Jamie Driscoll to stand as independent candidate for north-east mayor after quitting Labour and raising £30,000 – as it happened

North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll. Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

5.18pm BST

Afternoon summary

• Justine Greening, the Conservative former education secretary, has criticised Rishi Sunak’s plans to limit access to university degrees in England, accusing him of “anti-levelling up in action” if he presses ahead with the policy.

• Jamie Driscoll, the North of Tyne mayor who has been blocked from being Labour’s representative to contest the north-east mayoralty, has announced that he is resigning from the party to try to run as an independent candidate.

• Labour MPs and anti-poverty campaigners have attacked Keir Starmer’s commitment to keep the Conservatives’ controversial two-child benefit limit.

• Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, has signalled that the government is opposed to further concessions to the House of Lords on the illegal migration bill. (See 4.58pm.) He was speaking at the start of a debate after which MPs will vote to overturn a series of amendments passed by the Lords which Jenrick claimed would drive “a coach and horses” through the legislation. The bill will return to the Lords this evening, where peers will have the chance to vote yet again to water down the bill.

Comedian Dom Joly, dressed as Mickey Mouse, leading a Save the Children protest against the illegal migration bill on Westminster bridge today. Photograph: Lucy North/PA

Updated at 5.22pm BST

5.08pm BST

When the debate on the illegal migration bill finishes in the Commons, there could be up to eight divisions – taking up to two hours. After that the bill will return to the House of Lords, where the voting could go on very late. “The house may sit late,” the Lords schedule says.

In the Lords this afternoon the Labour peer Lord Harris of Haringey said the government whips were inflicting a “punishment beating” on peers by timetabling the votes like this. He said:

Is it not the case that the way that this is being structured is you like almost a sort of punishment beating for the House of Lords for daring to question a particular piece of legislation?

Would it not be better for us to agree that we finish at the normal time tonight then we can consider it at a sensible hour tomorrow [Tuesday]?

If the Commons need to consider it again they can either do it if they wish very late at night tomorrow or perhaps can wait until the following day [Wednesday].

In response Lady Williams, the government chief whip, said there was “nothing unusual about this ping-pong process”.

Updated at 5.11pm BST