Politics

The prime minister has acknowledged there are “teething problems” with trade between Britain and Northern Ireland in the wake of the Brexit transition period coming to an end. Britain’s new trading relationship with Brussels came into effect at 11pm on December 31, following an 11-month Brexit transition period. There have been empty shelves on some

Boris Johnson has told MPs that recent coronavirus restrictions “are starting to show signs of some effect” – but he refused to rule out even tougher measures. The prime minister came under fresh pressure from Labour on Wednesday to tighten COVID rules in order to drive down infections. Live COVID updates from UK and around

The NHS is considering plans to discharge patients into hotels as hospitals become swamped with COVID patients, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed – as he said it was “impossible to know” how long lockdown restrictions might last. Mr Hancock told Sky News that the government would “look at all options” to relieve pressures on

Pressure on the NHS will not start to reduce until March, ministers have been warned – amid fears that new infections could be running at more than 250,000 a day. Downing Street has been told by government scientists that the rollout of the vaccines is unlikely to cause the mortality rate to decline until later

The health secretary has suggested the prime minister was operating within the rules when he went cycling seven miles from Downing Street during lockdown. Boris Johnson was spotted at the Olympic Park in east London with members of his security detail on Sunday, according to the Evening Standard. Live COVID updates from UK and around

More than 2.6 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been given to almost 2.3 million people, the health secretary has said, as an NHS boss warned the jab is “not a free pass” to ignore national guidance. Matt Hancock told a Downing Street news conference that the government was on track to achieve its pledge

Thousands more people will be called for their coronavirus jabs at seven new mass vaccination sites opening in England today, as the government desperately urges people to follow lockdown rules. The new centres in Bristol, Surrey, London, Newcastle Manchester, Stevenage and Birmingham will have the capacity to vaccinate four people a minute, with over-80s and

More than 200,000 people are getting a COVID-19 jab every day and the government is on course to reach its target of 13 million people vaccinated by mid-February, Matt Hancock has told Sky News. But speaking on Sophy Ridge On Sunday, the health secretary said the pressure on the NHS was “very bad” and repeated

More than nine in 10 headteachers say they don’t have confidence in the Department for Education’s decision-making, after schools were closed and exams cancelled due to the pandemic. Millions of children are being taught remotely and students will no longer sit their 2021 exams because of sharp rises in COVID-19 cases. Now a survey of

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been accused by her predecessor Alex Salmond of submitting evidence to a parliamentary inquiry that is “simply untrue”. A spokesperson for the first minister has said she “entirely rejects” the claims and accused Mr Salmond of “spinning false conspiracy theories”. Mr Salmond claims she attended a meeting at which

Boris Johnson has been slammed by MPs for being too secretive about the scientific advice that informed lockdowns and the tier system in England. The prime minister has been warned that transparency is essential for allowing scrutiny of scientists’ advice and promoting public confidence in lockdown decisions. The warning comes in a hard-hitting report by

Wales its continuing its lockdown and will be toughening up some restrictions as the nation struggles to manage the spread of the new highly infectious coronavirus variant. People in Wales are already being told to stay at home and not mix with other households, but the lockdown measures had been due for a review. After

The government has been urged to listen to the concerns of GPs over the rollout of COVID vaccines in order to avoid “frustrating and demoralising” doctors and “confusing and disappointing” patients. On Thursday, GP surgeries across England received their first doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and began administering them to patients. However, the GP surgery

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has predicted England’s latest national lockdown will be the last full shutdown of the COVID crisis – but suggested Britons might need to be re-vaccinated every six to 12 months. The government is aiming to offer a first dose of a COVID vaccine to nearly 14 million of the most vulnerable

MPs have approved England’s third coronavirus lockdown – but the government has been urged by leading Conservatives to allow further votes on the measures both this month and next month. Following a four-hour debate in the House of Commons, MPs approved the newest lockdown by 524 votes to 16, a majority of 508. Their approval

Boris Johnson says he had “no choice” but to implement another national lockdown in England as “the facts are changing” on coronavirus infections. The prime minister told MPs that the government will use “every available second” to place an “invisible shield” around elderly and vulnerable people through the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Follow live updates