Edwin Poots, the DUP leader ousted after 21 days in the job, has told Sky News he nominated a First Minister against his party’s wishes to fight the Brexit Protocol. In an exclusive interview, he said: “My focus was on the Northern Ireland Protocol first and foremost because constitutionally that is what is damaging Northern
Politics
Matt Hancock did not withhold key COVID data ahead of the decision to postpone the easing of restrictions in England, the justice secretary has told Sky News. Robert Buckland defended the health secretary and said he has the “full support” of the government, denying reports that Mr Hancock held back data on the effectiveness of
Former Conservative MP and Commons Speaker John Bercow has said his switching of allegiance to join the Labour Party is “not personal against Boris Johnson”. Mr Bercow told Sky News his decision to defect away from the Conservative Party is not to do with the PM, but added that Mr Johnson has “only a nodding
Alison, a 16-year-old from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, is among the thousands of pupils across the UK who struggled to cope with the pressures of homeschooling during lockdown – with her education suffering as a result. “It was so much more difficult to concentrate at home. At school you can get your head down but
Sir Keir Starmer’s top spin doctor has quit after Labour suffered another poor by-election result in which the party lost its deposit. Ben Nunn announced he was stepping down as the opposition leader’s director of communications, after the party trailed in fourth behind the Green Party in the Chesham and Amersham poll. The departure of
Boris Johnson has denied his Conservative Party are neglecting southern parts of England in favour of its new northern seats as he blamed “particular circumstances” for a surprise by-election loss. The Tories have been dealt a humiliating defeat after the Liberal Democrats won Thursday’s Chesham and Amersham by-election. The Buckinghamshire constituency had been a Conservative
It’s an unwritten rule of politics that every electoral action can have an opposite – if not quite equal – reaction. The question being asked by many Tories this morning will be whether the party’s recent relentless focus on winning new supporters in traditionally Labour-held areas in the north is starting to cost them in
Edwin Poots has resigned as leader of the DUP after less than a month in the post. Mr Poots is standing down following an internal revolt against him but will stay in post until a successor is elected. Speaking on Thursday evening Mr Poots said: “I have asked the Party Chairman to commence an electoral
DUP leader Edwin Poots has formally nominated Lagan Valley MLA Paul Givan as Northern Ireland’s new First Minister at a special sitting of the Stormont Assembly. The nomination comes after the DUP and Sinn Fein agreed that the British government will legislate on the contentious issues around Irish language use. Arguments over the promised legislation
Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser has published a 7,000-word blogpost including a series of claims about the prime minister and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Here’s a round-up of Dominic Cummings’s most explosive allegations: PM branded Hancock ‘totally f****** hopeless’ The most eye-catching part of Mr Cummings’s blogpost was his inclusion of screenshots of WhatsApp messages
Boris Johnson’s former chief aide has shared a WhatsApp message in which the prime minister appears to call Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s efforts “totally f****** hopeless”. Dominic Cummings, who has been engaged in a weeks-long feud with Downing Street, published a lengthy blogpost that he claimed showed details of how “Number10/Hancock have repeatedly lied about
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that care in the UK is “not properly funded, lacks transparency and urgently needs reform”, according to a government select committee. The public accounts committee, which encourages transparency and accountability within government, is calling for an end to rhetoric and the implementation of long talked about reforms. One of its
19 July is the “terminus date” for England’s remaining coronavirus restrictions and it would take an “unprecedented and remarkable” change in circumstances to derail that, Michael Gove has told Sky News. The Cabinet Office minister was speaking after Boris Johnson announced a delay to step four in England’s roadmap out of COVID-19 measures, pushing back
The public must “see true freedom again”, a former Conservative minister has said, as the government delayed lockdown easing in England for four weeks until 19 July. Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe, called on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to explain under what conditions the country will move to step four of the government’s roadmap, noting
It is “possible” that putting India on the red list earlier might have prevented the widely anticipated delay to easing England’s coronavirus lockdown that is set to be announced later, a minister has said. Boris Johnson is preparing to announce a delay of four weeks to step four of the country’s roadmap out of COVID-19
An England football victory as the G7 summit wrapped up in Cornwall was something to celebrate, but even with a home advantage, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not emerge from this global gathering with a win. This was a big opportunity for Mr Johnson and in favourable conditions. Serendipitous that the UK was the host