Politics

Boris Johnson’s former chief aide has shared a WhatsApp message in which the prime minister appears to call Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s efforts “totally f****** hopeless”. Dominic Cummings, who has been engaged in a weeks-long feud with Downing Street, published a lengthy blogpost that he claimed showed details of how “Number10/Hancock have repeatedly lied about

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that care in the UK is “not properly funded, lacks transparency and urgently needs reform”, according to a government select committee. The public accounts committee, which encourages transparency and accountability within government, is calling for an end to rhetoric and the implementation of long talked about reforms. One of its

19 July is the “terminus date” for England’s remaining coronavirus restrictions and it would take an “unprecedented and remarkable” change in circumstances to derail that, Michael Gove has told Sky News. The Cabinet Office minister was speaking after Boris Johnson announced a delay to step four in England’s roadmap out of COVID-19 measures, pushing back

The public must “see true freedom again”, a former Conservative minister has said, as the government delayed lockdown easing in England for four weeks until 19 July. Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe, called on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to explain under what conditions the country will move to step four of the government’s roadmap, noting

Boris Johnson has announced a four-week delay in lifting lockdown restrictions in England to 19 July amid rising cases of the Delta variant. The PM said the postponement of step four of the government’s roadmap, which was due to take place on 21 June, will allow for more people to receive their second jab before

Boris Johnson will plead with the nation to make “one last heave” to freedom as he announces a delay of up to four weeks in lifting lockdown restrictions in England. A government source has told Sky News the prime minister will dash hopes that Freedom Day will come in two weeks’ time, on 21 June,

Boris Johnson has rejected claims of “moral failure” by the G7 in providing more COVID vaccines for poorer nations – as he dismissed suggestions a Brexit row had overshadowed the world leaders’ Cornwall summit. At the end of three days of talks at the seaside resort of Carbis Bay, the heads of the world’s leading

Boris Johnson is expected to agree to the delay of lockdown easing in England and, according to a new poll, just over half of the UK public is backing the move. The lifting of the last remaining coronavirus restrictions had been planned for 21 June, so-called Freedom Day, under the government’s road map. But, due

Boris Johnson has admitted he is less optimistic about the easing of lockdown restrictions than he was last month and offered a strong hint he will delay the 21 June reopening. The prime minister, speaking to Sky News at the G7 summit in Cornwall, said he was prepared to be “cautious” over the fourth and

Ministers fear Boris Johnson may delay the final stage of lockdown lifting in England potentially by as much as a month. There is widespread pessimism across government over whether the prime minister will be able to give the green light to the fourth stage of unlocking on 21 June when he makes an announcement on

World leaders have arrived in Cornwall for this weekend’s G7 summit, as Boris Johnson looks to strike deals on COVID vaccines, girls’ education and the environment. In one of the most high-profile moments of his premiership so far, the prime minister will chair meetings of the world’s leading democracies at Carbis Bay. Follow live updates

The UK will donate at least 100 million surplus COVID vaccines to other countries within the next year, Boris Johnson has pledged. As he prepares to welcome world leaders to Cornwall for the G7 summit, the prime minister has vowed to “take a massive step towards beating this pandemic for good”. Mr Johnson’s action builds

Boris Johnson has described working with US President Joe Biden as a “breath of fresh air” following the pair’s first face-to-face meeting. The prime minister met Donald Trump’s successor in Carbis Bay on Thursday, ahead of this week’s G7 summit at the Cornwall resort. Mr Johnson said the new US administration had “so much they

The health secretary is set to face questions from MPs about his role in the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Matt Hancock will field questions from MPs on the Science and Technology and Health and Social Care committees from 9.30am. He is likely to face tough questions on things like coronavirus testing, test and

Boris Johnson must listen to his former schools catch-up tsar and stump up more cash for education, Sir Keir Starmer has urged, as he warned a lack of funds will “hold children back for a generation”. The Labour leader accused the PM of having “rolled over” and accepted the Treasury’s refusal to stump up extra