Boris Johnson tells the Covid-19 Inquiry that Matt Hancock "may have had defects" but "was doing his very best in difficult circumstances".
The former prime minister refused calls from his aide Dominic Cummings to sack the former health secretary adding, "if you're prime minister, you are constantly being lobbied by somebody to sack somebody else".
Report by Brooksl.
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Several former prime ministers arrived at Westminster Abbey for the VE Day Thanksgiving Service on Thursday. Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and David Cameron were among the former leaders attending the service to commemorate the 80th anniversary of World War II ending. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Two former friends have been found guilty of cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree in an act of "deliberate and mindless criminal damage". Newcastle Crown Court heard Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers drove 30 miles at night through a storm for one of them to cut down the tree with a chainsaw while another filmed it. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The chief secretary to the Treasury has accused Kemi Badenoch of posting her views about the UK's trade deal with the US on social media before reading it. Darren Jones adds the government continues to negotiate with the EU, but will honour Labour's manifesto pledge not to rejoin the single market or customs union. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Sir Keir Starmer met his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre at the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Summit in Oslo. The prime ministers then sat at a roundtable for discussions over regional security challenges with other European heads of state. The JEF coalition consists of the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The defence secretary says the government's commitment to NATO is "unshakeable". Speaking at the London Defence Conference, John Healey says Ukraine is fighting for the same freedoms that Europe fought for 80 years ago and that "the lesson of 80 years ago reminds us of the importance of alliances". Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Kemi Badenoch says the UK-US trade agreement is "not a historic deal". The Conservative Party leader adds it is simply a "small tariffs deal" that leaves the country in a "worse position than we were in March". Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
![Former Prime Ministers attend VE Day Thanksgiving Service [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20250508/1410197418-Former-Prime-Ministers-attend-VE-Day-Thanksgiving-Service.jpg)
![Two men found guilty of cutting down Sycamore tree [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20250509/1410293908-Two-men-found-guilty-of-cutting-down-Sycamore.jpg)
![Darren Jones slams Badenoch's criticism of US trade deal [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20250509/1410294110-Darren-Jones-slams-Badenoch-criticism-of-US.jpg)
![Starmer meets Norwegian PM Gahr Støre at security summit [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20250509/1410284788-Starmer-meets-Norwegian-PM-Gahr-Støre-at-security.jpg)
![Defence Secretary: Our commitment to NATO is unshakeable [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20250509/1410282652-Defence-Secretary-Our-commitment-to-NATO-is-unshakeable.jpg)
![Badenoch: UK-US trade deal leaves UK in worse position [Video]](https://video.newsserve.net/300/v/20250508/1410234486-Badenoch-UK-US-trade-deal-leaves-UK-in.jpg)
