Files reveal approved school drug trial plans in 1960s

Here is the latest UK Political News from the BBC.

Files reveal approved school drug trial plans in 1960s
Home Office doctors gave the go-ahead for experimental drug trials on children at two approved schools in the 1960s, National Archives files show.

Rotherham MPs face electoral expenses fraud probe
Allegations that three South Yorkshire MPs committed expenses fraud during the 2015 general election are being investigated by police.

Kezia Dugdale backs Owen Smith as Labour Party leader
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale backs Owen Smith to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.

Labour leadership: Corbyn reveals reforms to boost trade unions
Jeremy Corbyn says he would look to bolster the bargaining powers of trade unions if he wins the leadership vote.

Extremist prisoners ‘may be separated’ from other inmates
Government plans to prevent radicalisation in prisons could lead to violent extremist prisoners being separated from other inmates.

Brexit: IDS urges EU exit talks ‘as soon as possible’
Prime Minister Theresa May should begin formal talks for the UK to leave the EU “as soon as possible”, Brexit campaigner Iain Duncan Smith says.

Sadiq Khan: Jeremy Corbyn ‘failed to show leadership needed’
London mayor Sadiq Khan urges Labour voters to ditch Jeremy Corbyn as leader and vote for Owen Smith in the party’s leadership contest after previously remaining neutral.

Actor and campaigner Lord Rix dies aged 92
Disability campaigner and actor Lord Rix, who starred on stage and TV, has died aged 92, his family says.

Dangerous Dogs Act has never worked – Andrew Rosindell MP
A Conservative MP is calling for a review of the Dangerous Dogs Act, saying it has “never really worked” because it only deals with certain breeds.

Manchester and London to host Olympic celebrations
The success of Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic stars is to be celebrated with events in Manchester and London, PM Theresa May has announced.

Journalist Charles Moore explains why he voted twice in the EU referendum
Former Daily Telegraph editor, Charles Moore, explains why he decided to vote twice in the EU referendum (and break the law).

Theresa May backs Osborne’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’
Theresa May vows to press ahead with George Osborne’s “Northern Powerhouse” despite having fired him as chancellor.

UKIP’s Nathan Gill says allegations against him ‘bogus’
UKIP MEP Nathan Gill says allegations he misused European parliamentary funds are “entirely bogus”.

Internet spying powers backed by review
Britain’s spies should be allowed to continue harvesting internet data, the government’s reviewer of terror laws has said in a review.

UK public finances see smaller surplus
The UK government had a smaller budget surplus than expected in July, the first calendar month since the Brexit vote.

Olympic victory parade: Mayor ‘keen’ for London event
The mayor of London says he wants a parade to be held in the city to celebrate the achievements of Team GB’s Olympians and Paralympians.

Corbyn on defending a Nato ally
Jeremy Corbyn was asked during the Labour leadership hustings in Birmingham whether he would come to the aid of a Nato ally, should it be invaded by Russia.

Councillors attack response to child refugees in Calais
Lone child refugees in Calais need to be better treated by ministers and party leaders, councillors say during a visit to the camp.

Labour leadership: Corbyn and Smith clash on winning power
Jeremy Corbyn pledges to win over “some people who have been tempted to vote Tory”, as his leadership rival says Labour is not on a “trajectory to win power”.

Police probe fraud claims against UKIP MEP Nathan Gill
Police are investigating allegations of fraud against UKIP Wales MEP Nathan Gill, BBC Wales understands.

‘My brother’s struggle with schizophrenia’
Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell has spoken about his brother who’s died aged 62.

Conference security deal breaches Labour rules, says GMB
The GMB says a company that refuses to sign a union agreement should not provide security at the Labour Party conference.

Team GB warns Leave.EU over image use
The British Olympic Association tells a leading Brexit campaign group to stop using Team GB images to promote its cause.

Don’t axe Garden Bridge, says trust chair Lord Davies
The chair of the Garden Bridge Trust has urged the government not to axe the project, after a Newsnight investigation revealed a £20m hole in its finances.

