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1. Boris Johnson accused of ‘instigating’ lockdown party
Boris Johnson has been accused of having “instigated” a Downing Street party, as Tory rebels claimed he could face a fresh coup attempt after the May elections.
The Prime Minister faced accusations that an office gathering to mark the exit of Lee Cain, the former Number？10 director of communications, was not a party “until he arrived”. Read the full story.
2. Stop your misguided moralising on Rwanda deal, MPs tell Archbishop
The Archbishop of Canterbury has been accused of “misguided moralising” after leading the Church of England’s attack on the Government’s Rwanda deal and “partygate”.
The Most Rev Justin Welby was said to have undermined the role of the Church by using his Easter Sunday address to criticise the Prime Minister’s plan to send asylum seekers to the landlocked east African nation. Read the full story.
3. NHS to call on volunteers to drive emergency patients to hospital
Volunteers will be sent to drive 999 patients to hospital, as part of efforts to relieve pressures on ambulance services.
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) is to start piloting the system within weeks, as senior doctors warn of “staggeringly bad” delays to emergency care in some parts of the country. Read the full story.
4. Mariupol defenders defy Russian ultimatum
Ukrainian troops defied a Russian ultimatum to surrender the strategic port city of Mariupol on Sunday, as Kyiv insisted fighting was continuing in the streets despite Moscow’s claim that resistance was confined to a single steel plant.
The last remaining fighters in the area, who have faced more than seven weeks of bombardment, refused to “lay down their arms”, according to Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the city’s mayor. Read the full story.
5. The Queen's attendance at Platinum Jubilee events not guaranteed
The Queen’s attendance at Platinum Jubilee events will not be confirmed until the day in question, a Buckingham Palace source has indicated.
Even though Her Majesty, who turns 96 on Thursday, plans to attend as many celebratory events as possible, her mobility issues mean the public can no longer assume they will see her at public engagements. Read the full story.
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