UK politics: I never called for rainbow lanyard ban, claims Esther McVey – as it happened

Esther McVey had said civil servants should leave their political views ‘at the building entrance’. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/REX/Shutterstock

6.20pm BST

We are now closing this blog but you can read all our UK politics coverage here.

6.00pm BST

Early evening summary

• Hundreds of court hearings have been postponed at the last minute after ministers introduced emergency measures to deal with overcrowded prisons.

• Keir Starmer accused Rishi Sunak of using the early release scheme to give dangerous prisoners “get-out-of-jail” cards at PMQs. In response, Sunak claimed dangerous prisoners were not being let out – even though Starmer was able to quote from a report saying this is exactly what has happened at Lewes prison. (See 1.29pm.)

• More than 2,000 households a month are facing homelessness in England because private landlords say they are selling up, with some blaming uncertainty caused by government delays to renting reforms.

• Esther McVey, the Cabinet Office minister, has claimed that she never proposed a ban on civil servants wearing rainbow lanyards in her speech on Monday. (See 5.12pm.)

Updated at 6.01pm BST