Politics

MPs have approved England’s third coronavirus lockdown – but the government has been urged by leading Conservatives to allow further votes on the measures both this month and next month. Following a four-hour debate in the House of Commons, MPs approved the newest lockdown by 524 votes to 16, a majority of 508. Their approval

Teacher assessments will replace GCSE and A-level exams in England this summer, the education secretary has announced. “This year, we’re going to put our trust in teachers, rather than algorithms,” Gavin Williamson told MPs in the Commons. Setting out his plans for students as MPs prepared to vote on England’s latest lockdown, Mr Williamson said

Boris Johnson is facing a showdown with Conservative backbench COVID-19 lockdown rebels in the second Commons recall of the Christmas recess. A day which begins with a 90-minute interrogation for the prime minister by COVID critics is likely to end with a Tory rebellion in a vote on the latest lockdown in England. In between,

The government “should be able” to begin easing England’s coronavirus lockdown in March, a senior minister has told Sky News. Michael Gove said the public should not expect a sudden relaxation of the COVID-19 rules, with restrictions “progressively” relaxed instead. “The government is doing everything it can in order to ensure that we can roll

Boris Johnson has announced a new national lockdown for England – with people instructed to “stay at home” as they did during last March’s first shutdown. The prime minister revealed the action in an eight-minute TV address on Monday night, after being told that COVID-19 cases are rising rapidly in every part of the country

Boris Johnson will make a TV address tonight to set out “further steps” to combat the spread of COVID-19. The prime minister is expected to speak at 8pm, while parliament will be recalled to sit on Wednesday amid calls for a third national lockdown in England. Live COVID updates as PM to address the nation

Boris Johnson has said “there is no doubt in my mind that schools are safe” in areas where they are open – as he warned of tighter restrictions in the coming weeks. As pressure mounted on the prime minister to keep all of England’s schools closed when the new term starts, Mr Johnson insisted education

The government must impose a national lockdown within 24 hours, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said. Sir Keir said the virus is “clearly out of control” and national restrictions have to be “the first step”. He said: “It’s no good the prime minister hinting that further restrictions are coming into place in a week

Labour’s shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens is being treated in hospital for COVID-19, her team has said. A statement on the 54-year-old MP’s Twitter account said: “Jo has asked us to let you know that she is being treated in hospital for Covid. “Thanks for all your good wishes we will give an update when

Staff at schools have a legal right not to return to classrooms due to the spread of COVID, a leading union has said – while another has started legal proceedings against the Department for Education. The National Education Union (NEU) has said all primary schools should remain closed for at least two weeks following the

The smooth start to post-Brexit border operations may be the “calm before the storm”, industry bosses have warned. The first day of January marked the first day of a new trading relationship between the UK and the EU. There had been fears it would create chaotic scenes at ports, with outbound lorries now subject to

As the Pride of Kent eased its way towards the port in Calais, it was making history. The first ferry to have crossed the English Channel in 2021; the first to carry lorries that were travelling under the umbrella of new rules and regulations. What happened next was exactly as you might have predicted. Image:

The UK has begun a new relationship with the European Union with the Brexit transition period coming to an end. Despite leaving the EU on 31 January last year, the UK has remained subject to the bloc’s rules as a member of the single market and customs union. However, this ended at 11pm and the

The education secretary has told Sky News he is “absolutely confident” that secondary schools will be able to carry out mass testing with an extra week to prepare. Defending the decision to push back the return of pupils to secondary schools and colleges, Gavin Williamson told Sky News the move was about “rooting out coronavirus

Boris Johnson has said the UK’s destiny “now resides firmly in our hands” as his Brexit trade deal cleared Parliament and entered into law. It comes after MPs overwhelmingly approved the deal to pave the way for the UK-EU agreement to come into force at 11pm today, when the current Brexit transition period – during

Boris Johnson has hailed the “astonishing speed” with which the UK-EU trade deal was agreed and says the agreement “demonstrates how Britain can be at once European and sovereign”. It comes as MPs debate the deal ahead of a vote which could see the agreement ratified by parliament by the end of the day. If approved,

Boris Johnson will claim the Brexit trade deal agreed on Christmas Eve represents “not a rupture but a resolution” of relations between the UK and Europe, as he urges MPs to back the legislation that will put it into law. The government intends to pass the EU Future Relationship Bill through parliament at break-neck speed

The post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and UK has brought “a little stability” but there are still some elements of the bloc’s future relationship with Britain to determine, Brussels’ chief negotiator has said. Michel Barnier, who led trade negotiations with the UK on behalf of the EU, told French radio on Tuesday his team

The military is being called in to help secondary schools and colleges with coronavirus testing at the start of the spring term. Some 1,500 personnel will give planning support, training and phone advice to English schools needing help with the testing process and setting up facilities. The government is pressing ahead with plans for primary

The government is pushing ahead with plans for primary school and older secondary school children to return to classrooms next week – although a senior minister admitted “we always keep things under review”. There have been calls for the return of pupils after the Christmas holidays to be delayed until later in January, in a