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Actually, it does not.

Yes it does.

There is now law against that.

There so is.

Section 107 of The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 makes it unlawful to leave an vehicle idling and unattended except in a couple of specific circumstances which won't normally apply.

This would usually be prosecuted under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which makes it an offence to operate a vehicle in contravention of Construction and Use regulations.

The law which applies is "not having valid insurance". Check your T&Cs - ALL UK insurance policies have a clause which invalidates them if you leave the keys in the vehicle (regardless is the engine running or not) and the vehicle is unattended.

Absolutely not. The requirement is to have third-party insurance, and insurance companies are prohibited from repudiating the third-party element of a policy for such transgressions. They will, of course, repudiate any claims in excess of third-party cover, and they might even counter-sue to recover the costs of any third-party claim they do pay, but the driver would not be guilty of the offence of driving without insurance.

Vic.