Politics

Sir Patrick Vallance has said COVID restrictions were “for everybody” after Boris Johnson said lockdown leaving dos were “absolutely essential” and that he relied on incorrect advice from Number 10 advisers. The UK’s chief scientific adviser became a household name during the pandemic as he stood beside the then-prime minister during daily COVID briefings. This

Downing Street has shown “important signs of regret and embarrassment” over the rhetoric used by ministers to describe Albanians, according to the country’s prime minister. Edi Rama has previously accused Home Secretary Suella Braverman of fuelling xenophobic attacks after she spoke in parliament about an “invasion” of asylum seekers and “Albanian criminals” when describing the

UK and EU officials will sign off on a new Brexit deal in London today, despite ongoing opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The Windsor Framework – designed to address problems with the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol – was agreed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last

Sir Keir Starmer paid £67,033 to HMRC in the last financial year, his tax returns show. The Labour leader published the details after Rishi Sunak released his on Wednesday, following months of political pressure. Sir Keir’s document shows he paid £67,033 in total tax for the 2021/22 financial year, and £51,547 the previous year. It

The singling out of Albanian migrants in the UK has been a “very, very disgraceful moment in British politics”, the country’s prime minister has said. Edi Rama, who is in Britain for talks with Rishi Sunak, said it is essential that relations between the two countries are not defined by a few “rotten apples”. “Unfortunately

Did Boris Johnson intentionally mislead Parliament about what he knew and when about rule-breaking events in Number 10? The privileges committee maintains it is “very likely” he did. Wednesday’s appearance in front of the privileges committee was billed as the day of reckoning for the former prime minister, with all the jeopardy that it brought.

A senior civil servant questioned Boris Johnson’s plan to say COVID guidance had been followed at all times in Downing Street, according to new evidence published by MPs investigating whether he lied over partygate. In written evidence from Martin Reynolds, the former principal private secretary to the then prime minister, he said he questioned whether

A new law to end “deceptive” campaign practices should be introduced before the next general election to restore public trust, a charity has said. Full Fact said 2022 was a “damaging year in standards for public debate” with senior MPs regularly failing to back up their claims. It follows the publication of their annual report

Scotland’s outgoing first minister Nicola Sturgeon has told Sky News she has not heard whether police want to interview her or her husband as part of a long-running probe into SNP finances. Police Scotland and the Crown Office are investigating how £600,000 raised by the SNP for independence campaigning has been spent. In a Beth

Nicola Sturgeon has urged the SNP candidates vying to succeed her as first minister to “protect the ingredients of success” – telling Sky News the leadership contest so far has been “a less than edifying process”.  In a Beth Rigby interview due to air at 9pm on Sky News, Ms Sturgeon acknowledged the turmoil in

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said she is “encouraged” by “constructive” discussions with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) about the injunction that halted migrant flights to Rwanda. A government source said any change to the injunction “would remove a key barrier to getting flights off the ground”. The ECHR, which granted an injunction

The government’s food tsar has quit in order to freely criticise the Tories’ “insane” inaction against obesity. Henry Dimbleby, the co-founder of the food chain Leon, said ministers were refusing to impose restrictions on the junk food industry due to an obsession with “ultra-free-market ideology”. He said this was partly to blame for the fact

The government “doesn’t relish” deporting migrants to Rwanda but is being “forced” to pursue the controversial policy because of the rise in Channel crossings, a cabinet minister has claimed. Oliver Dowden was asked by Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday if he is “comfortable” with the idea of sending children and families to the east African

There was only ever going to be one outcome as the SNP fought off the flames of crisis after crisis. This is the week the party changed forever. Peter Murrell has been in charge of the SNP since 1999 and arguably was pivotal in its strategy to become a political force in Scotland. But in

SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to Nicola Sturgeon, has resigned with immediate effect in the face of a no confidence vote. Peter Murrell said his future had become “a distraction” from the current leadership contest to replace his wife as party chief and first minister following a damaging secrecy row. The 58-year-old’s

Junior doctors and the government are set to enter talks following a 72-hour-strike which saw more than 175,000 appointments reorganised. The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents the clinicians, has pledged they will announce new strike dates if the government makes a “substandard” offer. On Friday evening, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC)

Teacher strikes will be paused for two weeks while education unions and the government hold “intensive” talks over pay, workload and conditions. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will meet with representatives today – with discussions to continue over the weekend until Sunday. The National Education Union (NEU), National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), NASUWT The Teachers’ Union,

Boris Johnson has been re-selected to run as the Conservative candidate in Uxbridge and South Ruislip for the next general election. The former prime minister and current MP will again contest the northwest London seat, which he first won in 2015, in the next election that is due to be held no later than January

MPs will debate a motion next week on the so-called “Stormont brake” – a key part of the new Brexit deal agreed between the UK and EU attempting to solve issues in Northern Ireland. Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt confirmed the move in the Commons, saying the debate on one of the main elements

The chancellor stuck to his path. No big bangs, this was a budget all about trying to prepare the groundwork for possible tax cuts in the autumn statement and the pre-election showstopper next year. Jeremy Hunt’s message was that after the mess of the past six months, the Conservative Party was back to sound management