British Politics

Downing Street has denied there is demand for coronavirus vaccines to be delivered out-of-hours after Labour called for a ramping up of the roll-out. Number 10 said that Covid-19 vaccines could be delivered into the night but that there is currently “not a clamour for jabs after 8pm”. Boris Johnson’s press secretary Allegra Stratton was […]

Ann Widdecombe has said concerns teachers have about carrying out lessons remotely were “a load of rubbish”. The former Brexit MEP used a guest appearance on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show to chide teachers who were concerned about parents spying on lessons over Zoom. “I’ve heard a load of rubbish talked during this pandemic and this is the biggest […]

Downing Street has defended Boris Johnson’s father receiving two coronavirus vaccines – insisting the move was made before a change in policy. The prime minister’s press secretary Allegra Stratton said: “This is a matter for the prime minister’s father. “It’s not something I’ve spoken to Stanley Johnson about. By way of explanation in the early […]

A Fine Gael politician has warned that Brexit lobbying group Leave.EU may be breaking data protection rules ever since it moved to the Republic of Ireland this month. Neale Richmond, the Irish Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin Rathdown, has written to the EU’s domain registry, EURid, and his own country’s data protection commissioner querying if Leave.EU was GDPR […]

The government has dropped proposals to hold White House style press briefings at Number 10 – on the day the first was set to be held. The briefings were intended to replicate the regular events held by Donald Trump’s team in America, with Allegra Stratton – a former journalist – hired to front the weekly […]

Greta Thunberg has criticised the government for allowing UK farmers permission to use a bee-killing pesticide so poisonous that is banned by the EU. English farmers will soon be able to use neonicotinoid thiamethoxam on sugar beet crops, prompting outcries by environmentalists that ministers have bowed to pressure from farmers. Environment secretary George Eustice has given farmers permission […]

The government has not denied that it could bring in tougher restrictions over the coronavirus lockdown, following suggestions the public may not be able to leave their home more than once a week. The Mail Online reports a Whitehall source claiming that under measures being discussed the opportunities to leave home could be cut to once […]

A tweet by Downing Street seeking questions from the public ahead of Boris Johnson’s press conference has backfired spectacularly. The prime minister’s Twitter account asked if anyone had questions about coronavirus that they would like to ask the government. The request did not go down well. One user asked: “Where is Dido Harding and can she […]

Former White House adviser Anthony Scaramucci has said “another insurrection” like the one witnessed on Capitol Hill last Wednesday could occur before Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20. Scaramucci, who was a former White House communications director to president Trump, said rioters were planning a second protest on January 17. This comes after thousands of […]

A senior Tory MP has criticised Priti Patel’s “inhuman” approach to immigration. In an interview with the Independent, former minister Caroline Nokes accused ministers of “paying lip service” to Wendy Williams’ Lessons Learned report on the Windrush scandal, which occurred while she was in office. The Tory MP for Romsey and Southampton North said ministers […]

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will use a speech to lay out how Britain can rise up after the pandemic, using the creation of the NHS after the Second World War as inspiration. He will tell the Britons that they “can build a country worthy of the sacrifices” made during the pandemic in the same […]

England’s chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty has suggested that measures could be needed until “some time in the spring” to stem the spread of the virus. “We’ve got to make this sustainable because we got to be able to maintain this for several more weeks now,” he told BBC Breakfast. “We’re really going to […]

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has admitted that existing current lockdown restrictions may not be sufficent. Zahawi has raised concerns about people not sticking to the rules in supermarkets or when exercising outside. Pressed on whether the current restrictions are enough, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We don’t want to use tougher measures, the lockdown […]

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think there is a case for rejoining the EU, or “major renegotiation” of the trading arrangements set out in Boris Johnson’s trade deal. Sir Keir, who was a prominent voice in the campaign for a second referendum and in his leadership election promised to “defend […]

