The Government has been told to "come clean" about whether ministers threatened to withhold funding for public services from MPs if they did not vote to rescue Owen Paterson from suspension last week.

       Conservative backbenchers claim party whips had "gone hard" on MPs to shore up support before the controversial vote took place, with one unnamed backbencher telling the FT last week that some were told "they would lose funding for their constituency".

       Steve Reed, Labour's shadow communities secretary, has called on Michael Gove to "come clean" about conversations between ministers and MPs about how money is applied to different constituencies.

       There was "growing concern that ministers are misusing their power and potentially breaching the ministerial code of conduct to coerce MPs by making threats to funding for their constituents", he said. Labour is also calling for the Government to publish the selection criteria for funding, so that it is impossible for "ministers to corruptly seek to influence decisions in order to coerce MPs".

       Dominic Raab, the Justice Secretary, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "not privy to those conversations because I am not in the Whips Office".

       But he added: "There would have been no government decisions on investment across the country that would have political influence beyond the correct official criteria, processes, procedures... to make sure money goes where it is needed most."

       ？？Follow the latest updates below.

       Boris Johnson acknowledges a mistake was made in trying to conflate a vote on Owen Paterson's suspension with wider reform, Dominic Raab has said.

       But the Justice Secretary avoided apologising outright - or explaining why the Prime Minister has not apologised himself.

       Challenged over his failure to do so, Mr Raab swerved the question entirely and chose to condemn the vandalism of Peter Bone's office following the vote and the "tragic circumstances we have all been dealing with in the aftermath of the murder of Sir David Amess".

       He added: "Steve Barclay, who was the responsible minister in the Commons yesterday, and I am clear now and all ministers are, that it was a mistake to conflate the two things... and we regret that."

       Asked if Mr Johnson was sorry, he said: "I don't speak for the Prime Minister directly."

       The public knows about Sir Geoffrey Cox's high-earning job representing the British Virgin Islands because of the "strict rules" in place for second jobs, Dominic Raab has said.

       The former attorney general spent up to a month in the British Virgin Islands defending the tax haven as it faces a Foreign Office inquiry into corruption. During that time, the MP voted in the Commons by proxy.

       The Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister told LBC: "Well, you know about it precisely because of the transparency that's required and ultimately in terms of accountability it's for the voters, the listeners watching your show, to hold all of us to account, that's the ultimate accountability we have in our democracy."

       See 8:16am and 8:19am for more

       Dominic Raab, the Justice Secretary, has said he could not rule out threats being made to MPs over funding for their constituency ahead of a vote on Owen Paterson - but insisted the ultimate decision would not be made improperly.

       Asked about questions that have been raised by Labour's Steve Reed, the deputy prime minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "not privy to those conversations because I am not in the Whips Office".

       But he added: "There would have been no government decisions on investment across the country that would have political influence beyond the correct official criteria, processes, procedures... To make sure money goes where it is needed most."

       Mandatory vaccination for NHS staff could boost take-up of jabs - but there is a risk it could force people out of the workforce, the chief executive of NHS Providers has said.

       Chris Hopson told the Today programme "peer to peer" conversations are important in groups where there is lower take-up as long as authorities avoided "scapegoating people."

       He said: "There is no doubt that if you do it carefully, at the point when you announce the fact that you are going to have mandatory vaccinations in the sector, it does provide quite a useful opportunity to then have those kind of further conversations."

       Mr Hopson warned that the NHS and the social care sector losing "significant numbers of staff" would be a "real problem".

       He said: "We run these systems incredibly hot on very, very fine margins. Both of us have got around 90-100,000 vacancies.. losing significant numbers of staff, particularly given the pressure that both of the systems are under at the moment, is a real, real problem."

       Dominic Raab refused to comment on reports that an announcement was due on Tuesday over mandatory vaccination for NHS staff.

       The Justice Secretary told BBC Breakfast: "I don't comment on leaked reports about what the Government may or may not do, and that's just not the professional thing for a minister to do.

       "Obviously, we set out our announcements on this in the usual way.

       "I think it's right to say that we've been very mindful of encouraging greater take-up - or maximum take-up if you like - of the vaccination and the boosters to go with it, but not just across the country at large, but particularly in vulnerable settings, like care homes and in the NHS."

       See 8:23am for more

       The Northern Ireland Secretary has tested positive for Covid-19.

       Brandon Lewis tweeted that thanks to the vaccine he is experiencing "only mild symptoms".

       He is the second minister in two days to announce they have tested positive, after George Freeman yesterday revealed he had been confined to his bed after a "very bad" attack.

