Politics

Boris Johnson is dashing to Brussels for dinner with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, hoping for an early Christmas present: a Brexit deal. With deadlock after months of talks between UK and EU negotiators, the prime minister is aiming for an 11th-hour breakthrough in what could be a make-or-break meeting. Mr Johnson will

The government will drop parts of legislation that could have seen the UK break international law after reaching an “agreement in principle” on Brexit divorce issues. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said he was “delighted” to have reached an agreement, including on post-Brexit arrangements for the Irish border. As a result, the government said it

Boris Johnson has said the conclusion of a Brexit trade deal is “looking very, very difficult at the moment” as he prepares for a make-or-break visit to Brussels. The prime minister said: “You’ve got to be optimistic, you’ve got to believe there’s the power of sweet reason to get this thing over the line. “But

Boris Johnson will head to Brussels for post-Brexit trade talks after a phone call with the EU Commission president ended with “significant differences” unresolved. The pair spoke on Monday afternoon – their second conversation in 48 hours – but were unable to overcome the three remaining stumbling blocks: Governance, the level playing field and fisheries.

We are finally at the end game of Brexit. Four and a half years since the referendum, in the next few days the UK and EU will have to decide whether we exit our relationship with the 27-strong bloc with a trade deal or without one. When Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President

Former footballer Gary Neville has criticised Labour’s decision to abstain in a vote on coronavirus restrictions, saying: “You’re the opposition, don’t sit in the stand.” “They sat in the stand whilst the home team had a clear run,” Neville told Sophy Ridge on Sunday in reference to the vote last Tuesday on the government’s new

Brexit trade talks are “in a very difficult position, there’s no point denying that”, Environment Secretary George Eustice has told Sky News. Speaking to Sophy Ridge On Sunday, he said progress was being made but then the EU “added a whole load of additional demands” which created problems and was a “setback”. The minister said

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been forced back into self-isolation after a member of his staff tested positive for coronavirus. A spokesperson for Sir Keir said: “Keir is well and not showing any symptoms. He will now be working from home.” He is not thought to be showing any symptoms, but is expected to

Saturday could be the most important day in Brexit since the UK’s formal exit from the EU at the end of January. Significant gaps remain between the two sides in the negotiation over a post-Brexit trade deal. Talks between the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his UK counterpart David Frost have reached the end

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has been arrested in connection with an investigation into building and planning developments in the city, Sky News understands. He is one of five men arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation offences. None have been charged or named by Merseyside Police, with the force releasing

The latest round of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal “did not go well”, Sky News understands, with a UK source suggesting that hopes of an agreement are now “receding”. According to Sky’s deputy political editor Sam Coates, the sticking point was the so-called “level playing field”. This is the issue of preventing unfair competition

Britain was the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine because it has “much better” regulators than France, Belgium and the US, a senior minister has claimed. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson boasted that “we’re a much better country than every single one of them” – after some international disquiet surfaced following the breakthrough jab news.

A review into the UK government’s handling of the pandemic is set to be published today and will accuse ministers of “gambling with the UK’s future” by relaxing restrictions over Christmas. In a scathing review, cross-party MPs have made over 40 recommendations to the government “so that its preparedness and response may be improved in

The Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine “cannot” be delivered to care homes in Wales at this stage, despite them being a priority group for receiving the jab. Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething said this was because of the need to store the COVID-19 vaccine at very low temperatures – at -70C (-94F). Live updates on coronavirus from

Boris Johnson suffered the worst rebellion since the election, on what will be the defining issue of his premiership. The breadth of the Tory revolt over his revised tier system was notable – ideologically from the left to the right of the party, from 1922 grandee to 2019 newbie. All of this still less than

Government officials have drawn up a detailed dossier looking at the impact of coronavirus on every economic sector which it is refusing to publish. The Business Department has drawn up a spreadsheet looking at the size of each sector, the concerns of each sector, its financial stability and whether there will be job losses. Officials