Politics

The Foreign Office has signed off tougher sanctions on Russia just hours ahead of a self-imposed deadline – and after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss held stormy talks with her counterpart in Moscow. New legislation was laid in parliament on Thursday that gives ministers the power to impose tough new sanctions on Russian oligarchs and businesses.

The education secretary has told Sky News he would have been in “big trouble” if he had not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Recounting his experience of the virus, which he contracted at the end of last month, Nadhim Zahawi said he could have ended up on a ventilator. “I think, without the vaccine and the

Police are reviewing their initial decision not to investigate a Christmas quiz in Number 10, held at a time of strict COVID rules, after a picture of Boris Johnson and a bottle of alcohol emerged. Scotland Yard said they would rethink their assessment of the event following the publication of an image of the prime

Boris Johnson is facing increasing pressure over Downing Street partygate allegations after being pictured alongside a bottle of alcohol at an event in December 2020. During today’s PMQs, the Mirror newspaper published a story containing an image of the prime minister next to alcohol, crisps and people wearing tinsel at an event at a Downing

Boris Johnson is being urged to use Prime Minister’s Questions today as a “golden opportunity” to issue an apology over his discredited claim that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer personally failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile. The prime minister will make his first House of Commons appearance since Sir Keir was confronted by a mob outside

MPs have mocked Boris Johnson’s triple-jobbing chief of staff after he declined to appear in the House of Commons to explain his new role. Following an exodus of senior advisers from Number 10 in the wake of the partygate scandal, the prime minister has appointed Steve Barclay as his new top aide. He has been

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been made minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency in a mini-reshuffle as Boris Johnson fights for his premiership. Mr Rees-Mogg, who was leader of the Commons, will remain a member of the cabinet in his new role, Downing Street said. Both of his new jobs have been newly created as the

Boris Johnson is starting a new week hoping that a fresh shake-up of his top Downing Street team will ease the concerns of Tory MPs – some of whom have publicly called for the prime minister to resign over his handling of the partygate scandal. The prime minister made key changes to his staffing over

Carrie Johnson has claimed she is the target of a “brutal briefing campaign” from her husband’s “enemies” after she was accused of meddling in decisions taken by the prime minister. A spokesperson for Boris Johnson’s wife said “bitter ex-officials” were trying to discredit her and insisted she played “no role in the government”. It comes

It was “perfectly reasonable” for Boris Johnson to attack Sir Keir Starmer over the failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions, a minister has told Sky News. Asked on Trevor Phillips on Sunday about the prime minister‘s use of the discredited claim that the Labour leader was responsible for the

Boris Johnson has replaced two of the five close aides he lost in less than 24 hours as “partygate” allegations continue to threaten his premiership. Cabinet minister Steve Barclay will be the prime minister’s new chief of staff, replacing Dan Rosenfield. Mr Barclay, a former Brexit secretary, will also be charged with integrating a “new

Downing Street has refused to comment on reports a picture of Boris Johnson holding a beer at a birthday party in Number 10 during lockdown has been handed to the Metropolitan Police’s investigation. According to the Daily Mirror, the photo shows the prime minister standing next to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who is holding a soft

WhatsApp messages between disgraced former Tory MP Owen Paterson and then-health secretary Matt Hancock have revealed the extent to which he was lobbying on behalf of a firm paying him more than £8,000 a month. Mr Paterson resigned from the Commons in November last year after he was found to have breached lobbying rules through

Four key resignations in Downing Street on Thursday are the result of the prime minister “taking charge”, a government minister has told Sky News. Energy minister Greg Hands said Boris Johnson was making the promised changes to his team in the wake of the highly-critical Sue Gray report into the partygate allegations. Sunak takes swipe

Conservative candidate Anna Firth has won the Southend West by-election triggered by the killing of Sir David Amess. Essex-born barrister Ms Firth won 12,792 votes. Conservative MP Sir David was fatally stabbed at a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on 15 October. The 69-year-old, who secured an increased majority of 14,459

The “vast majority” of households will receive £350 of help to take the “sting” out of rising energy bills, the chancellor has announced. Rishi Sunak said 80% of all homes in England will get a £150 discount on their council tax bill in April, while all domestic electricity customers will get £200 in October off

Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood has told Sky News he will be submitting a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson today. The senior Tory, who is chair of the Defence Select Committee, revealed in an interview with Kay Burley that he would be making the move. He said it is “time to resolve this” as

Boris Johnson has told Vladimir Putin of his “deep concern about Russia’s current hostile activity” on the Ukrainian border amid fears Moscow is planning to invade its neighbour. More than 100,000 Russian troops have amassed near the border in a major military build-up. The prime minister spoke to the Russian president in a phone call

Twelve alleged lockdown-busting gatherings are being investigated by the Metropolitan Police as part of the Downing Street partygate row, it has been revealed. The Scotland Yard investigation is the second inquiry to take place into claims Number 10 officials – including Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself – were partying in 2020 and 2021 in breach

The public would “hypothetically” be told if the prime minister was fined for breaking COVID rules, Downing Street has said – reversing an earlier assertion that refused to guarantee that would happen. When asked earlier whether any fixed penalty notices would be made public, the prime minister‘s spokesman said it was for the Metropolitan Police