Politics

The prime minister and his wife Carrie attended a “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street garden during the UK’s first national COVID lockdown. More than 100 employees in Number 10 were invited to the drinks on 20 May 2020. In what has been described as evidence of “more rule breaking at the heart

Boris Johnson has said the UK is making “great progress” in tackling Omicron – but warned the variant remains “incredibly contagious”. Speaking following a pharmacy visit, the prime minister said 36 million people have now received the booster jab and are more protected from Omicron, but acknowledged that the number of people in hospital with

We may want to live with COVID, but does COVID want to live with us? The decision in Westminster not to impose more restrictions in England over Christmas now looks like something of an inflection point for the country’s pandemic path. The last two weeks have seen a hardening within government in the desire to

Almost half of all Tory members now believe that Rishi Sunak would make a better leader and could win more seats at the next election than Boris Johnson, an exclusive poll for Sky News has found. A third of the Tory membership now think Mr Johnson should stand down as Tory leader. Almost four in

The prime minister has been warned it would be “utterly wrongheaded” to scale back free lateral flow tests following reports they could be limited to high risk settings. Both the Labour Party and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have warned Boris Johnson against the move amid concerns tests could be limited to care homes, hospitals

Leaseholders in lower-rise blocks of flats are set to be spared having to take out loans to remove dangerous cladding from their buildings as the government prepares to “reset” its approach to the scandal. Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is due to make a statement in which he

More than one million people have signed a petition calling for Sir Tony Blair to have his knighthood removed. The former Labour prime minister, who was in office between 1997 and 2007, was appointed a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in the New Year Honours list. However, there has been

Boris Johnson has questions to answer over his apparent backing for a “great exhibition” plan supported by a Conservative donor who helped pay for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, Labour has said. “It stinks. It does appear to be cash for access,” the party’s shadow justice secretary Steve Reed told Sky News. He

Boris Johnson has hit out at anti-vaxxers, declaring they are “completely wrong” and spreading “mumbo jumbo” as the environment secretary said the country would soon get past the peak of Omicron infections. Speaking during a visit to a vaccination centre in Northampton, the prime minister said he wanted to keep a “voluntary approach” to COVID-19

Boris Johnson has offered a “humble and sincere apology” for failing to disclose WhatsApp messages with a Tory peer in which he discussed the funding of his Downing Street flat refurbishment – and blamed getting a new phone for not declaring the conversation. In a series of letters between the prime minister and his independent

At least 852 babies have been born addicted since April 2017 in Scotland, new figures have revealed. The worst year since then was 2017-18 when 249 such births were recorded, then 205 in 2018-19 and 173 in both 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. In the first part of 2021-22, a further 52 babies were born addicted, according

“Around a million people” are currently isolating as a result of coronavirus, a minister has said, as Sky News understands an announcement on the relaxation of testing rules will be announced today. “We don’t actually collect that data on a daily basis, but it’s obvious if you look at how many people tested positive yesterday,

A former minister who was stabbed by a woman more than 11 years ago has said he would welcome the opportunity to meet her as part of a “restorative justice process”. Labour MP Stephen Timms said he has received a letter from Roshonara Choudhry, who is serving a life sentence for attempted murder, apologising for

Boris Johnson has not “earned the right” to be awarded a knighthood once he leaves Downing Street, Sir Keir Starmer has said. Asked if the prime minister should be given an honour in the future, like Tony Blair, the Labour leader said: “No, I am sorry, I don’t think that this prime minister has earned

Sir Keir Starmer is beginning the New Year with an ambitious speech putting patriotism at the heart of the Labour Party’s strategy to win support from voters. Welcoming the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games later this year, he claims it is not unpatriotic to criticise things that are going wrong in the country.