UKIP’s Neil Hamilton denies bullying ‘big boy’ Nathan Gill
Neil Hamilton denies bullying “big boy” Nathan Gill during a row which has seen the UKIP Wales leader quit the Welsh Assembly group to sit as an independent AM.

Case dropped in Facebook ‘gun threat’ to Craig Mackinlay MP
The case against a man accused of posting a threatening message on a Tory MP’s Facebook page is dropped.

UKIP’s Lisa Duffy says donor Arron Banks using party as ‘puppet’
UKIP leadership hopeful Lisa Duffy accuses donor Arron Banks of trying to use the party as his “puppet”.

Labour conference could be cancelled in security row, says GMB
Next month’s Labour conference could be cancelled in a row over security, the GMB trade union claims.

Ethnic minorities face ‘entrenched’ racial inequality – watchdog
Black and ethnic minority people in Britain still face “entrenched” race inequality in many areas, including education and health, a watchdog warns.

Childhood obesity: Plan attacked by MP, experts and campaigners
The government’s plan to tackle childhood obesity is attacked as “weak” and “disappointing”, as a leading MP says it shows “the hand of big industry lobbyists”.

Homeless given ‘meaningless advice’ by councils, say MPs
Homeless people are too often given meaningless and ineffectual advice by councils in England, a group of MPs say.

Farming support
The weaker pound since the UK’s Brexit vote means euro-denominated EU farming subsidies could worth 15% more to British farmers next year. But the boost may be a short-term one.

Divided loyalties
What does the prospect of Brexit mean for Scotland’s Eurosceptic nationalists?

Owen Smith suggests IS talks
Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith suggests the so-called Islamic State could be involved in negotiations with the West in the future.

UK jobless total falls to 1.64 million
UK unemployment fell by 52,000 to 1.64 million between April and June in the run-up to the Brexit vote, official figures indicate.

Childhood obesity plan ‘to include sugar tax’
The much-awaited childhood obesity strategy for England is expected to include further details of a tax on sugary drinks, the BBC understands.

EU migration: Eastern European workers in UK pass one million
The number of UK workers from eight eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004 has passed one million for the first time, Office for National Statistics figures show.

Party criticised in Conservative bullying allegations probe
Tory activist Mark Clarke was given a key role despite warnings of his past “bullying conduct”, an inquiry finds.

Brexit result means we don’t want to stay, say German couple
A German couple who have decided to leave Scotland as a result of the Brexit vote are invited to meet Nicola Sturgeon.

Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn unable to recognise Ant and Dec
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was unable to recognise Ant and Dec during a leadership debate.

Labour’s Owen Smith: I’m persuading people across UK
Labour contender Owen Smith says he is “persuading people across UK”, as he bids to unseat party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Jeremy Corbyn: ‘I have been robust on abuse’ in Labour
Jeremy Corbyn says he has dealt “very strongly and very robustly” with allegations of abuse within the Labour Party.

Nathan Gill leaves UKIP assembly group to sit as independent
UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill announces he is leaving the party’s group in the Welsh Assembly to sit as an independent AM.

Labour leadership debate: Owen Smith suggests IS talks
Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith says talks with so-called Islamic State should not be ruled out, in a BBC debate with Jeremy Corbyn.

UKIP ‘almost unravelling’ amid Gill and leadership rows
UKIP members may leave the party following recent infighting, its chairman in Wales says.

Calais migrants: Councils ‘must help assess children’
Councils in England and Wales say they should be involved in assessing the needs of child migrants in Calais before they arrive in the UK.

Tax avoidance: Accountants face tougher penalties
Accountants or advisers who help people bend the rules to gain a tax advantage never intended face tougher fines under new rules proposed by the Treasury.

Labour promises return of student maintenance grants
Labour says it would increase corporation tax to fund maintenance grants and bring back the education maintenance allowance for 1.25 million students.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire to canvass public opinion on Brexit
Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire is on a fortnight’s tour of Northern Ireland to canvass public opinion on the implications of Brexit.

