Politics

The inquiry into the UK’s response to coronavirus will be brutal and it will be dirty. Scrapping for survival, the cast of characters thrust into the spotlight during the pandemic will be desperate to avoid being cast as the villain – and that may mean looking for an alternative candidate. Boris Johnson has already committed

Social distancing will need to continue for a “long period of time” and eliminating COVID-19 in the UK is unlikely, England’s chief medical officer has said. Professor Chris Whitty told the Lords science and technology committee that certain hygiene measures would remain for the foreseeable future and that people would also need to continue keeping

An urgent review has been ordered into how the daily coronavirus death figures are calculated after it was claimed the current method does not take into account the fact that some people may have recovered from COVID-19 and died of a different cause. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has asked for the examination of Public Health

Boris Johnson will pledge another £3bn for the NHS as he lays out the next stage of the coronavirus recovery roadmap, amid reports he wants staff to return to work. The prime minister will make the funding pledge to prepare the health service for a second wave of COVID-19 infections as the country heads towards

A long-awaited report into alleged Russian interference in UK politics will be released within the next week. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) unanimously agreed on Thursday morning to publish the report before parliament’s summer recess begins next Wednesday. Critics have previously accused the government of sitting on the Russia report for nine months. Image:

Boris Johnson has taken revenge against a Tory MP who defeated his pick to be the new Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) chair – by removing the whip. Dr Julian Lewis is no longer sitting as a Conservative in parliament after he ran against the government’s nominee for the top job, Chris Grayling, and won.

Donald Trump has welcomed Britain’s decision to block Huawei from its 5G network – while China’s ambassador to the UK said it was “disappointing and wrong”. Yesterday, Boris Johnson also banned the purchase of any new 5G equipment from the Chinese tech giant from the end of this year. The US president praised the UK’s

The number of coronavirus cases in Leicester is “still well above” the rest of the UK ahead of this week’s review of the city’s local lockdown, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. The Midlands city has been subject to the UK’s first full local lockdown as part of the government’s “whack-a-mole” strategy to deal with

As the government announces that Chinese tech giant Huawei’s equipment will be removed from the UK’s 5G network by 2027, Sky’s experts assess the implications of the decision. UK should prepare for serious retaliation, not just rhetoricBy Tom Cheshire, Asia correspondent Huawei’s first major customer was China’s People’s Liberation Army. Its latest will not now

Face coverings must be worn in shops and supermarkets in England from Friday 24 July, Boris Johnson has announced. Enforcement will be carried out by police – not retail staff – and anyone failing to wear a face covering while shopping will be subject to a fine of up to £100, or £50 if paid

Britons should be wearing masks in shops, with face coverings offering a “great deal of value” in controlling the spread of coronavirus, Boris Johnson has said. The government has been criticised for offering mixed messages on face coverings, with it mandatory to wear one on public transport in England although not in shops. But the

He became leader during lockdown and Sir Keir Starmer’s poll ratings have risen significantly in the 100 days since. But can that honeymoon last? The COVID-19 crisis has showcased the Labour leader’s skills as a lawyer: pinning Boris Johnson down on detail at Prime Minister’s Questions, arguing the UK government was “slow into lockdown, slow

Huawei has “close linkage” to the Chinese military, a former spy chief has told Sky News as he said he expected the Government to halt the involvement of the tech giant in the UK’s 5G network. Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Sir Richard Dearlove, who led MI6 from 1999 to 2004, said the firm

The government will spend £705m to secure Great Britain’s border after leaving the EU, including a lorry park in Kent to deal with potential disruption. The new funding, for border infrastructure, jobs and technology, will ensure the UK’s border systems are “fully operational” after the UK has fully left the EU from 1 January 2021,

Boris. Hillary. Maggie. There’s a super league of politicians we are on first name terms with. And now Rishi – chancellor for only five months – has joined their ranks. The rise of “Brand Rishi” is raising a few eyebrows in Westminster, whether it’s Mr Sunak’s slick Insta game or his penchant for posting soft-focus

The government was routinely overstating the total number of people who had been tested for COVID-19 by as many as 200,000 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, according to new Sky News analysis. It follows a Sky News investigation into irregularities in how testing data was collected and compiled in the face of the