Rishi Sunak reshuffle: ‘red wall’ MP Lee Anderson named deputy Tory chair – as it happened

Lee Anderson has been appointed deputy chair of the Conservative party. Photograph: Jeff Gilbert/Alamy

5.27pm GMT

Afternoon summary

• Rishi Sunak has promoted the trade minister, Greg Hands, to replace Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative party chair as he carried out a mini-reshuffle to try to reassert his grip over his divided party and reshape the government to reflect his priorities. To coincide with the reshuffle, No 10 has published a 15-page report explaining how the machinery of government changes will work.

• The lord chief justice, Lord Burnett, revealed at a briefing that Rishi Sunak told him at a recent meeting that he regarded respect for the rule of law as “absolutely non-negotiable”. This came as Sunak appointed Lee Anderson as Conservative party deputy chairman. Anderson recently suggested to Tory MPs in a WhatsApp exchange that officials opposing the government’s Rwanda deportation policy on human rights grounds might be guilty of “treason”.

• Richard Sharp, the BBC chair, has revealed he personally informed Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak that he wanted the job before he applied, as he underwent a sometimes brutal interrogation from MPs over alleged conflicts of interest.

• John Major has launched a scathing attack on Boris Johnson’s handling of Brexit, saying his administration agreed to the Northern Ireland protocol despite knowing it was unworkable.

Updated at 5.32pm GMT

5.16pm GMT

Peers vote to remove clause from public order bill saying 'slow walking' could count as 'serious disruption'

Peers have also voted to remove a clause from the public order bill that would allow the police treat “slow walking” as a form of “serious disruption”, which would make it easier for them to stop or arrest the protesters engaged in it.

The provision was voted down by 254 to 240 – a majority 14.

This measure was only introduced to the bill in the Lords and so cannot return during parliamentary ping-pong as it was not in the original legislation that went before the Commons.

2nd Govt defeat today on #PublicOrderBilll, as Peers vote 254-240 against amendt (48), which tried to introduce new clause into the bill (*after it had left the Commons*) to put public processions - inc 'slow walking' - into scope as potential serious disruption. https://t.co/KKhk5V2UDy

— LabourLordsUK (@LabourLordsUK) February 7, 2023

Updated at 5.17pm GMT