Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed the “game-changing” agreement made at COP26 but says that countries need to “stand by” the decisions they made in the 11th hour of the talks. The climate talks ended with an agreement on Saturday, after 15 days of deliberations, although, a late disagreement over the wording on fossil fuels
Politics
The goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C is in “intensive care” after the conclusion of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Labour’s Ed Miliband has told Sky News. Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sunday, the shadow business, energy and industrial strategy secretary said it is now “our job in the next 12 months to show
Two MPs have admitted using their parliamentary offices as part of a paid meeting. Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran and senior Conservative backbencher Crispin Blunt both took part in a panel event for Bindmans legal firm regarding the treatment of detainees in Saudi Arabia. According to her register of interests, Ms Moran has
Former health secretary Matt Hancock has been accused of trying to “cash in” on the COVID crisis after he was approached to write a book about the pandemic. The ex-cabinet minister is reported to be in talks with publisher HarperCollins over his account of the government’s coronavirus response. According to the Daily Mail, the book
Boris Johnson has insisted sleaze allegations levelled at the Conservatives will not affect voters’ choice in upcoming by-elections. The prime minister visited Sidcup on Friday afternoon ahead of a vote next month to replace former minister James Brokenshire who died of cancer last month. He said the local candidate in Old Bexley and Sidcup was
Boris Johnson has warned the rising COVID cases in Europe could be seen in the UK if people do not get their booster jabs fast enough. Both the Netherlands and Austria today announced fresh lockdown rules in the coming days as cases rise again in some European countries. The prime minister said: “I’m seeing the
Hospital bosses have spoken out after Boris Johnson was pictured speaking to staff without a face mask. The prime minister chatted and bumped elbows with masked nurses at Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland on Monday morning. Soon after the photo opportunity, Mr Johnson put a mask on after an aide handed him one. Image: The
The government needs to “do better” amid sleaze allegations against MPs “and we know that”, the chancellor has told Sky News. Speaking to economics editor Ed Conway as scrutiny continues into lobbying by MPs and their outside earnings through second jobs, Rishi Sunak said: “On the broader point and just reflecting over recent events, I
Boris Johnson has said MPs who break parliamentary rules on second jobs “must be investigated and should be punished”. In the last week, the government has come under fire over its backing of former MP Owen Paterson, who was found to have breached rules on lobbying. It has since emerged that former attorney general Sir
A senior Conservative MP under scrutiny over his extra earnings for legal work has defended himself – and declared it is up to his constituents to vote him out if they are unhappy about it. Sir Geoffrey Cox’s entry in the register of members’ interests shows he earned more than £800,000 for law firm Withers,
Labour has called on the government’s anti-sleaze watchdog to investigate a former Conservative cabinet minister, amid claims he mis-used his parliamentary office to carry out legal work. The former attorney general has earned more than £800,000 for his work for law firm Withers, which is representing the British Virgin Islands government in a corruption case
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it has received a letter from the SNP asking it to investigate cash for honours allegations against the Conservatives. A spokesman for the force said it is currently “considering the contents of the correspondence” but an investigation or formal assessment into the allegations has not started. SNP MP Pete Wishart
Victims of crime could be left waiting for years for justice after Dominic Raab admitted he did not know how long it will take to get through the backlog of the most serious court cases. In an interview with Sky News, the justice secretary said he “couldn’t say with precision” when the backlog of more
Sir Keir Starmer has said Boris Johnson has “corroded trust” in MPs after a U-turn on reforming the disciplinary system for MPs and veteran Tory Owen Paterson’s breach of lobbying rules. The Labour leader told an emergency debate in the Commons that the prime minister gave the “green light to corruption” last week when Conservatives
Prime Minister Boris Johnson must apologise to the country for his handling of the Owen Paterson sleaze row, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Labour leader said Mr Johnson must also confirm that Mr Paterson, a former cabinet minister, will not be nominated for a peerage. Ahead of an emergency Commons debate on standards at
Boris Johnson is being warned against triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to suspend parts of post-Brexit arrangements for the Irish border. There is growing speculation that the prime minister could soon trigger Article 16 as ongoing talks between the EU and UK continue to fail to resolve problems such as the “sausage