| It might seem a little over-the-top to compare Boris Johnson's fight for survival as leader of the Conservative Party with Britain's World War Two stand against Nazi Germany. But on the anniversary of the 1944 Normandy landings many pundits took glee in pointing out how the Prime Minister faces his own D-Day this evening in the form of a vote of confidence among his own Tory MPs. With discontent over the lockdown-busting parties in No 10 and the direction of the PM's leadership reaching a tipping point, Greater Manchester MP and 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady confirmed he had received the 54 letters from Conservative MPs needed to trigger the ballot. But ahead of the secret vote between 6pm and 8pm, how many of Mr Johnson's Northern MPs were backing him? A number of MPs from the 2019 General Election were this morning - in public at least - behind the man who helped them get elected.  Some of the reaction from Tory MPs to the vote of no confidence. Graphic: Lisa Walsh
Heywood and Middleton's Chris Clarkson called the vote "absolutely crackers". And Blackpool South's Scott Benton said: "Make no mistake, many in the red wall voted specifically for Boris in 2019 - no other Tory leader could reach the parts of the country he has." Redcar MP Jacob Young said the PM "cares about Teesside - I believe, more than any Prime Minister has in history". Others, like Yorkshire-born Levelling Up Minister Neil O'Brien, were rather less effusive. And in a letter withdrawing his support this morning ex-Treasury Minister Jesse Norman's criticism was on more than just 'partygate'. Mr Norman picked out a number of specific issues – proposals to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol, plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, the privatisation of Channel 4 and the recent ban on "noisy protest" – that might have riled the more liberal "one nation" wing of the party frustrated by the Government's pursuit of "culture wars". Polling in Wakefield that showed the Tories were due to lose the upcoming by-election in a seat they gained in 2019 may have focused Tory minds. The poll by JL Partners had Labour 20 points up and ahead in every social class. One of the top reasons respondents said they could no longer back Mr Johnson was that he is "not in touch with working-class people". And JL Partners founder James Johnson told the BBC this morning that Boris Johnson had become the Conservative version of Jeremy Corbyn, whose personal poor ratings led Labour to an historic defeat in 2019. He said: "Just like with Corbyn in 2019, voters might like the individual policies a party puts forward. But they do not trust Boris Johnson to deliver them." You can follow the latest on the Vote of No Confidence today here and follow our Westminster Editor Dan O'Donoghue on Twitter for analysis and reaction. 
Was Liverpool set to host Tory conference until Boris Johnson took charge?  Liverpool periodically plays host to the Labour and Liberal Democrat party conferences, but has not hosted a Conservative Conference since the 1920s.
Liverpool was all set to host the annual Tory Conference until Boris Johnson took charge, a former leader of the local party has claimed. A contract was apparently agreed with the Liverpool Arena to host the event in 2024, but the idea was shelved after Mr Johnson took the keys to Number 10 in 2019. Liverpool periodically plays host to the Labour and Liberal Democrat party conferences, but has not hosted a Conservative Conference since the 1920s. The reasons for the change of venue are unclear, but the Prime Minister has a notoriously fractious relationship with Liverpool - having previously published slurs about those affected by the Hillsborough disaster while a magazine editor. James Pearson, who was then chairman of the Liverpool Tory party and now chairs the Manchester party, told The Northern Agenda podcast that the event was "firmly on the cards" until 2019. He said: "It was actually slated for 2024, we'd agreed a contract with the Echo Arena. That was firmly on the cards up until I think 2019. From our perspective being Liverpool Conservatives at the time, we were absolutely chuffed to bits with that announcement. After Covid and everything they rejigged it." Asked whether Mr Johnson's election had anything to do with the change of venue, he added: "I don't think so." Tory HQ was approached for comment.
In the Commons this week, expect Labour MP Ian Byrne to call on the Government to pile pressure on UEFA to follow up its apology for the chaotic scenes at the Champions League final with a "retraction of the smears" against Liverpool fans. The governing body apologised for access issues that led to fans being crushed and tear-gassed outside the Stade de France in Paris before Real Madrid's 1-0 win against Liverpool. That came after UEFA initially blamed the problems on the late arrival of fans before later issuing a statement referring to fake tickets as the cause. Byrne, who is MP for Liverpool West Derby and attended the match, wants UEFA to go further and plans to raise an urgent question on the matter in Parliament.
