i love that my constituents want to share their talents and discoveries to make the world a better place and tackle inequalities. my constituents more defections over brexit, make my head and heart phase with this time from the conservatives — possibilities. i want to feel that three mps leave the party, way in westminster as well. i am accusing it of moving to the right. tired of feeling numb. today, anna soubry, sarah wollaston and heidi allen sat alongside my wonderful colleagues, i with the independent group of mps have resigned from the conservative at prime minister's questions — party. it was the tottenham riots in the tory deputy chairman found out about the defections live on air. 2011 that stimulated my changing career. i was busy running my own what is your reaction? obviously it manufacturing business. i had no political interest whatsoever and is disappointing, very sad and disappointing. never even thought about joining we'll bring you all the news and analysis from westminster. political interest whatsoever and never even thought aboutjoining a political party. watching the also this lunchtime: newsnight after night, it was as a the family of the uk flawed kitchener was pointing his teenager who left tojoin finger out of the screen at me. your the islamic state group in syria say they will challenge country needs you. that raw hunger the government decision to revoke her british citizenship. to serve my country and offer my plans to merge sainsbury‘s and asda are in doubt after the markets watchdog says it could push up skills and experience led me to the prices for shoppers. one person has died and three are injured after a rare on—piste conservative party. i believe that

under david cameron and his big avalanche in the swiss alps. society, the party like me was and no—fly zones for drones ambitious for the country. it was around airports are to be widened after the chaos challenging the nasty party image and proven that in fact we could be at gatwick in december. and proven that in fact we could be a party of both competence and compassion. . so why, so often, too and coming up on bbc news, manchester city continue their quest for a historic quadruple this often in the last three years have i evening with a tricky away leg in the last 16 found myself going over the top of the champions league against the german side schalke. fighting for benevolence in our welfare system ? fighting for benevolence in our welfare system? the department for work and pensions has had six secretaries of state in three years. six. you would not run a business like that and expected to succeed. how can it possibly be acceptable when you are completely redesigning our welfare safety net? particularly when that innate is so vital when we good afternoon and welcome are at our lowest and when we need to the bbc news at one. three conservative mps have resigned it most. —— net is so vital. those from the party over brexit and what they call the tories‘ shift to the right. that rely on the net are people, not anna soubry, sarah wollaston numbers. i should that rely on the net are people, not numbers. ishould not that rely on the net are people, not numbers. i should not have to feel that the only option left open to me and heidi allen will all now sit is to take a camera crew around the country to send a devastating

with the new independent group, spotlight on poverty for stoppage should not be this hard. i believed made up of eight former labour mps, who left their party earlier this week. in a joint letter to theresa may, i was part of a party who worked the three said the party was in the grip of the democratic unionists and of hard—line brexiteers, collaboratively, welcomed knowledge and had the empathy to feel. but i and that leaving the eu had "redefined the conservative party — undoing all the efforts have slowly but surely realised that to modernise it". theresa may said she was iam have slowly but surely realised that "saddened," but that her party i am not. i would "always offer... have slowly but surely realised that iam not. i can have slowly but surely realised that i am not. i can no longer represented government and party who decent, moderate and cannot open their eyes to the patriotic politics". here's our correspondent suffering endured by the most nick eardley. vulnerable in society. suffering which we have deepened whilst having the power to fix. the conservatives this might look fairly normal, but we re the power to fix. the conservatives were always recognised as the party it's a big deal here. these three should turn left, but turning right of economic competence, but when we allowed a cabinet shows they have just resigned from the conservative party, taking their seats in a new political home, anna soubry, sarah wollaston and heidi allen taking their seats with the independent group. they said that

brexit has redefined the conservative party, undoing all the effo rts conservative party, undoing all the efforts to modernise it. there has been a dismalfailure efforts to modernise it. there has been a dismal failure to stand up to the brexit supporting arg. we haven't changed, the conservative party has, and it no longer reflects the values and beliefs we share with millions of people throughout the united kingdom. the deputy chairman, james cleverly, was told of the resignations live on air. heidi allen, anna soubry and sarah wollaston have resigned. what is your reaction? it is obviously disappointing. it is very sad and disappointing. it is very sad and disappointing. this all began on monday when seven labour mps quit their party. they have now been joined by an eighth, joan ryan, and there are warnings more could follow. i could no longer ask people to vote forjeremy corbyn to be prime minister of this country, because i don't believe he is fit to because i don't believe he is fit to be prime minister of this country. this is no longer a i—party issue. labour mps this is no longer a i—party issue. labourmps and

