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‘You try’: Frustrated Boris Johnson loses cool at Covid inquiryThe UK Covid-19 Inquiry is set to publish its findings into decisions made by former prime minister Boris Johnson and his senior advisers.Key players, including Mr Johnson and former health secretary Matt Hancock, gave evidence to the inquiry into what they were thinking in 2020, including before the first lockdown was announced in March.During a series of hearings, they were questioned over government measures introduced during the pandemic, such as Covid testing, social distancing and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme designed to support businesses.Chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett, a former Court of Appeal judge, heard wide-ranging criticisms of Mr Johnson and his team, with WhatsApp messages and emails detailing disagreements disclosed to the inquiry.When giving his own testimony, Mr Johnson said it was “very unlikely” the first Covid lockdown could have been avoided by earlier action.In a statement, the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group blamed “failures by those in power” for the deaths of “more than 230,000 of our loved ones” as they called for accountability.The full report from the inquiry will be published at 4pm on Thursday.I regret the suffering Covid inflicted, says Swinney ahead of inquiry reportScotland’s First Minister has spoken about his “regret” for the “suffering” experienced by many during the coronavirus pandemic.Speaking ahead of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry publishing its report into how governments across the country responded to the virus, John Swinney said it had caused “enormous damage”.Mr Swinney was deputy first minister in Scotland at the time of the pandemic, and when pressed to apologise for his actions on Thursday, including the deletion of messages related to decision-making, he said: “I have been very clear that I regret the suffering individuals experienced during the period of Covid.“It did enormous damage to people. People lost loved ones, it did enormous damage to our society and we are still dealing with the consequences of Covid.”Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has spoken about his ‘regret’ for the ‘suffering’ experienced by many during the coronavirus pandemic More

A refugee who escaped political persecution in Africa to safety in the UK fears he could be sent back to his home country under Labour’s new migrant crackdown.Shams Moussa has described controversial plans to reform the asylum system, which could see refugees returned to their home nation if they are later deemed safe, as “deeply worrying”. The 48-year-old, who met King Charles at a humanitarian reception at Buckingham Palace two years ago, has also accused Labour politicians of “scapegoating migrants” while failing to take responsibility for asylum claims.On Monday, home secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled her proposed overhaul of the asylum system, claiming that the UK’s generosity had made it an attractive destination for those seeking sanctuary compared to other European nations. Describing the current system as “out of control”, she said she planned to reduce the number of people arriving illegally in Britain and ramp up removals of those with no right to be in the UK. The proposals, which have faced backlash from some Labour figures, include cutting the time refugees are initially granted to stay in the UK, from five years to 30 months, which could only be renewed if it is not safe for them to return to their home country. Refugees would also have to spend 20 years in the UK before being allowed to apply for settled status, up from five years. Shams Moussa with his invitation to meet King Charles at Buckingham Palace in 2023 – he said Charles sympathised with his situation More

People who were at school with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claim he displayed offensive behaviour as a boy, including giving Nazi salutes and making racial slurs.The Clacton MP, who could potentially be the UK’s next prime minister, as his party leads in opinion polls, emphatically denies allegations in The Guardian that he used racist or antisemitic insults as a teenager.He suggested that the paper was attempting to smear Reform. One former contemporary at Dulwich College in south London told The Guardian he felt humiliated by the antisemitic words of a 13-year-old Mr Farage, who allegedly also urged pupils of overseas heritage to “go home”.Peter Ettedgui, now an award-winning director and producer, told the paper: “He would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right,’ or ‘Gas them,’ sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers.” The Clacton MP denies allegations in The Guardian that he used racist or antisemitic insults as a teenager More

Two charities are taking the Home Office to court over overcrowded migrant hotels, which they have described as “prison-like” and say are forcing trafficking and torture survivors to share rooms with strangers.The Helen Bamber Foundation and Freedom from Torture accuse the government of leaving survivors of severe forms of violence “at risk of serious harm in harmful and unsuitable asylum accommodation”.Their case, which will be heard on Tuesday and Wednesday, challenges policy changes that they argue make it much harder for charities to prevent survivors from being forced to live in large accommodation sites or to share rooms with strangers.The Home Office is accused of failing to consult the charities before making the changes, which were brought in by the previous Conservative government at the start of 2024, but continue to be defended by the current Labour government.The action comes as the government face growing criticism after home secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled sweeping plans to overhaul the UK’s asylum system on Monday, which will see the government overhaul human rights laws in a bid to ramp up deportations.The Bell Hotel in Epping, which became a site of anti-migration protests over the summer More

