Politics

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

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

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

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,

The self-isolation period for people in England will be cut from 10 days to seven for those who can produce negative lateral flow results on both day six and their final day of quarantine. Making the announcement, Sajid Javid said the move has been informed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and that those

David Cameron has suggested Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have hired his own team of professional photographers in an attempt to “bypass the media”. Speaking to Sky News presenter Adam Boulton for his new documentary Feral Beasts, the former Conservative prime minister said it is “important” for the country’s leaders to make themselves “always available”

Wales is ordering sports events to take place without fans to help fight Omicron, as reports suggest new restrictions in England are unlikely before Christmas but could come in before New Year. Indoor and outdoor events will have to take place behind closed doors from Boxing Day, said Welsh economy minister Vaughan Gething. Football sides

“It’s important if you are running a political party, which I did for almost eleven years and the country for six years, the process of communicating is incredibly important.” That’s what David Cameron told me when I interviewed him for the new Sky documentary Feral Beasts about the relationship between prime ministers and the media.

Dominic Raab has said a lockdown gathering in the garden of 10 Downing Street was a staff meeting because they were “all in suits” – which Sir Keir Starmer has called “a bit of a stretch”. The picture, first published by the Guardian, shows the prime minister, his wife and their then-newborn baby, with 17

Lord Frost has revealed he quit as Brexit minister because he cannot support “coercive” policies on COVID. Speaking for the first time since his resignation, Lord Frost said he had “huge admiration” for Boris Johnson and insisted they never disagreed “in any way about Brexit policy right up to the last day”. The former lead

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will take on Lord Frost’s Brexit responsibilities following his resignation, Downing Street has said. Ms Truss, 46, will become “lead negotiator with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol”, Number 10 said in a statement. She will have “ministerial responsibility for the UK’s relationship with the European Union with immediate effect”.

Conservative MP Jamie Wallis has admitted he was involved in an “accident” and is “assisting police with their inquiries”. It comes after South Wales Police confirmed officers were called to an incident in which a car collided with a lamppost at Church Road in Llanblethian, Vale of Glamorgan, on Sunday 28 November shortly after 01:10

Boris Johnson’s Brexit minister has resigned from the cabinet and will depart in the new year. Lord Frost quit in a letter to the prime minister last week, but won’t officially leave until January. Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates reports that Lord Frost goes “on good terms”, but he is unhappy with the

The top civil servant will no longer lead a Whitehall investigation into alleged Christmas parties in Number 10 after he was revealed to have been aware of a separate party in his own office in December last year. Cabinet Secretary Simon Case has removed himself from his role in heading the probe into claims of

The Downing Street Christmas party furore has ended a year of notable political scandals with yet another one. All eyes have been on the Conservatives as 2021 draws to a close, but they were not the only party to have been hit by embarrassing events. But as the party of government for more than 10

After a bruising few weeks in Westminster, the voters of North Shropshire delivered their own body blow on Boris Johnson, booting the Tories out of a seat they’ve never lost on the second biggest swing by-election since 1945. Governments often lose by-elections. But this loss will send shockwaves through the Conservative Party because it shows

In the early stages of the North Shropshire by-election count, senior Liberal Democrats were worried that a better than expected showing by Labour would rob them of a famous victory. But they needn’t have worried. Six hours later, after the result was declared at 4.20am, the victorious Helen Morgan was thanking Labour supporters for lending

The Conservatives are facing a nervous wait as votes are counted overnight in the North Shropshire by-election, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson hoping his party can hold on to what has been a long-time Tory safe seat. Between 7am to 10pm on Thursday, voters in the constituency cast their ballots to decide on a new

Boris Johnson has said ministers do not “want to make your choices for you about your social life” after England’s chief medical officer advised people to prioritise events that matter to them in the run-up to Christmas. Speaking to broadcasters on Thursday, the prime minister reiterated that people should be “cautious” in the next few

Britons have been advised not to attend football matches in stadiums and to “prioritise” social events that “that really matter to them” amid the sharp rise in COVID cases. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, both Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, and Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director of primary care for NHS

Grant Shapps has said he believes “with some confidence” that no further COVID restrictions will be required in England before Christmas and that people can enjoy the festive period as planned. The transport secretary told Kay Burley that the government wanted people “to be sensible but to enjoy their Christmas“, noting that increased testing and

When it came, Tuesday night’s rebellion infected every wing of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons. The rebels included one former leader, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, while a second, Theresa May, missed the vote. The chair of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, was in the opposition lobby, with all of the heft

Boris Johnson is facing the biggest Tory rebellion since the 2019 general election in a bitter Commons showdown with many of his own MPs over his Plan B COVID rules. Nearly 80 Conservative backbenchers have signalled they are prepared to vote against new regulations on face masks, isolating, vaccine passports and compulsory vaccinations for NHS

There are likely to be 75 Conservative MPs who rebel against the government’s Plan B COVID restrictions, Sky News can reveal. The 75 likely rebels are expected to vote against or abstain from the vote on Wednesday to push through regulations on masks being worn in most indoor places, the work from home mandate and

Sajid Javid has urged the British public to “play your part” and get a COVID booster vaccine – warning that the UK is “once again in a race between the vaccine and the virus”. The heath secretary told Kay Burley that cases of Omicron are growing at a “phenomenal rate”, which is why the government