Politics

The government will look at extending the use of vaccine passports if there is a “public health need” to do so, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has said. Mr Dowden told Sky News the government “want as few restrictions for as short a period as possible”, but that if the situation with coronavirus worsens, ministers will

Booster vaccines are reportedly set to be given the go-ahead next week, despite a professor who helped develop the AstraZeneca jab warning that a mass campaign may not be necessary. According to The Times, data suggests that an additional Pfizer dose, months after a second vaccine is given, significantly boosts the body’s immune response to

Boris Johnson’s government has reneged on key promises it has made in the efforts to combat climate change, according to one of the most senior Conservative environmentalists. The Tory chair of the Climate Change Committee – which advises the government on tackling global warming – has condemned the decision by ministers to give into Australian

Sajid Javid has said he is “confident” that a booster programme for coronavirus jabs can begin this month. The health secretary told Kay Burley that he is awaiting advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which should come “certainly in the next few days” and he believes the process can begin in

Boris Johnson will be confident of victory in a snap Commons vote on his NHS bailout and social care shake-up, which MPs are claiming is the biggest political gamble of his premiership. Defying potential Tory rebels, the prime minister has raised taxes to their highest level since the Second World War and broken Conservative manifesto

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi has not denied that ‘firebreak’ restrictions could be implemented in October if COVID-19 hospitalisations remain high – but said it depends on the success of the booster jab programme for the elderly and most vulnerable. Mr Zahawi said the booster programme is his “absolute priority” as it will “absolutely help us

The NHS in England will receive an extra £5.4bn over the next six months in order to help deal with the impact of COVID-19, the government has confirmed. The additional funding will help tackle hospital waiting lists and the backlog of operations and treatments delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. There are currently around five million

Boris Johnson will tell MPs that he will use “every economic, political and diplomatic lever” to help Afghans left behind by the British as he looks to defend his handling of the withdrawal from the country. The prime minister will reiterate the pledge in the House of Commons on Monday, when parliament returns from its

Concern at the top of government over a rise to national insurance has spilled into the open after a senior minister suggested that voters would remember broken promises on tax. Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg used his weekly segment in the Sunday Express newspaper to republish a famous quote by former president

Boris Johnson is coming under attack from senior members of his own party ahead of a possible announcement on social care this week. The prime minister is expected to increase national insurance to help fund care reforms and clear backlogs in the NHS. However ministers, MPs, government officials and business groups have told Sky News

The government is reportedly determined to push ahead with COVID-19 vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds, despite advisers recommending against it. The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation said on Friday that, while it would widen the vaccination programme to include more children in that age group with health conditions, it was not recommending the widespread

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has highlighted the importance of engaging with the Taliban as he acknowledged the need “to face up to the new reality in Afghanistan”. While not recognising the militant group as the government in Kabul, the cabinet minister pointed to the necessity of having “a direct line of communication” to discuss a

The prime minister is expected to announce a rise in national insurance payments to fund social care, despite this being a breach of the 2019 Tory manifesto. Reports in The Times and The Daily Telegraph say the plans could be revealed as soon as next week when parliament returns from its summer recess. Both newspapers

One of the many hundreds of Afghans who was eligible for evacuation to Britain but was unable to board a flight has told of his family’s harrowing two weeks on the run from the Taliban. Ahmad – not his real name, and whose location cannot be revealed – is a former Afghan government official who