Top story: Brexit continues to reshape party politics

Hello, I’m Warren Murray and if you only read a few things today, here they are.

Theresa May’s appeasement of hardline leavers has been cited by three Conservative MPs – Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston – for their quitting the party to join the new Independent Group. Asked if she could ever return, Allen said: “If we do our jobs properly, there won’t be a Tory party to go back to. We’re about creating something better that is bang smack in the centre ground of British politics, that people out there, I am convinced, we are convinced, want.”

Last night, Allen told ITV’s Peston that “a third of the party” – around 100 of her former colleagues – shared her frustrations at its direction. The Tory former attorney general Dominic Grieve told the BBC: “The government which I am supporting implementing a no-deal Brexit - what would I do? I would not be able to maintain my support of the government. I would have to leave the party.”

Play Video 2:02 Tory defectors: why we're leaving the party – video

At a press conference, Soubry said: “The rightwing, the hardline, anti-EU awkward squad that have destroyed every leader for the last 40 years are now running the Conservative party from top to tail.” The latest defections increase the Independent Group’s number to 11, and May’s already tenuous working majority is cut to eight – though the parliamentary arithmetic in next week’s crucial votes is unlikely to change, because the 11 MPs were already confirmed Brexit rebels. On the Labour side, recriminations from Corbynites continue against the founders of the Independent Group: the Momentum movement has declared it will unleash “mass canvassing events” in the constituencies of Chuka Umunna, Ann Coffey and Angela Smith, putting pressure on them to step aside for byelections.

In Brussels, there was little sign of a resolution on the Irish backstop after May met with Jean-Claude Juncker. The latter had a plaster on his cheek from cutting himself while shaving or, as he put it, “an unfortunate gesture this morning. I am just telling you this because I don’t want you to think that Mrs May is responsible for this injury.”

Dozens die in building blaze – In a developing story overnight, at least 70 people have died in a huge fire that tore through apartment buildings that doubled as chemical warehouses in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka. “The number of bodies may increase. The search is still going on,” said Ali Ahmed, Bangladesh’s fire service chief. Dozens of people were trapped in the buildings as the highly combustible stores of chemicals, body sprays and plastic granules erupted in flames. Bystanders, including a wedding party, were caught up as flames raced through four adjoining buildings, which were also used as chemical warehouses. A police inspector at the Dhaka Medical College hospital said at least 45 people were injured, including four whose conditions were critical.

Calvin Harris savours two Brits – The Scottish dance music producer Calvin Harris and soft rock band the 1975 have been the biggest winners at the 2019 Brit awards. Success at the Brits had previously eluded the highest-paid DJ in the world, but he finally triumphed with British producer and British single for One Kiss, his UK no 1 with Dua Lipa, who in 2018 won the British female and breakthrough artist awards.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Calvin Harris accepts the award for British producer at the Brits. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

The 1975 took home British album of the year for A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and also won British group, having previously won in 2017.

Play Video 1:06 Women at the fore of the Brit awards 2019 – video report

Beyoncé and Jay-Z made a much-discussed statement as they accepted the award for best international group – posing in front of a portrait of Meghan Markle styled as Queen Victoria, a show of support for the duchess amid sustained press scrutiny. Here is the full list of winners.

Bangladesh refuses to take Begum – Bangladesh has rejected the British government’s demand that the Isis runaway Shamima Begum go there instead of being taken back by the UK. “She is a British citizen by birth and never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh,” said Shahriar Alam, the Bangladeshi foreign minister. “There is no question of her being allowed to enter into Bangladesh.” Sajid Javid, the British home secretary, has faced questions in the Commons as he pushes ahead with trying to deprive Begum of her citizenship. Javid said her newborn son would be considered separately: “Children should not suffer, so if a parent loses their British citizenship it does not affect the rights of their child.” The White House has moved to block the return of Alabama woman Hoda Muthan – despite Donald Trump calling for European countries to take back and prosecute their own jihadist nationals.

Poorer as a nation – Austerity policies have dragged on the UK economy to the tune of £300 per household, per month since the Conservatives came to power, according to the New Economics Foundation thinktank. Its analysis says that under the programme of cuts first introduced by a Tory coalition with the Liberal Democrats, the economy has been left £100bn smaller than it would otherwise have been. In a report by MPs to be published today, ministers will be urged to help revive the UK’s ailing high streets by considering taxing online sales, deliveries or packaging, and cutting property taxes for retailers.

Planetoid potshots – Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe will tonight fire a pellet at an asteroid to try and kick up enough dust to bring back to Earth. Using a “sampler horn” on its underbelly, it will seek to gather the debris from the 1km-wide rock named Ryugu. In the next month or so Hayabusa 2 is scheduled to blast a new crater in Ryugu in order to collect more fresh material. Just while we’re in space: Nasa has discovered a new moon zipping around Neptune at 20,000mph (yes, we’re using both miles and kilometres in this segment, our science desk likes to mix it up). It has been named Hippocamp and was first spotted by the venerable Hubble space telescope. Hippocamp orbits Neptune once every 22 hours, 10 times faster than our Moon goes round Earth.

Today in Focus podcast: Has Brexit broken British politics?

Eleven MPs have now left their political parties to join the Independent Group. The Guardian’s political editor Heather Stewart asks whether Brexit is pushing British party politics to breaking point. And, Nosheen Iqbal on Sajid Javid revoking Shamima Begum’s citizenship.

Lunchtime read: ‘A vital stake in our future’

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Facebook Twitter Pinterest Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of the Guardian. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

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Sport

England recorded their highest-ever run chase in the first ODI in Bridgetown, beating West Indies by six wickets with tons from Jason Roy and Joe Root, despite Chris Gayle’s 135. Pep Guardiola said Manchester City are not yet ready to “fight for the Champions League” after his team’s last-gasp win at Schalke in their last-16 opening leg. In Madrid, José Maria Giménez and Diego Gódin scored late goals to give Atlético a 2-0 win over Juventus. England’s Billy Vunipola lived in Wales as a child but says he is committed to helping England win their crucial Six Nations encounter, an encounter Welshman George North is happy to win “ugly or pretty”.

The Williams deputy principal, Claire Williams, has said her team’s failure to run a car in Formula One testing for the opening two and half days was an embarrassment unparalleled in their 40-year history. And rugby player Nico Lee has received a 13-week ban after he “cleared the contents of his nose” on to an opposition player’s face.

Business

The Swiss bank UBS has been ordered to pay €4.5bn (£3.9bn) by a French court for helping wealthy clients dodge tax in a series of rulings that will leave it almost £8bn out of pocket. Futures trade is showing a likely modest rise when the FTSE100 opens for business later this morning while the pound is buying $1.303 and €1.149.

The papers

The front pages focus on the three Tory MPs who have left the party over Brexit. The Mirror calls it “Brexodus” and a sign of “Tories in Meltdown”. The i reports: “Tories join the exodus” and the Guardian says “Now the Tories split: rebels denounce grip of hardliners”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Guardian front page, Thursday 21 February 2018. Photograph: Guardian

The Sun says “Split hits the fan”. The Express shows Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston smiling as they walk down the street but gives it the headline “No laughing matter”. Some papers focus on the comment by Allen that “if we do our jobs right there won’t be a Tory party to go back to”. The Telegraph’s splash is: “Tory defectors march out with a vow to destroy the party” and the Mail has “I want to kill off Tory party”.

The Times says “Cameron made late bid to halt Tory defections”. The FT also features a story about the defection but leads with: “Watchdog leaves Sainsbury’s £7bn takeover of Asda close to collapse”.

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