Boris Johnson says he is “in awe” at the way parents have been been looking after their children during the pandemic. In an open letter, the prime minister says the COVID crisis has been “tough for all of us” but has “brought out the very best in a great many people”. “I’m particularly in awe
Politics
Prisoners in England should start being offered coronavirus vaccines from today, the prisons minister has told Sky News. “The vaccination rollout in prisons has commenced in Wales and should be commencing today in England,” Lucy Frazer said. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible
The SNP is facing fresh claims that senior party figures conspired against its former leader Alex Salmond. One of its own MPs has told Sky News that high-ranking members of the party shared dozens of messages about the former first minister in a social media group chat, calling themselves the “Vietnam” group. In
Travel to the UK from the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda will be banned as the government takes further action to prevent the spread of the COVID variant first found in South Africa. From 1pm on Friday, non-British or Irish passengers who have been in or transited through those countries in the last 10
Boris Johnson has visited a Lighthouse Laboratory used for processing COVID-19 tests during his one-day visit to Scotland. The prime minister met staff at the lab at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow after pressing ahead with the trip to Scotland despite First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying he should not come as it was
Boris Johnson is flying into a storm of protest with a visit to Scotland that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon claims is not an essential journey. The prime minister is heading to Scotland on a one-day trip aimed at highlighting the value of the United Kingdom in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The PM’s controversial visit is
A minister has defended the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, telling Sky News that in the future “I suspect there will be things that people will say we did extremely well”. Speaking the day after the UK exceeded 100,000 COVID-19-related deaths, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said “there is no textbook as to how to
Boris Johnson has told the country he is “deeply sorry for every life that has been lost” as the UK surpassed 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths. A further 1,631 people were reported to have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic
It is “far too early” for Britons to be thinking about booking a summer holiday, a minister has told Sky News. Asked if people should hold off on booking a trip, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi replied: “Absolutely.” Live coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible
Travel industry sources have told Sky News they expect mandatory hotel quarantine to be introduced imminently, as the government tries to suppress new variants of coronavirus. They anticipate an announcement could come as soon as Tuesday, but even those close to discussions remain unclear how broad the restrictions will be. Sources believe differing views among
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