Politics

He beat his predecessors Ed Miliband and John Smith, as well as ex-Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown, and Conservative former chancellor Ken Clarke.

Mr Le Drian insisted that the bloc of 27 will not buckle under pressure from London.

Mr Cummings told aides a “hard rain is coming” and promised to shake-up an “incoherent” Cabinet Office.

Simon Case was temporarily appointed as permanent secretary in Number 10 in May, at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, in an attempt to bring some stability to the government’s chaotic response to the pandemic.

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.