Number 10 ‘blackmailing’ Tory MPs into supporting Johnson says Commons’ committee chairman

A Conservative MP has accused government ministers, special advisers and the prime minister’s staff of conduct that “would seem to constitute blackmail”, as Tories reel over the future of Boris Johnson. William Wragg, chairman of a Commons scrutiny committee, said he has received reports that the government has been encouraging the media to publish “embarrassing” […]

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Javid tells NHS to ‘urgently secure’ private care for patients and strikes deal with 10 private healthcare companies

The NHS has been instructed to “urgently secure” private resources for patients whose treatment has been delayed by the pandemic. Staff shortages and rising numbers of Covid patients has seen a growing number of hospital trusts declaring “critical incidents” and Sajid Javid has told the NHS to boost capacity by making “use of the independent […]

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Rayner accuses Johnson of ‘corruption, plain and simple’ over Downing Street flat refurb

Angela Rayner has accused the prime minister of “corruption, plain and simple” and said Boris Johnson has “questions to answer” over allegations of cash-for-access to ministers relating to the Downing Street flat refurbishment. The latest allegations of Tory sleaze surround reports that the Conservative peer who helped pay for the costs of decorating the Downing […]

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PM’s ‘political vanadalism’ and posturing puts NI peace in peril

Boris Johnson and ex-Brexit minister Lord David Frost don’t understand or seem to care about their “vandalism” to Northern Ireland peace says one of the key architects of the Good Friday Agreement. Tony Blair’s ex-chief of staff, Jonathan Powell said the government’s posturing over the European court of justice risks collapsing the devolved parliament at […]

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Air purifiers in every classroom in England would cost half the price of new royal yacht; ‘inevitable’ schools will be hit by omicron as PM says no new restrictions before NYE

Schools in England could fit air purifiers in every classroom – “which scientists and campaigners say would significantly reduce the spread of Covid” – for less than half the cost of the new royal yacht. Boris Johnson’s £200-£250 million “pet project” to replace the royal yacht Britannia (decommissioned in 1997) with a new ship, is […]

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Christmas Eve immigration change for care workers is ‘sneaky admission of govt failure’ says Labour

The government’s Christmas Eve announcement that it will relax immigration rules for care workers – to bolster a sector double hit by the pandemic and Brexit and left struggling to keep and attract staff – has been denounced as “a sneaky admission of failure” by the Labour party. High vacancy rates and staff turnover is […]

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Damaged PM dithers and delays over new Covid curbs for England as his nightmare before Christmas darkens

Boris Johnson’s authority has been so weakened by recent events that he appears willing to gamble the nation’s health service and people’s lives in order to appease right wing Tory tabloids and his own backbench MPs. The embattled prime minister’s personal nightmare before Christmas – featuring the key resignation of a staunch Brexit ally, a […]

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Sunak ‘missing in action’ as interest rates rise and businesses battle against inflation and Omicron surges

Chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak is under fire for being “missing in action” in California while British businesses battle against the Omicron variant’s devastating impact on Christmas spending and the UK’s economy. The Bank of England shocked markets with an unexpected hike in interest rates today (December 16) to 0.25%, increasing the cost of […]

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Tory rebel’s ‘authoritarian’ warning on new Covid restrictions while PM appeals to nation to ‘get boosted now’

Boris Johnson faces a rebellion from up to 60 of his backbench MPs on Tuesday (December 14) over new Covid restrictions amid warnings the Conservative party is “drifting into authoritarianism”. The prime minister addressed the nation on Sunday (December 12) night and laid out the risks to the NHS of the Omicron variant as he […]

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