Johnson fighting Tory revolt ahead of vote on new virus measures

Avoiding a third wave and a third lockdown. That’s the issue uppermost on the Government’s mind – as Boris Johnson promised Conservative MPs that England’s strict new tier system would be reviewed every two weeks.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has defended her handling of the crisis, amid figures showing a higher death rate north of the border in recent weeks.

Across the UK another 12,155 new cases have been confirmed over the last 24 hours. A further 215 deaths have been reported, taking the total to 58,245.