Responding to Shell's profits announcement (see the post below at 08.36), the SNP's energy spokesman Alan Brown said: "The Tory government must scrap its outrageous plan to raise the energy bill price cap again in April - and guarantee the Energy Bill Support Scheme payments for households will continue.

"People will feel sick that, instead of helping ordinary families, the Tories are allowing big energy companies to make record profits and are forcing taxpayers to subsidise shareholders.

"The Chancellor should follow the lead of other countries by taxing share buy backs, and expanding the windfall tax, to fund support for households."

Rishi Sunak’s reluctance to suspend Dominic Raab while he is investigated over bullying allegations points to "the weakness of the Prime Minister", Sir Ed Davey has claimed.

The Liberal Democrat leader told Sky News this morning: "I do think in the meantime he (Dominic Raab) should be suspended because the allegations are so serious.

"And again it goes to the weakness of the Prime Minister that he’s not prepared to take action when faced with the facts.

"And one of the things we’d like to see is the independent advisor on ethical standards look into what the Prime Minister knew and when with respect to these allegations of bullying against Dominic Raab. Did he appoint Dominic Raab knowing these serious allegations were there?"

Labour has accused Rishi Sunak of being "too weak" to stand up to oil and gas interests following the announcment by Shell of record profits.

Shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband said: "As the British people face an energy price hike of 40 per cent in April, the Government is letting the fossil fuel companies making bumper profits off the hook with their refusal to implement a proper windfall tax.

"Labour would stop the energy price cap going up in April, because it is only right that the companies making unexpected windfall profits from the proceeds of war pay their fair share.

"But when it comes to oil and gas interests, Rishi Sunak is too weak to stand up for the British people. Only Labour is on your side – with a plan to tackle the cost-of-living crisis now, and a long-term plan to cut bills for good and make Britain a clean energy superpower."

The energy giant Shell announced this morning that it has recorded the highest profits in its 115 year history. Core profits rocketed to 84.3 billion dollars (£68.1 billion) in 2022 as energy prices soared. 

The figures immediately prompted renewed scrutiny of the Government's windfall tax on the excess profits oil and gas firms. 

Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said that "no company should be making these kind of outrageous profits out of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine" as he called for Rishi Sunak to roll out a "proper" windfall tax. 

He said: "Rishi Sunak was warned as chancellor and now as Prime Minister that we need a proper windfall tax on companies like Shell and he has failed to take action.

"Families across the country are struggling to heat their homes and feed their families and this Government turns round and says ‘there is nothing we can do’. They must tax the oil and gas companies properly and at the very least ensure that energy bills don’t rise yet again in April."

A health minister has denied that the NHS is in 'crisis' as the health service wrestles with strike action, workforce shortages and huge treatment waiting lists. 

Will Quince was asked during an interview on TalkTV last night if he would use the word "crisis" and he said: "I think the NHS is under considerable pressure and it certainly was between Christmas and the New Year. We have put in place a number of measures to address the issue now… the system is under huge pressure but I am not going to use that word because actually the vast majority of people every single day get excellent care and excellent service from our NHS. 

"Have I got work to do to make sure we build resilience not just now but for next winter? Of course I do and there were things that were particularly unique this year like flue, for example."

It is quite an interesting moment because Downing Street always refuses to be drawn on whether the NHS is in crisis. No10 always refers to challenges in the health service - it never engages with the idea of there being a crisis. 

A former colleague of Dominic Raab told the Daily Mail that they believe there is a “clear attempt by a group of politically motivated mandarins to get him” as an investigation looks into eight formal complaints made against the Deputy Prime Minister.

Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA union which represents senior officials, rubbished the idea of a “conspiracy” against Mr Raab this morning.

He said such a claim is “extraordinary and it couldn’t be further from the truth”.

He told Sky News: “In actual fact I have spoken to people who didn’t raise concerns at the time because they understood the political impact of it. They were reticent about challenging behaviour because they understood at that point in time it would be seen as a politically motivated attack.

“Civil servants are politically impartial. They want to serve the government of the day and do the best job but they have to be protected and work in an environment where they are not bullies for doing that.

“And to suggest that they have actually got some political motivation, are we really saying two dozen civil servants in three different government departments over a period of four years have got together with some massive conspiracy? That just doesn’t sound credible.”

Civil servants who worked with Dominic Raab have “suffered mental health crises” and lost their careers as a result of his alleged bullying behaviour, Dave Penman has claimed.

The FDA union leader told Sky News: “I’ve spoken to people who are civil servants working and have worked for Dominic Raab, who have suffered mental health crises, have lost their careers essentially because they’ve had to move and change jobs.”

Repeating his call for Mr Raab to be suspended while the investigation is conducted, Mr Penman added: “If you’re in a workplace where you’re being bullied, where the daily grind of coming to work destroys your mental health, then that has an impact on your career”.

Mr Raab, who also serves as Justice Secretary, has previously said he is “confident I behaved professionally throughout”.