UK

Bury South MP Christian Wakeford’s defection from the Conservative Party to Labour has left voters questioning whether there will now be a by-election in his constituency. The MP was elected in 2019 to the Greater Manchester constituency with a slim majority of 402 in a seat that had been Labour since 1997. His announcement that

The health secretary has said COVID could be with us forever but he hopes all restrictions can be lifted by March. Sajid Javid added that we “may well” need an annual coronavirus vaccination, the day after the government announced working from home advice had ended and Plan B restrictions would be lifted next Thursday. He

Work from home guidance, COVID passports and mandatory wearing of face-masks will be scrapped in England, as Boris Johnson announced the lifting of Plan B measures. The prime minister said people will no longer be told to work from home “from now on”, and from Thursday next week mandatory mask-wearing and COVID certification will end.

The threat to Boris Johnson’s leadership has ramped up today as more Conservative MPs said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the PM. Around 12 letters were handed in this morning, according to Sky News political correspondents Sam Coates and Joe Pike. They were from MPs who were part of a group of

Boris Johnson is set to announce an easing of Plan B coronavirus restrictions in England. The prime minister will go through the latest COVID-19 data on Wednesday morning with his ministers, before making a statement to MPs. Mr Johnson’s Commons announcement comes as pressure continues to mount over parties and gatherings held in Downing Street

Dominic Raab has said he does not recognise the “caricature” about Number 10 as he denied there was a drinking culture in Downing Street. The deputy prime minister told Sky News while he was running the country, as Boris Johnson was in hospital with COVID, the staff at Number 10 worked “phenomenally hard under gruelling

Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser has said the prime minister knew in advance about a Downing Street drinks party during the first coronavirus lockdown and agreed that it could go ahead. In an updated post on his Substack page, Dominic Cummings said he raised his concerns about the event in the Number 10 garden in

Three people have died following a crash on the A1 near Stamford in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire Police has said. The male victims, aged 34, 25 and 38, died at the scene following the crash on the northbound carriageway near Wothorpe just before 1am on Sunday. Two people were taken to hospital with serious injuries. The collision

Prince Andrew has been accused of “victim blaming” and “gaslighting” after his lawyers asked for Virginia Giuffre’s mental health records – including confidential notes from her counselling sessions. The Duke of York’s legal team want to question Ms Giuffre’s psychologist Dr Judith Lightfoot about her “alleged emotional and psychological harm and damages”. His lawyers have

Coronavirus restrictions in England could be lifted by the end of January, with the Tory party chairman saying he was “hopeful”, thanks to “encouraging signs”. The current Plan B rules – which includes the mandatory wearing of face masks in some settings, the use of vaccine passports or negative lateral flow tests to enter some

Prince Harry has filed a claim for a judicial review over a Home Office decision to not to allow him to privately pay for police protection for himself and his family during a visit to the UK. A legal representative for Harry said he wants to bring his son Archie and seven-month-old baby daughter Lilibet

Sir Keir Starmer is turning up the heat on Boris Johnson on Downing Street drinking after new allegations of “wine time Fridays” in Number 10. In a major speech, the Labour leader will claim the partying allegations of the past few days reveal that the prime minister is guilty of “deceit and deception” and unable

Boris Johnson is facing claims that regular drinking sessions were held in Downing Street throughout the COVID pandemic with reports that staff held “wine-time Fridays”. In fresh allegations in the “partygate” scandal engulfing the prime minister, it is alleged that the weekly event was scheduled into the electronic calendars of around 50 staff in Number

The prime minister’s former director of communications has apologised “unreservedly” for a party held to mark his departure from Downing Street on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral. In a statement released on Friday morning, James Slack said he wanted to “apologise unreservedly for the anger and hurt caused” by the gathering on 16 April,

Prince Andrew has had all of his military titles and royal patronages taken away – and will no longer style himself “His Royal Highness”. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen. Please use Chrome browser

Boris Johnson has cancelled a visit to Lancashire today because a family member has tested positive for COVID, Downing Street said. A Number 10 spokesman said the prime minister will “follow the guidance for vaccinated close contacts, including daily testing and limiting contact with others”. It is not known which member of Mr Johnson’s family

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has said Boris Johnson’s position is “completely untenable” following allegations that he and his wife Carrie were among around 40 people present at a Downing Street garden drinks party at the height of the UK’s first national lockdown. Ms Rayner told Sky News the prime minister has “not only broke

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has demanded Boris Johnson “just answer the question” about whether he attended a “bring your own booze” event in Downing Street during the first COVID lockdown. Speaking to Sky News, a “furious” Mr Ross called on the prime minister to “settle this right now” as to whether he was present

Sir Keir Starmer has told Boris Johnson to “stop lying” and “come clean” following the emergence of allegations that he and his wife Carrie were among around 40 people to attend a drinks event in the Downing Street garden during the UK’s first national COVID lockdown. Accusing the PM of “deflections and distractions”, the Labour

The prime minister and his wife Carrie attended a “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street garden during the UK’s first national COVID lockdown. More than 100 employees in Number 10 were invited to the drinks on 20 May 2020. In what has been described as evidence of “more rule breaking at the heart