The “stay at home” order in Wales will be lifted and replaced by a “stay local” message this weekend – with people allowed to socialise outdoors in small groups. From Saturday, four people from two households will be able to meet outdoors to socialise, including in gardens. Outdoor sports facilities, including basketball courts, tennis courts
Politics
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has played down the prospect of the party making significant gains in May’s local and mayoral elections, saying the polls are going to be “tough”. Asked by Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby what would represent success for the party, Sir Keir said Labour would “fight really hard everywhere we’re putting
Sir Keir Starmer is attempting to exploit the row over the 1% NHS pay offer in elections on “super Thursday”, by claiming “a vote for Labour is a vote to support our nurses”. He is launching his party’s campaign for elections in England, Scotland and Wales on 6 May, the biggest poll since the general
Boris Johnson has been urged to explain how he could afford to give a 40% pay hike to his ex-aide Dominic Cummings and also spend millions on a new TV studio – but only give nurses a 1% salary increase. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of overseeing a real-terms pay cut
The boss of Test and Trace has defended the £37bn pound service, dismissing a critical report by MPs as “old news”. In a rare interview, Dido Harding said England’s Test and Trace service was an “an essential component in the fight against COVID” and promised it would be carrying on for some time to come.
Health service staff were expecting a bigger pay rise than the 1% offered by the government, the head of NHS England has said. Sir Simon Stevens told MPs that previous plans had budgeted for a 2.1% salary increase this year. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome browser for
Boris Johnson has hailed the return of schools across England as a “big” and “emotional” day – but warned it will impact on the spread of coronavirus and there is no guarantee the country will reopen on the target dates set out. Speaking at a news conference in Downing Street, the prime minister said it
A union leader has told Sky News “the jury’s out” on whether schools in England will have to close again. Asked if she was confident that pupils would not have to go back to remote learning at some point in the future, Dr Mary Bousted replied: “No, I’m afraid I’m not.” Live COVID updates from
Pupils in England are beginning to return to school this morning after months of remote learning under the first step to ease COVID-19 restrictions. All children will be able to head back into the classroom, but secondary schools can stagger the return of students over the week to allow for mass testing. Secondary school pupils
The prime minister has defended a proposed 1% pay rise for NHS staff. “What we have done is try to give them as much as we can at the present time,” Boris Johnson said during a visit to a COVID-19 vaccination centre in north London. Live COVID-19 updates from the UK and around the world
Boris Johnson has said the reopening of schools marks a “truly national effort” to beat coronavirus, as pupils prepare to return to classrooms across England. The first stage of the country’s lockdown easing begins on tomorrow, with indoor visits at care homes also part of the first lifting of restrictions. “The reopening of schools marks
The proposed 1% pay rise for NHS staff is a “slap in the face” and large numbers of nurses could quit after the pandemic, a union has warned as pressure grows on the government over the row. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the 1% offer had reinforced some of their members’ belief “that
More than £2.6m has been spent on renovations in Downing Street in order for the government to hold White House-style televised media briefings. The cash has gone towards structural changes, equipment, lighting, electrical works and internet infrastructure so that 9 Downing Street can host daily news conferences. Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed the plans to
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is to set up a £35 million industrial action fund in response to the government’s recommendation of a 1% pay rise for NHS workers. RCN chief executive and general secretary Dame Donna Kinnair condemned health minster Nadine Dorries’ claim that 1% was “the most” the government could afford, calling
A former top civil servant at the Home Office has settled his employment tribunal claim against the government. Sir Philip Rutnam resigned from his role as the department’s permanent secretary last year, amid bullying allegations against Priti Patel. Announcing his departure, Sir Philip accused the home secretary of a “vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign” against
Loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland have withdrawn their support for the Good Friday Agreement in protest at post-Brexit border arrangements. In a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) said they no longer backed the 1998 peace deal due to the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol. They called for