Politics

Instagram stars like former Love Island star Shaughna Phillips were paid an undisclosed amount to create content touting the system during lockdown, as part of a wider campaign to inform the public about the programme.

Kate Green, the shadow education secretary, said students starting Year 11 and 13 in September had been left with “a mountain to climb” unless the timetable is changed, after missing months of schooling.

The Treasury could raise £20 billion through extra taxes in an attempt to tackle the cost of coronavirus, it has been reported - but the prospect of such large tax spikes prompted concern from a number of Tory MPs.

Abbott is being tipped to advise Britain - his birthplace - on how to seize trade opportunities after Brexit, with the Sun reporting that the socially conservative ex-PM is set to become the UK’s “new trade deal supremo”.

According to the Sunday Times, ministers are looking at raising capital gains tax and corporation tax in the next Budget, in November. The money could be reportedly raised from pensions, businesses, the wealthy, and foreign aid.

Sir Charles Walker, deputy of the 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers, said it was becoming increasingly difficult for MPs to defend the government - as policies can be quickly dropped by ministers.

The spat over the chairmanship came ahead of the release of a much delayed report by the ISC on alleged Russian interference in UK politics.

The organisation said the prime minister’s approach towards “radical Islam” had encouraged the majority of its membership to join the party.

The Minister for Women and Equalities refused to comment on his history of sexist comments.