UK

Boris Johnson has been contacted by the Metropolitan Police as part of the probe into lockdown-busting parties held in Downing Street and across Whitehall. A questionnaire on the partygate scandal has been sent to the prime minister from Scotland Yard. It is understood to have been received late on Friday evening. A Number 10 spokesperson

Priti Patel has warned the next Metropolitan Police commissioner that they must tackle the “institutional issues” within the force as she expressed her “commitment” to selecting the “right leader” to replace Dame Cressida Dick. Writing a piece in the Evening Standard after Dame Cressida dramatically quit her position on Thursday evening after losing the support

Dame Cressida Dick is leaving her role as head of the Met Police, the Mayor of London has confirmed. Sadiq Khan had put the Metropolitan Commissioner “on notice” last week after the police watchdog published messages sent by officers that used sexist, racist and homophobic language. He said his entire trust in the Met hinged

Former prime minister Sir John Major has launched a stinging attack on Boris Johnson, accusing him of asking the public to “believe the unbelievable” over lockdown parties in Downing Street. In an apparent call-to-action for MPs to move against Mr Johnson, he said “deliberate lies to parliament have been fatal to political careers – and

Boris Johnson has issued a warning to Russia that NATO member states will “draw lines in the snow” over the Ukraine crisis. The prime minister will fly to Belgium and Poland on Thursday as part of diplomatic efforts in the face of Russia’s build-up of thousands of troops on the border with its neighbour. In

Boris Johnson has said he plans to remove all remaining coronavirus restrictions a month early. “Providing the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions, including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive, a full month early,” the prime

A mother accused of murdering her three-year-old son has claimed she initially believed he died of an illness. Appearing at Birmingham Crown Court, Alicia Watson said she never harmed Kemarni Watson Darby and told jurors she took him to see a nurse just hours before his death. The 30-year-old defendant said she “genuinely thought he

Boris Johnson will not apologise for using the discredited claim that Sir Keir Starmer personally failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile, Downing Street has said. The prime minister’s official spokesperson acknowledged that Mr Johnson’s words in Commons last week were “capable of being misconstrued”, but said the PM had subsequently issued a “clarification”. “The prime minister

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been bundled into the back of a police car after being confronted by protesters shouting “traitor” and “Jimmy Savile” at him. In video footage posted on social media, the Labour leader was seen walking near to parliament surrounded by police officers while being mobbed by a group. At one

A good friend of Carrie Johnson has left Boris Johnson’s team of top advisers as the prime minister shakes up his Downing Street operation, Number 10 has confirmed. Henry Newman will return to work with Michael Gove at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, having previously been his special adviser. The PM’s official

Prince Charles has said he is “deeply conscious of the honour represented by my mother’s wish” for his “darling” wife to be known as Queen Camilla. It comes after the long-serving monarch used the historic milestone of her Platinum Jubilee to express her “sincere wish” that the Duchess of Cornwall will be known as queen

Serial killer Levi Bellfield has confessed to the notorious hammer murders of mother and daughter Lin and Megan Russell 26 years ago, a lawyer has told Sky News. Bellfield, who is serving life for killing schoolgirl Millie Dowler and two others, has revealed chilling details of the Russell murders it’s thought only the killer would

The Queen has used her Platinum Jubilee message to the nation to back the Duchess of Cornwall as Queen Camilla. In a message to the nation to mark Accession Day, and the start of her Jubilee year, Her Majesty has unexpectedly expressed her “sincere wish” that Camilla will be known as Queen Consort when the

Nadine Dorries has insisted that 97% of Tory MPs are behind Boris Johnson as the prime minister was hit with a further call to resign. The culture secretary also told Sky News her cabinet colleague Sajid Javid was 100% behind the prime minister, after the health secretary sought to distance himself from Mr Johnson’s claim

Another Conservative MP has submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson. Aaron Bell, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, said the partygate allegations and the prime minister‘s subsequent handling of the fallout has made his position “untenable”. Politics live: Resignation of Downing Street official ‘will be terminal’ for PM – as Tory MP says public has

Another aide has reportedly left Number 10, taking the total number of departures in less than 24 hours to five. Number Ten Policy Unit member Elena Narozanski is the latest aide to leave Boris Johnson’s Downing Street operation amid the continuing fallout from the partygate allegations, Conservative Home reports. Her departure comes after Number 10

Two more senior officials are leaving Number 10 in an apparent mass exodus from Downing Street amid the fallout from the partygate scandal. Number 10 revealed on Thursday night that both Dan Rosenfield, the prime minister’s chief of staff, and Martin Reynolds, Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, are leaving their roles. It came just hours

Millions of households will see their energy bills rise to a typical £1,971 a year after regulator Ofgem increased its price cap by 54%. The increase, which will on average see bills for 22 million customers on variable gas and electricity tariffs rise by £693, will take effect in April and follows a 12% rise

Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister says he has issued an order to halt Brexit agri-food checks at the nation’s ports, citing legal advice. The checks are required under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Edwin Poots says he will seek an agreement from the power-sharing government on a way forward in the near future. Speaking

RAF jets have been scrambled to track “unidentified aircraft” north of Scotland. The Typhoon jets were launched from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and joined by a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. An RAF spokesman declined to provide more information on the operation until it is over. An image taken from