Boris Johnson is expected to order tough new COVID curbs next week on pubs in northern England, which could include closing them altogether in Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. In an announcement that could come before the end of this week, the prime minister is expected to unveil a clampdown in response to alarming rises in
Politics
Ministers are preparing to introduce further restrictions in the north of England as the government races to handle the spike in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions. Government insiders told Sky News that no decisions had been taken on whether to introduce even tighter controls in the North – with the the North East and North
More than a dozen Tory rebels flexed their muscles on new coronavirus rules, but failed to defeat the government over its “rule of six”. Fourteen Conservative backbenchers were joined by five DUP MPs in trying to curb the restrictions on social gatherings. They were easily outnumbered, but Labour and 62 Conservatives abstained, meaning the total
It was a speech without the audience he had hoped for, in a year no one had anticipated. What should have been a Conservative Party victory rally for Boris Johnson on Tuesday turned instead into an attempt to steady the ship after some very rocky weeks. The prime minister used his annual conference speech to
Labour’s deputy leader has called on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to consider quitting over the “disgusting” technology blunder that saw 16,000 coronavirus cases missed by contact tracers. Angela Rayner told Mr Hancock he should be “completely embarrassed” by the delay in the reporting of 15,841 COVID-19 infections in England between 25 September to 2 October.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned there will be no “easy cost-free answer” as he vowed to “balance the books” following his spending splurge during the coronavirus crisis. In his speech to the Conservative Party‘s virtual conference, Mr Sunak listed the various schemes he has introduced in a bid to shore up the economy amid the
After a shaky start to the Conservative Party Conference (at least on the technological front), Monday will see Rishi Sunak speaking from the virtual podium. Right now the chancellor can do no wrong, but he knows difficult decisions are coming, not least the problem of how to come back from the largest recession on record.
The coronavirus pandemic “will be bumpy through to Christmas” and potentially beyond that, Boris Johnson has warned, as he said it is is “too early to say” whether local lockdowns are effective in bringing down infection rates. The prime minister was asked specifically about Oldham, which has seen its COVID-19 infection rate double despite being
The home secretary will promise an asylum system that is “firm and fair” when she speaks at the Conservative Party conference later. Priti Patel will present a system that would see the government routinely denying asylum to migrants who cross the English Channel on boats or via other “illegal routes”. This would include migrants who
One in four of us is now living under some form of tighter COVID-19 restrictions. The prime minister may say that a national lockdown is the nuclear option that he doesn’t want to resort to – but for millions of people who can’t meet other households indoors, the red button has already been pressed. But
Ordinarily, conference season is an opportunity for political parties to push the reset button. The three-day gathering can help leaders heal rifts with tetchy MPs – a relaxed dinner here, a drink with a group of backbenchers there. Put plainly, party conferences are the perfect place for leaders to score political brownie points with MPs
Pressure is mounting on an MP who broke coronavirus rules to quit, after she was accused of making “a huge error of judgement”. Margaret Ferrier has already been kicked out of the SNP parliamentary party but is facing calls to leave the Commons completely over her actions. She travelled from Scotland to London on Monday
An MP has apologised for travelling on public transport after testing positive for coronavirus. The SNP’s Margaret Ferrier said in a statement there was “no excuse for my actions” and “I apologise unreservedly for breaching COVID-19 restrictions by travelling this week when I shouldn’t have”. “On Saturday afternoon, after experiencing mild symptoms, I requested a
The EU Commission says it will start legal action against Boris Johnson’s bid to potentially override parts of the Brexit deal. Brussels claims the prime minister is breaching the “good faith” promise both sides signed up to in the withdrawal agreement struck and passed by parliament last year. President Ursula von der Leyen said given
The prime minister has urged the public to stick to new coronavirus rules to avoid the potential of a new national lockdown – our correspondents give their analysis. Thomas Moore, science and medical correspondent Can you smell the coffee? This was a wake-up call for the nation. It’s not just cases of COVID-19 rising now.
Boris Johnson is bidding to head off a Tory rebellion over emergency coronavirus legislation as he prepares to give his latest update on the COVID-19 crisis from Downing Street. The prime minister – fresh being forced to apologise for getting confused by his own coronavirus regulations – is facing the prospect of a Conservative revolt