Politics

Dominic Raab will keep playing an “important senior role” in the government despite being moved in Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle, Downing Street has said. Mr Raab was replaced as foreign secretary by Liz Truss and shifted to the justice brief, a move widely seen as a demotion. Live updates as government reshuffle continues Please use

The military could be called in to help Scotland’s ambulance service which is facing “acute pressure”, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. Scotland’s first minister apologised “unreservedly” for long waiting times and confirmed that targeted military assistance to help deal with “short-term pressure points” is under consideration. The announcement came as Ms Sturgeon was questioned about the

Penny Mordaunt has been appointed as minister of state at the Department for International Trade after Boris Johnson reshuffled the main cabinet positions yesterday. Michael Ellis will take on Ms Mordaunt’s former role as paymaster general at the Cabinet Office. One of the top changes saw Liz Truss getting the foreign secretary brief, bumping out

Lockdowns, mandatory face masks, vaccine certificates, and work from home orders could return this winter as part of a “plan B” to deal with the pandemic, the health secretary has announced. Sajid Javid said if the data shows the NHS is likely to come under “unsustainable pressure” from the COVID-19 pandemic again, the government has

The government has accepted the recommendation from the UK’s chief medical officers that children aged 12 to 15 should be offered a first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine and invitations will start being sent out next week. Making the announcement in the Commons, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “We will now move with the

Boris Johnson has said the government wants to avoid the introduction of COVID vaccine passports in England “if we possibly can”, but added they would be an option to be kept “in reserve”. The prime minister, who will on Tuesday set out his plan to deal with coronavirus during the upcoming autumn and winter months,

A cabinet colleague has rallied to the defence of the home secretary as she faced fresh claims of breaking ministerial rules over a meeting with a billionaire Tory donor and British Airways. Health Secretary Sajid Javid gave his backing to Priti Patel, saying she was doing “incredibly well”, as Labour demanded an investigation into her

Sajid Javid has told Sky News he wants to remove the PCR test requirement for travellers returning from some foreign countries “as soon as I possibly can”. The health secretary said he was aware of the cost for families holidaying abroad and that the measure should not be in place “for a second longer than

Boris Johnson will denounce the terrorists who killed nearly 3,000 people during the 9/11 attacks while paying tribute to their victims on the 20th anniversary. The prime minister has recorded a video message that will be played at a memorial event on Saturday at the Olympic Park in east London where a memorial forged from

Northern Ireland could see “instability, uncertainty and unpredictability” if there is an attempt to renegotiate the post-Brexit agreement, the European Commission’s vice president has warned. Maros Sefcovic said the Northern Ireland Protocol must be “properly implemented”, but admitted both sides would have to compromise. His warning came after DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his

The government will look at extending the use of vaccine passports if there is a “public health need” to do so, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has said. Mr Dowden told Sky News the government “want as few restrictions for as short a period as possible”, but that if the situation with coronavirus worsens, ministers will

Booster vaccines are reportedly set to be given the go-ahead next week, despite a professor who helped develop the AstraZeneca jab warning that a mass campaign may not be necessary. According to The Times, data suggests that an additional Pfizer dose, months after a second vaccine is given, significantly boosts the body’s immune response to

Boris Johnson’s government has reneged on key promises it has made in the efforts to combat climate change, according to one of the most senior Conservative environmentalists. The Tory chair of the Climate Change Committee – which advises the government on tackling global warming – has condemned the decision by ministers to give into Australian

Sajid Javid has said he is “confident” that a booster programme for coronavirus jabs can begin this month. The health secretary told Kay Burley that he is awaiting advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which should come “certainly in the next few days” and he believes the process can begin in

Boris Johnson will be confident of victory in a snap Commons vote on his NHS bailout and social care shake-up, which MPs are claiming is the biggest political gamble of his premiership. Defying potential Tory rebels, the prime minister has raised taxes to their highest level since the Second World War and broken Conservative manifesto

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi has not denied that ‘firebreak’ restrictions could be implemented in October if COVID-19 hospitalisations remain high – but said it depends on the success of the booster jab programme for the elderly and most vulnerable. Mr Zahawi said the booster programme is his “absolute priority” as it will “absolutely help us

The NHS in England will receive an extra £5.4bn over the next six months in order to help deal with the impact of COVID-19, the government has confirmed. The additional funding will help tackle hospital waiting lists and the backlog of operations and treatments delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. There are currently around five million

Boris Johnson will tell MPs that he will use “every economic, political and diplomatic lever” to help Afghans left behind by the British as he looks to defend his handling of the withdrawal from the country. The prime minister will reiterate the pledge in the House of Commons on Monday, when parliament returns from its

Concern at the top of government over a rise to national insurance has spilled into the open after a senior minister suggested that voters would remember broken promises on tax. Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg used his weekly segment in the Sunday Express newspaper to republish a famous quote by former president

Boris Johnson is coming under attack from senior members of his own party ahead of a possible announcement on social care this week. The prime minister is expected to increase national insurance to help fund care reforms and clear backlogs in the NHS. However ministers, MPs, government officials and business groups have told Sky News