Politics

Face coverings must be worn in shops and supermarkets in England from Friday 24 July, Boris Johnson has announced. Enforcement will be carried out by police – not retail staff – and anyone failing to wear a face covering while shopping will be subject to a fine of up to £100, or £50 if paid

Britons should be wearing masks in shops, with face coverings offering a “great deal of value” in controlling the spread of coronavirus, Boris Johnson has said. The government has been criticised for offering mixed messages on face coverings, with it mandatory to wear one on public transport in England although not in shops. But the

He became leader during lockdown and Sir Keir Starmer’s poll ratings have risen significantly in the 100 days since. But can that honeymoon last? The COVID-19 crisis has showcased the Labour leader’s skills as a lawyer: pinning Boris Johnson down on detail at Prime Minister’s Questions, arguing the UK government was “slow into lockdown, slow

Huawei has “close linkage” to the Chinese military, a former spy chief has told Sky News as he said he expected the Government to halt the involvement of the tech giant in the UK’s 5G network. Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Sir Richard Dearlove, who led MI6 from 1999 to 2004, said the firm

The government will spend £705m to secure Great Britain’s border after leaving the EU, including a lorry park in Kent to deal with potential disruption. The new funding, for border infrastructure, jobs and technology, will ensure the UK’s border systems are “fully operational” after the UK has fully left the EU from 1 January 2021,

Boris. Hillary. Maggie. There’s a super league of politicians we are on first name terms with. And now Rishi – chancellor for only five months – has joined their ranks. The rise of “Brand Rishi” is raising a few eyebrows in Westminster, whether it’s Mr Sunak’s slick Insta game or his penchant for posting soft-focus

The government was routinely overstating the total number of people who had been tested for COVID-19 by as many as 200,000 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, according to new Sky News analysis. It follows a Sky News investigation into irregularities in how testing data was collected and compiled in the face of the

The government has announced the latest easing of England’s lockdown, with beauty salons, gyms, leisure centres and pools allowed to reopen this month. What beauty treatments can I get from Monday? The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) – which has been working with the government on the reopening of the beauty sector

Downing Street has nominated five Conservative MPs to the nine-strong House of Commons committee set to publish a long-awaited report into alleged Russian interference in UK politics. Former Cabinet minister Chris Grayling, who is touted to be the new chair of the powerful Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), is on the list of nominees set

Rishi Sunak has told Sky News there will be “difficult times ahead” despite new emergency measures to kickstart the economy after the coronavirus lockdown. The chancellor admitted “we are not going to be able to protect every single job” as businesses reopen following a three-month shutdown. “I am absolutely anxious about the state of the

Britons eating out will get discounted food, house buyers will pay less stamp duty and companies will get bonuses for retaining workers under the chancellor’s plans to kickstart the UK economy. In his summer economic update to the House of Commons, Rishi Sunak warned the UK is facing “profound economic challenges” as a result of

Ministers have come under pressure over suggestions NHS workers may soon have to pay to park at their own hospitals again. A Tory peer and doctors’ union are among those calling for the exemption brought into force at the start of the coronavirus outbreak to continue. Healthcare staff were told at the end of March

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will spend £2bn funding hundreds of thousands of “work placements” to keep young people off the dole in his emergency economic update to MPs on Wednesday. Mr Sunak will put job creation and training schemes at the heart of the latest stage of the coronavirus recovery plan as the government begins to

Boris Johnson has been urged to apologise after he angered care home bosses by claiming “too many” in the sector “didn’t really follow the procedures” during the coronavirus crisis. During a visit to Goole, Yorkshire, on Monday, the prime minister was asked about comments from NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens – who wants to

Forty charities are urging Boris Johnson to end the “patchy” help for homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic by passing an emergency law. Crisis, St Mungo’s and the Big Issue Foundation are among the groups who have drawn up a bill they say would truly deliver on the government’s “everyone in” campaign to accommodate all

Companies will be paid £1,000 bonuses by the government to hire young people as trainees, the chancellor will announce as part of his rescue plan for Britain’s post-coronavirus economic recovery. In a hotly anticipated “emergency budget” on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak will unveil a raft of big-spending measures aimed at creating thousands of jobs to replace