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       Boris Johnson dodges Partygate questions 15 times in one interview

       Prime minister Boris Johnson is likely to scrap the requirements for people to self-isolate if they have Covid, in a move that he has called a “moment of pride”.

       Mr Johnson's cabinet is expected to confirm the policy change on Monday, which will make it legal for infected people to mix with other members of the public.

       The proposal would be about “finally giving people back their freedom” after “one of the most difficult periods in our country’s history", the prime minister said. The announcement comes just a day after it was announced that the Queen had tested positive for Covid-19.

       Recommended Boris Johnson says scrapping Covid isolation requirements is ‘moment of pride’ Boris Johnson refused to answer on Partygate 17 times. Voters won’t be impressed Covid rules explained as Boris Johnson set to abandon restrictions despite warnings

       Meanwhile, as the opposition continues to call for Mr Johnson’s resignation over rule-breaking lockdown parties at Downing Street, the prime minister gave an excruciating interview broadcast on Sunday morning where he dodged a question about the scandal at least 17 times.

       “Not a bean I can tell you about that, much as I would like to,” he told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme.

       Key Points Johnson refuses to say if he would quit if fined by Scotland Yard Scrapping Covid restrictions ‘moment of pride’, says Johnson PM accused of creating 'cash-for-access culture'

       Show latest update 1645422929 Burnham calls on PM to apologise to nuclear test veterans

       Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham called on prime minister Boris Johnson to issue a national apology to nuclear test veterans for the “greatest injustice”.

       “This is the greatest injustice of them all, because it betrayed brave people who signed up to serve our country, and it inflicted an ongoing and repeated harm to generations,” Mr Burnham was quoted by The Mirror as saying.

       The mayor added: “In this 70th anniversary year, the prime minister of this country needs to stand at the despatch box in the House of Commons and make a national apology to each and every one of you, and every member of your families, who have suffered through these past 70 years”.

       Test veterans are denied war pensions despite the high rates of cancer and blood disease, which has led to several deaths.

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 February 2022 05:55

       1645421955 Voices | Electoral reform is not the way to defeat the Tories

       The one time Britain really could have had a “progressive alliance”, the Liberal Democrats threw their lot in with the Conservatives.

       Let “2010” be the starting point for any discussion about Lib-Lab electoral pacts. Contrary to the assumptions at the time, a Labour-Lib Dem government was perfectly possible in 2010. It wouldn’t have been as simple as the Cameron-Clegg coalition, and it would have relied on the acquiescence of Scottish and Welsh nationalists, who had just six and three MPs in that parliament.

       But those MPs would not have wanted to enable a Tory government, while the Lib Dems agreed with many more Labour policies than Tory ones. The real reasons it didn’t happen were personal, writes John Rentoul.

       Electoral reform is not the way to defeat the Tories – it’s a dead end | John Rentoul A Lib-Lab ‘non-aggression’ pact, with a view to proportional representation, is a nice idea but bad politics

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 February 2022 05:39

       1645420138 Patel urges MPs to back her new anti-protest laws

       Priti Patel has written to MPs urging them to back controversial anti-protest legislation after it was rejected by the House of Lords.

       The mammoth bill was defeated over plans to give new powers to police to stop disruptive protests, and on a separate clause that would have imposed noise restrictions on demonstrations.

       Jon Stone reports.

       Priti Patel urges MPs to back her new anti-protest laws Government rejects swathe of Lords amendments to ‘oppressive’ and ‘plain nasty’ police and crime bill

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 February 2022 05:08

       1645419336 Labour slams Johnson for creating 'cash-for-access culture'

       Prime minister Boris Johnson has been accused of creating a “cash-for-access culture” over an alleged secret “advisory board” of multimillionaire donors.

       Members pumped at least ￡250,000 into the party war chest were granted audiences with ministers and senior Downing Street advisers, Sunday Times reported.

       The group of elite were able to lobby for quick relaxation of lockdown measures in 2020 as over a dozen people were routinely involved in advisory board meetings.

       Slamming the prime minister, Labour Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said: “These revelations raise serious national security questions about the cash-for-access culture that Boris Johnson has created at the heart of government”.

       Ms Dodds asked the prime minister to “explain what donors” received “in return for their six-figure annual membership fee and clarify whether these meetings had any impact on government policy at the height of the pandemic”.

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 February 2022 04:55

       1645418337 PM refuses to say if he would quit if fined by Scotland Yard

       Prime minister Boris Johnson refused to commit to resigning if he was issued with a fine by the police.

       When asked if he would quit if handed a fixed penalty of at least ￡100, Mr Johnson told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme: “I can’t comment about a process that is underway”.

       When pushed on the matters pertaining to the rule-breaking lockdown parties at Downing Street, the prime minister dodged the questions at least 17 times.

       “I understand your curiosity, but you’re just going to have to accept that for the time being – you won’t have long, alright, I hope – but for the time being you’re going to have to contain your interest,” he at one point said.

       Jon Stone has more.

       Boris Johnson refuses 17 times to answer questions about Downing Street parties Prime minister point-blank refuses to comment for 11 minutes in extraordinary TV interview

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 February 2022 04:38

       1645416979

       Hello and welcome to The Independent’s politics live blog for Monday 21 February.

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 21 February 2022 04:16