Gary Gibbon , Political Editor

The latest photos to emerge from Number 10 show the prime minister drinking with colleagues around a table littered with booze.

The Metropolitan Police has closed its investigation into lawbreaking in Downing Street and Whitehall during the Covid lockdowns.

The question of whether to impose a windfall tax on energy companies was the main topic at prime minister’s questions.  

The European Union has warned it will retaliate “with all measures at its disposal” if the UK goes ahead with plans to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland protocol – the Foreign Secretary Liz Truss promised to introduce legislation within the next few weeks.

Government ministers arriving in Stoke for the Cabinet meeting had to fend off more questions about lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall after the Met Police announced they have now issued more than 100 fines. That’s 50 more Fixed Penalty Notices over the last month. Most are thought to focus on the alleged party…

Boris Johnson has been warned by both the US and the EU that he should not unilaterally rip up the Northern Ireland Protocol which the UK agreed after Brexit, as ministers consider whether to bring in legislation which would override parts of the deal. 

For the first time since 1963, the Queen missed reading out the government’s legislative plans – leaving Prince Charles and William to fly the royal flag. 

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he will step down if the police fine him for breaking covid lockdown rules.

Boris Johnson called it a “mixed set of results”, but however the prime minister tried to frame it, the Tories have lost hundreds of seats up and down the country.

It’s the final day of campaigning before local elections across much of England, as well as Scotland and Wales – with Assembly elections also taking place in Northern Ireland. It’s the first nationwide test of opinion since the war in Ukraine broke out,  with other issues like the cost of living and the partygate scandal…

Voters in Northern Ireland will elect a new assembly next week.

Boris Johnson acknowledged for the first time today that Russia could end up winning the war in Ukraine. 

While questions were being asked about Boris Johnson’s behaviour over Covid lockdown parties in Westminster – he was more than 4,000 miles away on a visit to India.  

Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised more than a dozen times for breaking Covid lockdown laws.

In a letter he said the government couldn’t expect to formulate new laws and defend democratic norms abroad if it was not seen to be committed to the observance of the law.