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Alain Tolhurst

Alain Tolhurst

@Alain_Tolhurst

Alain Tolhurst is Chief Reporter at PoliticsHome and host of The Rundown podcast each week.

Peers Vote to Suspend Lord Maginnis For 18 Months After Homophobic Bullying Of MPs
Political parties
By Alain Tolhurst
Peers Vote to Suspend Lord Maginnis For 18 Months After Homophobic Bullying Of MPs
Peers have voted to suspend Lord Maginnis from the upper chamber for 18 months after he was found to have made homophobic slurs and harassed several MPs.
No10 Threatens To Drag Out Brexit Negotiations To The End Of The Year Despite Michel Barnier’s Wednesday Deadline
Brexit
By Alain Tolhurst
No10 Threatens To Drag Out Brexit Negotiations To The End Of The Year Despite Michel Barnier’s Wednesday Deadline
Downing Street has rejected this week's deadline for talks on a Brexit deal saying they are prepared to negotiate for "as long as we have time available”.
Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly Has Condemned Millwall Fans Who Booed Footballers Taking The Knee Against Racism
Social affairs
Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly Has Condemned Millwall Fans Who Booed Footballers Taking The Knee Against Racism
The foreign office minister James Cleverly has heavily criticised the Millwall fans who booed their own players for taking the knee against racism.
These Are The Remaining Sticking Points Stopping The Brexit Deal Being Signed
Brexit
By Alain Tolhurst
These Are The Remaining Sticking Points Stopping The Brexit Deal Being Signed
A Brexit deal seemed set to be signed this week but the talks now appear on the brink of collapse as two longstanding sticking points stubbornly remain unsolved.
Sports Stars, Actors And “High-Value” Business Travellers Returning To England Will No Longer Have To Self-Isolate
Transport
Sports Stars, Actors And “High-Value” Business Travellers Returning To England Will No Longer Have To Self-Isolate
Grant Shapps has revealed “high-value" business travellers are part of a new group of people who will not have to quarantine when they return to England after traveling to countries outside of coronavirus travel corridors.
A Peer Is Facing An 18 Month Lords Suspension Over Homophobic Bullying And Harassment
Political parties
By Alain Tolhurst
A Peer Is Facing An 18 Month Lords Suspension Over Homophobic Bullying And Harassment
A peer has been found to have made homophobic slurs and harassed several MPs and should be suspended from the House of Lords for 18 months, according to the findings of a standards committee investigation.
Students May Not Be Allowed To Return To University For Five Weeks After Christmas To Prevent Spreading Coronavirus Round Campus
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Students May Not Be Allowed To Return To University For Five Weeks After Christmas To Prevent Spreading Coronavirus Round Campus
Students who go home for Christmas may have to wait five weeks into the spring term before they can return to campus.
The Boss Of The UK's Vaccine Regulator Has Contradicted Matt Hancock’s Claim We Approved A Covid Jab Before The EU Due To Brexit
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
The Boss Of The UK's Vaccine Regulator Has Contradicted Matt Hancock’s Claim We Approved A Covid Jab Before The EU Due To Brexit
Matt Hancock’s claim the UK has approved a vaccine for Covid-19 before the EU because of Brexit has been contradicted by the chief executive of the government’s medical regulator.
Everything You Need To Know About #ScotchEggGate And 'Substantial Meals'
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Everything You Need To Know About #ScotchEggGate And "Substantial Meals"
As the second lockdown ends and England enters the new tier system of coronavirus restrictions, the government has found itself embroiled in a bizarre row about scotch eggs and whether they constitute a “substantial meal”.
Matt Hancock Says Coronavirus Is “Under Control” But We Still Need Tiered Restrictions After Lockdown
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Matt Hancock Says Coronavirus Is “Under Control” But We Still Need Tiered Restrictions After Lockdown
Matt Hancock claimed the second lockdown means "we've got this virus back under control," but said the impact assessment of the new tiered restrictions “clearly demonstrates this action is necessary to avoid a much worse outcome”.
The Culture Secretary Has Told Netflix To Put A Warning Into 'The Crown' Telling Viewers The Drama Is Fictionalised
Social affairs
The Culture Secretary Has Told Netflix To Put A Warning Into "The Crown" Telling Viewers The Drama Is Fictionalised
The culture secretary Oliver Dowden wants Netflix to place a warning at the start of episodes of "The Crown" telling viewers the drama is fictionalised.
Boris Johnson Will Relax Some Coronavirus Tiers Before Christmas As He Tries To Head Off A Tory Rebellion
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson Will Relax Some Coronavirus Tiers Before Christmas As He Tries To Head Off A Tory Rebellion
Boris Johnson has caved in to Tory rebels and agreed to relax some of the tiered coronavirus restrictions before Christmas as more than 70 MPs are set to vote against the measures.
