British Politics

Matt Hancock has said a former neighbour who was awarded millions of pounds worth of Covid contracts after texting him went through “the normal channels”. Hancock deflected criticism that he was personally involved in handing government contracts to Alex Bourne whose company was given work to supply test tubes two weeks after contacting the minister by […]

England is set for a strengthened tiered system of coronavirus restrictions after MPs backed the measures, despite Boris Johnson suffering the largest Tory rebellion of this parliament. Their support means 99% of England will enter the toughest Tier 2 and 3 restrictions, preventing them from mixing indoors with other households when the second national lockdown […]

Desmond Swayne has been mocked after coining his own term to describe Britain’s Covid-19 vaccination programme. The Brexiteer backbencher caused a ruckus in the House of Commons when he suggested the barring of people who were not immunised from public spaces was a form of discrimination he termed “vaccinationism”. Prominent Brexiteers like Swayne and fellow Tory backbencher Steve […]

The chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life has hinted he believes the behaviour of Boris Johnson’s ministers are causing “long-lasting damage” with the public as he prepares to conduct an inquiry into public standards. Lord Evans, a former head at MI5, said he had received messages expressing “concern” about ministerial conduct following […]

Boris Johnson’s Covid-19 strategy poses a “significant” health risk and is “highly unlikely” to see restrictions eased in parts of the country before Christmas, Labour has claimed. Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of “over-promising and under-delivering” by pursuing an approach of short-term decisions that then “bump into the harsh reality of the virus”. […]

A group of Tory peers have lashed out at the current series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! over the use of “non-native” insects in certain challenges. The group has said the use of non-native bugs in Wales, where this season’s show is being filmed, was “irresponsible” and “stupid”. The popular TV show was forced to relocate from […]

Labour leader Keir Starmer has mocked a Tory heckler who said he was speaking “in hindsight” for his prediction about the coronavirus tier system. Opposition MPs were left laughing at the government benches after the leader of the opposition pointed out that it was a prediction for the future, rather than him talking about something […]

British expats have blasted post-Brexit travel rules which will prevent them spending more than three months at a time in the EU. When the transition period ends on January 1, Britons intending to stay in a European country longer than 90 days will have to apply for a visa in every sixth month spell. There […]

Piers Morgan has slammed the government’s coronavirus response, pointing out that the “disastrous” death toll was higher than the number of civilians who died in the Second World War. Morgan criticised the handling of the pandemic as he interviewed minister Michael Gove, as the MP denied that it had been a bad response. The Good […]

Michael Gove has been accused of going “full Trump” after he attacked Good Morning Britain‘s rating figures. Gove attacked the show after he was accused of telling a “blatant lie” about Boris Johnson’s polling numbers. Responding to Piers Morgan’s question about becoming prime minister, Gove responded: “I don’t want to be prime minister, Piers. “Firstly, I think […]

A former Brexit Party MEP has claimed that it will take a quarter of a century before the UK gets sovereignty back after the UK departs from the European Union. Ben Habib claimed that Boris Johnson’s proposals for a withdrawal from the EU “undermines sovereignty” and that the wishes of Brexiteers will not be resolved […]

Michael Gove has inflamed tensions with Piers Morgan after he said he received “good advice” from colleagues to boycott Good Morning Britain (GMB). Morgan accused Gove of “suppressing free speech” after the minister admitted he he had been “told” to avoid the show. Referencing a Scottish anecdote, Gove said: “When you get good advice from your colleagues, […]

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has said that it is for “common sense” to decide what a “substantial meal” is that will enable people to have a drink in pubs as lockdown lifts in England. Gove was challenged by Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan as to whether a Scotch egg fitted the criteria after […]

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the party would be abstaining in Tuesday’s Commons vote on the coronavirus restrictions, prompting accusations from the government the opposition is “playing politics”. Starmer said: “Coronavirus remains a serious threat to the public’s health and that’s why Labour accept the need for continued restrictions. We will always act […]

Boris Johnson is bracing himself for a damaging Tory rebellion as MPs vote on a new toughened system of tiered coronavirus controls for England. The government is expected to win Tuesday’s Commons vote on the new rules – which are due to come into effect the following day – after Labour said it would abstain. Sir […]

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has said he is confident another lockdown in England could be avoided, but that the government could not rule one out. Appearing on Kay Burley at Breakfast, he said: “I am as confident as confident can be that we won’t need one because the tiers that we have now are […]

