Isabel Hardman

Pressure is mounting on Rishi Sunak and Gavin Williamson. The official who alleged that Williamson bullied them when defence secretary has made a formal complaint against him. This is significant because up to this point Williamson had claimed he was not aware of any ‘specific’ allegations and that no formal complaints had been made. It is also much more difficult when the complainants are officials, rather than fellow politicians who have to a certain extent opted into the hurly-burly of Westminster.  Then there are the claims of former deputy chief whip Anne Milton on Channel 4 News this evening that Williamson made inappropriate threats to a Tory MP in financial difficulty. He hasn’t yet responded to that interview from his ex-colleague.

Suella Braverman didn’t come to the Commons to answer the Urgent Question that her Conservative colleague Sir Roger Gale had asked about the immigration processing centre at Manston. Instead she sent a junior minister, Robert Jenrick, to respond. That’s not particularly unusual: cabinet ministers often use their juniors as a shield when difficult questions are being asked. In this instance, though, Jenrick was acting not just as a defence against political attacks on the Home Secretary, but also against further flame-throwing from the minister herself.  It was last week that Braverman told the Commons there was an ‘invasion’ of migrants coming across the Channel.

Rishi Sunak vs Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions today was spicier than many had expected. Both men enjoyed themselves, and though the new Prime Minister has barely had any time to prepare, he was assured and fluent. The session started with the Labour leader marking the appointment of the first Asian British Prime Minister, saying it was a 'significant moment in our national story'. Sunak thanked Starmer for those words, and said he looked forward to their 'serious and grown-up' exchanges in the future. Starmer's task today was to frame the third Conservative prime minister he's faced across the despatch box as being just like the rest, and not the breath of fresh air many Tories have been trying to suggest he is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Unlike Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak didn't skirt around the circumstances of the changing of the guard in No 10. His address on arriving in Downing Street as the new Prime Minister was very to the point. He paid tribute to his predecessor's 'noble aim' of wanting to improve growth and create change, but added:  'But some mistakes were made. Not borne of ill will, or bad in tensions – quite the opposite in fact – but mistakes nonetheless. And I have been elected as leader of my party and your Prime Minister, in part, to try to fix them.' Fixing problems was the theme of this entire address Fixing problems was the theme of this entire address. Sunak said 'economic stability and confidence' would be central to his agenda and that there would be 'difficult decisions to come'.

What is Rishi Sunak going to do as prime minister? We are still little the wiser, even after he addressed the nation from CCHQ with an extremely short and vague statement. Without managing to look into the camera filming him, he promised that he would bring the party and the country back together, and paid tribute to his predecessor for leading the country with 'dignity and grace'. Sunak had expected the wheels to come off the Truss government at some point, though the speed at which they did surprised him Sunak said 'there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge', and that unity was the 'only way we will overcome the challenges we face and build a better, more prosperous future for our children and our grandchildren'.

Sir Graham Brady has just given a statement outside the St Stephen’s entrance of parliament. The chair of the 1922 Committee said the new prime minister will be in place before the fiscal statement on 31 October, and that the party rules currently mean members will be taking part in the truncated leadership election to replace Liz Truss. There are a lot of candidates who could stand to replace the Prime Minister. Including the membership means that some of those candidates who might be feared by a good chunk of their colleagues could still do extremely well if they make it through to the final round.

In a sign of how chaotic tonight has been for the Conservative party, I have now been told that the Chief Whip Wendy Morton and her deputy Craig Whittaker have not left the government after all. I have spoken to Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker, who says: ‘I have just seen the deputy and he is categorical that neither he nor the chief have resigned.’ No. 10 has belatedly confirmed this too. Steve Baker seems to be the only minister trying to offer some kind of government line What seems to have happened is this. The whips instructed the party that the fracking vote would be a confidence issue this morning.

Finally, we hear from the Prime Minister. Liz Truss has given an interview to the BBC's political editor Chris Mason. It comes at the end of a day in which she was accused of 'hiding under a desk' and emerged in the Commons only for a silent half an hour of blinking occasionally. She apologised, saying: 'Firstly I want to accept responsibility and say sorry, for the mistakes that have been made.' Truss did not appear comfortable this evening. It would have been weird if she did The Prime Minister has left others to argue that the government is still functioning. What she hasn't done, until now, is offer any argument about why she should remain in office when Jeremy Hunt is effectively in power.