this is no longer a i—party issue. labour mps and conservative mps are both saying we have had enough, we can no longer support the party we have been members of the years. the impact of this will ultimately have on the political landscape will not be clear for weeks on the political landscape will not be clearfor weeks or on the political landscape will not be clear for weeks or months, but what is clear is that their historical allegiances of parliament are fraying. will they for a further? will there be further mps joining soon? at a turbulent political time, more questions about the future, with answers that are farfrom the future, with answers that are far from clear. the future, with answers that are farfrom clear. nick eardley, bbc news, westminster. in a moment we'll speak to our assistant political editor norman smith in westminster — but first let's go to our reporter simon dedman who's in heidi allen's constituency in cambridgeshire. simon, what are people saying to you? read two, when heidi allen was elected here in 2015, she could have expected to be an mp for as long as she wanted to. this seat is a safe conservative seat. there has

certainly been some surprised by some conservative members i have been speaking to just up the road in an area called camborne, but a lot of people saying that they would still support her. i have spoken to one senior conservative this lunchtime in this area who said that he is disappointed that she has decided to go, that he respects her decision, but says that the conservative party here is still quite a broad church. but it will be interesting to see what happens. this part of cambridgeshire did vote to remain. will she really stick on a brexit ticket as an independent mp now, and also, last year, there was a bit ofa now, and also, last year, there was a bit of a surprise, because whereas in westminster there has been that joke that there are enough lib dem mps to have a dinner party, here last year there was a bit of a surprise, the lib dems took the council from the conservatives. simon, many thanks.

0ur assistant political editor norman smith is in westminster. how big a blow is this for theresa may? it is big, it is a psychological blow to lose three of your mps for an already battered and bruised prime minister. the minority government becomes ever more of a minority, making it harder to get non—brexit vote through. it is big because of what they say about the modern tory party, that misses may has failed to stand up to the sort of ha rd has failed to stand up to the sort of hard right european research group, that it is no longer the open—hearted tolerance one nation tory party that they believe in. and i suppose on the other side, it could potentially be a big moment for this fledgling new independent group. they now number 11, the same as the liberal democrats. they have still got a bit of momentum. the

danger was they launched on monday and fizzled out by wednesday. they are still going. and the fact these are still going. and the fact these are three women may bolster their claim to try and stand for a different sort of politics, a more inclusive, welcoming sort of politics. now, there is a long, long way to go, but to be in no doubt, todayis way to go, but to be in no doubt, today is a big day. and norman, what are these defections now likely to do to the brexit parliamentary arithmetic? on the face of it, they won't make any difference to the brexit numbers. these 11 mp5, the three latest defectors, they are always going to vote against pretty much whatever misses may does on brexit, so on the raw numbers, it won't make much difference. however, it could have a significant impact on both parties. for those tory remainders, those ministers who have been mulling over whether they should rebel against misses may over this deal, their

decision, the fact that it takes courage to abandon your party, may stiffen their sinews and embolden them to rebel against misses may. and on the labour side, it may yet push mr corbin ever closer to backing another referendum if he fears that by not doing so, there could be another haemorrhage of labour mps to this new movement. norman smith. the three former conservative mps will be giving a news co nfe re nce conservative mps will be giving a news conference in the next few minutes. we will bring you some of what they have had to say before the end of the programme. the family of the london teenager shamima begum, who wants to return to the uk after living with the islamic state group in syria, says it will challenge the decision to revoke her british citizenship. the family's lawyers says the 19—year—old has never had a bangladeshi passport and is not a dual citizen. but whitehall officials insist that shamima begum has not been ‘left stateless.‘ simon jones reports. she wants to return home, but she's

