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Government Challenged To Explain Its Schools Reopening Plan As 'Dismayed' MPs Warn They Cannot Stay Closed Until Easter
Coronavirus
Government Challenged To Explain Its Schools Reopening Plan As "Dismayed" MPs Warn They Cannot Stay Closed Until Easter
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is expected to announce this week that schools will not reopen immediately after the February half term.
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. 
Britain Has Left The EU: But The Question Of How Free It Wants To Be Remains
Brexit
By Mujtaba Rahman
Britain Has Left The EU: But The Question Of How Free It Wants To Be Remains
As Boris Johnson delivered his long-awaited trade deal with the EU, he seemed unclear on whether he felt the UK was going to have its cake and eat it – trade freely with the bloc, while diverging from its laws.
Brexit – The Full Story
Brexit
Brexit – The Full Story
Brexit is finally over. We have laid out the turbulent events of the last five years in full.
The Culture War Report - 2020
Coronavirus
By Robert Hutton
The Culture War Report - 2020
Carolyn Harris: “I really get hurt when people can’t have the basics in life.'
Communities
By Georgina Bailey
Carolyn Harris: “I really get hurt when people can’t have the basics in life."
Food banks may take care of the bare necessities but at Christmas, people facing food poverty need more than just nutrition. That’s why Carolyn Harris is heading up a Christmas hamper campaign to give her Swansea constituents the festive feeling.
Jacob Rees-Mogg: Brexit weakens the case for Scottish nationalism
Coronavirus
By Georgina Bailey
Jacob Rees-Mogg: Brexit weakens the case for Scottish nationalism
He has been at the heart of the Brexit drama from day one. With the end in sight, the Leader of the House of Commons talks to Georgina Bailey about his hopes for an independent United Kingdom, why the Hybrid Parliament won't return, and Christmas at the Rees-Moggs.
Ed Miliband: 'If the Conservatives want a climate election in the next election, I say bring it on'
Environment
By Georgina Bailey
Ed Miliband: 'If the Conservatives want a climate election in the next election, I say bring it on'
Ed Miliband is back on the Labour frontbench, and pursuing his passion of tackling the climate crisis. He talks to Georgina Bailey about why the government’s green jobs plans fall short, why COP-26 is the most important international summit yet, and whether XR is helping or hurting
Homeless People Face A Winter Of Freezing Streets Or Non Covid-Secure Shelters, The Government Has Been Warned
Coronavirus
By Georgina Bailey
Homeless People Face A Winter Of Freezing Streets Or Non Covid-Secure Shelters, The Government Has Been Warned
The government has been warned that a fresh round of funding is needed to avoid homeless people this Winter facing a choice of rough sleeping on the streets as temperatures plummet, or risking exposure to Covid in unsafe night shelters.
Here Are The Challenges The Government Faces To Get A Covid-19 Vaccine From The Lab Into People’s Arms
Coronavirus
Here Are The Challenges The Government Faces To Get A Covid-19 Vaccine From The Lab Into People’s Arms
Faced with a knife-edge logistical operation, getting hold of specialist ultra-low freezers, handling dry ice and adding to the workloads of already overstretched GPs - after the jubilation of recent vaccine breakthroughs, the hard part comes in actually delivering it.
Lindsay Hoyle: “Everything I Never Envisaged The House Would Do: We Did All Of That”
Coronavirus
By Georgina Bailey
Lindsay Hoyle: “Everything I Never Envisaged The House Would Do: We Did All Of That”
Lindsay Hoyle’s first year as Speaker has seen some of the most radical changes in the House of Commons’ history, as Parliament grapples with Covid-19. As he marks his anniversary in the Chair he talks to Georgina Bailey about keeping our democracy functioning
Boris Johnson's Party Has Been Left Bruised By Dominic Cummings – But The Tories' Problems Might Just Be Beginning
Political parties
Boris Johnson's Party Has Been Left Bruised By Dominic Cummings – But The Tories' Problems Might Just Be Beginning
It’s 2020 – an era of apparent political modernity – but all the Tories seem to want at Boris Johnson’s side is a “greybeard”, “someone in their 50s” and, failing that, “just a f***ing grown up, please”.
