Brexit news live: Latest updates as Boris Johnson branded ‘liar’

The Cabinet Office has dismissed a complaint about the equalities minister, Kemi Badenoch, by arguing her tirade at a journalist was issued from a “personal” Twitter account.

Ms Badenoch was widely criticised for accusing Nadine White of “creepy and bizarre” behaviour after the HuffPost reporter sent a standard request for comment to a government press office.

The minister published correspondence between the journalist and officials in launching the attack, which led to an alert about the risk to media freedom being registered with the Council of Europe.

Cabinet Office permanent secretary Alex Chisholm responded to a formal complaint from HuffPo by saying Ms Badenoch is responsible for her own conduct on her social media account.

“I note that the tweets were not issued from a government Twitter account, but instead from a personal Twitter account,” his letter said.

“The minister is personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct herself, and for justifying her own actions and conduct.

“As such, this is a matter on which the minister would be best placed to offer a response. I note in addition the Prime Minister’s press secretary has already provided comments on this matter.”

The schools minister has rejected compulsory lessons about the Empire and the slave trade by claiming they would risk lowering “standards”, triggering criticism, deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports.

More than 268,000 people have signed a petition condemning the curriculum for failing to teach students about “Britain’s role in colonisation” and the shame of trading in slaves.

But the call has been rebuffed by Nick Gibb, the schools minister – who said the government did not want to “pile on” more topics that curtailed teachers’ freedom to choose.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has met with a representative group for loyalist paramilitaries over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

It comes amid anger among loyalists at new checks on goods arriving at ports, with claims an economic wedge has been driven between the region and the rest of the UK which undermines the Union.

Graffiti has appeared across Northern Ireland expressing opposition to a border in the Irish Sea.

Ms Foster, along with her party’s deputy leader Nigel Dodds and East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson, discussed opposition to the protocol with the Loyalist Communities Council.

It represents loyalists groups including the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando.

A party spokesman said afterwards: “We listened to the views expressed and the need for political and constitutional methods to safeguard the United Kingdom single market and ensure there is an unfettered flow of trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”

Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland, will appear on Friday before an inquiry into the Scottish government’s mishandling of harrassment complaints made against him.

Earlier this week, he refused to attend a committee session because some of the evidence he wanted to give was redacted. But it appears he has had a change of heart.

The evidence session will start at 12.30pm and could last as much as 4 hours.

Downing Street has rejected the suggestion that Boris Johnson is a “populist”, after two former ministers said the Conservative Party had drifted away from its roots.

Former chancellor Philip Hammond said this week that the prime minister was in charge of a “populist government” which courted short-term popularity, while former home secretary Amber Rudd said the party no longer welcomed pro-Europeans.

The local council which covers a controversial asylum holding centre will write to the Home Office demanding its closure.

Napier Barracks has been used to house asylum seekers since last year, even though Public Health England (PHE) warned the accommodation was “not suitable” for use.

In the last few months, around 200 people housed in the widely criticised barracks have tested positive for coronavirus.

Folkestone & Hythe District Council voted in favour of a motion against the site, which councillors described as “not fit for purpose”.

After meeting Justin Welby, the Tory council leader David Monk said: “The archbishop is of the same opinion as us, that it’s not suitable.”

Connor McConville, the Labour councillor who brought the motion, said: “I believe the decision to use the barracks in this manner has caused a breakdown in cohesion in our community. It’s not fit for purpose and should be closed.”

A new cabinet committee has replaced the government’s Union unit, a minister has said.

The previous unit was disbanded after two successive bosses – Luke Graham, then Oliver Lewis – left their positions in as many weeks.

Alister Jack, the Scotland secretary, said the change was “good news” for the Union, adding that the new ministerial cabinet committee includes the prime minister and the chancellor.

SNP MP Kirsten Oswald described the moved as “utterly humiliating for Boris Johnson”.

“The only thing his failed Union unit has delivered has been a sacking, a resignation and now its reported collapse within a matter of weeks,” she added.

Feathers flew in a Stormont committee meeting this week, but not because of any hard-fought political dispute or personal falling-out, Jon Sharman reports.

A moment of levity came when a man called Colin Pidgeon was brought a live pigeon by his cat, which he managed to rescue and return to safety.

“You kept your composure the whole way through that – amazing,” said deputy committee chair Paul Frew.

Lord Fowler, the Speaker of the House of Lords, will step down early in order to campaign on HIV/Aids and LGBT+ rights.

The peer, 83, who served in Thatcher’s cabinet as health secretary, was due to leave his post in September. However, he will now return to the backbenches in April.

Ruth Davidson, the Conservative leader at Holyrood, has accused the Scottish government of being involved in a “cover up” over the censoring of Alex Salmond’s evidence in an ongoing inquiry.

The politician claimed the parts which were redacted “are exactly the parts that expose the first minister” in her government’s mishandling of sexual harrassment complaints made against Mr Salmond.

“To the public this looks like a cover up, when the exact evidence that’s being redacted is the most damaging to her personally,” the Tory MSP said.

Ms Sturgeon has denied that politics was behind the Crown Office’s decision to censor part of Mr Salmond’s evidence, adding that anyone who thought otherwise was “signing up to a dangerous and quite deluded conspiracy theory”.