been told she is not welcome. shamima begum says she is shocked and heartbroken by the government's decision. the east londoner remains in a refugee camp in syria. she joined the islamic state group when she was 15, but has now fled fierce fighting and hasjust given birth. i just want forgiveness, really, from the uk. everything i've been through, i didn't expect i would go through that. she's been accused of showing no remorse after she equated the children killed in the manchester bombing two years ago with people being bombed by coalition forces in is—held areas of syria. are you sure that shamima begum won't be left stateless, home secretary? the home secretary says his priority is the safety and security of britain. in order to deprive someone of their british citizenship, the home secretary needs to be satisfied that it's conducive to the public good, and that they've conducted themselves in a manner seriously prejudicial to the interests of the uk. he must also be sure they are able to become a national of another country.

the home office believes shamima begum is eligible for bangladeshi citizenship, as her mother is thought to be a bangladeshi national. 0fficials insist she will not be left stateless. her family is considering all legal avenues to contest the decision. the next steps would be, i assume that miss begum is going to appeal against the decision to the special immigration appeals commission, and that process can be very, very lengthy. and complex. and one of the greatest problems that i have with the system is that much of the evidence against an individual is in closed procedures, meaning that neither miss begum nor her lawyers will have access to it, or will be able to challenge it in open court. the birth of her baby boy, whom she was carrying underneath her clothes when the bbc interviewed her, further complicates the situation. the baby is entitled to british nationality. the baby is probably entitled to bangladesh nationality. and the baby's father is dutch.

dutch law is a little different. if the father, who apparently is still alive, avows that the baby, says that the baby is his, as he appears to be, then the baby can also receive dutch nationality. the question of her citizenship as a matterfor the british authorities, according to bangladesh's foreign secretary. miss begum has told a journalist she may try for citizenship via her dutch husband. any appeal could take years, so this refugee camp is likely to remain her home for the foreseeable future. simon jones, bbc news. 0ur correspondent shahnaz parveen is in the bangladeshi capital dhaka. what is being said about shamima begum's status? the news that the british teenager who may have bangladeshi origin ran away from home and went to syria to be with

islamic state soldiers, this issue is being talked about by many people here, and this news has been picked up here, and this news has been picked up by here, and this news has been picked up by local media, and even though she said that she has never used a bangladeshi passport, the name bangladeshi passport, the name bangladesh is still coming up because of her bangladeshi origin, so we have spoken to the bangladeshi secretary of the foreign ministry, and he has actually given us a straightforward answer, that it has nothing to do with bangladesh, and they don't know anything about this matter and that we should ask the british authorities about it. he actually has given us straight advice that we should ask the british authorities. ok, shahnaz parveen, thank you. the competition watchdog has dealt a potentially fatal blow to a planned merger beween sainsbury‘s and asda, warning it could push up prices

and cut choice for shoppers. the £10 billion deal, which was announced last year, would create the uk's biggest supermarket group, overtaking tesco. shares in sainsbury‘s have slumped this morning in response to the competition and markets authority's findings. our business correspondent simon gompertz reports. drive around a place like watford, and you see the problem with this giant merger. here is the sainsbury‘s, and not far off, competing with it at the moment, a big asda. joined together, would they charge us more? nearby, there is also the market leader, tesco. these three companies control 60% of uk grocery sales would go down to two. i don't think it will be an advantage to the shopper. it is more for them than for us. as lover standards don't drop, i don't mind. they will need to do it on the long term. the big supermarkets are pushing little be polite. the competition authority has identified

629 areas where there would be substantial lessening of competition. the petrol forecourt is overlapping 132 places, so there is concern about fuel competition, plus hundreds of spots where online shopping might be affected. essentially we are concerned that this may not be a good dealfor shoppers, because we think it is likely that prices will rise, service levels will deteriorate on both, and the reason we believe that is because of the reduced competition in shopping in supermarkets, grocery shopping online and purchases a fuel at the petrol filling stations. of the competition authorities have two possible solutions in mind. the first is for sainsbury‘s and asda to sell off a block of their supermarkets and possibly one of their names to create a new viable competitor, but the cna doubts whether that would work. the other possible remedy, to block the merger entirely. sainsbury‘s says discounters like audi and —— alde

