Boris Johnson news – live: British ports set to miss Brexit deadline, as minister in Universal Credit cut row

The Scottish government will fund a special conference for children and young people linked to Cop26, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The FM said her administration would pay for the staging of the Conference of Youth event at the end of October – adding that she could not allow youngsters to be “silenced” on the key issue of climate change.

Prior to this she said the event had “always been funded by the government of the UN member state hosting Cop”.

And while the UK is the host nation for this year’s delayed summit, Ms Sturgeon said: “I don’t know why the UK government has decided not to fund it – and it doesn’t actually really matter. But I do know that we cannot allow the world’s children and young people to be silenced in Glasgow on an issue so vital to their future.”

Speaking at the SNP national conference, Ms Sturgeon said the Conference of Youth would bring together young people from 140 countries around the world “specifically mandated by the UN to set out their asks of world leaders”.

Five young people from Scotland will be selected to represent the country as delegates and contribute to a statement to be produced at the end of the four day event, setting out what they want to see come from the negotiations.

The event will take place from 28-31 October and will be organised by YOUNGO, the youth wing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In our daily politics briefing, Matt Mathers writes about the latest Westminster goings-on.

“Another week, another U-turn. No 10 is scrapping vaccine passports amid reports of a backlash among the Tory grassroots – and days after the party fell behind Labour in a new poll. Elsewhere, experts are calling for “oppressive” elements of the policing bill to be removed and Labour leader Keir Starmer sets out his vision for the party.”

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More from Nicola Sturgeon now. Scotland’s first minister today described Brexit as an “unnecessary and unforgivable act” – one that is damaging Scottish businesses and causing food shortages.

The FM said: “That is what this Tory government has done – and there may yet be worse to come. The combination of the pandemic and a deeply hostile immigration policy is also causing labour shortages across many sectors.

“So the short-term costs are very clear – and very bad – but even greater damage will be felt in the long-term.”

She continued: “Westminster will use all that damage that they have inflicted as an argument for yet more Westminster control.

“They want us to believe we are powerless in the face of the disastrous decisions they have taken for us and the damage those decisions is doing.”

Following my post from this morning, Sir Keir Starmer has released some images of his meeting with three shop workers this morning in Bermondsey, London.

Over in Scotland, arguing her case for another Scottish independence referendum, Nicola Sturgeon said her approach to government and to politics “will be, as far as possible, co-operation not confrontation”.

She said” “The experience of the pandemic and the challenges we face as a result reinforces my view that this is the right approach.

“So it is in that spirit of co-operation that I hope the Scottish and UK governments can reach agreement – as we did in 2014 – to allow the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland to be heard and respected.”

“But, this much is clear. Democracy must – and will – prevail,” she said, suggesting Scotland will only accept one outcome.

The prime minister has not set a benchmark for when polling support for independence should trigger a second border poll in Scotland, No 10 said.

It comes after Cabinet minister Michael Gove and Scotland secretary Alister Jack signalled that 60 per cent support for an independent Scotland could warrant a new vote.

However, Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “No, we’ve never set a position on that. Our view is, as set out, that now would simply not be the time to be dealing with this.

“The public are looking to governments and leaders across the UK to lead us on dealing with this ongoing pandemic and recovering the economy.”

Pressed on the matter, the spokesman added: “We haven’t set any target or number.”

Downing Street has suggested people who face losing £20 a week in Universal Credit could “progress” in their careers – or find a new one.

Asked about the move by reporters, Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “We know people have to adjust to a change in their payment and we are supporting people to increase their incomes in a number of ways.

“We are helping people learn new skills so they can progress to better jobs, indeed our Plan for Jobs provides a number of schemes which will help people learn these new skills and progress in their careers, and we are hiring 13,500 new work coaches to that end.”

He continued: “It is true we want to provide people with more skills and more training so that they can progress either in their chosen career or find another one.”

It comes hours after Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, suggested people needed to work extra hours to cover the cuts.

Over to Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon has condemned the UK government’s “utterly devastating” plan to cut £20 a week from Universal Credit payments.

The SNP leader said the move would “expose an absence of basic humanity and moral compass”.

“This will be the biggest overnight reduction to a basic rate of social security since the 1930s. It will affect millions across the UK, and hundreds of thousands here in Scotland,” she said.

“In Scotland alone it risks pushing 60,000 people – including 20,000 children – into the formal definition of poverty. Most of those affected are either in work or not able to work due to health or caring responsibilities. It will quite literally take food out of children’s mouths – it will drive people into debt and, in some cases, to destitution and despair.”

Acknowledging her less than close relationship with the PM, Ms Sturgeon said: “Now, it’s no secret that I’m not Boris Johnson’s biggest fan – and no doubt the feeling is mutual – but I really struggle to believe that anyone’s conscience would allow them to proceed with this.”

“So if this deeply cruel cut does happen, the only conclusion it will be possible to reach is that Boris Johnson simply has no shame,” she said, adding: “Please, prime minister, for the sake of millions of desperate people across the country, do not let that be history’s verdict upon you.”

Following my last post, Boris Johnson has refused to give reporters in Leicester a yes or no answer over rumours of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle.

Asked by reporters if No 10 was planning on ringing the changes, Mr Johnson replied: “I think people in this country are focused on bouncing through from Covid and the plan for jobs.

“What I am here to talk about is our plan for jobs, which is working – I think nobody expected the economic rebound to be as strong as it is.

“You’ve now got unemployment two million lower than forecast.

“What’s so exciting – and it’s encouraging – is that wages are now 4 per cent higher than they were before the pandemic.”

We’ve been here before. Boris Johnson has given his backing to home secretary Priti Patel, who is facing allegations she may have breached the ministerial code regarding a meeting with a billionaire Tory donor.

While visiting a British Gas training academy in Leicester on Monday, the PM was asked by reporters if Ms Patel had done anything wrong.

He said: “No – she’s doing an excellent job as home secretary and will continue to do so.”