Politics

Universities that do not return to face-to-face teaching this coming academic year should not be charging full fees, the education secretary has told Sky News. Speaking to Kay Burley, Gavin Williamson said: “I think if universities are not delivering what students expect, then actually they shouldn’t be charging the full fees.” Live updates as students

The UK is “on track” to meet its “challenging” target of hitting net zero emissions by 2050, a minister has told Sky News. “I think it’s challenging, but I think we are on track, I think we’re doing quite well,” Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Kay Burley about the goal. “If you look, since 1990

A minister has told Sky News he would like staff in his department to be coming into the office “at least” two or three days a week, after the government insisted it would follow a “cautious” approach to civil servants returning to their desks. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng was asked about his views on people

Labour are calling for a senior Conservative to be investigated for training witnesses before they give crucial evidence to MPs. Parliament’s standards watchdog has been told to “urgently” look into payments made to James Gray for coaching witnesses ahead of appearances before select committees. The Tory MP has been receiving the cash while sitting on

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

Sir Keir Starmer has warned the Conservatives that a second year of exam results chaos is “not an option” – and set out tests he says the government must meet by the end of the month. The Labour leader is putting pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “show some leadership, step in and ensure

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

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”

Wales will move to alert level zero at the weekend, but the country’s first minister has warned it “does not mean the end of restrictions and a free-for-all”. Mark Drakeford said people should continue to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The step, the biggest easing of measures since the pandemic began, will see all

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

The government is expected to announce the offering of a coronavirus vaccine to some 1.4 million teenagers “imminently”, a minister has confirmed. Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News, universities minister Michelle Donelan said Number 10 was awaiting advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which is assessing whether all 16 and

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

Nicola Sturgeon has invited Boris Johnson to meet her to discuss their COVID recovery plans. The Scottish first minister invited the prime minister to her official Edinburgh residence, Bute House, during his visit to Scotland this week. She said it would be “their first opportunity to meet in person for a while”. Ms Sturgeon acknowledged

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

Something strange seems to be going on in the Conservative government. Recent weeks have seen ministers announce mandatory vaccination to enter nightclubs, speak supportively of businesses that demand workers are jabbed and moot the idea of barring students from university who’ve not been inoculated. Novel developments for members of the self-professed “freedom-loving” party. Please use

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie are expecting their second baby, she has announced. In an Instagram post Carrie Johnson also said she had a miscarriage earlier this year. She wrote: “Hoping for our rainbow baby this Christmas. “At the beginning of the year, I had a miscarriage which left me heartbroken. I