorogued.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0Jeremy Corbyn has announced Labour\u2019s \u2018settled\u2019 Brexit policy, making it clear in an e-mail to members that the party would support remaining in the EU in any referendum on a Brexit deal agreed by a Conservative Prime Minister or on a no-deal Brexit. However, he did not clarify what Labour\u2019s stance on Brexit would be in a general election.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mail<\/em>\u00a0claims<\/a>\u00a0that Carrie Symonds, Boris Johnson\u2019s girlfriend, was asked to leave her role as Director of Communications for the Conservatives owing to poor performance. According to a source she was accused of misusing her expenses and of failing to turn up to work, as well as leaking damaging stories to the media.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0reveals<\/a>\u00a0that some of the MPs who quit Change UK are forming another grouping, The Independents, which will be a \u2018workers\u2019 collective\u2019, not a political party, based around six core values but with free votes on some issues. Those involved are Luciana Berger, Heidi Allen, Gavin Shuker and Angela Smith, together with John Woodcock, who left Labour over sexual harassment allegations. They are in talks with other independent MPs.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0David Lidington warned a meeting of the Cabinet that there was a \u2018real risk\u2019 of the UK breaking up as a result of a no-deal Brexit. He said the Scottish independence movement was a \u2018significant and urgent political challenge\u2019, there could be no complacency about Wales and there was a risk of a border poll in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Sun<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that the House of Commons has warned MP\u2019s researchers that a report into bullying and harassment in Parliament, due to be published tomorrow, will contain \u2018distressing and uncomfortable\u2019 revelations. Counselling workshops have been arranged to help staff cope with the findings of the report.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that three peers quit the Labour Party yesterday, citing its handling of antisemitism. Lord Triesman, once the party\u2019s general secretary, said that it was \u2018very plainly antisemitic\u2019, and he was joined in resigning the whip by Lord Darzi and Lord Turnberg, with a party official admitting at least one more peer is expected to leave.<\/p>\n