Politics

The government unlawfully failed to publish details of coronavirus-related contracts worth billions, the High Court has ruled. The Good Law Project launched a judicial review against the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) over its “wholesale failure” to disclose details of the COVID-19-related contracts. Under law, the government has to publish a “contract award

Sadiq Khan has received his first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and urged members of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities to follow suit, declaring: “I wouldn’t be taking the jab if I didn’t think it was safe.” The London mayor received a COVID-19 jab on Friday morning at a vaccine centre located inside

At least 10,000 children in care were placed in potentially unsafe accommodation including caravans, tents and barges, a Sky News investigation has found.  Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that local councils used unregulated accommodation to house vulnerable children – even though these settings were not subject to inspection or regulation by Ofsted. Between January 2019 and December

Sir Keir Starmer has set out his vision for a post-coronavirus Britain, declaring: “We can’t return to business as usual.” The Labour leader said the COVID-19 crisis had exposed the UK’s “fragilities” and must prompt a bout of national soul-searching, declaring now was a “moment to think again about the country we want to be”.

Face-to-face visits in care homes could resume within weeks as England’s lockdown is eased, a minister has suggested. Care minister Helen Whately told Sky News she wants to see a return to more “normal” visits as COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed. Latest coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world People would not have to

Boris Johnson has said he will be focusing on data and not dates when it comes to the easing of England’s coronavirus lockdown. The prime minister said Professor Dame Angela McLean was “absolutely right” to tell a committee of MPs earlier that the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions should hinge upon “data, not dates”. Latest coronavirus

Every adult in the UK could receive both doses of a coronavirus vaccine by August or September “or maybe sooner if we need to”, the head of the country’s vaccine taskforce has told Sky News. Clive Dix, who runs the body which identifies and buys vaccines on behalf of the UK government, said he was

A phased return of pupils to classrooms in Scotland will begin on Monday, the first minister has announced. Nicola Sturgeon revealed the news in a statement to the Scottish parliament this afternoon, as she said the country’s lockdown would continue until at least the beginning of March. “The core stay at home requirement will remain

Boris Johnson has set out his hope that the current COVID lockdown will be the last – thanks to the “unprecedented” vaccine rollout. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, the prime minister hailed the “astonishing efforts” of everyone involved in the delivery of COVID jabs after the government met its target of offering a

Over the next week the government and its advisers will be assessing a host of COVID-19 data to come up with a plan for easing lockdown restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out his roadmap out of lockdown on 22 February and is hoping to include the earliest possible dates for reopening different sectors

The first rule of world-beating vaccine club is you don’t talk about world-beating vaccine club. A weird one, especially when the first rule of world-beating coronavirus test and trace club seemed to be that you talk about little else. Even when the reality is clearly not living up to the description. So what’s going on?

The government will not be setting an “arbitrary target” for when lockdown can be lifted despite pressure from some MPs to scrap all restrictions by the end of April, the foreign secretary has told Sky News. Dominic Raab said the plan was to “ease the lockdown” with the return of schools, which Prime Minister Boris

Boris Johnson has said he is “optimistic” ahead of his “roadmap” for easing England’s lockdown – and hinted at which industries will reopen first. The prime minister said his plan, which will be unveiled on 22 February, will prioritise the reopening of schools from 8 March. He added that non-essential retail will follow, then hospitality

Anyone eligible for a vaccine who has not yet had a jab is being urged to come forward – with Britons in top priority groups being told it isn’t too late to receive one. The government and the NHS have launched a new vaccine uptake plan that’s designed to reach vulnerable and underserved groups, and

Over-65s will begin receiving letters inviting them to get COVID vaccines from early next week as part of the next phase of the UK’s vaccination programme, Sky News understands. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously set a deadline of Monday 15 February for offering a first dose of a vaccine to 15 million people in

A senior Conservative MP has warned the government against “backsliding” on the reopening of all schools in England on 8 March and suggested some younger children should return to classrooms this month. Robert Halfon, the chair of the House of Commons education committee, told Sky News of his concerns of an “epidemic of educational poverty”