Your morning news briefing, Tuesday 29th October

29 October 2019, 05:59

Boris, Brexit, Elections and Dogs... It's the Tuesday morning briefing
Boris, Brexit, Elections and Dogs... It's the Tuesday morning briefing. Picture: PA
EJ Ward

By EJ Ward

Good morning and here is the latest in UK and world news you're waking up to.

It's the second day of the week and it's EJ here with all the news you need to kick start your day.

Grenfell Tower inquiry hit out at the London Fire Brigade

The London Fire Brigade's been accused of "systematic" failures and "serious shortcomings" in their response to the Grenfell Tower disaster.

72 people died during the 2017 fire, and an inquiry into the incident has criticised the fire brigade's "stay put" strategy - when residents were told to remain in the block for nearly two hours after the start of the fire.

Read the full story here.

The Prime Minister is looking for a pre-Christmas General Election
The Prime Minister is looking for a pre-Christmas General Election. Picture: PA

Boris's bid for a pre-Christmas General Election

Yesterday I reported the Prime Minister would attempt to secure a pre-Christmas election, today I report the Prime Minister is once again attempting to secure a pre-Christmas election after his bid to send the nation to the polling booths failed last night.

Boris Johnson had brought a motion under the Fixed Terms Parliaments Act to hold a General Election on December the 12th. MPs in the Commons did not provide him with the two-thirds majority he needed to secure this.

Speaking after the vote went against him Mr Johnson said he would try again today, the PM plans to return to Parliament with a "short" piece of legislation that would amend the terms of the FTPA.

This would mean the PM would only need a simple majority of MPs to support his bid for an election, rather than the current two-thirds of the Commons.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Johnson accepted a three-month delay to the Brexit date, abandoning his "do or die" pledge to take the UK out of the EU on Halloween.

Will the Prime Minister get his wish? By this time tomorrow the nation will know, keep checking LBC News for the latest, and you can listen online here.

Brexit coins...

Thousands of limited edition Brexit coins will be melted down after the UK's departure from the EU was delayed by three months.

The special 50p pieces, dated October 31 2019 were originally designed to be minted in time for Britain leaving the trading bloc this Friday.

But they will now be shredded and melted down now that the EU has agreed a Brexit extension with the UK Government.

A HM Treasury Spokesman said: "We will still produce a coin to mark our departure from the European Union, and this will enter circulation after we have left."

According to the Royal Mint website, precious metals, such as 50p coins, are sorted and shredded before being melted down.

Meanwhile, in other 50p news, the Royal Minit will launch a special Wallace and Gromit coin to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the animated double-act first hitting the screen.

The new 50p piece will have an image of the pair and the Latin inscription "caseus praestans", which translates as "cracking cheese."

Keith Vaz

Labour MP Keith Vaz is facing a six-month suspension after he was found to have "expressed willingness" to purchase cocaine for others.

Parliament's Standards Committee said he'd committed a "very serious breach" of the Commons code of conduct over an incident in 2016.

MPs will now have to vote on whether to enforce the recommended action.

The dog's identity remains classified according to Donald Trump...
The dog's identity remains classified according to Donald Trump... Picture: US Govt

And Finally... Trump's Tweets

Donald Trump has been mocked online after posting a bizarre tweet about a “wonderful” US military dog which helped during the mission to kill Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

He posted a picture of a Belgian Malinois which the President claims was part of the mission to kill the terror group leader in Syria.

Luckily Mr Trump said he had "declassified a picture of the wonderful dog" but, a disappointment for dog fans, the special forces dog's name remains classified.

That's it, you're up to date.