“Plan B” coronavirus restrictions must be enforced immediately to prevent the UK “stumbling to a winter crisis”, an NHS leader has warned. NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has urged the government to bring back certain measures, including mandatory face coverings in public places. His remarks came as the UK recorded 223 COVID-related deaths on
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The government’s net zero strategy will “support up to 440,000 jobs” by 2030, a business minister has said – as he announced a move towards the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The new plan, published on Tuesday, has the intention of dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions to reach the government’s
Households will be able to apply for a £5,000 grant to swap their gas boiler for a low-carbon heat pump, as part of government plans to cut emissions. The government announced that the £450m Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which is part of the more than £3.9bn funding to cut carbon from heating and buildings, will be
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told MPs that Southend-on-Sea will be given city status – a long-running campaign of Sir David Amess – as he led tributes to the murdered MP. Mr Johnson described Sir David as a “steadfast servant” of the House of Commons, a “prodigious campaigner” for his chosen causes, and a “dear
Instances of abuse reported to the police by politicians are not always followed up by forces, an MP has told Sky News, as he recalled having his car vandalised and office subject to an arson attack. Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, said there are “a lot more nasty people around than ever before”. Killing
MPs could be given police protection while they carry out constituency surgeries, the Home Secretary has told Sky News. Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Priti Patel said the measure was under consideration in the wake of the killing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess. Watch special Trevor Phillips on Sunday on killing of Sir
Boris Johnson has laid flowers at the scene of the fatal stabbing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in Essex – an attack which police believe could be linked to Islamist extremism. The prime minister along with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Home Secretary Priti Patel visited Belfairs Methodist
Priti Patel says it is “right and proper” that MPs are accessible to members of the public following Sir David Amess’ killing – and stressed that politicians’ safety and an open democracy “can absolutely be balanced”. The home secretary’s comments came as a spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) confirmed every parliamentarian will
Murdered MP Sir David Amess had recently written about the risk of attacks on parliamentarians, admitting “it could happen to any of us”. His book, Ayes & Ears: A Survivor’s Guide to Westminster, was published in November and was nominated for the Parliamentary Book Awards. The fatal stabbing of Sir David on Friday afternoon during
The government claims it has kickstarted a green investment “boom”, but campaigners say much more could be done to reach its climate goals. New data from the Department for International Trade (DIT) shows more than £5.8bn of foreign investment in green projects has been secured since Boris Johnson announced the “ten-point plan for a green
The chancellor has appeared to rule out helping businesses with soaring gas prices, saying “it’s not the government’s job” to manage the costs of individual products. Asked if he would accept some companies going out of business, Rishi Sunak said he “believes in a market economy”. He said the government has been working “very constructively”
We could be back in 2018 again – Brexit and the will-there-won’t-there-be-a-deal questions are back on the agenda. Brexit minister Lord Frost gave a headline-grabbing speech in Lisbon yesterday in which he savaged the very same Northern Ireland Protocol he was responsible for negotiating with the EU two years ago. You may remember Boris Johnson
The EU is expected to outline its response to UK demands to alter post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland following this summer’s tense “sausage war” between the two sides. European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic is set to hold a news conference on Wednesday afternoon in which he will deliver Brussels’ verdict on UK proposals for the
Brexit minister Lord Frost has accused the EU of being an organisation “that doesn’t always look like” it wants the UK to succeed as he demanded changes to post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland. In a speech in Lisbon, the cabinet minister called on Brussels to help “tackle the fundamental issues” with the Northern Ireland Protocol
A minister has refused to apologise for the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, after a highly-critical report by MPs said thousands of lives were lost due to delays and mistakes by both ministers and their scientific advisers. “We followed, throughout, the scientific advice. We got the vaccine deployed extremely quickly, we protected our NHS
A minister has denied that the business secretary lied when he said there were talks ongoing in government about help for manufacturers and energy firms. Appearing on Sky News, Home Office minister Damian Hinds was asked if Kwasi Kwarteng had lied when he made the claim about his team being in discussions with the Treasury,
As energy companies fold and businesses cry out for government help over rising gas prices, there is an altogether different row going on inside Whitehall. In an unprecedented public slap down today, Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, was accused of lying on TV, before the same Treasury source revealed the meetings he said he was
Boris Johnson’s decision to take a holiday following the Conservative Party conference has been defended by a senior cabinet minister. The Prime Minister is reported to have flown to Marbella in southern Spain with his wife, Carrie Johnson, and their son, Wilfred. According to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Johnson and his family jetted abroad
Spiralling gas bills could soar further under government plans to impose new charges to pay for eco-friendly heating, it has been reported. The move to introduce a levy on the fossil fuel is contained in a new strategy due to be published ahead of next month’s COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, according to The Times.
