Only the key events are shown.
19m ago
Andrew Sparrow.
Prof Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's medical and scientific advisers, will be with the PM at the press conference.
The UK Prime Minister is on 10DowningStreet.
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Tonight's press conference on COVID-19 will be on our channels from 6pm.
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December 8, 2021.
Matthew Weaver will be taking over the blog now that there is too much news for one person.
22m ago
26m ago
The Liberal Democrats are the favourites to win the North Shropshire byelection next week. That would be a huge gain if they won. It would take a 26 point swing for the Liberal Democrats to win there.
In the Chesham and Amersham by election the Liberal Democrats won with a 25-point swing. It was a shock result because it was not expected.
The Christmas party story in the constituency is being leafleted by the Liberal Democrats.
Peter Walker is a person.
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No one can say that the Liberal Democrats don't like leafleting. This is the one being delivered to homes.
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December 8, 2021.
Peter Walker is a person.
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The No 10 party issue is being raised by voters, with some saying it is worse than Dominic Cummings' escapades.
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December 8, 2021.
At 12.59pm, we updated.
1h ago
No 10 says Johnson will hold a press conference at 6pm.
At 12.00pm, we updated.
1h ago
1h ago
2h ago
2h ago
The DfE permanent secretary faces potential action over the party.
Richard Adams.
Susan Acland-Hood, the most senior civil servant at the Department for Education, has admitted that she faces potentialDisciplinary action as a result of the investigation into the parties announced by the prime minister today.
The Daily Mirror reported that Acland-Hood was present at the staff gathering in the DfE canteen in December, which may have been in violation of the rules.
The Conservative Member of Parliament for North West Durham, who until the last election was the DfE's special adviser, questioned Acland-Hood.
After the permanent secretary repeated the DfE's line that the event was a "work-related" gathering, he asked:
Ms Acland-Hood, it was clear from the restrictions at the time that work couldn't be used as an excuse for socializing. The department is not denying that the rules were broken.
Acland-Hood spoke.
We accept that it would have been better if it had not gathered at that time.
The permanent secretary blamed the education secretary for wanting to say a few words to thank staff when he was asked about the organisation of the party. "You're saying it was instigated by the secretary of state?" asked Holden. Acland-Hood said yes.
What steps are you taking to investigate if the rules were broken? Acland Hood spoke.
The gathering that was held will be considered by the cabinet secretary as part of the investigation that was announced at PMQs.
A mix of grades were present, with about two dozen staff attending.
Meg Hillier, the committee's chair, asked, "Whose idea was it for everyone to gather in the canteen with a glass of wine?" Acland-Hood said that she was afraid she didn't know. She agreed that if rules were broken, she would face potentialDisciplinary action as part of the investigation.
At 11.10am, we updated.
2h ago
It was updated at 11.02am.
2h ago
Richard Adams.
The National Education Union wants schools to be included in the plan B for England. More than 200,000 children were absent for Covid-related reasons at the end of last month, with the Omicron variant likely to cause further disruption, according to the joint general secretary of the NEU. He said something.
Our children need the government to keep staff and students out of school as little as possible. The masks and isolation that are in place in Scotland have not been followed by the government.
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The NEU wants the government to come up with a plan B for schools and colleges. They need to increase the level of Mitigations to slow the spread of Covid.
The NEU wants face coverings to be compulsory in secondary school classrooms and communal areas. It wants children to be tested if their siblings or other family members have Covid and for the government to invest in classroom air filters and allow teachers to receive boosters during working hours.
At 11:01am EST.
2h ago
Stratton apologized for remarks that seemed to make light of Covid rules.
