Politics

Amid his own Covid isolation, the prime minister was forced to give today’s crucial briefing on the end of most Covid restrictions in England from Chequers.

It took less than three hours for the government to perform its screeching U-turn. 

Our home affairs correspondent Andy Davies has visited towns in Wales where some say that second home ownership is a threat to their very identity.

“Levelling up” is a phrase often used by the prime minister. Today in a speech in Coventry he took the opportunity to lay out the skeleton of what that means. 

I spoke with Dr Krishna Kasaraneni of the BMA’s GP committee. I began by asking him his reaction to the findings.

People without the right paperwork  are struggling to access Covid vaccines because they are wrongfully being turned away from GP surgeries.

We spoke to the co-founder of Leon restaurants and lead author of the National Food Strategy, Henry Dimbleby, and Green MP Caroline Lucas.

Years in the making but with key solutions seemingly ruled out by the Prime Minister within hours of publication. Will the National Food Strategy ever be put into practice?

Dominique Samuels is a conservative commentator.

I spoke to the former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell.

The government has defeated an attempt by MPs to reverse its cuts to international aid.

The emphasis was on “caution” rather than “freedom” as Boris Johnson confirmed that legal Covid restrictions in England will be lifted next week.

Northern Ireland’s deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill has appealed for calm, amid tensions over loyalist bonfires marking the eve of the Twelfth of July parades.

Ministers are considering plans to allow NHS staff in England to be exempt from self-isolation if they’ve been fully vaccinated, as Covid cases across the country continue to soar – reaching levels last seen in the winter.

George talks to Krishnan about the four distinct groups of people in American politics, his hopes and worries for the future of the US and the influence of social media on national dialogue.