and lidl are causing prices to be squeezed. they have price criteria which are unprecedented in the uk, andi which are unprecedented in the uk, and i would argue unprecedented in the world, so in the end, they are taking money out of customers' pockets. but as uk, with brexit looming and these competition rules, who would invest in this country? this is outrageous. this is the last word. sainsbury and asda still have a few weeks to make their case, but then leapfrogging a few weeks to make their case, but then lea pfrogging tesco a few weeks to make their case, but then leapfrogging tesco in size could be too big a merger to get the go—ahead. simon gompertz, bbc news. the time is a quarter past one. our top story this lunchtime. more defections over brexit — this time from the conservatives — three mps leave the party,

accusing it of moving to the right and coming up — back to the beach — how marine life is returning to the thai tourist location made famous by holywood. coming up on bbc news, england's cricketers start their build—up to this summer's world cup with the first match of the one—day series against the west indies in barbados. just before christmas there was chaos at gatwick when repeated sightings of drones forced the airport to close for more than a day. now, the government has announced that no—fly zones for drones around airports are being extended, to try and prevent a similar incident happening again. ministers also want police to have new stop and search powers to tackle drone misuse, as our transport correspondent tom burridge explains. film a drone with a drone and it's easy to spot. but further away it can

quickly disappear. that's just part of the challenge if someone is determined to illegally fly a drone near or into an airport. most drones can fly at more than 60 mph on preprogrammed flights, so detecting them, tracking them and countering them, if necessary, is anything but straightforward. from november all drones will have to be registered and if you fly one you will have to do some online training. today the aviation minister said drones exclusion zones around airports will be expanded from one kilometre to five kilometres from the middle of next month. that will help people understand that if anyone is flying a drone in that area, they are not doing so legally and that should help the police in the investigation. we are also boosting the campaign to ensure that people are aware of the rules. and we've also, we're also going to bring in a drones bill later this year which is going to expand police powers to help them

in their investigation. that will allow them to land and seize the drone and also expanding the use of stop and search powers. after the disruption at gatwick just before christmas, all major airports have been working on their procedures and systems to detect and possibly even combat drones. if we point the device at the drone... this nottinghamshire company also hopes the law will change so their equipment, which jams the signal a drone needs to operate, can be used more widely. gatwick has prompted a rethink. gatwick, for me, was a deliberate act, and something that we've not seen anywhere before, not only in uk but anywhere in the world, so it was really well planned, not using standard commercial drones. so if you've got a deliberate adversary who really knows about the technology and can apply it in a way to cause harm, then it is very, very difficult to combat that. the boss of one regional airport told me there is now a protocol so the military can be called in if necessary. but those in charge of regulating the aviation industry say it is a balance between safety and enabling the huge potential

that drones can offer. it is not just it is notjust airlines, they can pose a risk to helicopters and light aircraft as well but also they have aircraft as well but also they have a right to be in the airspace that they have a right to be in. most drones are programmed not to fly near an airport. but the technology is quickly evolving. those in charge of airport security are playing catch—up. tom burridge, bbc news, in nottinghamshire. research by bbc news shows that 40% of companies have a wider gender pay gap this year than last year. 0ur economics correspondent dharshini david is here. just remind us what the gender pay gap is. this is not the same as unequal pay for men and women? absolutely. you line up all the men in the company by salary are virtually of course, and all the women and compare their pay in the middle. so the pay gap is determined

by how many women you have and how similar they are put up all big companies must report their figures in the next six weeks. we took a look at the numbers and so far 1146 companies have reported their figures for the in those women are receiving a lower salary in 74% of cases. and as you say when you look at the detail 40% of companies are reporting a bigger pay gap than one year ago. some and particularly the banks are seeing pay gaps topping 30%. why is that happening? the short answer but there is no quick fix. there may be a good reason why it is widening, for example a company hiring more women at entry—level with a view to creating new leaders but of course that takes time. and the publishing of this figures is creating a debate that the government help will read the change in practice and culture. we

