Nick Ferrari - The Whole Show

Boris plans to 'ride out' the Omicron wave, and Colonel Tim Collins gives his opinion on Blair's Knighthood.

How long should you isolate for after Covid, and should Tony Blair have his Knighthood withdrawn?

The UK records over 100,000 COVID cases, Dame Maureen Lipman says that ‘cancel culture’ risks wiping out comedy and Nick asks for your defining images of 2021

Edinburgh's Hogmanay events have been cancelled and football matches will be effectively spectator-free as part of tough new Covid rules in Scotland. All outdoor events will be limited to just 500 people to help slow the spread of Omicron. Indoor events such as concerts will be limited to 200 people if they are seated, or 100 for standing. The new restrictions come into force on Boxing Day.

Boris Johnson has ruled out immediately introducing new Covid restrictions, but said the Government would not hesitate to take further action. The Prime Minister said that because of gaps in the data about omicron, the Cabinet had decided to hold back on introducing further Covid restrictions before Christmas. But he warned that the Government would not hesitate to take further action to protect public health from the spread of the omicron variant.

The health secretary has refused to rule out further Covid restrictions for England, as the Omicron variant spreads around the country. A further 12,133 Omicron cases have been confirmed in the UK, although the true number is likely to be far higher. Asked about possible new measures to slow the spread, Sajid Javid said there were "no guarantees in this pandemic". The government and devolved leaders discussed the situation in a Cobra meeting on Sunday.

The Conservatives have lost the North Shropshire seat they held for nearly 200 years to the Liberal Democrats in a by-election blow to Boris Johnson. Winner Helen Morgan overturned a Tory majority of almost 23,000, declaring that the "party is over" for the PM. The result follows a torrid week for Mr Johnson, who has faced criticism over Downing Street parties and a rebellion by his own MPs over Covid measures.

The UK has recorded the highest number of daily Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 78,610 reported on Wednesday. The previous record was 68,053 on 8 January - when the UK was in lockdown. Speaking at a news conference, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty warned that records "will be broken a lot" in the next few weeks. He added people should "prioritise what matters" with regards to social mixing in the run-up to Christmas.

Boris Johnson has suffered the biggest Conservative rebellion since the 2019 general election as 100 Tory MPs opposed the introduction of COVID certificates for nightclubs and large events in England. In a House of Commons vote that immediately raised further questions over the prime minister's leadership, more than a quarter of Tory MPs opposed a key measure of Mr Johnson's "Plan B" for dealing with COVID infections this winter.

Boris Johnson’s goal of giving everyone a booster jab by the end of the year is unlikely to be met, NHS leaders warned as huge queues formed outside vaccine centres. Waits of up to five hours were reported at some clinics and the central booking website repeatedly crashed as it struggled to keep up with demand. The UK Health Security Agency estimated that 200,000 people were infected with Omicron today, far more than previously known to have caught Covid-19 in a single day and suggesting that the variant has already outpaced Delta. The prime minister launched an appeal for vaccine volunteers to help the NHS “hit warp speed” on boosters. Councils, fire brigades and police have been asked to offer up any staff trained in delivering jabs. Vaccination centres were told last night to be ready to run 24 hours a day and through Christmas as ministers insisted that boosters take precedence over routine care. Hospitals and GP surgeries were ordered to redeploy staff to support what Amanda Pritchard, head of NHS England, called “an immediate, all-out drive” on boosters.