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Sat, 12 July 2025
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Kate Proctor

Kate Proctor

@Kate_M_Proctor

Political Editor of PoliticsHome and The House magazine.

Government Averts Tory Rebellion After Complaints 'Genocide Amendment' Is Blocked In Parliament
Foreign affairs
By Kate Proctor
Government Averts Tory Rebellion After Complaints "Genocide Amendment" Is Blocked In Parliament
The government held off a Tory rebellion over putting into law rules around trade with countries committing genocide by just 15 votes.
Vote Over Anti-Genocide Trade Laws Will Be 'Tight', Claims Senior Tory
Foreign affairs
By Kate Proctor
Vote Over Anti-Genocide Trade Laws Will Be "Tight", Claims Senior Tory
Tory whips are attempting to head off another large rebellion among their own MPs over the rules around striking trade deals with countries that are judged to have committed genocide.
Home Office Admits 112,000 People Have Had Part Of Their Police Records Deleted
Home affairs
By Kate Proctor
Home Office Admits 112,000 People Have Had Part Of Their Police Records Deleted
The Home Office has said today files relating to 112,000 people have been deleted from the police computer system and 15,000 of those cases involve people who have had their data wiped in its entirety.
The Government Has Not Signed Any 'Quarantine Hotel' Contracts With Just 7 Days Until New Travel Rules Begin
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
The Government Has Not Signed Any "Quarantine Hotel" Contracts With Just 7 Days Until New Travel Rules Begin
No hotels have signed a government contract to become a quarantine facility, despite the UK's new travel policy being rolled out in just seven days' time.
Councils Fear Missing Police Files Could Harm Major Abuse Investigations
Home affairs
By Kate Proctor
Councils Fear Missing Police Files Could Harm Major Abuse Investigations
The Home Secretary has been warned that missing police records risk jeopardising vital work on child sexual abuse cases, modern slavery and counter terrorism undertaken by local authority officers.
Hotel Coronavirus Quarantine Plans 'In Chaos' As Chains Say They've Still Not Been Consulted
Coronavirus
Hotel Coronavirus Quarantine Plans "In Chaos" As Chains Say They've Still Not Been Consulted
Labour has accused the government of a chaotic approach to its roll out of Covid-19 quarantine hotels as plans are still to be unveiled and hotel chains say they have not been consulted.
Keir Starmer Apologises After Fierce Clash Over EU Vaccine Claims In The Commons
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Keir Starmer Apologises After Fierce Clash Over EU Vaccine Claims In The Commons
Labour leader Keir Starmer has been forced to apologise after a fiery exchange with the Prime Minister about the European Medicines Agency, when he claimed the Prime Minister had been talking "nonsense".
New Zealand Government Has Been Contacted By UK Officials For Advice on Quarantine Hotels
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
New Zealand Government Has Been Contacted By UK Officials For Advice on Quarantine Hotels
The New Zealand government has been contacted by UK health officials for advice around their quarantine hotel system as the UK prepares to run a similar scheme for Brits returning from high risk countries.
Andrea Leadsom Calls For Major Overhaul Of 'Undemocratic' House of Commons Commission
Culture
By Kate Proctor
Andrea Leadsom Calls For Major Overhaul Of "Undemocratic" House of Commons Commission
Spending decisions involving millions of pounds worth of taxpayers' money are being made by a Parliamentary committee without “scrutiny and transparency” according to a former House of Commons leader, who today launched a major broadside against the way Parliament is being run.
Housing Minister Promises To Introduce A Cladding Plan But Warns There Is No 'Quick Fix'
Home affairs
By Kate Proctor
Housing Minister Promises To Introduce A Cladding Plan But Warns There Is No "Quick Fix"
Housing minister Chris Pincher said there is no “quick fix” to supporting the leaseholder victims of the cladding scandal but the government would bring forward a plan to help them “very shortly”.
Government Has Scrapped A 'Stay Home' Poster That Only Shows Women Doing Childcare And Cleaning
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Government Has Scrapped A "Stay Home" Poster That Only Shows Women Doing Childcare And Cleaning
The government has withdrawn a sexist poster designed to encourage people to stay at home, but won't disclose how it ended up being signed off and published online.
