Politics

Hopes for a summer getaway are given a boost from today with a sizeable expansion of the government’s green travel list – and the return of holiday favourite France to the regular amber category. After a spell on the so-called “amber plus” list, France’s move back to amber means that fully vaccinated travellers returning from

Climate minister Alok Sharma’s air travel to 30 countries in seven months is “bizarre” and sets a bad example ahead of COP26, a Labour minister has said. Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News, David Lammy told that reports that COP26 President Mr Sharma flew tens of thousands of miles during the pandemic are “worrying”

The prime minister is not expected to isolate after flying to Scotland this week with a member of his staff who has tested positive for COVID-19. Boris Johnson was on the same flight as the person but did not come within two metres of them, Sky News understands. A Number 10 spokesman said: “The prime

Boris Johnson has refused to apologise after he said Margaret Thatcher gave the UK a “big early start” in its battle against climate change when she closed coal mines in the 1980s. The PM’s official spokesperson told reporters Mr Johnson recognises the “huge impact and pain” caused by the closure of coal mines – but

Sir Keir Starmer has led criticism of Boris Johnson after he said Margaret Thatcher gave the UK a “big early start” in its battle against climate change when she closed coal mines in the 1980s. The prime minister made the comment during a visit to Scotland, when he was asked if he would set a

People will be able to go on holiday “without looking over their shoulders the whole time”, Grant Shapps has said, as he promised that the next set of travel changes will not come “for another three weeks”. The transport secretary told Kay Burley on Sky News that while ministers must “always keep an eye on

Fully vaccinated travellers and under 18s arriving in England from France will no longer need to isolate, while India is coming off the red list. The Department for Transport has set out the government’s latest COVID-19 travel update, with all of the changes taking effect from 4am on Sunday. In a surprise move, the cost

Nicola Sturgeon has said it is “a bit strange” for Boris Johnson to have declined her invitation to meet for talks during the PM’s trip to Scotland this week. Speaking to reporters, Scotland’s first minister said “most people will think it is a bit odd” that the prime minister did not want to discuss COVID-19

Boris Johnson has declined Nicola Sturgeon’s invitation to meet for talks while he is in Scotland this week. The first minister had invited the prime minister to her official Edinburgh residence, Bute House, to discuss their plans for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world But in

Nicola Sturgeon will announce this afternoon whether Scotland will lift its coronavirus restrictions next week. If the Scottish first minister decides the easing will go ahead, then the country will move beyond the current Level 0 rules on Monday 9 August. The last time rules changed was 19 July, when the number of people who

There is no prospect of an amber watchlist being introduced at the latest travel review this week, Sky News understands. Government sources have confirmed that Boris Johnson has rejected the idea. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player ‘We have to have

Fully vaccinated travellers from the US and EU can now arrive in the UK without having to isolate. The new rules came into effect at 4am on Monday but they have not yet been met by a reciprocal easing of restrictions for travellers from the UK. The new rule applies to England, Scotland, Wales and

The UK and US have blamed Iran for an attack on an oil tanker in which two crew members, including a British national, were killed. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accused Iran of carrying out a “deliberate, targeted” assault which he says constituted “a clear violation of international law”. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken

Rishi Sunak has written to Boris Johnson warning that the UK’s travel restrictions are “out of step” in comparison to other countries, reports suggest. According to the Sunday Times newspaper, the chancellor has raised concerns with the prime minister about the damage that the current border controls are doing to the UK’s economy and has

Discounted meals and cheaper cab rides will be offered to customers who get a COVID-19 jab, as part of a government-led attempt to boost the uptake of vaccines. Uber, Bolt, Deliveroo and Pizza Pilgrims are among the brands that will offer incentives to encourage young people to get vaccinated. Almost three million under-30s are yet

The UK is “closing in on” striking an agreement in principle with New Zealand, the international trade secretary has said. Liz Truss said “great progress” had been made in the sixth round of discussions between the two sides, which took place from 19 to 30 July. “We’re closing in on an agreement in principle, with

The Conservatives could be in danger of losing more than a dozen seats in their so-called “blue wall” heartlands, a new poll suggests. YouGov found that voting intention in 53 such constituencies in the south and east of England currently held by the party stood at 44% for the Conservatives, 24% for Labour, 18% for

Grant Shapps has defended France’s position on the UK’s ‘amber plus’ travel list, saying the decision was made due to cases of the Beta coronavirus variant in the north of the country. On Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the move was made because of the “prevalence of the so-called Beta variant, in particular in

A number of Conservative MPs have told Sky News they do not think the government will follow through and actually introduce domestic vaccine passports. The prospect of people having to prove their COVID-19 status to access a range of venues has been raised in recent weeks. Boris Johnson has already said that individuals will need