NEW: Rishi Sunak to hold telephone call with Benjamin Netanyahu shortly. PM expected to urge his Israeli counterpart to show 'restraint' in responding to Iran's missile attack

Liz Truss warns Tory MPs against backing the govt's planned smoking ban, telling them: 'If people want to vote for finger-wagging control freaks there are plenty of them on the opposition benches. If they want freedom, that is why they vote Conservative'

As pointed out by Lib Dem Life (Simon McGrath), the Lib Dems are now in favour of banning tobacco but legalising cannabis🤷‍♂️libdems.org.uk/cannabis

I am not in favour of legalising cannabis myself but its Party policy and I can’t see how Ed Davey can be in favour of it and voting for the smoking ban.

Health Sec Victoria Atkins suggests smoking ban could also curb drug use, telling MPs: 'Although I have no experience of it myself, I understand the consumption of marijuana does also involve the consumption of tobacco and cigarette papers'

Labour having fun with Liz Truss publication day…

Michae Gove says Thames Water is guilty of 'serious mismanagement for which they must carry the can'

Summer election latest

New Rallings and Thrasher analysis of the local elections for LGC suggests the Conservatives could lose *half* the seats they're defending on May 2 lgcplus.com/politics/gover…

🍫🍫🍫THE CHOCOLATE CRISIS — an UPDATED thread🆕🆕🆕:

Retail chocolate prices are rising (and will increase much further, while shrinkflation will reduce sizes) after wholesale cocoa prices surged to an unthinkable all-time high of ***$10,000 a ton*** on Tuesday.

1/15 @Opinion

Govt to halt routine Covid tests for people being discharged from hospital into care homes, as part of updated 'living with Covid' plan questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statem…

And once we've got *Easter* out of the way, we'll be coming right back to this emergency...

No 10 declares a ‘migration emergency’ as it piles pressure on Parliament to pass the Rwanda Bill. Noting that 514 people crossed the Channel in small boats yesterday, the PM’s spokesman said: ‘Without this Bill, thousands of people will continue to be trafficked across Europe’

Hang on, yesterday he said he only joined because he wanted to change it from the inside - who will lead the feminist revolution now?

‘Penny had her chance to become leader…she didn’t win!’

Esther McVey discusses the future of the Conservative Party.

Simon Case claims he joined the all-male Garrick because he believed 'profoundly' in reform of the 'antediluvian' bar on women from within - when quizzed by Liam Byrne at liaison sub committee.
Rather a niche way to show profound devotion to the cause of equality....

Just a Tory rebel suggesting the King could appoint a new PM if Rishi Sunak asks for an election without the support of his MPs 😬

Transport Sec Mark Harper tells Times Radio he has 'full confidence' in Rishi Sunak and tells Tory MPs to knuckle under, saying: 'Politics is a team game'

Transport Sec Mark Harper suggests the election will be held 'at the end of the year'

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper plays down qs about Ed Davey’s role in the Post Office scandal, saying: ‘Most people are not bothered about who knew what, when’