Politics

Boris Johnson has said he takes “personal responsibility” after his Conservative Party lost the North Shropshire by-election in a shock result that has dealt another significant blow to his premiership. Lib Dem candidate Helen Morgan overturned a huge Tory majority to triumph in the contest, which was sparked by the resignation of Owen Paterson amid

The Conservatives are facing a nervous wait as votes are counted overnight in the North Shropshire by-election, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson hoping his party can hold on to what has been a long-time Tory safe seat. Between 7am to 10pm on Thursday, voters in the constituency cast their ballots to decide on a new

Boris Johnson has said ministers do not “want to make your choices for you about your social life” after England’s chief medical officer advised people to prioritise events that matter to them in the run-up to Christmas. Speaking to broadcasters on Thursday, the prime minister reiterated that people should be “cautious” in the next few

Large numbers of COVID patients ending up in hospital is a “nailed on prospect” as the Omicron variant spreads at an “absolutely phenomenal pace” across the country, England’s chief medical officer has warned. Professor Chris Whitty, speaking at a Downing Street news conference, warned the UK was facing “a really serious threat” from the new

Sir Keir Starmer questioned whether Boris Johnson was too “weak” to lead the country after a significant number of his own backbench Conservative MPs voted against plan to introduce a COVID pass for some events. Reading out comments from Conservative MPs including former chief whip Mark Harper and Philip Davies, the Labour leader accused the

It was but two years back that Boris Johnson swept into No 10 on a Conservative majority not seen since the days of Margaret Thatcher, his foot on the neck of a broken Labour party, his position seemingly unassailable. So, to mark the anniversary of that triumph with a 100-strong rebellion from unbiddable backbenchers must

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to meet with the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs as pressure mounts ahead of crunch votes on Plan B coronavirus restrictions. Sky News understands that Mr Johnson will hold a “special meeting” with the committee at 5.30pm, an hour before MPs are due to vote on regulations. Plan B

Boris Johnson is facing the biggest Tory rebellion since the 2019 general election in a bitter Commons showdown with many of his own MPs over his Plan B COVID rules. Nearly 80 Conservative backbenchers have signalled they are prepared to vote against new regulations on face masks, isolating, vaccine passports and compulsory vaccinations for NHS

Sajid Javid has urged the British public to “play your part” and get a COVID booster vaccine – warning that the UK is “once again in a race between the vaccine and the virus”. The heath secretary told Kay Burley that cases of Omicron are growing at a “phenomenal rate”, which is why the government

The Conservative Party is drifting into authoritarianism, a senior Tory MP has warned, as he confirmed he would oppose new coronavirus restrictions. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker told Sky News he believed at least 60 of his party colleagues at Westminster would join him in voting against the imposition of further COVID-19 measures by Boris

Cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant are now being treated in hospitals, cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi has told Sky News. The education secretary also said there were currently no plans to vaccinate primary school children and that Boris Johnson would be saying more about the coronavirus booster programme “later today”. Even if the COVID-19 Omicron

Two years after winning a famous general election victory with a majority of 80, Boris Johnson has gone from hero to zero, with the public and Conservative MPs. On the second anniversary of winning the Tories’ biggest Commons majority since Margaret Thatcher in 1987, he has stumbled from triumph, to disaster after disaster. He has

Some staff at the Treasury had office drinks while England was in lockdown last year. The Times reported that around two dozen civil servants were present for the drinks on 25 November, 2020. The group had been working on the Autumn Spending Review, the Treasury said. UK could see one million infections – COVID latest

The government has been “presented with some very challenging new information” about the Omicron variant and will keep restrictions “under review”, Michael Gove has said after he chaired a meeting of the COBRA emergency committee. Mr Gove headed the talks with first ministers and deputy first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss

The prime minister’s standards adviser has had further talks with Number 10 after an official investigation contradicted Boris Johnson’s claim he knew nothing about how the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat was being funded. Questions have been raised about Lord Geidt’s future in the wake of the development, but Boris Johnson’s spokesman said the

Boris Johnson’s most senior communications adviser addressed staff and handed out awards on the night of the alleged Downing Street party, it is understood. Jack Doyle, the director of communications in Number 10, thanked staff working there “like he does every week”. Downing Street Christmas parties: How many events are now under investigation and when

Boris Johnson is facing mounting pressure from senior backbenchers over an alleged lockdown Downing Street Christmas party and the move to “Plan B” COVID restrictions. Conservative former chief whip Mark Harper led the criticism against the government as Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the Commons further measures were being brought in from Friday, including vaccine

Fewer than one in 10 people believe Number 10’s claim that no party took place in Downing Street last December during lockdown. An Opinium poll for Sky News found 64% think a party did take place, 9% said it did not take place and 27% did not know. This suggests the public is sceptical of

Boris Johnson is considering the imposition of fresh coronavirus restrictions in England and a move to Plan B of the government’s strategy for dealing with COVID-19 this winter. Following the discovery of the Omicron variant, which Downing Street fears is more transmissible than the Delta variant, the prime minister is mulling tougher measures to slow

The Foreign Office’s top civil servant has admitted to MPs he was on holiday for nearly all of the UK’s evacuation effort in Afghanistan. Sir Philip Barton, who earns around £185,000 per year, was on annual leave – during which he spent time both in the UK and abroad – between 9 to 26 August