will get more companies reporting in the next few weeks and perhaps more headlines to come and perhaps people asking why the government is not taking more action. in france for example they are thinking about penalising firms that are not improving their pay gaps. authorities now say one person died, and three people were injured, in an avalanche at a popular resort ski resort in the swiss alps. the police have called off their search for any further survivors after tonnes of snow poured down onto the slopes at cra ns—monta na yesterday afternoon. this report from imogen foulkes contains images you may find distressing. it began as a perfect day in the mountains. good snow, sunny skies and with the half term holidays across europe, thousands of families out skiing. and then the unthinkable. that war in the background, the start of a huge

avalanche. —— roar. watch again as tonnes of snow fall down onto the marked slope. first reports suggested up to a dozen people were buried. a massive rescue operation was launched and police warned that this was a very serious incident. the avalanche is 840 metres long and 100 metres wide, 400 metres long and 100 metres wide, 400 metres of snow hit the ski slope directly. despite rescuers arriving quickly on the scene at this moment there are four injured including one whose life is in danger and three others with less serious injuries. rescuers continued to work all right. but they found no one else. the police say that no one has been reported missing, they now hope that the four people pulled from the snow yesterday where the only ones to be

trapped. but this morning came the sad news that one of the injured, the 34—year—old frenchman, working in the ski patrol service, had died in hospital. the search has now been called off. and an official investigation has begun. there are serious questions over how such a massive snow slide could ever hit a marked slope, especially when the risk of avalanche had been assessed as low full stop in the past half hour — it's emerged the last stronghold of the islamic state group in syria has fallen. baghouz a tiny village on the banks of the euprates was all that was left of the caliphate that once covered vast swathes of territory and controlled millions of lives. it had been under attack by american backed forces for the last two weeks. 0ur correspondent mark lowen is in erbil. a hugely significant moment?

extremely significant. within the last 20 minutes we heard from the syrian 0bservatory for human rights monitoring group, that this last patch of territory held by islamic state has finally been captured. we had extensive negotiations in the last few days to try to get the islamic state fighters to surrender and civilians being used as human shields to be evacuated. that has not happened and so the last piece of territory held by the islamic state group has fallen. extremely symbolic at its height islamic state controlled territory the size of the uk but this is not the end of the islamic state group. some of the fighters. they are in last last patch of territory we escape, we understand that the escape through tunnels in the desert. and after so much damage and poverty, there could

bea much damage and poverty, there could be a resurgence of islamic state in the next few months and years if sustained pressure is not brought to bear against them. if your employer asked you, would you get a microchip implanted into your hand? the first uk companies are looking at doing just that, using microchips permanently inserted under the skin, to allow access to buildings instead of traditional key cards. it's a new but — at the moment — unregulated technology. sasha twining from inside out in the south of england reports. at an industrial estate near southampton is the human implant company, bioteq. its director, stephen northam, claims they have implanted around 150 microchips already. and demand is still growing. more and more people want this technology and it probably will be, your passport, your credit card, your keys, in a chip in your hand, commonplace for everyone. that's the chip. one of the first companies in the uk offering microchips to staff is the 90—year—old local newspaper, the lymington times.

0wner eddie curry is going all bionic man, but reception in his office has been mixed. what are the sort of concerns that you're hearing? i think maybe big brother or having something medical done to them. i think some people are worried that we will know where they are. but it is entirely passive, there's no gps in them. so far eddie has had six people say they are up for the implant. a very interesting concept, i think i would like to let a few people try it out first before they put one in me. itjust seems a bit pointless when i can have one on my keys! do you really think it is worth it, for the ease of it? i think so, yes. or i wouldn't do it! well here it seems that not everyone is quite so keen. but in the united states it is starting to catch on and in sweden if you have an implant, you can even use it to pay for your train ticket. you know what? i'm quite liking the idea. i'm booked in with doctorjeff watson to have my implant.

but we aren't in a hospital, the procedure is being done at bioteq's offices. and that's the strange thing about this technology. it's currently unregulated. you could have done in a tattoo parlour or piercing salon. so other people could quite simply, not necessarily do it themselves, although actually i guess they might do that anyway? people do. people do? yes. people buy our kits and insert them themselves or find somebody who's willing to. but i think it's important that they are inserted under medical conditions. so there will be a bit of a buzz from the local anaesthetic