Politics

Lord Frost has revealed he quit as Brexit minister because he cannot support “coercive” policies on COVID. Speaking for the first time since his resignation, Lord Frost said he had “huge admiration” for Boris Johnson and insisted they never disagreed “in any way about Brexit policy right up to the last day”. The former lead

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will take on Lord Frost’s Brexit responsibilities following his resignation, Downing Street has said. Ms Truss, 46, will become “lead negotiator with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol”, Number 10 said in a statement. She will have “ministerial responsibility for the UK’s relationship with the European Union with immediate effect”.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries was removed from a Tory WhatsApp group after defending Boris Johnson during an exchange about the Brexit minister’s resignation. Messages from a 100-strong group called Clean Global Brexit show a discussion among a handful of Tory MPs after a week widely seen as the worst in Mr Johnson’s reign. Theresa Villiers,

Boris Johnson’s Brexit minister has resigned from the cabinet and will depart in the new year. Lord Frost quit in a letter to the prime minister last week, but won’t officially leave until January. Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates reports that Lord Frost goes “on good terms”, but he is unhappy with the

The Downing Street Christmas party furore has ended a year of notable political scandals with yet another one. All eyes have been on the Conservatives as 2021 draws to a close, but they were not the only party to have been hit by embarrassing events. But as the party of government for more than 10

The top civil servant will no longer lead a Whitehall investigation into alleged Christmas parties in Number 10 after he was revealed to have been aware of a separate party in his own office in December last year. Cabinet Secretary Simon Case has removed himself from his role in heading the probe into claims of

Boris Johnson has said he takes “personal responsibility” after his Conservative Party lost the North Shropshire by-election in a shock result that has dealt another significant blow to his premiership. Lib Dem candidate Helen Morgan overturned a huge Tory majority to triumph in the contest, which was sparked by the resignation of Owen Paterson amid

In the early stages of the North Shropshire by-election count, senior Liberal Democrats were worried that a better than expected showing by Labour would rob them of a famous victory. But they needn’t have worried. Six hours later, after the result was declared at 4.20am, the victorious Helen Morgan was thanking Labour supporters for lending

Boris Johnson is facing fresh claims of a Downing Street party held during lockdown – this time relating to an event during the first few months of the pandemic – as police have said they still don’t plan to investigate allegations of other Number 10 gatherings. The prime minister is alleged to have joined Number

Voters have begun to cast their ballots in the North Shropshire by-election as they choose a replacement for former Conservative MP Owen Paterson. From 7am this morning to 10pm tonight, voters in the constituency will decide on a new local MP following ex-cabinet minister Mr Paterson’s decision to quit the House of Commons last month.

Britons have been advised not to attend football matches in stadiums and to “prioritise” social events that “that really matter to them” amid the sharp rise in COVID cases. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, both Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, and Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director of primary care for NHS

It was but two years back that Boris Johnson swept into No 10 on a Conservative majority not seen since the days of Margaret Thatcher, his foot on the neck of a broken Labour party, his position seemingly unassailable. So, to mark the anniversary of that triumph with a 100-strong rebellion from unbiddable backbenchers must

MPs have approved the government’s plan to reintroduce some COVID-19 restrictions following the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Parliament passed the Plan B COVID-19 rules, which involve regulations on face masks, isolation rules, COVID passes and compulsory vaccinations for healthcare workers. The rules on COVID passes were most fiercely opposed by Tory rebels. Under

There are currently 10 people in hospital with the Omicron variant of COVID – not 250, as Dominic Raab told Sky News. The deputy prime minister later told the BBC that there were nine people in hospital with the variant. But officials have clarified that Mr Raab “misspoke” on both occasions by getting his figures

Boris Johnson has reiterated that he “certainly broke no rules” in response to allegations that he flouted coronavirus restrictions by hosting a virtual festive quiz at Downing Street. Labour said the prime minister “might have misled” MPs after he told the House of Commons he had been given assurances that social distancing measures were not

The Conservative Party is drifting into authoritarianism, a senior Tory MP has warned, as he confirmed he would oppose new coronavirus restrictions. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker told Sky News he believed at least 60 of his party colleagues at Westminster would join him in voting against the imposition of further COVID-19 measures by Boris

Cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant are now being treated in hospitals, cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi has told Sky News. The education secretary also said there were currently no plans to vaccinate primary school children and that Boris Johnson would be saying more about the coronavirus booster programme “later today”. Even if the COVID-19 Omicron

Boris Johnson has been accused of presiding over a “culture of disregard for the rules” after a picture emerged of him hosting a virtual quiz flanked by two colleagues in Downing Street last Christmas. The image, obtained by the Sunday Mirror, shows the PM on screen in his office reading out questions for Number 10

Some staff at the Treasury had office drinks while England was in lockdown last year. The Times reported that around two dozen civil servants were present for the drinks on 25 November, 2020. The group had been working on the Autumn Spending Review, the Treasury said. UK could see one million infections – COVID latest

The government has been “presented with some very challenging new information” about the Omicron variant and will keep restrictions “under review”, Michael Gove has said after he chaired a meeting of the COBRA emergency committee. Mr Gove headed the talks with first ministers and deputy first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss