The new variant of coronavirus believed to spread much more quickly than previous strains forced vast swathes of southeast England into a Tier 4 lockdown less than a week before Christmas.
Ireland's ban on travel to and from Britain has been extended to 31 December, as countries around the world shut their borders due to fears over a new coronavirus variant.
Boris Johnson is facing calls to overhaul the way peerages are awarded, after he handed more out more places in the House of Lords and overrode the appointments watchdog.
