Politics

Teacher assessments will replace GCSE and A-level exams in England this summer, the education secretary has announced. “This year, we’re going to put our trust in teachers, rather than algorithms,” Gavin Williamson told MPs in the Commons. Setting out his plans for students as MPs prepared to vote on England’s latest lockdown, Mr Williamson said

More than a million people in England are currently infected with coronavirus, the prime minister has said. Boris Johnson was speaking at a Downing Street news conference on the first full day of the nation’s third lockdown, as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said one in 50 people in England have COVID-19. Figures show

The government “should be able” to begin easing England’s coronavirus lockdown in March, a senior minister has told Sky News. Michael Gove said the public should not expect a sudden relaxation of the COVID-19 rules, with restrictions “progressively” relaxed instead. “The government is doing everything it can in order to ensure that we can roll

Tougher measures are coming in a bid to control the spread of coronavirus, the prime minister has said. Boris Johnson said there were “tough, tough” weeks ahead in the UK’s fight against COVID-19. He added: “If you look at the numbers there’s no question we will have to take tougher measures and we will be

A nationwide lockdown will be introduced in Scotland from midnight tonight, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The first minister told the Scottish Parliament there will be a legal requirement for people to stay at home for the rest of January, with schools remaining closed to most pupils until the start of February at the earliest. “It

The government must impose a national lockdown within 24 hours, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said. Sir Keir said the virus is “clearly out of control” and national restrictions have to be “the first step”. He said: “It’s no good the prime minister hinting that further restrictions are coming into place in a week

Boris Johnson has said “there is no doubt in my mind that schools are safe” in areas where they are open – as he warned of tighter restrictions in the coming weeks. As pressure mounted on the prime minister to keep all of England’s schools closed when the new term starts, Mr Johnson insisted education

Labour’s shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens is being treated in hospital for COVID-19, her team has said. A statement on the 54-year-old MP’s Twitter account said: “Jo has asked us to let you know that she is being treated in hospital for Covid. “Thanks for all your good wishes we will give an update when

Staff at schools have a legal right not to return to classrooms due to the spread of COVID, a leading union has said – while another has started legal proceedings against the Department for Education. The National Education Union (NEU) has said all primary schools should remain closed for at least two weeks following the

The smooth start to post-Brexit border operations may be the “calm before the storm”, industry bosses have warned. The first day of January marked the first day of a new trading relationship between the UK and the EU. There had been fears it would create chaotic scenes at ports, with outbound lorries now subject to

As the Pride of Kent eased its way towards the port in Calais, it was making history. The first ferry to have crossed the English Channel in 2021; the first to carry lorries that were travelling under the umbrella of new rules and regulations. What happened next was exactly as you might have predicted. Image:

The UK has begun a new relationship with the European Union with the Brexit transition period coming to an end. Despite leaving the EU on 31 January last year, the UK has remained subject to the bloc’s rules as a member of the single market and customs union. However, this ended at 11pm and the

The education secretary has told Sky News he is “absolutely confident” that secondary schools will be able to carry out mass testing with an extra week to prepare. Defending the decision to push back the return of pupils to secondary schools and colleges, Gavin Williamson told Sky News the move was about “rooting out coronavirus

Boris Johnson has said the UK’s destiny “now resides firmly in our hands” as his Brexit trade deal cleared Parliament and entered into law. It comes after MPs overwhelmingly approved the deal to pave the way for the UK-EU agreement to come into force at 11pm today, when the current Brexit transition period – during

Boris Johnson has hailed the “astonishing speed” with which the UK-EU trade deal was agreed and says the agreement “demonstrates how Britain can be at once European and sovereign”. It comes as MPs debate the deal ahead of a vote which could see the agreement ratified by parliament by the end of the day. If approved,

Boris Johnson will claim the Brexit trade deal agreed on Christmas Eve represents “not a rupture but a resolution” of relations between the UK and Europe, as he urges MPs to back the legislation that will put it into law. The government intends to pass the EU Future Relationship Bill through parliament at break-neck speed