Firefighters vote for first national strike in 20 years as talks to avert teacher strikes fail – as it happened

Kevin Courtney (left) and Mary Bousted, joint general secretaries of the National Education Union (NEU) speak to the media outside the Department of Education in London. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

6.01pm GMT

Early evening summary

• Firefighters across the UK have voted for a national strike over pay for the first time in 20 years after an “overwhelming” ballot result.

• Strikes by teachers in England and Wales will go ahead this week after last-ditch talks between union leaders and the government broke up without any progress.

• Rishi Sunak has said he can “restore the integrity back into politics” as he began a fightback against the political damage from sacking Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative party chair for breaches of the ministerial code over his tax affairs.

• The head of an investigation into Richard Sharp’s appointment as the BBC chair has recused himself from the process, admitting the pair have met several times.

Rishi Sunak doing a Q&A at Teesside University in Darlington this morning. Photograph: Oli Scarff/PA

5.55pm GMT

Government defeated in Lords as peers insist on stricter definition of what counts as disruption in public order bill

In the House of Lords peers have started voting on the public order bill. Amnesty International UK describes it as “deeply draconian” and there are a series of amendments down at report stage which would make it significantly less draconian.

In the first vote, peers backed a Labour amendment, with cross-party support, designed to raise the threshold for what counts as serious disruption. The bill as drafted by the government is designed to lower the threshold, so as to make it easier for the police to arrest protesters.

The amendment was passed by 243 votes to 221 – a majority of 22.

Moving the amendment, Labour’s Lord Coaker said that without change, the bill would outlaw protests “that all of us would regard as reasonable, all of us would regard as acceptable”.

This is from the pressure group Liberty.

No it won't because...

BREAKING

The House of Lords has binned Gov's attempts to lower the threshold of 'serious' disruption to make it easier to criminalise people who stand up for causes they believe in#PublicOrderBill https://t.co/QIuUkDOAqY

— Liberty (@libertyhq) January 30, 2023

Updated at 6.05pm GMT