Britpop, I imagine most of you are old enough to remember, was a loosely applied umbrella tern referring to the movement of varyingly retro British guitar bands which rose to dominate the UK pop charts in the mid 1990s. I was in my mid 20s at the time – pretty much the same age as […]

Percy Pigs could become more expensive because of tariffs caused by Brexit, Marks & Spencer’s chief executive has warned. The famous pink sweets are among more than 2,000 products sold by M&S that are affected by the “rule of origin” regulations set out in Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. The rules dictate whether import taxes, called tariffs, […]

Education secretary Gavin Williamson turned down a BT offer of cheap broadband for children, it has been revealed. The broadband giant offered to supply families basic connections to allow access to online learning with schools closed for months during the Coronavirus pandemic. The firm’s chief executive also revealed they had given free wifi vouchers to the […]

A Brexiteer peer has accused politicians in the House of Lords who tried to block Brexit of “lacking the imagination to see life beyond Brussels”. Claire Fox, a former Brexit Party MEP, said such peers also shared with US president Donald Trump a “refusal to give losers’ consent”, and warned voters may look at “unelected lawmakers […]

James O’Brien has shut down a Trump supporter who called in to push false allegations that Joe Biden was corrupt. A US caller was left eating his words after failing to provide evidence proving Joe Biden was a “corrupt” politician. The call comes after unprecedented scenes in America on Wednesday saw a woman shot dead and […]

Labour could dump Sir Keir Starmer in favour of a leader keen to rejoin the EU, a former frontbencher has warned. Former Labour whip Rosie Duffield said a majority of party MPs were “desperate to rejoin the EU at heart”. Speaking on HuffPost UK’s Commons People podcast, Duffield – who was forced to resign in May for […]

Jacob Rees-Mogg has blocked an extension of a Commons committee tasked with scrutinising the Brexit process. The Commons leader rejected a last-minute request by Labour’s Hilary Benn to extend the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union beyond its expiry date of January 16 for a further six months. A letter by Rees-Mogg to […]

The prime minister’s father has said his application for French citizenship was a “sentimental gesture” to his mother and said Boris Johnson should be “jolly pleased” about it. Stanley Johnson revealed he was applying for a French passport in December, soon after the Brexit deal negotiated by his son was approved by MPs. Appearing on […]

Lorry drivers passing through Kent have been issued with more than £32,000 in fines since the end of the Brexit transition period. Under the new Brexit deal that came into effect on January 1, hauliers must have the correct permit to enter Kent on their way into mainland Europe. However, scores of drivers have not, while […]

A key Brexit lobbying group has moved its registrant address to a location in the Republic of Ireland in order to keep its .EU suffix. Leave.EU, the domain name behind the Leave the EU campaign body funded by British businessman Arron Banks and supported by Nigel Farage, changed addresses to keep its .EU suffix as thousands of domains in […]

MPs have overwhelmingly backed the latest lockdown measures as the UK Covid death rate reached levels not seen since the spring peak. With Labour supporting the lockdown, the vote in the recalled House of Commons passed comfortably by 524 votes to 16, giving the government a majority of 508. Boris Johnson, however, did face rebellion […]

A high-profile doctor has said patients turned down the chance to have the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, saying they would “wait for the English one”. Paul Williams, former Labour MP for Stockton South, said it shows nationalism has consequences, given they were delaying having a jab at the height of the pandemic. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was […]

A Tory peer recently ennobled by Boris Johnson has urged the prime minister to remove EU consumer and worker protections now that Brexit has happened. Daniel Hannan has said safeguards on the use of data, workers rights, GM foods, and environmental standards should be scrapped. “Change is coming. To succeed outside the EU, we need […]

Home secretary Priti Patel has faced a torrent of criticism after failing to boldly denounce Donald Trump over inciting riots in the US capital overnight. Patel avoided Trump’s name in her condemnation of the riots despite the president having instructed protesters to march on the capital. Sky News’ Niall Paterson caught the minister out, telling her […]