Politics

Data on when coronavirus lockdown restrictions can start to be eased will be assessed before mid-February, the prime minister has said. Boris Johnson said the government will be “looking at the potential of relaxing some measures” before the middle of next month. Live coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world Speaking at a

Nicola Sturgeon has accused Boris Johnson of being “frightened of democracy” and said she will seek a “legal referendum” on Scottish independence. Scotland’s first minister claimed the prime minister “fears the verdict and the will of the Scottish people” over his refusal to agree to another independence vote. It comes after the Scottish National Party

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives has resigned after he drank alcohol on the Senedd estate days after a pub alcohol ban came into force. Paul Davies said the controversy over the events of last month had become a “distraction” and that he is standing down with “immediate effect” despite appeals from colleagues to continue.

The introduction of “COVID hotels” and other curbs on international travel are to be discussed by senior ministers on Monday. It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted that further border restrictions were needed to stop dangerous new coronavirus variants entering the country. Government sources say while completely closing the border is not the likely

The coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa could reduce the efficacy of vaccines by half, the health secretary has said. Matt Hancock made the remark during a webinar with business leaders and travel agents on Tuesday. First reported by Mail Online, a recording of the meeting has also been passed to Sky News. Please

There are “no plans” to give everyone who tests positive for coronavirus a one-off payment of £500, Downing Street has said. The dramatic proposal, which would cost the government a massive £453m a week or £2bn a month, was revealed in a leaked 16-page policy document drawn up by Matt Hancock’s Department of Health and

The government has “considered” the full closure of the UK’s borders amid concerns about new COVID variants being imported from abroad, a cabinet minister has revealed. This week, the government closed all UK travel corridors – which had allowed arrivals from some countries to avoid having to quarantine – until at least 15 February. People

Almost two-thirds of elderly care home residents have had a COVID-19 vaccine – with vaccinations among all groups occurring at 200 jabs per minute, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told MPs. “I’m delighted to say 63% of residents in elderly care homes have now received a vaccination, that is a really significant increase over the

An online system for booking COVID vaccine appointments has been criticised after claims ineligible people have been using it to “queue-jump” and receive the jab. The Swiftqueue website is being used by numerous NHS trusts to allow health and social care workers and over-70s to sign up for coronavirus vaccinations. Live COVID news from UK

Boris Johnson has been accused of “overruling” Home Secretary Priti Patel – after she claimed she argued for the shutting of the UK’s borders at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In video footage of her comments to Tory supporters, Ms Patel suggested she privately pushed for tougher border measures during the UK’s first national

The UK will need to look “very carefully” at the protection provided by the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the government’s chief scientific adviser has told Sky News, amid concerns its effectiveness is significantly lower than had been found in trials. Sir Patrick Vallance said the government would “just need to keep measuring the numbers” as the vaccine

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has revealed he is self-isolating for the next six days after being “pinged” by the NHS coronavirus app. In a video posted to his Twitter account on Tuesday morning, Mr Hancock said: “Last night I was pinged by the NHS coronavirus app, so that means I’ll be self-isolating at home, not

A media enquiry by Sky News has led to questions over what Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon knew of bullying concerns surrounding the office of her predecessor Alex Salmond. When we asked the Scottish Government for copies of its grievance procedure, officials mistakenly sent out their internal emails which detailed their handling of the request.

The health secretary has said there are “brighter times ahead” as the coronavirus vaccine rollout continues, but warned the public: “Don’t blow it now.” “We are on the route out. We are protecting the most vulnerable. We are getting the virus under control,” Matt Hancock told a Downing Street news conference. Live COVID news from

Replacing the £20-a-week increase in Universal Credit with a one-off payment of £500 is a “terrible” idea, Labour has said. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reported to be considering giving almost six million benefit claimants the cash payment instead of keeping the £1,000 yearly uplift in Universal Credit. The Universal Credit increase was introduced last year

All UK adults will be offered the first dose of a COVID vaccine by September, Dominic Raab has told Sky News. Speaking on Sophy Ridge on Sunday, the foreign secretary said: “Our target is that by September to have offered all the adult population a first dose, if we can do it faster than that