Funding for more than 9.5 million pothole repairs this year has been cut from council budgets, new analysis has found. The Local Government Association (LGA) said overall capital funding from the Department for Transport to councils in England for local road maintenance in 2021/22 is £1.39bn, down from £1.78bn the previous year. That £399m reduction
Conservative MP and former cabinet minister James Brokenshire has died at the age of 53, his family has said. The MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup announced in August that his lung cancer had “progressed” and that he would be beginning a new line of treatment. Mr Brokenshire stepped down as security minister in July
A leading fuel industry body has said recovery from the supply crisis is not happening fast enough – with London, South East and East England still suffering from low fuel levels, Sky News understands. The South East is struggling the most, with fuel stock levels remaining below 20% as the area continues to be hit
Business leaders and think tanks have described Boris Johnson’s party conference speech as “economically illiterate”. The prime minister’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference on Wednesday came as many businesses are struggling with supply chain issues and a lack of workers. A shortage of HGV drivers has resulted in a shortage of fuel in some
Boris Johnson has branded levelling up “the greatest project that any government can embark on” in his closing speech at the Conservative Party’s annual conference. In his keynote address marking the end of the four-day event, the prime minister pledged that his top team will “get on with our job of uniting and levelling up
The removal of the £20 Universal Credit uplift should be paused through winter until there is a better understanding of what is happening to the economy after the pandemic, a former Conservative Party leader has said. Speaking to Sky News, Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the policy has been “the silent ship in the fleet”
Boris Johnson has said he cannot guarantee that targets to improve rape prosecution and conviction rates set out in the government’s Rape Review will be met. Plans set out in the report, which was commissioned in 2019 and published in June of this year, said the volume of rape cases going to court should return
A Conservative donor has suggested the party convenes a “special investigation'” into conflicts of interest surrounding the Tory co-chairman Ben Elliot. Mohammed Amersi, a telecoms entrepreneur and philanthropist, has also argued the party should improve its governance structures and remove Mr Elliot if he does not comply. “[Ben Elliot] has done a great job in
Gordon Brown has pleaded with the government not to go ahead with a £20-a-week cut to universal credit. The former prime minister said: “It is not too late for the government to spare millions of people the choice between heating and eating this winter.” He cited research showing that 3.4 million households – or 6.3
Boris Johnson has not ruled out shortages continuing until Christmas, but said the festive period this year will be “considerably better” than last year. “I’m very confident this Christmas will be considerably better,” the prime minister said during a visit to a youth club in Manchester. Live updates from the Conservative Party conference When it
Boris Johnson has challenged Conservatives to take “big, bold decisions” as they gather for their party conference – but, ahead of the Manchester event, the prime minister is also being challenged over the fuel crisis, rising cost of living, supply issues and welfare cuts. More than 10,000 delegates are expected to attend the Tory conference
Staff in care homes who don’t receive both vaccine jabs ahead of a looming deadline should “get out and get another job”, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned. His warning comes ahead of the 11 November legal deadline for care home workers to have had both COVID-19 jabs, but some unions and care homes are
The golden rule of Boris Johnson’s Conservatives is that an otherwise disparate party is at its most happy when it’s talking about Brexit and its consequences. At times of stress, it’s the trump card the PM routinely reaches for. Given the stage of the country, expect it to feature heavily during the party conference. As
The policing minister has said it would be “perfectly reasonable” for anyone being approached by a lone police officer to call 999 and seek reassurance in the wake of the rape and murder of Sarah Everard. Speaking to Sky News’ Kay Burley, Kit Malthouse gave advice on what people should do if they are approached