Boris Johnson Has Rejected A Plea By Tory MPs To Allocate Tiers On A Local Basis
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson Has Rejected A Plea By Tory MPs To Allocate Tiers On A Local Basis
Boris Johnson has rejected pleas from his own MPs to allocate the tiers for coronavirus restrictions on a more local basis amid anger over the government’s plans post-lockdown.
Areas Of Kent With No Coronavirus Cases At All Are Being Placed Into Tier 3 Restrictions
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Areas Of Kent With No Coronavirus Cases At All Are Being Placed Into Tier 3 Restrictions
Several areas of Kent with so few cases of coronavirus the data is not even published are facing the harshest coronavirus restrictions, because the county is being treated as a single entity under the government’s tier system.
Boris Johnson Has Appointed Former Treasury Official And Banker Daniel Rosenfield As His New Chief Of Staff
Political parties
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson Has Appointed Former Treasury Official And Banker Daniel Rosenfield As His New Chief Of Staff
Boris Johnson has appointed former Treasury official Daniel Rosenfield as his new chief of staff as part of a continued shake-up of Number 10 following the departure of Dominic Cummings.
Boris Johnson Has Warned Of A New Year Lockdown As Liverpool And London Escape The Toughest Covid Restrictions
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson Has Warned Of A New Year Lockdown As Liverpool And London Escape The Toughest Covid Restrictions
Boris Johnson has warned now is not the time for "taking our foot off the throat of the beast" as he raised the risk of a potential new year lockdown.
Rishi Sunak Has Defended Scrapping The Overseas Aid Pledge And Won't Rule Out Breaking More Tory Manifesto Commitments By Raising Taxes
Economy
By Alain Tolhurst
Rishi Sunak Has Defended Scrapping The Overseas Aid Pledge And Won't Rule Out Breaking More Tory Manifesto Commitments By Raising Taxes
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has refused to rule out breaking more Tory manifesto commitments after going back on his party’s pledge to spend 0.7% of GDP on overseas aid.
Keir Starmer Will Not Give Jeremy Corbyn The Labour Whip Back Despite His Suspension From The Party Being Lifted
Political parties
By Alain Tolhurst
Keir Starmer Will Not Give Jeremy Corbyn The Labour Whip Back Despite His Suspension From The Party Being Lifted
Jeremy Corbyn will not be given the whip back despite his reinstatement to Labour, Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed.
Boris Johnson Has Tested Negative For Covid-19 - But Will Take PMQs Over Zoom This Week
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson Has Tested Negative For Covid-19 - But Will Take PMQs Over Zoom This Week
Boris Johnson has tested negative for Covid-19 but will still self-isolate for a full two weeks after coming into contact with a Tory MP who has the virus, Downing Street has confirmed.
Liz Truss Has Been Accused Of 'Gross Negligence' Over A Controversial Appointment To The Equalities Watchdog
Social affairs
Liz Truss Has Been Accused Of "Gross Negligence" Over A Controversial Appointment To The Equalities Watchdog
Liz Truss is being urged to “rescind the appointment” of a commissioner to the UK’s equalities watchdog after he called complaints of systemic racism "statistically naive”.
Downing Street Has Defended Its Failure To Pre-Order A New '94.5% Effective’ Covid-19 Vaccine And Said The UK Could Get It By Spring
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Downing Street Has Defended Its Failure To Pre-Order A New '94.5% Effective’ Covid-19 Vaccine And Said The UK Could Get It By Spring
Downing Street has confirmed the government is in “advanced discussions” to get hold of a new vaccine against coronavirus which is said to be 94.5% effective.
Boris Johnson Is Among A Handful Of Tory MPs Forced To Self-Isolate After Meeting With A Colleague Who Tested Positive For Covid-19
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson Is Among A Handful Of Tory MPs Forced To Self-Isolate After Meeting With A Colleague Who Tested Positive For Covid-19
Boris Johnson is one of a handful of Tory MPs who have been forced to self-isolate after coming into contact with a colleague who has since tested positive for coronavirus.
Boris Johnson Is Self-Isolating After Coming Into Contact With An MP Who Has Tested Positive For Covid-19
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson Is Self-Isolating After Coming Into Contact With An MP Who Has Tested Positive For Covid-19
Boris Johnson is tonight self-isolating in Downing Street after coming into contact with a Tory MP who has since tested positive for coronavirus.
Dominic Cummings And Lee Cain Are To Leave Downing Street With Immediate Effect After A Bitter Number 10 Power Struggle
Political parties
By Alain Tolhurst
Dominic Cummings And Lee Cain Are To Leave Downing Street With Immediate Effect After A Bitter Number 10 Power Struggle
Two of Boris Johnson’s most senior and trusted advisors are to leave with immediate effect after a bitter power struggle inside Number 10.