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
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.
Anneliese Dodds: 'The test and trace failure isn’t just costing lives – it’s costing our economy too'
Economy
By Kate Proctor
Anneliese Dodds: "The test and trace failure isn’t just costing lives – it’s costing our economy too"
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds is up against one of the most popular men in politics in Rishi Sunak – but she is determined to show Labour can be trusted on the economy. Kate Proctor caught up with one of Keir Starmer’s most senior figures in her home city of Oxford. Photography by Baldo Sciacca
Whitehall Is Asking If The Eventual Brexit Deal Is Going To Be Better Than No Deal At All
Brexit
Whitehall Is Asking If The Eventual Brexit Deal Is Going To Be Better Than No Deal At All
On Thursday, negotiators moved from London to Brussels for the second week of intensified Brexit discussions. Their aim? To reach an agreement in time for the effective mid-November cut-off.
‘I Look After People But No One Will Look After Me’ - Why The UK's Migrant Key Workers Are Facing Extreme Poverty And Abuse In The Pandemic
Coronavirus
By Georgina Bailey
‘I Look After People But No One Will Look After Me’ - Why The UK's Migrant Key Workers Are Facing Extreme Poverty And Abuse In The Pandemic
Approximately 1.4 million migrants in the UK have no access to state funds – including hundreds of thousands of key workers in the healthcare and hospitality sectors. As Covid-19 pushes more people into destitution, Georgina Bailey reports on how they've been impacted by the government's policies.
“Falling Through The Cracks”: How The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Exacerbating The Mental Health Crisis At UK Universities
Coronavirus
“Falling Through The Cracks”: How The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Exacerbating The Mental Health Crisis At UK Universities
Student representatives have warned that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic will only worsen the mental health crisis that has gripped British universities in recent years.
What it's like being the only Black person in the village
Home affairs
By Georgia Chambers
What it's like being the only Black person in the village
Political debate has frequently focused on the lives of Black people in the inner city. But elsewhere, the UK is home to tens of thousands of Black people who grow up as the extreme minority in the place they live. Georgia Chambers investigates what Westminster can do for them
Why we need to embrace the concept of Whiteness
Social affairs
By Bernardine Evaristo
Why we need to embrace the concept of Whiteness
Bernardine Evaristo’s mother is white and her father is Black. Yet she moves through the world as Black and biracial, never as white. The award-winning author explores identity, privilege, the reality of racism, and what it means to be part of the white majority in Britain
Black Conservatives: Are the Tories the new party of diversity?
Home affairs
By Anita Boateng
Black Conservatives: Are the Tories the new party of diversity?
Throughout its long history the Conservative Party has found new ways to appeal to the ever-changing electorate. In 2024, Anita Boateng writes, the Tories can show ethnic minority working class voters that they are the party for them, too
Live Local Lockdown Map: All The Changes to Lockdown Restrictions Across Great Britain
Coronavirus
Live Local Lockdown Map: All The Changes to Lockdown Restrictions Across Great Britain
Use PoliticsHome's interactive map to see the local lockdown restrictions in each area of Great Britain.
The Tories Gave The North More Power. Coronavirus Means It Has Come Back To Bite Them
Coronavirus
By Kate Proctor
The Tories Gave The North More Power. Coronavirus Means It Has Come Back To Bite Them
When the metro mayors sat down with Boris Johnson in September 2019 for their first ever joint meeting, he is reported to have said: “I get what you do, I’ve been a mayor, I want to work with you.”
WATCH: Does the UK need a new China strategy?
Foreign affairs
By Kate Proctor
WATCH: Does the UK need a new China strategy?
A hostile superpower or a key post-Brexit trading partner? The House hosted a panel at Conservative party conference to explore the challenges of forging a new relationship with China
Go Out, Stay At Home, Get A Test, Don’t Get A Test: The Full Story Of The Government's Mixed Coronavirus Messaging
Coronavirus
Go Out, Stay At Home, Get A Test, Don’t Get A Test: The Full Story Of The Government's Mixed Coronavirus Messaging
The government has changed its message on the key areas of the coronavirus response multiple times in the last six months, leading to confusion, anger and a loss of support from the public.
