Daily Update – 31st August

Politics Live

5:00pm – And that’s all from us!

Join us tomorrow for more news and updates.

3:35pm – Sturgeon delivers speech on Green partnership

Sturgeon has delivered a speech setting out the SNP’s parternship with the Greens.

Much of the emphasis was on the environment, with the first minister saying the “climate and nature emergency” must be addressed urgently.

She also emphasised the “undeniable” mandate for a second referendum, with the SNP & Greens holding 72 of 129 seats in parliament.

2:50pm – Covid passport plan to continue

The government has announced plans to continue with the covid passport scheme, despite concerns from the hospitality industry.

A government spokesperson said: “We set out broadly our intention to require vaccination for nightclubs and some other settings. We will be coming forward in the coming weeks with detail for that.”

1:19pm – Geronimo dead

Yes it’s a slow news day, but Geronimo the alpaca has been put down.

‘The infected animal was moved from the premises and euthanised by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency as a necessary measure to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).’

11:30am – Geronimo the alpaca taken away by Defra

After much furore, Geronimo the alpaca has been taken away by Defra.

The department for environment, food and rural affairs have said the alpaca, which tested positive for TB, must be put down despite protestations from the animal’s owner.

10:35am – Raab: ‘Nation building’ in Afghanistan unrealistic

Dominic Raab has said that the mission in Afghanistan was not “realistic”. The foreign secretary, talking to Sky News, said: “Afghanistan was originally about counter terrorism but did morph into something akin to nation building. We need to be realistic in an inhospitable climate like Afghanistan about the extent to which over 20 years those objectives were reconciled with the means to achieve them”

9:25am – Raab hits back at US over Pentagon leaks

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab says he “doesn’t recognise” claims that US military figures wanted to close the Abbey Gate at Kabul’s airport as “being accurate at all”.

Pentagon sources have placed blame on the UK for requesting to keep the gate open, despite warnings of an imminent terrorist attack. More than 180 people were killed in the attack.

8:45am – Today’s main headlines

  • Taliban take over Kabul airport as US troops leave
  • Concerns as vaccine uptake in Europe slows
  • RAF prepared to strike against IS in Afghanistan says officer

8:30am – Newspaper headlines

  • Metro: The last flight – Many front pages focus on Afghanistan, as the final flights carrying US troops leave Kabul. This ends 20 years of US presence in the country.
  • The Daily Telegraph: RAF ready to launch fresh IS strikes in Afghanistan – The UK could launch air strikes in Afghanistan to target Islamic State in the country.
  • The Times: Pentagon leaks blame UK for bombing deaths – The Times report on a leak of Pentagon notes suggested the UK was to blame for the bombing attack as the US reportedly kept open a gate at Kabul, despite warnings of a terror attack, to help the British evacuation.
  • Financial Times: US covid surge sparks EU threat to reimpose travel restrictions – A surge of infections and hospital admissions in the US has sparked a warning by the EU that restrictions could be reimposed.

8:00am – Welcome back to another day of Politics Live!