Politics

It is “crucial” that people isolate when identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, Downing Street has said. A Number 10 spokeswoman said quarantining at home “remains the most important action people can take to stop the spread of the virus”. Live COVID updates from the UK and around

A parliamentary committee looking into the Greensill saga has found that lobbying rules were “insufficient” and need to be strengthened The Commons Treasury committee, which looked into David Cameron’s involvement in trying to secure finance firm Greensill Capital access to a government coronavirus support scheme, said the rules should be tightened to prevent any more

Downing Street has said the prime minister was already at his country retreat when he was contacted by NHS Test and Trace and told to isolate – as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer labelled Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s initial decision to “dodge” quarantine as “crass and insensitive”. According to the prime minister’s official

Frontline health workers in England are to be spared self-isolation rules in an emergency move to tackle the “pingdemic” that has triggered an NHS staffing crisis. Coinciding with the lifting of most mandatory lockdown restrictions in England, fully vaccinated NHS and social care staff may not have to isolate if they are pinged by the

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will not be isolating despite being ‘pinged’ after Sajid Javid’s positive COVID test, Downing Street has said. After Mr Javid, the newly-appointed health secretary, contracted coronavirus and went into quarantine, it was thought a number of other ministers and officials might also have to self-isolate. But Downing Street said Mr

The timing could hardly be worse. A little more than 24 hours before what he used to call Freedom Day, Boris Johnson is under pressure to self-isolate. The reason: a face-to-face meeting the prime minister held with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who has now tested positive for COVID-19, in 10 Downing Street on Friday morning.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has tested positive for coronavirus and has mild symptoms, he has said. In a tweet, he wrote: “This morning I tested positive for Covid. “I’m waiting for my PCR result, but thankfully I have had my jabs and symptoms are mild. “Please make sure you come forward for your vaccine if

People arriving in England from France will still have to quarantine for 10 days on their return – even if they have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine, the government has announced. From Monday, those who have had two COVID vaccine doses will no longer have to isolate after travelling back from countries on

Discussions over whether to put France on the red travel list are active in Whitehall amid pressure to make a definitive decision within days. Some health figures are understood are pushing to make the change, which would mean everyone returning from France having to pay thousands of pounds for mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine on return.

The UK is “not out of the woods yet” when it comes to coronavirus and people should approach the end of most restrictions on Monday with caution, England’s chief medical officer has warned. Professor Chris Whitty said the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 is doubling around every three weeks and could hit “quite

Officials from the UK’s data watchdog have raided two homes and seized computers as part of an investigation into the leak of CCTV footage of disgraced former health secretary Matt Hancock kissing a departmental aide. The Information Commissioner’s Office said its teams searched two addresses in the south of England on Thursday and took personal

Boris Johnson will argue his “levelling-up” project is a “win-win” and will not mean “robbing Peter to pay Paul” as he sets out his post-pandemic vision for the UK. In a speech in the West Midlands on Thursday, the prime minister will indicate his flagship programme will benefit the whole country, not just the Conservatives’

Football banning orders will be changed to cover online racism, Boris Johnson has told MPs. The prime minister said the government is “taking practical steps to ensure that the football banning order regime is changed”. “So that if you are guilty of racist abuse online of footballers then you will not be going to the

A Conservative MP has called on fellow Tories to change their attitude towards people who take the knee as an anti-racism protest. Steve Baker’s comments, first reported by The Guardian, come after members of the England squad received racist abuse following their defeat in the Euro 2020 final. “This may be a decisive moment for

Boris Johnson has seen off a Conservative rebellion over his plan to cut the UK’s foreign aid spending. MPs voted 333 to 298, a majority of 35, to back reducing overseas aid spending from 0.7% of gross national income to 0.5%. Ministers have insisted the cut – which will see a reduction of around £4.4bn

Boris Johnson has called the bluff of rebel Tory MPs demanding a Commons vote on Rishi Sunak’s controversial decision to cut spending on overseas aid. After months of resisting a vote, ministers sprang a surprise on the rebels by announcing a last-minute change to Commons business with a debate and vote less than 24 hours