Almost all COVID rules – including limits on the number of people who can meet together, legal requirements on wearing face masks, and social distancing in pubs and bars – will be ditched as part of the final step of the roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions in England. The government expects to push ahead with
Politics
Wearing a face mask is set to become a “personal choice” – but some medical experts say they will continue to wear them in crowded environments. Speaking to Sky News on Monday, Health Minister Helen Whately said she “can’t wait to not have to wear a mask” when the restrictions allow. But medical director of
It has been billed in some quarters as “Freedom Day”, when life will return to a form of normality after more than a year of coronavirus restrictions. Under step four of the government’s roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions in England, currently scheduled for 19 July having been pushed back by four weeks, measures in a range
There will be a “much more permissive regime” of coronavirus measures in England – with the wearing of face masks a “personal choice”, a minister has told Sky News. Speaking to Sky News amid reports that Boris Johnson is preparing to ease the last remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England from 19 July, Robert Jenrick said
The government is “considering” scrapping quarantine requirements for those who have had both vaccine doses. Downing Street said it was looking at whether to drop all legal self-isolation measures for fully vaccinated people who come into contact with someone who is infected “as part of the post-Step 4 world”. Ministers had already been considering replacing
Boris Johnson is “very confident” that the UK’s use of India-produced jabs won’t prevent Britons being able to travel abroad – as German chancellor Angela Merkel offered hope of quarantine-free trips to the EU for those who are double-jabbed. Speaking following talks at the prime minister’s official country retreat of Chequers, Ms Merkel said: “We
Sir Keir Starmer has declared “Labour is back” as he told his party the Batley and Spen by-election win shows what can be achieved when it “pulls together”. The Labour leader joined the UK’s newest MP, Kim Leadbeater, in the West Yorkshire constituency on Friday following her victory by 323 votes over the Conservatives. The
In the normal course of politics, an opposition party holding a seat in a by-election is the most predictable of events. There’s only been five by-elections since the Second World War when this hasn’t happened. That the Labour Party is so delighted and relieved to have – against the odds – clung onto Batley and
Polls have closed in the Batley and Spen by-election, with pollsters and bookmakers predicting a Tory victory – a result likely to trigger moves to oust Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader. Tory challenger Ryan Stephenson is being tipped to defeat Labour‘s Kim Leadbeater, sister of the murdered former MP Jo Cox, after one of
The Euro 2020 final at Wembley will go ahead with more than 60,000 fans despite figures showing thousands of COVID cases linked to supporters, Kwasi Kwarteng has said. The business secretary told Sky News the fixture will “absolutely” take place as arranged, with the 90,000-seat stadium expected to be filled at 75% of its capacity.
A deal to avoid a ban on sausages and other chilled meats moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland has been agreed at the last minute. The UK and EU have announced an extension to a grace period allowing their transit across the Irish Sea, hours before a ban would have come into force. London
Ministers have rejected demands to allow more time for EU citizens to register to stay in the UK after Brexit by declaring: “Don’t delay, apply today.” The deadline for applying for post-Brexit residency under the government’s EU Settlement Scheme passes at midnight, with claims of a backlog of 400,000 cases. And some EU citizens who
The government’s efforts to help school pupils catch up from lost learning during the COVID pandemic are “feeble” when compared to other countries, a former adviser has said. Sir Kevan Collins, who recently quit as Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s catch-up tsar amid a row over funding, told MPs on Tuesday that the “biggest impact” of
Ministers are set to decide on whether to scrap self-isolation for school pupils in England if one of their classmates tests positive for coronavirus. The government has recently trialled daily contact testing for children as an alternative to an entire school “bubble” – made up of their class or even whole year group – having
Boris Johnson has suggested he decided Matt Hancock could no longer be health secretary after admitting breaking coronavirus rules. Speaking on Monday, the prime minister said Mr Hancock’s actions undermined the government’s public safety message and therefore he chose to bring in a new health secretary on Saturday – a day after the revelations were
The justice secretary says he has asked for his office to be swept for “unauthorised devices” following the recording and leaking of footage of Matt Hancock from within the Department of Health and Social Care. Robert Buckland said he could not be sure whether there are cameras in his office or not, and that he