Johnny Mercer: 'We Need To Bring The Authenticity And Something Genuine Back To Politics'
Defence
By Alain Tolhurst
Johnny Mercer: "We Need To Bring The Authenticity And Something Genuine Back To Politics"
The controversial Overseas Operations Bill forced its way through the Commons unamended, despite claims from campaigners that it legalised torture by the armed forces. It did so in large part due to the combative performances of ex-soldier and veterans minister Johnny Mercer. Alain Tolhurst caught up with him the day after third reading
A Senior Minister Ducked Questions On The Chaos At No 10 After The UK Reported Its Highest Ever Number Of New Covid Cases
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
A Senior Minister Ducked Questions On The Chaos At No 10 After The UK Reported Its Highest Ever Number Of New Covid Cases
The business secretary Alok Sharma repeatedly refused to discuss the resignation of the Downing Street’s director of communications Lee Cain at today’s press briefing after it sparked a war of words in Westminster.
Here’s Everything Westminster Insiders Are Saying About The Number 10 Chief Of Staff Drama
Political parties
By Alain Tolhurst
Here’s Everything Westminster Insiders Are Saying About The Number 10 Chief Of Staff Drama
Since it was reported last night that one of Boris Johnson’s closest allies was being tipped to be his new chief of staff, Westminster has been buzzing with briefings, counter-briefings, snipes and slapdowns, but the central theme is that nobody really knows what's going on.
Boris Johnson Has Spoken To Joe Biden To Congratulate Him On His Election Win And Invite The President-Elect To The UK
Foreign affairs
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson Has Spoken To Joe Biden To Congratulate Him On His Election Win And Invite The President-Elect To The UK
Boris Johnson has become the second world leader to speak to Joe Biden since his election win after the pair spoke this afternoon, Number 10 has confirmed.
Number 10 Says The UK Will Have Ten Million Doses of Covid-19 Vaccine By The End Of This Year If Pfizer’s Trial Is Deemed Safe
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Number 10 Says The UK Will Have Ten Million Doses of Covid-19 Vaccine By The End Of This Year If Pfizer’s Trial Is Deemed Safe
The UK could have 10 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine before the end of 2020 if the results of a successful trial are deemed safe.
The Bank Of England Is Pumping Another £150bn Into The UK’s Battered Economy As The Second Lockdown Begins
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
The Bank Of England Is Pumping Another £150bn Into The UK’s Battered Economy As The Second Lockdown Begins
The Bank of England has announced it will pump another £150billion into the UK economy in the form of quantitative easing, as fears of a double dip recession mount.
Boris Johnson’s Second Lockdown Has Passed, But He Faces A December Rebellion From Furious Tories
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
Boris Johnson’s Second Lockdown Has Passed, But He Faces A December Rebellion From Furious Tories
Parliament has overwhelmingly voted to back Boris Johnson’s four-week national lockdown for England, in spite a wave of anger from his own Tory benches.
After The Rashford Row: What Next For The Government And Child Poverty?
Education
By Alain Tolhurst
After The Rashford Row: What Next For The Government And Child Poverty?
The Tories took a hammering after Boris Johnson refused to cave in to Marcus Rashford’s free school meals campaign. But could it mark a watershed for the party in the long run? Alain Tolhurst investigates.
The Brewing Industry Has Lashed Out At The Government's 'Ludicrous And Unjustified” Ban On Pubs Selling Takeaway Alcohol During The Lockdown
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
The Brewing Industry Has Lashed Out At The Government's "Ludicrous And Unjustified” Ban On Pubs Selling Takeaway Alcohol During The Lockdown
The decision to ban pubs and bars from selling takeaway pints in the second lockdown has been described as “ludicrous and unjustified” by the brewing industry.
England’s Lockdown Could Go On Beyond December 2, Michael Gove Has Said
Coronavirus
By Alain Tolhurst
England’s Lockdown Could Go On Beyond December 2, Michael Gove Has Said
The second national lockdown in England could be extended beyond its initial four weeks, the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has admitted.
Jeremy Corbyn Has Been Suspended By Labour In Wake Of An Anti-Semitism Investigation
Political parties
By Alain Tolhurst
Jeremy Corbyn Has Been Suspended By Labour In Wake Of An Anti-Semitism Investigation
Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended by Labour for his response to a bombshell report into anti-semitism within the party when he was leader.
Labour Broke The Law And Was Responsible For Anti-Semitic Discrimination And Harassment, The EHRC Has Found
Political parties
By Alain Tolhurst
Labour Broke The Law And Was Responsible For Anti-Semitic Discrimination And Harassment, The EHRC Has Found
Labour has been found to have broken the law over the issue of anti-Semitism in the party, according to a damning report by the equalities watchdog.