Politics

The Metropolitan Police is investigating death threats against Sir Keir Starmer following Boris Johnson’s use of the discredited claim that the Labour leader failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions. The force confirmed that on Friday it received a third party report relating to allegations of malicious communications made against

Boris Johnson is making his first visit to Scotland since the leader of the Scottish Conservatives called for him to quit over Downing Street partygate allegations. He is using Parliament’s half-term break to embark on a “levelling up” tour of the UK, starting in Scotland with visits to a manufacturing site and research and development

Boris Johnson is facing more pressure over Downing Street parties as he attempts to cling to power, after receiving a questionnaire from the Metropolitan Police. Senior Tory MPs claim that despite his determination to fight on it will be difficult for him to continue as prime minister if he is fined for breaching COVID lockdown

All children aged five to 11 in the UK will be offered a low dose COVID vaccine after England and Northern Ireland became the latest of the four nations to offer those in that age group the jab. Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that the UK government’s vaccine advisory body – the Joint Committee on

Boris Johnson has been contacted by the Metropolitan Police as part of the probe into lockdown-busting parties held in Downing Street and across Whitehall. A questionnaire on the partygate scandal has been sent to the prime minister from Scotland Yard. It is understood to have been received late on Friday evening. A Number 10 spokesperson

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will hold fresh talks with EU vice-president Maros Sefcovic over post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland ahead of a hoped-for deadline for a deal later this month. The pair will meet at Ms Truss’s official residence in London on Friday morning for their latest discussions over the Northern Ireland Protocol. It brings

Former prime minister Sir John Major has launched a stinging attack on Boris Johnson, accusing him of asking the public to “believe the unbelievable” over lockdown parties in Downing Street. In an apparent call-to-action for MPs to move against Mr Johnson, he said “deliberate lies to parliament have been fatal to political careers – and

Police are reviewing their initial decision not to investigate a Christmas quiz in Number 10, held at a time of strict COVID rules, after a picture of Boris Johnson and a bottle of alcohol emerged. Scotland Yard said they would rethink their assessment of the event following the publication of an image of the prime

The UK’s national terrorism threat level has been reduced from severe to substantial, Priti Patel has said. It means the chance of an attack occurring is now “likely” rather than “highly likely”. Announcing the move in a written ministerial statement, the home secretary said: “The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) has reduced the UK national

A minister has warned that “everyone needs to reflect carefully on the language they use” as Boris Johnson faces increasing pressure to apologise over his discredited claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Saville. At Prime Minister’s Questions at noon, the PM will make his first House of Commons appearance since Sir Keir

MPs have mocked Boris Johnson’s triple-jobbing chief of staff after he declined to appear in the House of Commons to explain his new role. Following an exodus of senior advisers from Number 10 in the wake of the partygate scandal, the prime minister has appointed Steve Barclay as his new top aide. He has been

Boris Johnson’s new communications chief has said the PM welcomed him into the job with a rendition of ‘I Will Survive’. In his first interview since being appointed as Downing Street director of communications, Guto Harri told Welsh-language website Golwg360 the pair launched into the Gloria Gaynor classic after he asked Mr Johnson if he

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been made minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency in a mini-reshuffle as Boris Johnson fights for his premiership. Mr Rees-Mogg, who was leader of the Commons, will remain a member of the cabinet in his new role, Downing Street said. Both of his new jobs have been newly created as the

Boris Johnson is starting a new week hoping that a fresh shake-up of his top Downing Street team will ease the concerns of Tory MPs – some of whom have publicly called for the prime minister to resign over his handling of the partygate scandal. The prime minister made key changes to his staffing over

It was “perfectly reasonable” for Boris Johnson to attack Sir Keir Starmer over the failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions, a minister has told Sky News. Asked on Trevor Phillips on Sunday about the prime minister‘s use of the discredited claim that the Labour leader was responsible for the

Boris Johnson has replaced two of the five close aides he lost in less than 24 hours as “partygate” allegations continue to threaten his premiership. Cabinet minister Steve Barclay will be the prime minister’s new chief of staff, replacing Dan Rosenfield. Mr Barclay, a former Brexit secretary, will also be charged with integrating a “new

The DUP leader has urged Boris Johnson to “do what other prime ministers did” and prioritise Northern Ireland, instead of being distracted by controversies in Downing Street. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP has urged Boris Johnson to prioritise the political crisis in Northern Ireland over controversies in Downing Street. He warned the fall-out from lockdown parties

WhatsApp messages between disgraced former Tory MP Owen Paterson and then-health secretary Matt Hancock have revealed the extent to which he was lobbying on behalf of a firm paying him more than £8,000 a month. Mr Paterson resigned from the Commons in November last year after he was found to have breached lobbying rules through

Another Conservative MP has submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson. Aaron Bell, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, said the partygate allegations and the prime minister‘s subsequent handling of the fallout has made his position “untenable”. Politics live: Resignation of Downing Street official ‘will be terminal’ for PM – as Tory MP says public has

There is only one question being asked in Westminster right now: What is going on in Downing Street? When I put it to one of Boris Johnson’s senior allies, their response was simple… the prime minister is “under siege”. They pointed to the series of chaotic resignations from Number 10 over the space of a