Senior Conservative backbenchers are expected to regroup today and decide whether to press ahead for changes to the party's rule book to enable an early leadership challenge to Theresa May.

It comes after MPs on the Tory 1922 Committee failed to reach a decision on Tuesday night amid growing pressure on the prime minister to name the date of her departure.

Ms May and Jeremy Corbyn have travelled to Belfast to attend the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee, leaving the PM's deputy David Lidington and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry to face off over Brexit and Northern Ireland at prime minister's questions.

During the session, Mr Lidington said both parties were making a "genuine attempt" to reach a solution to the Brexit impasse at Westminster, and said cross-party talks between negotiating teams hd been "constructive".

Ms Thornberry also used her remarks to urge the government to be "serious" about "putting the country first" by putting the option of a customs union - something Labour has demanded - on the table.

The shadow foreign secretary also criticised the forthcoming state visit by the US President Donald Trump, claiming: "The government is going to spend millions giving Donald Trump the red carpet, golden carriage treatment in June."