Ministers are “concerned” that the number of over-50s being admitted to hospital with COVID is rising, the education secretary has said. Despite the increasing numbers, Nadhim Zahawi became the second minister in two days to tell Sky News that coronavirus data does not currently suggest further restrictions are needed in England this week ahead of

Further COVID restrictions in England are not expected this week thanks to people testing and getting their boosters, a cabinet minister has suggested. His confidence comes despite warnings from NHS leaders about an intensifying ‘health emergency’ as COVID admissions rise. Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay said there has been a “significant behaviour change” by the

It was “respectful” and the “right thing to do” to give Tony Blair a knighthood, the Commons Speaker has said. Sir Lindsay Hoyle said all former prime ministers should be given the honour because it is “one of the toughest jobs in the world”. “Whatever people might think, it is one of the toughest jobs

Secondary school students in England are again being asked to wear masks in classrooms to help tackle the rise in Omicron coronavirus cases. The recommendation comes as the government pledges to keep face-to-face education going despite surging COVID-19 infections in England, with a record 162,572 new cases reported on Saturday. Masks will “maximise the number

Further restrictions triggered by COVID must be an “absolute last resort” and the UK will now have to “live alongside” the virus in 2022, Sajid Javid has said. The health secretary has said the wave of Omicron infections will “test the limit of finite NHS capacity even more than a typical winter”, with reports suggesting

New post-Brexit customs rules for goods arriving in Britain from the European Union have come into effect, changes that a leading food industry body has warned could cause disruption and potentially lead to food shortages. Importers must now make full customs declarations on goods entering the UK from the EU and other countries. Traders can

Newly-released files from the National Archives have revealed George W Bush’s worries over his experience, negotiations over Diana’s funeral, and mooted plans to redesign the House of Commons. Here are some of the key revelations from the release of Cabinet Office and Number 10 files from the first years of Tony Blair’s premiership between 1997

Boris Johnson has praised the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for saving “many millions of lives” as the UK marks becoming the first country to approve the COVID vaccine exactly one year ago. On 30 December 2020, the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot became the second coronavirus jab approved by the UK’s independent medicines regulator – after Pfizer/BioNTech. To date, almost

Labour has written to Michael Gove to ask why his department reportedly supported an award of £330,000 from a government fund for a bid to fill potholes on a former Conservative peer’s driveway. In a letter, shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy demands Mr Gove release the criteria on which the decision was made, explain

Nicola Sturgeon has said it is her “expectation” that new COVID restrictions in Scotland will be in place until 17 January, as she urged people to “stay at home right now more than normal”. Since 27 December, nightclubs in Scotland have been forced to close unless they operate as a pub with table service and

A number of scientists have said that the UK should follow in the footsteps of the US and reduce the COVID self-isolation period to five days, in an effort to protect the NHS. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that Americans who catch COVID and don’t have any symptoms only

Priti Patel has ordered a review of the laws surrounding crossbow ownership. Under current legislation, people over 18 can legally purchase or possess a crossbow without needing a licence or any checks. It is an offence for anyone under 18 to buy or keep a crossbow or for anyone to sell a crossbow to someone

New Year’s Eve plans in England have been given the green light, as Sajid Javid confirmed the government will not be imposing any further restrictions before the New Year. The health secretary said people should “remain cautious” when taking part in New Year’s celebrations – and take a lateral flow test before attending events. Mr

Jackie Weaver has revealed how her time in the spotlight this year “continues to feel like something that will not be here tomorrow” after going viral with a council meeting video. The 63-year-old became one of the most popular social media memes of the year after Handforth Parish Council’s infamous Zoom meeting went viral in

The government will “look at all the data we have available” on Monday before making a decision on post-Christmas coronavirus restrictions in England, a senior government adviser has said. Dr Jenny Harries said any move on COVID rules next week will not be based on “simply what the epidemiology is saying”, but also “how it’s

Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer have each issued a solemn Christmas message to the nation expressing sorrow at the heartbreak of families who have lost a loved one to COVID this year. The prime minister, who says a coronavirus booster jab would be a “wonderful” Christmas gift, has called for thanks for those looking

In the final episode of the All Out Politics podcast, Adam Boulton and guests review the political year of 2021. It was a 12 months dominated once again by the coronavirus pandemic but punctuated by Brexit, allegations of sleaze and questions about leadership. Joining Adam are The Times columnist and former Conservative MP Matthew Parris,

The police watchdog has decided not to investigate a complaint about how Scotland Yard handled allegations of a Downing Street Christmas party. The Metropolitan Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after Green Party peer, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, raised concerns over the force’s response to the event. The alleged party,