       An announcement on mandatory vaccinations for NHS staff in England is expected today, the chief executive of NHS Providers has said.

       Chris Hopson told BBC Radio 5 Live he was expecting a deadline to be introduced akin to the one brought in for care homes, adding: "I wouldn't be a surprise if that was introduced in the NHS."

       An extended deadline would mean that hospitals will be able to discuss concerns with vaccine-hesitant staff to explain that "it is in their interests and their patients' interests to get vaccinated", he added.

       Mr Hopson continued: "But I suspect that come the deadline, whenever it is set, there will still be some staff who are adamant that they don't want to get vaccinated and that is a very significant risk for the NHS."

       Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care have said they are not commenting on speculation over the proposals.

       Dominic Raab accused Labour of "politicisation" after the opposition accused Boris Johnson of running scared for not turning up to a Commons debate on standards on Monday.

       Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister said: "I don't think the politicisation by the Labour Party, given how much money that they take from the unions, is a particularly attractive look for Keir Starmer.

       "I think we ought to actually be coming together to make sure that there's public confidence in our institutions, including how we do our job as MPs, and that we've got a robust system for complaints or impropriety, but also a fair system. That's what we should all be working towards."

       It is ultimately up to voters whether they thought their MP was earning too much in a second job, Dominic Raab has said.

       Sir Geoffrey Cox, who before becoming attorney general was named the highest-earning MP, has come into the spotlight as he published his declarations amid the latest row (see below).

       But the Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister told BBC Breakfast that "there are very strict rules" on second jobs and that it was "respectable and legitimate" for MPs to hold other roles.

       Mr Raab said: "I think that people do want to see MPs and politics have exposure and experience that comes (from) outside the political world."

       He added this would "make sure we don't become ever more secluded and out of touch with the priorities of what's going on in the world outside the House of Commons".

       But Mr Raab said: "Ultimately, voters will decide on their MP and whether they're spending enough time doing the job for them as their constituents."

       Sir Geoffrey Cox was doing "legitimate" work for the British Virgin Islands, a minister has said, after it emerged the former attorney general had been paid up to ￡900,000 for defending the territory in an inquiry.

       Dominic Raab, Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister, told Times Radio that it was essential that "outside interests have to be properly declared".

       He added: "In relation to the British Virgin Islands, I was the foreign secretary that commissioned a commission of inquiry, given the allegations of misgovernance and very serious ones, including criminal wrongdoing.

       "I'm not going to get dragged into what individual MPs do, but actually having the former attorney general... actually, is a legitimate thing to do as long as it's properly declared.

       "And of course, it's quite important in that Parliament, which is responsible residually for some areas of our relationship with the overseas territories, we've got some knowledge of what's going on in those territories."

       Boris Johnson followed the Covid rules applied in clinical settings on a hospital visit on Monday, the Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister has said.

       The PM is being criticised after pictures showed him at Hexham General Hospital not wearing a face mask.

       Dominic Raab told Times Radio that "in any clinical setting, you follow the rules that are applied there".

       Mr Raab added that while he was not there, he understood the rules had been followed.

       The SNP's Pete Wishart has asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate allegations that Tory donors had been given seats in the House of Lords - although he insisted he was "not accusing anyone of anything".

       The shadow leader told Sky News: "The Pandora's box marked Tory sleaze has been opened for full examination, and what a rotten septic cesspit we found that to be."

       Challenged about a complaint about a ￡600,000 independence fund which is under investigation, he insisted the accounts had been "properly accounted for and given to the Electoral Commission."

       He dismissed such questions as "the greatest bit of whataboutery", adding: "The real issue and concern here is what the public feel about what they've seen, the behaviour of the Conservative Government, in the course of the past few days."

       More than 11,000 people have caught Covid and died after being admitted to NHS hospitals for other ailments, The Telegraph can disclose.

       Thousands of patients who went to hospital to be treated for other illnesses “probably” or “definitely” caught coronavirus during their stay and subsequently died, hospital data show.

       On Monday night, MPs condemned the figures as a “scandal”.

       The revelation has prompted fresh calls for vaccinations for NHS staff to become compulsory, amid fears that hospitals could struggle to cope during the winter.

       Read more here.

       For Boris Johnson, recess can't come soon enough.

       Having missed yesterday's bruising debate on sleaze, there is no let up in the criticisms and allegations being levelled at the Government. Opposition MPs have scented blood - but will they get the kill?

       Here is today's front page.

       Need help?

       Visit our adblocking instructions page.