A Leading Respiratory Illness Expert Says Not Locking Down In September Has Caused A 'Man-Made' Coronavirus Disaster
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
A Leading Respiratory Illness Expert Says Not Locking Down In September Has Caused A "Man-Made" Coronavirus Disaster
A leading expert in respiratory illnesses has said the number of Coronavirus cases and deaths this winter would have been far lower if the government had followed the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and introduced a “circuit-breaker” last September.
Labour Defends Its Proposal To Vaccinate Teachers At Half-Term – Ahead Of Other Vulnerable Groups
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Labour Defends Its Proposal To Vaccinate Teachers At Half-Term – Ahead Of Other Vulnerable Groups
Labour has said it should be possible to vaccinate all teachers and school staff at the February half-term without jeopardising other vulnerable groups in the queue because they believe there will be enough jabs to go round.
Tory MP Warns Children Are “Falling Out Of Society” As Pressure Mounts To Reopen Schools
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Tory MP Warns Children Are “Falling Out Of Society” As Pressure Mounts To Reopen Schools
A Conservative MP and former teacher has expressed fear of irreparable damage being done to children’s wellbeing with schools closed as a result of coronavirus measures.
Wanting Children Back In School Does Not Make You A Lockdown Sceptic, MPs Warn
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Wanting Children Back In School Does Not Make You A Lockdown Sceptic, MPs Warn
The push to get children back into the classroom should not be seen as part of ‘anti-lockdown’ scepticism, a senior Tory has warned.
What Quarantine Hotels Cost In Other Countries As UK Scheme Looks Likely To Get Go Ahead
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
What Quarantine Hotels Cost In Other Countries As UK Scheme Looks Likely To Get Go Ahead
“Quarantine hotels” for overseas visitors to the UK are expected to be approved tomorrow. Similar measures in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong cost up to £2,600.
Levelling up: Torquay fears losing out to former ‘red wall’ areas
Economy
By Kate Proctor
Levelling up: Torquay fears losing out to former ‘red wall’ areas
It might be grim up north, but it’s no picnic in some areas of the south-west as Torquay’s leaders insist the seasonal nature of local jobs and a shortage of social housing make the town equally deserving of investment, writes Kate Proctor
Vaccine Supply Will Be Increased In Areas Of The UK Falling Behind On Priority Groups
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Vaccine Supply Will Be Increased In Areas Of The UK Falling Behind On Priority Groups
Areas of the country that have not inoculated as many people in the top priority groups compared to regions like the North East and Yorkshire will receive a boost to vaccine supplies.
A Row Has Broken Out Over The Independence Of A Major Review Into Children In Care
Education
By Kate Proctor
A Row Has Broken Out Over The Independence Of A Major Review Into Children In Care
The independence of a major review into children in care in England has been called into question after the government appointed a charity boss whose organisation is primarily funded by the Department for Education to lead it.
Nearly Two Thirds Of People Back The £20-A-Week Increase In Universal Credit
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Nearly Two Thirds Of People Back The £20-A-Week Increase In Universal Credit
Exclusive polling for PoliticsHome has revealed 62 percent of people polled are in favour of the government keeping the £20-a-week increase in Universal Credit welfare payments beyond March 2021.
Farmers of Tomorrow: George Eustice has radical plans for British Agriculture in 2021
Environment
By Kate Proctor
Farmers of Tomorrow: George Eustice has radical plans for British Agriculture in 2021
Environment secretary George Eustice tells The House the country was staring down the barrel of a no-deal Brexit, and that 2021 will finally give him the chance to implement radical plans for British farmers. 
Escape To The Country: How Can Rural Areas Recover From Covid?
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Escape To The Country: How Can Rural Areas Recover From Covid?
A spotlight on a stunning part of North Yorkshire highlights what rural communities might need to thrive after Covid-19. Kate Proctor reports.
Parents Have Been Told To Bake Their Own Bread With Flour In Free School Meal Food Parcels
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Parents Have Been Told To Bake Their Own Bread With Flour In Free School Meal Food Parcels
Parents receiving food parcels from a London academy chain set up by a former Tory minister have been given meagre pots of flour and told to bake their own bread.
Leading Intensive Care Doctor Calls For Drastically Hardened Lockdown As Hospitals Struggle To Cope With Covid Patients
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Leading Intensive Care Doctor Calls For Drastically Hardened Lockdown As Hospitals Struggle To Cope With Covid Patients
One of the UK's leading intensive care doctors is calling for the government to introduce tougher lockdown restrictions immediately as stretched NHS staff face a surge in Covid-19 patients.