The government’s post-Brexit farming proposals are a “full-throttle attack” on English family farms, according to Labour. Shadow environment secretary Luke Pollard told the Commons: “Labour supports public money for public good, of course we do, but that’s not what this is about. “Strip away the green coating and these proposals are a full-throttle attack on […]

Another Vote Leave veteran has walked out of Downing Street following the resignation of ally Dominic Cummings. Special adviser Cleo Watson handed in her resignation to Number 10 just weeks after former Vote Leave mastermind Cummings and communications expert Lee Cain resigned. Watson worked on the Brexit campaign before joining government under Theresa May, before […]

A radio presenter has said Tory MPs opposing Boris Johnson’s latest lockdown plans are doing so because they “don’t like being told what to do”. The LBC’s James O’Brien has said the 100-strong group of Tories resisting the prime minister’s regulations were jeopardising the public’s safety. The band of MPs, known as the Covid Recovery Group (CRG), […]

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has warned Boris Johnson that his party may not back the government’s plans for a tiered system of coronavirus restrictions to replace England’s national lockdown. Increasing pressure amid a potentially large Tory rebellion, Sir Ed wrote to prime minister Boris Johnson to say the 11 Lib Dem MPs would […]

Internet pranksters have proposed a blue plaque in memory of David Cameron’s contribution to Brexit in a cheeky dig at the former prime minister’s legacy after it was reported that he had banned the topic from his speaking engagements. The ex-MP for Witney both agreed to the EU referendum in June 2016 before leading the […]

More than a third of Tory voters who backed the party in the last general election no longer believe Boris Johnson is the best candidate to be prime minister. While 63% of Conservative voters at the last election polled by YouGov still back the prime minister, 37% no longer support Johnson over his Labour opponent.  […]

Downing Street has said it will not be compromising on the UK’s Brexit negotiating position despite calls for a change of direction from the European Union. The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We want to try and reach a free-trade agreement as soon as possible. “But we have been clear that we won’t change our […]

A BBC presenter has attracted a wave of complaints after calling Brexiteers “headbangers, zealots and quislings”. Sue Perkins, a former Great British Bake Off host and well-known comedian, sparked controversy last week when she posted a tweet mocking David Cameron and Brexiteers. Responding to a message by the former Tory prime minister, which slammed the decision […]

A Labour MP has waded into the calls from Tory politicians for Netflix’s The Crown to be labelled as “fiction” by calling for their leader to be given the same treatment. Over the weekend culture secretary, Oliver Dowden raised concerns that younger viewers might mistake fictional depictions for real-life happenings. He told the Mail on […]

Downing Street has criticised reports that Rita Ora threw a birthday party at a restaurant and actor Laurence Fox boasted of having a “large group over to lunch” over the weekend. Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said that the rules applied to “celebrities” and that they should be setting examples. He said: “It’s important that everybody in society […]

George Eustice has told Piers Morgan that Britain was a “free country” as he sought to defend a six-month government boycott of Good Morning Britain. Eustice, a cabinet minister, said political parties were free to choose which media outlets to speak with as he attempted to explain the reasons behind 201-day hiatus from the popular […]

Matt Hancock is to hold a press conference at 5pm from Downing Street. The health secretary is expected to announce further details on the government’s community testing programme. His appearance comes off the back of new figures suggesting coronavirus infections fell by almost a third in England during the second national lockdown. There was a […]

Environment secretary George Eustice has been ridiculed after claiming that a Scotch egg “probably would” class as a substantial meal in a pub to allow people to have a drink. The minister was ridiculed for entering the debate over what is classed as a “substantial” meal to go with alcohol in pubs in tier two […]

Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to stop “Boris Johnson and his band of Brexiteers” dictating Scotland’s future. The SNP leader told Good Morning Britain (GMB) viewers that Scotland would not put up with having “our future dictated to us” by Johnson and his closest allies. Speaking on the state of Brexit trade talks, Sturgeon said: “I want free […]

A minister in Boris Johnson’s government has admitted that Brexit talks with the European Union could be extended beyond the transition period of December 31. Appearing on Sky News with Kay Burley, the environment secretary George Eustice said it is “always possible” to extend negotiations, and that the UK’s chief negotiator David Frost has always […]

Boris Johnson is set to publish economic impact papers related to the coronavirus lockdown in a bid to attempt to assure Tory MPs. The prime minister will publish an impact assessment of the restrictions ahead of a crunch Commons vote on Tuesday in an attempt to win over would-be rebels. Scores of Tory MPs have […]