As MPs are spooked by omicron, Boris Johnson is social distancing…from democracy
Why is the Health Secretary giving this update, asked the Speaker, and not the Prime Minister? Well, Boris Johnson did pop up at a vaccine centre earlier…
Lockdown is coming, and the surging costs now threaten to overwhelm us
Amid this fresh uncertainty, one thing is clear: we cannot go on living like this. As a majority-vaccinated country, we cannot go on suffering the permanent threat…
The Golden Globes’ bid for respectability has failed
When it comes to their TV awards, the Globes usually get an easier ride from industry-watchers, perhaps because TV’s such a sprawling wilderness, no one watches everything,…
David Baddiel: Social Media, Anger and Us, review – this documentary became a self-indulgent gripe
Remember when Friends Reunited was the limit of our social networking? Where the biggest pitfall was the temptation to rekindle an affair with the person you snogged…
Monday evening UK news briefing: Try again tomorrow, says NHS as booster jab booking website overwhelmed
The Prime Minister also declined to rule out bringing in new tougher Covid-19 restrictions before Christmas. Answering questions at a vaccination centre this morning, Mr Johnson said…
Up to a quarter of No 10 ministerial aides on resignation watch ahead of Covid votes
We will not surrender basic liberties and freedoms lightly By Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset On Wednesday last week at 11.45am, it was quietly reported online…
One million Covid booster vaccines a day in race to avoid new year lockdown
The risk that hospital beds will be overwhelmed with cases of Covid-19 is one of the key metrics that is used by the Government’s medical advisers when…
Introducing voter ID risks removing ‘crucial’ trust, MPs warn
Plans to introduce voter identification risks removing “crucial” trust from the democratic system, a cross-party group of MPs has said. The Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs…
Former Conservative donor to pump further £5m into Laurence Fox’s Reclaim Party
Mr Hosking gave £350,000 to Tory candidates ahead of the 2017 election, but later said he had been “taken in” by the party on Europe and would…
Boris Johnson refuses to rule out tougher Covid restrictions before Christmas
However, there was confusion on Monday morning over whether he meant jabs would have to be administered by Jan 1 or simply scheduled by the year’s end….
Frustration, confusion, chaos: Day one of Boris Johnson’s war on omicron
Ten people, said Mr Javid, were in hospital in England with omicron. “At this point in time I can’t confirm a death,” he added. By 10am, Boris…
Proof of booster jabs will be needed for Covid passports, says Sajid Javid
Spot checks allowed Venue owners may be allowed to carry out “spot checks” rather than oversee 100 per cent checks on entry in a significant loosening of…
Boris Johnson: I broke no Covid rules over Downing Street quiz night
Boris Johnson has insisted he “broke no rules” after being pictured hosting a quiz night in Number 10, as Tory MPs said on Monday night that the…
Tory whips scramble to curb backbench revolt against Covid vaccine passports
The plan is expected to pass despite the Tory backlash because Labour has said it will support it. Under the Government’s proposals, from 6am on Wednesday people…
Investors ignore omicron and pile into electric car companies
Rather than retreating to safe stocks as inflation hit its highest level in a decade and the omicron variant appeared in South Africa, investors piled into racy…
How to supercharge your pension when you hit 50
Personal Assets was able to provide investors with a safety buffer as the pandemic pulled the rug out from under the market in March last year. This…
‘Can I put my house into trust so the council pays my care fees?’
Clearly this is an evidence-based test of what was reasonably foreseeable at the time the gift was made, as well as what the motivations were. In practice…
Can’t afford to make your home energy efficient? Get ready for your mortgage rate to rise
Mortgage lenders’ push to offer lower rates to more environmentally friendly properties risks “eco privilege” among homebuyers, experts have warned. Lenders incentivise borrowers to make eco improvements…
‘Council still hasn’t refunded my £3,000 fire door payment’
Sally says: I took up your case with Haringey Council, which after some to-ing and fro-ing called you to apologise for the delay and issued the repayment….
Money Makeover: ‘How do I pass on my £2m estate without paying inheritance tax?’
Sky-high inheritance tax bills catch out countless families every year and thousands more will face surprise charges in future because tax bands have been frozen. Planning ahead…
The 5 best classic cars to buy in 2021 for less than £2,000
Prices of the classic Volvo 240 are now well and truly on the rise, but buyers haven’t cottoned on to its successor, the 740, in quite the…
Eight ways to make a breakdown safe and bearable
Vehicle breakdowns can be disruptive and dangerous. With road traffic accidents accounting for 13% of all deaths in the UK – 60% of which occur on country…
Diana Henry’s brilliant alternative festive desserts to a Christmas pudding in 2021
When I was at primary school, I used to go home with my friend Mandy – she lived just across the road – for a drink of…
The reason behind Britain’s ‘alarming’ spike in dairy allergies
The number of babies receiving treatment for cow’s milk allergies has rocketed in recent years, to such an extent that it has alarmed researchers. “The amount of…
My wife loves our new friends, but they bore the pants off me
It was only when the third lockdown was lifted, and life between variants returned to a kind of normal, that I realised just how comfortable I’d become…