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8.53pm BST
All House of Commons bars and restaurants will be banned from selling alcohol as of Saturday, the Speaker has confirmed.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said:
Following the [UK] government’s decision to move London into the Tier 2 Covid-alert category, I have asked the parliamentary authorities to introduce measures to bring the House of Commons into line with the national picture.
As MPs represent different constituencies in different tiers – with the very highest level ordering the closure of pubs – I have decided to stop the sale of alcohol across the House of Commons-end of the estate from this Saturday.
Related: Tier 2 lockdowns in England: latest Covid restrictions explained
8.31pm BST
The UK government’s flagship policy for tackling the coronavirus in England has descended into chaos after mayors and MPs from the north-west of the country emphatically rejected being moved into the highest lockdown level and accused ministers of treating the region with contempt.
Talks to reach an agreement ended with bitter and angry exchanges, deepening a north-south rift that has left the government’s strategy of tiered restrictions in turmoil.
Related: Boris Johnson’s Covid plan in turmoil after north-west leaders refuse tier 3
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