GCSE students hit as bus strikes start across Yorkshire  Towns and cities across Yorkshire will be affected by the bus strike starting today
Bus passengers in Yorkshire have been told to brace for substantial disruption as Arriva workers began strike action in the early hours of this morning. YorkshireLive has the latest here. Over 650 members of Unite, a leading UK union, voted 96% in favour of strike action following a rejected offer from Arriva of a 4.1% pay increase. The pay offer was rejected because it does not reflect the real inflation rate which currently stands at 11.1%. Indefinite strike action will take place from today, and involve bus drivers and engineers based at depots in Castleford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Selby and Wakefield. Unite says that Arriva's low pay across the county means bus workers are struggling to make ends meet amidst the cost of living crisis. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Arriva is part of a multi-billion company. It has no business demanding that workers get by on pitiful low pay so that its boardroom can get ever-richer. Arriva can easily afford to pay decently - it should do just that, or face industrial action." But a spokesperson for Arriva UK Bus said: "Such unjustified strike action will have an extremely negative impact on communities across the region, particularly at this crucial time of year for students undertaking GCSE exams." Minister's Clean Air proposals leave Manchester mayor fuming  The government has said the Clean Air Zone should be cut to cover the city centre only (Image: KBP)
In Greater Manchester, metro mayor Andy Burnham remains at odds with the Government over plans for a Clean Air Zone to tackle the region's high pollution levels. Amid criticism of plans to charge the most polluting vehicles, the Labour mayor last month announced new proposals for a zone free of charges. But last week Environment Secretary George Eustice wrote to Mr Burnham saying there was 'little robust evidence' that offering funding for vehicle upgrades alone without charges would bring pollution below legal limits. The senior Tory urged Mr Burnham to reduce the zone by 95% or more and that high-polluting vehicles should only be charged in the most polluted area in Manchester city centre in what he described as a "path between two extremes" of a region wide charging zone and no charging at all. Leigh's Tory MP James Grundy said the news was a 'huge relief' to many small businesses and working families in Greater Manchester. And speaking on behalf of Bolton council - the only Conservative-led local authority in the region - one councillor proclaimed the CAZ 'dead'. But Mr Burnham says there are businesses all over the region which use Manchester's inner ring road and would therefore be affected by the charges. He replied to Mr Eustice: "During the recent elections, your Conservative MPs and council candidates across Greater Manchester promised to scrap any form of charging CAZ. Your letter confirms the truth however, that it is your Government's policy to impose a charging CAZ on Greater Manchester, as you have done to other cities."
In Bradford, it's been announced that the city's Clean Air Zone will go live on September 26 after being pushed back to allow vehicle owners to upgrade to avoid charges. Labour-run Bradford Council has been directed by Government to implement a CAZ to achieve compliance with legal limits for air quality. It said in a statement: "While the Council has put forward alternatives to a CAZ, the Government has instructed the Council that a charging CAZ is the only way that the district can comply with the direction in the shortest possible timeframe."
Rusting Tyne Bridge to get a long-overdue £35m facelift  The Grade II-listed Tyne Bridge was last refurbished and painted in 2001.
Built in 1928, the steel and granite construction of the Tyne Bridge was hailed as an engineering miracle, displaying the very best of Tyneside's industrial might. But six years off its centenary, its arches are thick with rust and fears have been voiced over its long-term safety if the decline isn't halted. The Grade II-listed structure was last refurbished and painted in 2001. Now after unsuccessful bids for funding the world-renowned structure will finally be restored. Roads minister Baroness Vere last week announced a £35.3m government investment for essential maintenance to the Bridge and the adjacent Central Motorway, with extra funds contributed by Newcastle and Gateshead councils. Whitehall calculates the overdue revamp will generate £130.5m in economic benefits, among them tackling congestion and poor air quality, as it will avoid rerouting heavy goods vehicles through residential areas. Martin Gannon, leader of Gateshead Council, said both councils worked closely to secure the needed funds to "recognise the huge significance of the Tyne Bridge as a symbol of our whole region". But Henri Murison, a former Newcastle councillor who now leads the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said announcements like this are "what everybody should expect" and more was still needed to bridge the North-South divide on education, skills and transport.
