Rishi Sunak set to be next chancellor?

Reports suggest Rishi Sunak could be appointed chancellor after Sajid Javid dramatically quit this lunchtime. The chief secretary to the Treasury was seen entering No 10 earlier.

Javid quit as chancellor after No 10 ordered him to sack his team of aides, a source close to the former minister said.

In a dramatic move which follows rumours of tensions between the ex-chancellor and Boris Johnson’s closest aide Dominic Cummings, Javid said that “no self-respecting minister” could accept the condition being imposed.

“He has turned down the job of chancellor of the exchequer,” a source close to Javid said. “The prime minister said he had to fire all his special advisers and replace them with Number 10 special advisers to make it one team.

“The chancellor said no self-respecting minister would accept those terms.”

Report: Sajid Javid ‘resigns as chancellor’

Wow. According to The Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn, Sajid Javid has quit as chancellor.

‘One of Britain’s finest politicians of our time’

More high praise for the now former Northern Ireland Julian Smith – this time from Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

“In eight months as Secretary of State, Julian you helped to restore powersharing in Stormont, secured an agreement with us to avoid a hard border, plus marriage equality,” he said.

“You are one of Britain’s finest politicians of our time. Thank you.”

Brandon Lewis rumoured to be in line for NI role

Could the MP for Great Yarmouth being heading to Belfast?

Brandon Lewis, former Tory party chairman and currently the security minister, has been tipped to replace Julian Smith as Northern Ireland following this morning’s most controversial and unexpected sacking.

‘Dissent will not be tolerated’

More fall-out from the cabinet sackings. According to Sky News’s Tamara Cohen, Smith believes his dismissal was down to his negativity over the prospect of a no-deal Brexit last year. He was apparently put on “resignation watch” after saying no deal would be “very, very bad” for Northern Ireland.

The Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner says the firings show “dissent will not be tolerated by No 10” and The Sun’s Tom Newton-Dunn said it was “the cull of the tall poppies”.

‘I would go for a pint with any of these people’: Labour candidates asked about Labour and friendship

There was an initially awkward then fairly touching moment at the end of the Labour leadership debate when the candidates were asked who they last said “I love you” to.

Keir Starmer said he had told his wife “who lost her mum on Saturday”.

After host Victoria Derbyshire, she was sorry and offered her condolences, he said: “This is why these questions don’t really work very well.”

“That’s really fair,” said Derbyshire.

Asked if they were friends, Lisa Nandy said: “I would say absolutely yes. I would go for a pint with any of these people. In fact, right now probably.”

Starmer said: “When we started this competition, Lisa phone me up and said we’ve got to look after each other on the road because it can be really brutal in this competition.”

Julian Smith praised by Irish politicians after sacking as NI secretary

Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney, who co-chaired the recent negotiations to restore power-sharing arrangements at Stormont, replied to Smith on Twitter to tell him that he had been “such an effective Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at a time of real challenge and risk.”

He added: “Without your leadership I don’t believe Northern Ireland would have a government today. Thank you Julian Smith for your trust, friendship and courage.”

Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said on Twitter that while she may not have always agreed with Smith, “his dedication to the role was incredible”.

‘On my bike’: Junior transport ministers sacked

Nusrat Ghani has been sacked as a junior minister at the Department of Transport, tweeting: “Huge privilege to have been Transport Minister and we’ve achieved so much in 2 years. Thanks to the great team in the Dept and now I get to spend more time with family and constituents.”

Fun Boy Three played in protest outside Downing Street

A person outside the gates of Downing Street is using a large speaker to blast music towards No 10.

Tracks played so far include Fun Boy Three’s The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum) and Part Of The Union by Strawbs.

Boris Johnson is back inside – awaiting the first arrivals set to be told of cabinet appointments.

Thornberry clashes with Long-Bailey again on BBC debate

Labour leadership hopeful Emily Thornberry has been asked about an accusation she made during last night’s Newsnight debate – claiming rival Rebecca Long-Bailey didn’t speak out on antisemitism in the shadow cabinet.

“I said I didn’t remember Rebecca speaking out – she was on the national executive committed responsible for ensuring that the party does the right things in relation to antisemitism … I don’t remember her speaking out.”

Long-Bailey didn’t look too impressed. “I don’t know if Emily was there or not – but I remember talking to our shadow cabinet on the processes within the NEC and how they weren’t fit for purpose.”

Asked if she remembered that, Thornberry shook her head and said: “No, I don’t remember. Not saying it didn’t happen – but I don’t remember.”

Geoffrey Cox confirms he’s ‘leaving at PM’s request

Action moves to No 10 after sackings

Boris Johnson has dished out all the bad news (we’ll hear more soon) and is heading back to Downing Street to meet those in line for promotions.

Andrea Leadsom also gone

The Tory MP has been sacked as business secretary at her Commons meeting with the prime minister. She said “it has been a real privilege to serve in Government for the last six years”.

Ester McVey ‘relieved of duties’

The Tory MP has confirmed she has been sacked as housing minister after her meeting with Boris Johnson.

“I’m very sorry to be relieved of my duties as Housing Minister I wish my successor the very best & every success,” said McVey on Twitter.

Labour hopefuls say ‘sorry’ for election disaster

The Labour leadership candidates are answering voters’ questions during a live debate on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme. Asked if they would like to say sorry for letting people who depended upon them down, they offered apologises.

Keir Starmer said: “I’m sorry for the result – of course I am.”

Emily Thornberry: “I apologise for the failure and I, frankly, wish we had not called an election in those circumstances.”

Rebecca Long-Bailey: “I am sorry because I know what this is going to do to people in my city and people around the country, and how much they’re going to suffer.”

Lisa Nandy: “I am sorry – I am sorry that we didn’t just not listen, but that we’re not learning.”

Smith sacking shows PM’s ‘indifference’ to NI, says SDLP

The sacking of Julian Smith shows Boris Johnson’s “dangerous indifference”, the leader of the nationalist SDLP party said.

Colum Eastwood wrote on Twitter: “Thank you Julian Smith for your tireless commitment to devolution, for the work you’ve done for victims of historical institutional abuse & for securing much needed resource for Derry.

“Sacking the most successful SoS in a decade shows Johnson’s dangerous indifference to us.”

Esther McVey heads for ‘ominous’ meeting with PM

It’s now housing minister Esther McVey’s turn to take the walk of doom to the prime minister’s office in the Commons. Is she – like Julian Smith, who did it earlier – also on the way out?

Minister says he got ‘promotion’ to spend more time with family

Tory MP Chris Skidmore is also on his way out. The universities minister has left government, saying he would have “more time to spend” with his family.

Tweeting a picture of his new baby, he said: “Got a promotion in the reshuffle to be a better Dad with more time to spend with this gorgeous little one.”