The son of Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, has been arrested for biting a police officer on Whitehall on Friday. He was charged in Westminster magistrates court yesterday. Cambridge-educated James was bailed over to appear in Central London magistrates court in February.

The incident happened outside the Foreign Office from where he was sacked from his Rome Embassy job in June. More to follow…

UPDATE: Guido understands Abbott has pulled out of a TV Debate tomorrow. She has been subbed in for by Shadow Policing Minister, Louise Haigh.