 The Angel of the North is one of the North East's major tourist attractions and is Britain's largest sculpture
The creator of another iconic North East structure, Sir Antony Gormley, says he "remains a proud British citizen" but is keen to retain his links with Europe following reports that he has applied for a German passport due to Brexit. The 71-year-old Dewsbury-born sculptor, famed for creating the Angel of the North, is reported to have described Britain's departure from Europe as a "tragedy" at a recent exhibition of his work at the Museum Voorlinden in the Netherlands. In a statement to clarify his German passport application, Gormley explained he is entitled to dual nationality as he has a German mother, adding that he is not giving up his British citizenship.
Elsewhere in the North East, council bosses are "weeks away" from agreeing a region-wide devolution deal that would see seven local authorities united under one banner. As Dan O'Donoghue reports, the chief executives of the region's local authorities have been meeting with Government officials in recent days to discuss proposals for a combined authority. Previous talks over such a move broke down in 2016 after a split in the region's Labour-dominated establishment, after which Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland broke away to form their own North of Tyne Combined Authority. Jamie Driscoll was elected as Labour mayor of the North of Tyne in 2019, while the four south of Tyne councils were left to continue in the North East Combined Authority – which does not have a mayor or powers devolved by the government. Now there is said to be a renewed ambition for the plan, with only Durham - which has explored the possibility of a so-called 'county deal' - yet to be fully convinced. 
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Northern Stories  Colmans owner Richard Ord is all smiles with Hillary Clinton and David Miliband as they paid a visit to the South Shields chippy (Image: Colmans)
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Ex-US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has told an audience in the North East that young women wanting to enter politics should do so "with your eyes wide open". Mrs Clinton, whose great-grandfather was a coal miner from Stanley in County Durham, was the guest at the annual South Shields Lecture organised by former MP David Miliband. She also visited a local fish and chip shop. Answering a question by local MP Bridget Philiipson about women going into politics she said: "Given the virulence of social media you do have to think about how to handle that, including in some instances how to protect yourself." -
Afghan families fleeing persecution by the Taliban are continuing to be "dumped" in hotels chosen by the Home Office that Yorkshire local authority bosses have branded "totally unsuitable" due to their location or lack of facilities. An officers' report to a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council's corporate and partnerships scrutiny committee this week has revealed that despite Whitehall mandarins being repeatedly told the hotels in Selby and Scarborough are inappropriate for the Afghan people, they were still being sent there. -
Trail hunting has been banned indefinitely in the Lake District National Park, the authority has confirmed. A suspension on the activity, which involves dogs following a scent along a pre-determined route, has been in place since November 2020. It's meant to replicate a traditional fox hunt, which was banned in England and Wales in 2004. But critics say the sport has been used to cover-up illegal hunts, reports ITV. - Liverpool Council is spending more than £100,000 a week for taxis to take children to school. A Freedom of Information request by Local Democracy Reporter David Humphreys reveals that provisions are made through taxi companies for around 1,000 children to get to school across the city – representing about half of the 2,100 transported daily. This comes at a cost of £106,000 a week, or more than £5.5m a year. The council provides subsidised transport for children up to age 16 who may be entitled to depending on the distance from home to school and if they meet certain eligibility criteria.
- Plans for a plant in Holderness to process materials for magnets used in renewable energy generation have been approved despite warnings that industrial accidents could harm locals and disrupt roads. East Riding of Yorkshire Council approved Pensana's application to build the plant off Saltend Lane, east of the nearby Chemicals Park. The company's Chief Commercial Officer William Izod told councillors the plant would help break China's near-monopoly on producing the magnets.
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