Pro-Corbyn Labour AM calls for more ‘diversity’ of MPs
Labour needs to select local and more diverse candidates to be MPs to ensure the party stays in touch with voters, an assembly member says.

MP Simon Danczuk spends night in Spanish police cell after arrest
Labour MP Simon Danzcuk spent the night in a Spanish police cell after being arrested in Alicante, the BBC understands.

Regulated rail fares to rise by 1.9% in England, Scotland and Wales
Regulated rail fares in England, Scotland and Wales will rise by 1.9% from January next year.

EU citizens ‘left in limbo’, says Vote Leave MP Gisela Stuart
Brexit campaigner and Labour MP Gisela Stuart says EU citizens in the UK have been “left in limbo”, as she prepares a research project on their legal status.

Twelve long months
Martha Kearney catches up with five of the 2015 intake of MPs to find out how their first year has been

Seaside splits
Jonny Dymond visits Blackpool and Brighton to sample the atmosphere in the two seaside resorts that cast rival Brexit votes.

Lottery man
The sight of Team GB above China in the Olympic medal table has led some to heap praise on John Major, whose government took the decision to launch the National Lottery. Is this justified?

Forgotten man
Who was Joseph Chamberlain – the man who seems to be inspiring new Prime Minister Theresa May?

Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn pledges bus service reforms
Jeremy Corbyn pledges to extend public ownership of the bus networks if he wins Labour’s leadership contest and becomes prime minister.

Reality Check
Is Owen Smith correct that the amount of NHS money spent on private sector providers has doubled?

Owen Smith: Publicly-funded NHS is a red line
Owen Smith says a 100% publicly funded NHS would be a “red line” for Labour if he becomes party leader.

Is Boris Johnson running the country?
With PM Theresa May on holiday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is the “senior minister” on duty in the UK.

Brexit: Government under pressure over Article 50 delay claim
Downing Street comes under pressure over claims Brexit will be delayed – and a turf war allegedly breaks out between Liam Fox and Boris Johnson.

Brexit should drive ‘new, bold ambition’ for farmers
Brexit should drive a “new, bold ambition” for farmers, a union leader says, launching a consultation on their response to leaving the EU.

Tom Watson hits back at Corbyn in ‘Trotskyist entryist’ row
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson insists he is “not making up” claims about hard left “entryists” infiltrating the party.

MEP Jonathan Arnott quits UKIP leadership contest
UKIP MEP Jonathan Arnott says he is withdrawing from the race to be the party’s next leader because the best he could hope for would be second place.

UKIP ‘volunteer’ faces US blackmail and money laundering charges
An aide to former UKIP leader Nigel Farage is facing blackmail and money laundering charges in the US.

Smith attacks Tories ‘private NHS’ in Labour leadership bid
Labour’s Owen Smith will accuse the government of being behind “a secret plan to privatise the NHS” in England, as he campaigns to become party leader.

Labour leadership: Members drop voting legal challenge
Labour’s leadership election will go ahead with the exclusion of about 130,000 new members after five of them dropped a legal challenge against party voting rules.

Jeremy Corbyn accuses Tom Watson of making ‘nonsense’ Trotsky claims
Jeremy Corbyn has dismissed claims by his deputy Tom Watson that hard left activists are trying to infiltrate the Labour party ahead of the leadership vote.

Membership ‘can sweep Labour to power’ – Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn will tell supporters the power of Labour’s 500,000-strong membership can sweep the party to victory at the next general election.

Brexit: Government guarantees for post-EU funds
Chancellor Philip Hammond promises to replace EU funding for farmers, scientists and other projects after a British exit from the bloc.

Labour voting rules verdict ‘a sensible result’ – Falconer
Former shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer welcomes the Court of Appeal’s ruling that Labour was within its rights to stop new members voting in its upcoming leadership contest.

‘Let them eat cake’ backlash after MP’s anti-feminist comments
Conservative MP Philip Davies provokes an online backlash after criticising the “benefits women have compared to men” at an anti-feminist event.

RMT workers on Virgin East Coast services to strike
Virgin East Coast will use management staff on trains to cover striking rail workers.

