91Èȱ¬

Image source, Getty Images

This morning, 91Èȱ¬ Secretary Sajid Javid said he found it "odd" that he had not been invited to the state banquet when US President Donald Trump came to the UK.

Asked about it, a Downing Street spokesman said: "This was a state banquet hosted by Her Majesty the Queen, so I don’t think it’s appropriate to comment in public about who asked to attend.

"At any state banquet only a limited number of places are available to the government.

"A large number of ministers who requested to attend who were not able to do so."

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow disabilities minister Marsha de Cordova is asking an urgent question on a Supreme Court ruling on housing benefit.

Ms Cordova says a single mother had been found "intentionally homeless" as she did not use her benefits to cover the "shortfall" in her rent charges against her income.

The Supreme Court ruled it was unlawful for Birmingham Council to try force her to spend money intended for basic daily living needs on rent because housing benefit had been reduced.

She says housing benefit rates do not cover rental costs in 97% of areas in England.

Work and Pensions Minister Will Quince says "ultimately, this is also a supply issue" as well as a need to reduce the benefits bill.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Outside the committee room it is tediously convivial. Everyone seems to be chatting away in quite a friendly fashion.

Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey were sat outside, kind of eyeballing candidates with a look of "please vote for us", because they appear as though they might be the most vulnerable to being knocked out today.

Former Chief Whip Mark Harper might also be in some difficulty.

But there was some muttering in the committee corridor about the danger this is going to turn into a men-only contest, because two of the most vulnerable are the two remaining women in the contest.

Rory Stewart was there working the media. He has made much of his campaign outside of Westminster, trying to communicate to a broader audience.

Michael Gove emerged. I asked him who he had voted for, and he said that he had voted for "the best man" - make of that what you will.

But there have been a lot of questions about whether his campaign is in some difficulty following, not so much the drugs charge, but the hypocrisy charge that followed it.

And Sajid Javid was there too. He launched his campaign yesterday and the consensus was that it was better than many people had expected.

In his final pitch this morning, he sounded a clear warning about the danger of no-deal Brexit.

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

All of the Conservative leadership candidates have now voted in today’s first round ballot to replace Theresa May.

Esther McVey was the first of the candidates to cast their vote, followed by Andrea Leadsom, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt, Dominic Raab, Michael Gove, Matt Hancock, Rory Stewart, Mark Harper and finally Boris Johnson.

Prime Minster Theresa May has also cast her vote but she refused to tell reporters who she is supporting.

Leadership hopeful Rory Stewart is at the committee room talking to the press.

He says that he still believes only two people can beat Boris Johnson - him and Mr Johnson himself - but adds: "We will have to wait for the result."

While he is talking to reporters, Prime Minister Theresa May walks in to cast her vote.

Asked afterwards who she was backing, she jokes: "That's none of your business."

Matt Hancock and Mark Harper have also been seen voting.

Now the press waits for Mr Johnson.

Image source, PA

In the contest to be the next Tory leader and prime minister, the candidates can vote for themselves.

So, what did Environment Secretary and leadership hopeful Michael Gove say when asked who he voted for?

"The best candidate."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

It is a normal sitting day in Westminster, as Conservative MPs vote on their future leader.

Transport questions have just finished in the Commons, they're now hearing an urgent question on Sudan, being answered by Foreign Office Minister Harriett Baldwin. It is being asked by Conservative Sir Henry Bellingham.

She says the transitional government "must listen" to the desires of the people for a civilian government.

"We welcome the stance that the African Union has taken" in offering to mediate, she says.

Victoria Derbyshire

Tory MP Tim Loughton says he has decided who to vote for, but was keeping it to himself.

Mr Loughton, who ran Andrea Leadsom's 2016 leadership campaign, told Victoria Derbsyhire he had "backed the losing candidate" in every leadership contest since 1997, so he thought he would "stay out of it [and] not give the kiss of death" to the candidate.

He adds: "For the first round at least, I am going to keep to that.

"I will come out later in the whole competition to say who I do support."

Image source, PA

The former Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom, is at the committee room.

She is one of the candidates that the 91Èȱ¬'s political editor Laura Kuenssberg said was "in the danger zone" and at risk of being eliminated from the contest at the first stage.

But, speaking to PA, Ms Leadsom was not letting that rain on her parade.

She told PA: "I'm feeling very positive and optimistic and hopeful that I will be getting enough support from colleagues to go through to the next round."

Image source, UK Parliament

First in the queue to cast his vote was former health minister Steve Brine.

He told the Press Association that he was voting for Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.