Politics

The removal of dangerous cladding from high-risk buildings is unlikely to be complete until seven-and-a-half years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, government data suggests. The timeframe has been projected from analysis of the latest monthly figures released by the recently renamed Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLHC). If work continues at the current

England’s regional mayors have welcomed a £6.9bn spending boost for local transport – but they are also being warned of a “massive sting in the tail” to come from Chancellor Rishi Sunak. At next week’s budget and spending review, Mr Sunak is expected to announce £5.7bn will be put into transport settlements for city regions,

A former British spy who wrote a dossier on Donald Trump said he once spent hours with then home secretary Theresa May, briefing her on the Russia threat. Christopher Steele also revealed he had been asked by a UK official to review sensitive government documents on Russia just days before his dossier, which alleged collusion

The government will not change the six-month gap between second doses of the coronavirus vaccine and the booster jab unless the UK’s vaccine advisory body recommends it, a health minister has said. Care minister Gillian Keegan told Kay Burley on Sky News that ministers will “do whatever” the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)

Conservative Party fundraising bosses are embroiled in a row over claims they offered dinner with the housing secretary to property developers for £4,000, Sky News can reveal. Michael Gove refused to be sat with developers at an event at the party’s conference in Manchester earlier this month following a furious behind the scenes row. He

A health minister has denied there is a “plan C” to control COVID-19 by restricting household gatherings in England at Christmas if hospital admissions get worse. Edward Argar told Sky News it is “not something I’m aware of” after reports claimed Whitehall officials are considering not allowing members of different households to meet in each

COVID cases could hit 100,000 a day, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned – but he confirmed England will not yet move to the government’s plan B for dealing with pressures on hospitals this winter. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference on Wednesday, Mr Javid cautioned that the coronavirus pandemic “is not over”. “Thanks

“Plan B” coronavirus restrictions must be enforced immediately to prevent the UK “stumbling to a winter crisis”, an NHS leader has warned. NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has urged the government to bring back certain measures, including mandatory face coverings in public places. His remarks came as the UK recorded 223 COVID-related deaths on

The government’s net zero strategy will “support up to 440,000 jobs” by 2030, a business minister has said – as he announced a move towards the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The new plan, published on Tuesday, has the intention of dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions to reach the government’s

The much-anticipated details of how the government plans to actually meet its legal targets to cancel out carbon emissions by 2050 will be announced imminently. More specifically, we will get a sense of how our lifestyles and homes will need to change, with a plan to phase out gas boilers in Britain’s 28 million households

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told MPs that Southend-on-Sea will be given city status – a long-running campaign of Sir David Amess – as he led tributes to the murdered MP. Mr Johnson described Sir David as a “steadfast servant” of the House of Commons, a “prodigious campaigner” for his chosen causes, and a “dear

Instances of abuse reported to the police by politicians are not always followed up by forces, an MP has told Sky News, as he recalled having his car vandalised and office subject to an arson attack. Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, said there are “a lot more nasty people around than ever before”. Killing

MPs could be given police protection while they carry out constituency surgeries, the Home Secretary has told Sky News. Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Priti Patel said the measure was under consideration in the wake of the killing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess. Watch special Trevor Phillips on Sunday on killing of Sir

Priti Patel says it is “right and proper” that MPs are accessible to members of the public following Sir David Amess’ killing – and stressed that politicians’ safety and an open democracy “can absolutely be balanced”. The home secretary’s comments came as a spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) confirmed every parliamentarian will

Boris Johnson has laid flowers at the scene of the fatal stabbing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in Essex – an attack which police believe could be linked to Islamist extremism. The prime minister along with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Home Secretary Priti Patel visited Belfairs Methodist

Murdered MP Sir David Amess had recently written about the risk of attacks on parliamentarians, admitting “it could happen to any of us”. His book, Ayes & Ears: A Survivor’s Guide to Westminster, was published in November and was nominated for the Parliamentary Book Awards. The fatal stabbing of Sir David on Friday afternoon during

The government claims it has kickstarted a green investment “boom”, but campaigners say much more could be done to reach its climate goals. New data from the Department for International Trade (DIT) shows more than £5.8bn of foreign investment in green projects has been secured since Boris Johnson announced the “ten-point plan for a green

The chancellor has appeared to rule out helping businesses with soaring gas prices, saying “it’s not the government’s job” to manage the costs of individual products. Asked if he would accept some companies going out of business, Rishi Sunak said he “believes in a market economy”. He said the government has been working “very constructively”

We could be back in 2018 again – Brexit and the will-there-won’t-there-be-a-deal questions are back on the agenda. Brexit minister Lord Frost gave a headline-grabbing speech in Lisbon yesterday in which he savaged the very same Northern Ireland Protocol he was responsible for negotiating with the EU two years ago. You may remember Boris Johnson

The EU is expected to outline its response to UK demands to alter post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland following this summer’s tense “sausage war” between the two sides. European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic is set to hold a news conference on Wednesday afternoon in which he will deliver Brussels’ verdict on UK proposals for the