Mackem-speaking tips for Jeremy Corbyn in Sunderland
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is campaigning in Sunderland on National Mackem Day.

Boos and fury
Abusive incidents have made headlines, but raw anger in Labour’s debate has become commonplace, says Ross Hawkins.

Electoral fraud findings ‘very worrying’
Former communities secretary Sir Eric Pickles says he is concerned by the findings of his report on tackling electoral fraud.

Labour leadership vote: Left-leaning Walthamstow voters
Not all Corbyn backers are getting the chance to vote in the Labour leadership election.

Harold Wilson’s former bodyguard explains their holiday regime
Harold Wilson’s former bodyguard, John Warwicker, says he was never more than one metre away from the prime minister during his holidays.

Labour leadership: Court to rule on voting rules
Nearly 130,000 Labour members will find out later whether they can vote in the Labour leadership contest, when the Court of Appeal rules in the dispute.

UKIP AM says Nathan Gill’s Senedd seat constantly empty
A UKIP colleague of Nathan Gill has criticised his attendance in the assembly, saying his seat is “constantly empty”.

Brexit means Wales should borrow more, Plaid Cymru says
Wales should be allowed to borrow more money to prevent the economy suffering a Brexit “slowdown”, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood says.

Election fraud: Politically correct sentiment a problem, report says
Politically correct sensibilities have led the authorities to turn a blind eye to electoral corruption in the UK, former minister Sir Eric Pickles suggests.

Labour leadership hustings plunged into darkness
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his challenger Owen Smith were plunged into darkness during a hustings event in Gateshead.

Smith: ‘Futile’ to serve in Corbyn shadow cabinet
Owen Smith has said he will return to the backbenchers rather than serve in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, should he lose the Labour leadership contest.

Firms named and shamed over failure to pay minimum wage
The government names almost 200 companies – including two football clubs – who have failed to pay the minimum wage to employees.

‘All members’ can vote for leader, court hears
A barrister for five Labour members insists they have a right to vote in a leadership election, as they contest an appeal against a High Court ruling.

Socialist leader Peter Taaffe wants Labour less in ‘Stalinist mould of Watson’
Socialist leader says Labour Party needs to be reconfigured to be less top down, bureaucratic and less ‘in the Stalinist mould of Tom Watson’.

Alexis Jay named as new chairwoman of abuse inquiry
Professor Alexis Jay, who led the Rotherham abuse inquiry, is to be the new chairwoman of the national inquiry into child sex abuse.

Unison backs Corbyn for Labour leader
The second largest union, Unison, is backing Jeremy Corbyn over Owen Smith in Labour’s leadership contest.

Stanley Johnson on working in summer holidays
Author and former MEP Stanley Johnson on how his children, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, achieved a rite of passage from their summer jobs.

Labour ‘have got to unify’ says Falconer
Lord Falconer says he will back whoever wins the Labour leadership election.

Labour ‘entitled’ to decide who votes for leader, court hears
Labour’s governing body, the NEC, is “plainly entitled” to decide can vote in the party’s leadership elections, the Court of Appeal is told.

Live: Labour leadership court appeal
Live coverage as the Court of Appeal considers Labour’s appeal against a decision to give recent members a vote in the party’s leadership contest.

Arlene Foster in Chihuahua jibe against UUP Steve Aiken
Northern Ireland’s first minister compares a political rival to a “Chihuahua” in a verbal dog fight over the Brexit vote.

Shaun Ley
What do recent ructions in many of the UK’s political parties say about the future of British politics?

Russian news agency Sputnik sets up Scottish studio
A Russian state-sponsored news agency, Sputnik, sets up a radio broadcast studio in Edinburgh.

Theresa May to take summer holiday in Switzerland
Theresa May is to spend her first holiday since becoming prime minister in Switzerland, Number 10 announces.

Muslim women most disadvantaged, say MPs
Muslim women are the most economically disadvantaged group in British society, according to a report by MPs.

Labour’s appeal on leadership vote to be heard
Labour’s appeal against the High Court decision to give recent members a vote in the party’s forthcoming leadership contest will be heard later.