Alex Salmond tells Laura Kuenssberg:

Ash Regan has agreed to meet Humza Yousaf in the next couple of days.

Dismisses claims in papers that he is focussing on an electoral pact with SNP.

Alba executive meeting this afternoon to discuss preparations for possible Scottish elections.

Captain Sir Tom Moore's home on sale for £2.25m bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…

.James Cleverly🇬🇧: A Tory leadership contest post-local elections would be a ‘catastrophically bad idea’.

I’m not from Rishi Sunak’s ‘political tribe… I didn’t know him’. But PM is hardworking. Feeding the ‘psychodrama’ is ‘not good government’.

'My operational independence was tested pretty regularly'.

Interesting admission from ex Police Scotland chief constable Sir Iain Livingstone.
He was speaking at the NI select committee in his current role as lead officer for Operation Kenova.

BREAKING The former Scottish National Party chief executive Peter Murrell has been charged in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the SNP. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotla…

Rwanda deportation scheme – what happens next?

Joe Pike explains:

Labour’s Angela Rayner says she will resign if she’s found to have broken the law.

It follows Greater Manchester Police announcing that they are investigating her former living arrangements. But why?

Newsnight's Joe Pike explains the row:

Tonight on #Newsnight with me - we explain why Angela Rayner is being investigated, what an Iran attack on Israel might look like, and we hear from the actors behind #Bluey ’s parents in the hit cartoon show. 1030pm 📺

NEW: Angela Rayner says she'll resign if convicted of breaking electoral law.

'If I committed a criminal offence, I would of course do the right thing and step down. The British public deserves politicians who know the rules apply to them.'

EXCL: Data obtained by Newsnight + analysed by BBC suggests NHS England adult gender clinics facing 10 year backlog of 1st appointments.
NHS Eng confirm they will begin a review into adult services in “coming weeks”.
Full story 22:30 BBC Newsnight
1/2
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-686029…

A significant sentence from Angela Rayner this afternoon:

“I would like to see Diane Abbott back. But Labour needs to follow its procedures.”

Also says she hopes Abbott stands at the next election.

Will the government's new definition of extremism - due to published tomorrow - help stamp out extremist ideologies as it claims?

Joe Pike takes a look a what the updated guidance is likely to include - and critics' concerns around free speech and protest.

#Newsnight

EXCL: Labour chair Anneliese Dodds writes to Conservative opposite number with more questions about Frank Hester/ Diane Abbott row.

No 10 and CCHQ say they don’t comment on membership or speculate on future donations. One source suggests Hester may never have been Tory member.

NEW: Scottish conservatives say the UK Party has to “carefully review” donations given from Frank Hester

Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng on Frank Hester’s alleged comments about Diane Abbott:

“They are clearly racist and they are clearly sexist… They were very stupid remarks.”

#PoliticsLive

#Newsnight 1030pm

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