Despite Boris Johnson claiming he doesn’t want to leave the EU without a deal, Chancellor Sajid Javid announced the spending which will cover the stockpiling of medicines, the hiring of more border officials and the funding of a publicity campaign.

Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said Boris Johnson would not be “browbeaten” by Brussels and the European Union must realise the UK was not “frightened” of leaving.

Dr Graham Kings, an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Southwark expressed his disappointment on the News Hour.

“I’m appalled by this huge waste of resources, when it’s clear that no deal cannot happen,” he said. “These resources could be spent much better on the NHS and on education.”

The Prime Minister chaired his first meeting of the Brexit war cabinet – comprising the Chancellor, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox – on Thursday.

Explaining the reason for the spending Sajid Javid said: “With 92 days until the UK leaves the European Union it’s vital that we intensify our planning to ensure we are ready.

“We want to get a good deal that abolishes the anti-democratic backstop. But if we can’t get a good deal, we’ll have to leave without one.

“This additional £2.1 billion will ensure we are ready to…

Officials confirmed the second death in the city of Goma yesterday, which has a population of two million people.

Approximately 1,700 people were killed in the region over the last year, making this the second-deadliest outbreak of the disease in history.

Tearfund DRC Programmes Director, Hebdavi Muhindo told Premier’s New Hour the people of Goma are in shock.

He said: “The situation in Goma as of today is that there is fear, there is panic, there is devastation and people are worried about what will happen now that the virus has reached Goma.

“People just cannot believe that it’s been one year and the virus has not yet been contained,” he said.

Mr Muhindo went on to say how the Church has been responding to the crisis.

“In the middle of that fear and all the problems that are happening the good news is that there is hope as well that we are seeing, and the hope is coming like a light in the darkness, through the work that the churches are doing to intervene in this situation.”

Christian charity Tearfund have been working with local communities there to help prevent the infection spreading.

482 faith leaders have been trained in Ebola prevention and vital water, sanitation and hygiene facilities have been installed at vulnerable sites.

Mr Muhindo said: “It will take the whole community working together to bring this to an end. As well as faith leaders we have been…

Rev Caroline Hewlett has made to leave her vicarage in Swaledale in Yorkshire where the army has been called to help.

“A lot of rain fell very suddenly and the water came in a great big deluge, and it covered a vast area,” she explained on Premier’s News Hour. “Lots of houses have been washed out and farms have been devastated.

“I had four foot the water straight through the vicarage in about 45 minutes. It was up to the windowsills and we had furniture and things floating around outside – my garden shed is now two fields away down on a farmer’s field.”

Evacuations have been taking place in several areas in the north of England.

The Environment Agency issued a severe flood warning for an area of Derbyshire on Thursday, suggesting a danger to life.

Encouraging people to pray for all those affected by flooding, Rev Hewlett said: “People are just absolutely shocked. The news media all here at the moment, but they’ll all disappear within a few weeks so keep us in your prayers longer term, because this is going to be a very long term recovery.

“Pray for me and my colleague, Allison in our work and being out and about and seeing where we can help, and also just as I get back on my feet and try to keep running the parish and being available to people, even as I’m trying to sort out a big mess myself.”

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