Politics

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has tested positive for coronavirus, a party spokesman has said. Deputy leader Angela Rayner will stand in for him at Prime Minister’s Questions later. It comes a day after Sir Keir delivered a speech to an audience in Birmingham setting out his new “contract with the British people” and his

Boris Johnson acknowledged the NHS is on a “war footing” but said he would not bring in further restrictions as he faces pressure from his own MPs. The prime minister used a news conference on the eve of a review of Plan B measures to perform a balancing act as COVID cases soar to record

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

Boris Johnson has warned it would be “absolute folly” to say the pandemic is over – but said Omicron “is plainly milder” than other variants. Despite a huge increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, the prime minister said the UK is in a better position than most other countries due to the “very, very

Schools have been advised by ministers to start preparing for COVID staff shortages by merging classes into larger groups and considering “flexible” teaching options. The latest advice sent to schools in an email from the Department of Education and published in an open letter by Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi comes as many pupils prepare to

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

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

The medical chiefs leading the UK’s battle against coronavirus have been recognised with top awards in the New Year Honours list. England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and his deputy Professor Jonathan Van-Tam have been given knighthoods, along with the chief medical officers for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton, and Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith. Image:

Boris Johnson has used his New Year’s message to claim that the UK finds itself in an “incomparably better” position than this time last year when it comes to coronavirus. In a message that will be posted on social media on Friday, the prime minister will say the country has met its target of offering

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

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

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

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