Live Local Lockdown Map: Every Local Authority Subject To New Restrictions Across Great Britain
Coronavirus
Live Local Lockdown Map: Every Local Authority Subject To New Restrictions Across Great Britain
Coronavirus hotspots across the UK have been subjected to localised lockdown restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of the virus—use PoliticsHome’s interactive map to find out what restrictions apply where.
Teachers Say The Testing Crisis Is Already Hitting Schools So Hard They May Have To Close Down
Coronavirus
Teachers Say The Testing Crisis Is Already Hitting Schools So Hard They May Have To Close Down
Teachers have described the chaos of the coronavirus testing crisis now hitting schools, with some saying the diffculties caused by those unable to get tests is already so severe they may have to shut their doors.
Local Politicians In University Towns And Cities Are Bracing For Community Rifts As Thousands Of Students Return After Lockdown
Coronavirus
Local Politicians In University Towns And Cities Are Bracing For Community Rifts As Thousands Of Students Return After Lockdown
As thousands of students prepare to return to university, the towns and cities that usually welcome them are steeling themselves for potential rifts with local residents after six months of lockdown.
This Is How State Aid Became The Major Stumbling Block To A Deal With The EU
Brexit
This Is How State Aid Became The Major Stumbling Block To A Deal With The EU
As the deadline to sign a Brexit free trade deal ticks creeps ominously closer, the issue of state aid has emerged as the biggest obstacle to an agreement, with the UK insisting on rejecting the EU’s rules.
The Stage Is Set For A Westminster Battle Over The Survival Of The “Pret Economy”
Coronavirus
The Stage Is Set For A Westminster Battle Over The Survival Of The “Pret Economy”
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister assured his Cabinet that “people are going back to the office in huge numbers across our country.”
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak Are Trying To Soothe The 2019 Intake – But Can They Keep The Shires And The Red Wall On Side?
Economy
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak Are Trying To Soothe The 2019 Intake – But Can They Keep The Shires And The Red Wall On Side?
In a meeting with new Tory MPs the Prime Minister and the Chancellor admitted there were “choppy waters” ahead and the tough times are “likely to get tougher”.
‘Test and Trace isn’t working in the areas it most needs to’ — Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham on four weeks of local coronavirus curbs
Coronavirus
‘Test and Trace isn’t working in the areas it most needs to’ — Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham on four weeks of local coronavirus curbs
Ministers will on Thursday decide whether to ease the wave of coronavirus restrictions facing parts of northern England. Amid signs of a fresh spat between Whitehall and local leaders, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham tells Matt Honeycombe-Foster of his ongoing frustrations with the NHS contact tracing scheme — and why there’s ‘no room for politics in a pandemic’.
Exclusive: Government urged to end 'mum-shaming' amid warning women face 'tsunami of unemployment' without more help
Coronavirus
Exclusive: Government urged to end 'mum-shaming' amid warning women face 'tsunami of unemployment' without more help
A "tsunami" of working mums could be forced out of the labour market if ministers fail to prioritise parents in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, an MP who recently returned from maternity leave has warned.
Government’s own immigration charge hitting NHS trusts with £15m in fees to use overseas staff
Coronavirus
Government’s own immigration charge hitting NHS trusts with £15m in fees to use overseas staff
The NHS has been forced to pay out more than £15 million in immigration fees to the Government since 2017 so that the health service has enough specialist staff.
Layla Moran interview: ‘By voting for the bedroom tax and tuition fees the Lib Dems lost our principles’
Coronavirus
Layla Moran interview: ‘By voting for the bedroom tax and tuition fees the Lib Dems lost our principles’
Layla Moran has strongly criticised the recent leadership of the Liberal Democrats for presiding over a decade of decline — and implicated her rival Sir Ed Davey in the party losing the trust of voters.
Britain is facing a homelessness time bomb as ministers remove a host of coronavirus support schemes
Coronavirus
By Neil Coyle MP
Britain is facing a homelessness time bomb as ministers remove a host of coronavirus support schemes
A lethal combination of factors mean Britain is heading for the worst winter homelessness and rough sleeping crisis we’ve seen in decades.