Kwasi Kwarteng Has Been Appointed Business Secretary, Replacing Alok Sharma
Environment
Kwasi Kwarteng Has Been Appointed Business Secretary, Replacing Alok Sharma
Kwasi Kwarteng has been appointed the UK's new business secretary. His predecessor Alok Sharma will concentrate on overseeing the COP26 global climate change summit full time.
Boris Johnson Faces Calls To Admit How Many Teachers Have Been Killed By Covid-19
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Boris Johnson Faces Calls To Admit How Many Teachers Have Been Killed By Covid-19
The National Education Union is calling on the Prime Minister to urgently publish the number of teachers and school staff who have been infected, hospitalised or killed by Covid-19.
The Government Has U-Turned And Will Keep All Primary Schools In London Closed For The Start Of Term
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
The Government Has U-Turned And Will Keep All Primary Schools In London Closed For The Start Of Term
Primary schools across London and some in the south of England will remain closed at the start of the spring term, after a u-turn from the education secretary Gavin Williamson.
MPs Have Backed Boris Johnson's Brexit Trade Deal
Brexit
By Kate Proctor
MPs Have Backed Boris Johnson's Brexit Trade Deal
MPs have backed Boris Johnson's controversial Brexit trade deal by an overwhelming majority of 521 to just 73.
Omnipresent Yet Much-Maligned, Matt Hancock Is Still Fighting To Secure His Political Reputation
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Omnipresent Yet Much-Maligned, Matt Hancock Is Still Fighting To Secure His Political Reputation
When England became the first country in the world to begin Covid-19 vaccination, Matt Hancock was left with “a sense of vindication,” according to one close colleague. Many had been sceptical it would happen.
Only A Quarter Of People Expect The Government To Keep Its Promise On Tax Hikes
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Only A Quarter Of People Expect The Government To Keep Its Promise On Tax Hikes
Only a quarter of people believe the government will stick to their election-winning promise of not increasing income tax, National Insurance or VAT, an exclusive end-of-year poll for PoliticsHome carried out by Redfield & Wilton Strategies has found.
Hauliers Say Today's Lorry Jams In Kent Could Be Common Once Brexit Kicks In
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Hauliers Say Today's Lorry Jams In Kent Could Be Common Once Brexit Kicks In
Scenes of chaotic tailbacks of lorries in Kent after France closed the border with the UK “paints a picture” of what post-transition period Brexit may look like, hauliers have warned.
Tighter Tiers Are Expected After Emergency Cabinet Meeting Over Mutant Covid Strain
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Tighter Tiers Are Expected After Emergency Cabinet Meeting Over Mutant Covid Strain
Boris Johnson will give a press conference from Downing Street later this afternoon and is currently holding an emergency cabinet call.
MPs Will Break For Christmas Tomorrow But Could Be Recalled If A Brexit Deal Is Struck
Brexit
By Kate Proctor
MPs Will Break For Christmas Tomorrow But Could Be Recalled If A Brexit Deal Is Struck
MPs will be sent home for their Christmas break tomorrow night, but they have been warned they face being recalled as early as next week should there be a Brexit trade deal to vote on.
National Education Union Says Headteachers Have Been 'Very Badly Treated' As They Take On Test And Trace Responsibilities
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
National Education Union Says Headteachers Have Been "Very Badly Treated" As They Take On Test And Trace Responsibilities
Relations between the UK's largest teaching union and government have worsened in the run up to Christmas as the strain of supporting track and trace and preparing to roll out mass testing in January puts headteachers under strain.
A Ban On 'Medieval' Virginity Testing In The UK Has Passed First Commons Hurdle
Health
By Kate Proctor
A Ban On "Medieval" Virginity Testing In The UK Has Passed First Commons Hurdle
A new law to ban virginity testing in the UK has passed its initial stage in the Commons after MPs heard how the "medieval" practice is breaching women and girls' human rights.
Some London Schools Won't Face Legal Action For Closing Over Rising Virus Rates
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
Some London Schools Won't Face Legal Action For Closing Over Rising Virus Rates
A London borough that recommended its schools close early for Christmas after soaring coronavirus case figures has avoided legal action from the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.