The UK’s historic Brexit vote may have been almost a decade ago, but the fall out has rumbled on interminably – now, EU rules on oat production are the latest flashpoint threatening to undermine government efforts to work with the bloc.Ministers are said to be engaged in a battle to save the humble oatcake, as Keir Starmer’s government seeks to reset relations with the EU.UK efforts to realign agricultural policy with Brussels means that British oats could fall foul of regulations for being too mouldy – containing too high a level of mycotoxins – which proliferate in crops like oats when they are grown in damper coastal climates like Britain’s.Farming groups raised concerns last year following the introduction by the European Commission of restrictions on mycotoxin levels in foods sold in the EU. Consumed at high levels, mycotoxins can be damaging to human health. As well as cereal crops, they can be found in nuts and dried fruits, and eaten in large quantities can lead to various adverse health effects, including kidney and liver damage, immune suppression, and have been linked to cancer. The concern for British farmers is that during damp, warm seasons, much of Britain’s oat harvest risks being condemned as unfit for human consumption under these EU rules, rendering the crop unsellable. The EU has turned up the heat on UK oats, angering farmers More

Allies of Angela Rayner have hit out at “false” claims that she is eyeing up a Labour leadership bid after the ex-deputy PM insisted she has “not gone away” when asked about a return to frontline politics. A source close to the MP said Ms Rayner is “focussed on representing her local community” as they dismissed reports around her alleged plans to topple the prime minister as “silly games”. It comes after the Telegraph reported that the ex-housing secretary was laying the groundwork for a leadership bid, at the end of a week which saw a bitter briefing row surrounding Sir Keir Starmer’s future. A source close to Ms Rayner said: “This is total rubbish and obviously false. Amidst all the stirring and silly games, Angela is focussed on representing her local community and ensuring that the priorities she championed in government are delivered in full.”Meanwhile, Ms Rayner said Labour MPs should be drowning out the “tittle tattle” in SW1 as she urged leaders to focus on “real challenges that real people are facing” in her first interview since stepping down as deputy prime minister.Angela Rayner More

Two men have been arrested after a mobile phone was planted in the House of Commons to play “sex noises” during Prime Minister’s Questions.The device, discovered near the front bench, is thought to have been hidden there to deliberately disrupt the weekly showdown between Sir Keir Starmer and the opposition.It had been taped to the underside of a table but had lost its grip and fallen on the floor, according to reports. It later rang twice during PMQs with a sexually explicit ringtone, but had already been discovered during a routine security sweep on 3 September.Scotland Yard launched an investigation into the prank, which is being treated as a major security breach. A man in his 30s and a man in his 60s were arrested on suspicion of attempting to intentionally cause a public nuisance and bailed later that month, it has now emerged. The device was found near the front bench, it is understood More

Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) across England and Wales are to be abolished in a bid to save tens of millions of pounds. Ministers have declared the roles to be a “failed experiment” that has cost too much money and which the public are mostly unaware of. First established in 2012 by Theresa May, these elected officials are currently responsible for setting police force budgets and appointing chief constables in their respective areas. They were set up as part of efforts to increase accountability and standards of police forces, but critics have said they were ineffective.Ministers intend to scrap the positions in 2028, coinciding with the next scheduled elections, a move projected to save at least £100m, which will be redirected to neighbourhood policing. Their duties concerning policing arrangements will instead be absorbed by mayors and local council leaders. The decision was confirmed by policing minister Sarah Jones in the House of Commons on Thursday. In a statement, home secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “The introduction of police and crime commissioners by the last government was a failed experiment.“I will introduce new reforms so police are accountable to their local mayoralties or local councils.“The savings will fund more neighbourhood police on the beat across the country, fighting crime and protecting our communities.”Ministers intend to scrap police and crime commissioners in 2028, coinciding with the next scheduled elections More