A cabinet meeting to sign off on Boris Johnson’s “living with COVID” strategy has been delayed due to a row over free testing. Number 10 has told Sky News that the gathering has been pushed back while the prime minister is briefed, with ministers convening later on Monday afternoon to agree the plan. Mr Johnson’s
Politics
Boris Johnson is expected to announce how England will “live with COVID” on Monday as he considers dropping all remaining restrictions, Downing Street said. The prime minister will meet his cabinet ministers on Monday morning to agree the plan for living with the virus after nearly three years of restrictions, according to Number 10. He
DUP politician Christopher Stalford has died suddenly at the age of 39, the party has said. The South Belfast Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), a married father of four children aged below 10, died this weekend, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said on Sunday. Mr Stalford was a rising star in Northern Ireland politics
The plan to end all legal COVID restrictions marks a key moment for everyone in England – but for Boris Johnson’s premiership too. It puts the country at the forefront of learning to live with the disease which has wrought havoc on the world for the past couple of years. Some say it is a
Boris Johnson has responded to a questionnaire from the Metropolitan Police about Downing Street gatherings during coronavirus restrictions. A Number 10 spokesperson confirmed to Sky News that the prime minister has returned the document. Downing Street has previously said Mr Johnson’s responses will not be made public. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible
An RAF aircraft flew hundreds of miles from a base in Scotland for a photoshoot with Boris Johnson before flying back. Images of the prime minister with two RAF aircraft featured on a number of newspaper front pages on Friday after his visit to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire the previous day. An RAF P-8A Poseidon,
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has said she wants police to “shoot your terrorists and ask questions second”. Ms Rayner told Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast she was “quite hardline” on law and order and said she would encourage police to “antagonise” criminals. “On things like law and order, I am quite hardline. I am
Campaigners found to have been harmed by medical products have written to the health secretary warning that government inaction is “causing pain and destroying lives” by ignoring review recommendations. Some 18 months ago, an independent review recommended financial help for people damaged by some products and drugs that had been prescribed by UK doctors. The
The golden visa scheme many Russian oligarchs use to live in the UK will be closed as soon as this week, Sky News understands. A government source said the Tier 1 investor visa scheme will be closed by the home secretary. Those who invest at least £2m in the UK are offered residency through the
The world must judge Russia with its own eyes as to whether it is de-escalating, the defence secretary said as he warned an invasion of Ukraine is still possible. Ben Wallace told Sky News: “I can also tell you judge with your own eyes at the scale of that Russian deployment on the borders of
Former health secretary Matt Hancock did not comply with a public sector equality duty when making appointments to top health jobs during the COVID pandemic, the High Court has ruled. In a judgment issued on Tuesday, it was found that Mr Hancock failed to comply with the duty when appointing Conservative peer Baroness Dido Harding
A Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a “very dangerous moment” for the world and could encourage aggressors such as China and Iran, the foreign secretary has warned. Liz Truss’ warning came as the UK and the US said an invasion was “imminent” as Moscow amasses more than 130,000 troops on Ukraine’s border. Ms Truss
The Welsh government has announced a £330m package to help people with the rising cost of living, support it says goes “above and beyond” that provided by Boris Johnson’s government in England. All households in council tax bands A to D, as well as those in receipt of the council tax reduction scheme, will receive
Boris Johnson has warned of a “very, very dangerous and difficult situation” as the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine leaves the world “on the edge of a precipice”. The prime minister will chair a full meeting of the government’s emergency COBRA committee on Tuesday to discuss the UK’s response to the current situation
The Metropolitan Police is investigating death threats against Sir Keir Starmer following Boris Johnson’s use of the discredited claim that the Labour leader failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions. The force confirmed that on Friday it received a third party report relating to allegations of malicious communications made against
A former senior Metropolitan Police officer has condemned Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for his public criticism of Dame Cressida Dick as she announced her resignation as commissioner earlier this week. Andy Trotter, former deputy assistant commissioner for public order at the Metropolitan Police, said the mayor’s pressure on the outgoing commissioner after his loss