WATCH: If there’s a shutdown announcement on day one, there must be a Sunak bailout one on day two

The Chancellor says that an additional £4.6 billion will be provided to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses forced to close.

Johnson’s position is stronger than it looks

The sense that he hates the whole business is helping to carry him through it – for all the mistakes that have been made.

A timetable for vaccinating the most vulnerable by mid-February. The Prime Minister’s statement – full text.

But vaccination doesn’t give instant protection; pressure on the NHS won’t lift immediately – and delivery may run late. So restrictions will take longer to lift.

WATCH: Back to the future. Johnson announces Lockdown Three.

“I really do believe that we are entering the last phase of the struggle…For now, I am afraid, you must once again stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”

Louie French: We need to ensure that our pubs and clubs survive the winter

Support to much-loved community assets should be given priority. Or the legacy of isolation and loneliness will be permanent.

Infrastructure, innovation and publicity – the key to Israel’s vaccine success

There are still lessons that others can learn – namely, that it has been creative, above all else, in getting the vaccine out.

Neil Shastri-Hurst: Like a phoenix from the ashes of the Covid crisis, now is the time for a new social contract to arise

The present social contract was written when the number of taxpayers well outstripped the number of retirees. But times have changed.

WATCH: Johnson suggests tighter Covid rules might be coming

“It may be that we need to do things in the next few weeks that will be tougher in many parts of the country,” he says.

WATCH: Parents should send children to primary school, says PM

He says there is “no doubt in my mind that schools are safe”, and describes school closures as “exceptional”.

2021 and the race to normality. Post-vaccine hospitalisation and transmission data are key to reopening the economy.

The Government must speed up its vaccination programme, but until it understands the effect on transmission, tiers are here to stay.

Robert Sutton: The protection of civil liberties must be placed at the heart of a reformed Public Health Act

The dubious legal basis for lockdown restrictions should be clarified by making its scope explicit.

Anthony Browne: Post-Brexit Britain. Now we’ve taken back control, here’s what we can do with our new powers.

From January 1, no longer will anyone be able to say: “you can’t – EU rules”. We have jumped from the passenger seat to the pilot seat. So what should we do?

Harriet Baldwin: Cutting foreign aid is a blatant breach of our manifesto pledge – and I will not vote for it

How will we feel about cutting aid if we see the kind of shocking scenes of starvation that started Live Aid in the 1980s?

Bill Bowkett: The pandemic has shown the value of localism. But the Government seems to be ignoring this lesson.

A hyper-localised approach means decisive action with local residents and businesses in mind.

WATCH: With the exception of the Scilly Isles, all of England will now be in Tier Four or Three

Hancock announces the changes in the Commons and the country moves closer to another lockdown.