Politics

The chancellor has admitted more schools and other public buildings with structural problems could come to light in the coming weeks. It comes as the government investigates the extent of problems with crumbling concrete. More than 100 schools and colleges have been told by the Department for Education (DfE) to partially or fully shut buildings

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is confident his plan to reduce rising prices is working and will soon ease the financial strain on UK households. Ahead of parliament returning on Monday, Mr Hunt acknowledged that many households across the country are still struggling financially. He emphasised that “sticking to the plan” to reduce inflation is the best

The home secretary has ordered a review into how “political activism” among officers, including actions like taking the knee, is impacting policing. Suella Braverman has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to look into impartiality and written to police chiefs to remind them their “focus should be on tackling crime”. In the letter, she highlighted

Mohamed Al Fayed and “cash for questions” probably did more to bring about the downfall of John Major’s government than any of the other political scandals of the 1990s. It was Al Fayed’s bribery of Tory MPs Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith – in cash stuffed in brown envelopes – and hospitality at his luxury

Not all schools impacted by concrete safety fears have been contacted and it is not clear how many will have to shut fully, a minister has admitted. Schools minister Nick Gibb said in most cases “just a few buildings” or rooms within the affected schools will have to shut but “in some cases it will

Rishi Sunak today sought to put his own stamp on the cabinet, in a way not possible a year ago when he took over.  Yet this reshuffle – which was already in the works in May – took only baby steps towards creating a cabinet truly in Mr Sunak’s image. Even this level of change

School buildings in England made with a certain type of concrete that is prone to collapse will be immediately closed over safety fears, the government has announced. Around 104 schools or “settings” will be disrupted on top of 50 that have already been affected this year. The Department for Education (DfE) said the “vast majority

Police officers who are found guilty of gross misconduct will face automatic dismissal under reforms designed to toughen up the disciplinary process following a series of scandals. Chief constables and other senior officers will be given greater powers to sack rogue staff while those who fail vetting checks can also be fired. Under the new

A new law will force criminals to attend their sentencings in court, with the offenders facing longer behind bars if they still refuse to sit in the dock. The government confirmed its plans to introduce the reform on Wednesday, promising to create a new power for judges to make the order. The change will also

The foreign secretary has landed in China for meetings with senior members of the government as Rishi Sunak comes under pressure at home over how to approach the country. James Cleverly will hold talks with senior Chinese officials – including minister of foreign affairs Wang Yi and vice president Han Zheng – on issues ranging

The transport secretary has apologised for yesterday’s nationwide air traffic control fault – saying issues on this scale “haven’t happened for a decade”. Mark Harper stressed that technical experts have ruled out a cybersecurity incident, with the Civil Aviation Authority set to investigate. “Something on this scale hasn’t happened for almost a decade – normally

Police chiefs have warned the home secretary they must have “operational independence” when deciding how to respond to crime. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) was responding to Suella Braverman‘s announcement that police forces in England and Wales must investigate every theft as part of a crackdown on crime. The home secretary said it was

The government is not ruling out using electronic tagging to control migrants who come to the UK illegally. Home Secretary Suella Braverman told Sky News she is willing to use a “range of options” in dealing with migrants who cross the Channel in small boats. It comes after a report in The Times said the

Labour and the Liberal Democrats hit the campaign trail in Mid Bedfordshire in the hours after Nadine Dorries stood down. The former Conservative culture secretary handed in her resignation yesterday – 11 weeks after she vowed to go – leaving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak facing yet another test in the form of a by-election. In

Sadiq Khan has accused the government of “weaponising air pollution” ahead of the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone next week. The mayor said he was “disappointed” by the lack of government support for the policy and its accompanying scrappage scheme. Transport Secretary Mark Harper has urged Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to make his

Former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries has announced she is resigning, after months of criticism over her absence from the House of Commons. In her resignation letter, the Tory MP accused Rishi Sunak of “demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy” against her. The letter to the prime minister said:

Rishi Sunak has said the inquiry into the murders carried out by Lucy Letby should be judge-led. The government ordered an inquiry last week after Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others while working as a neonatal nurse. She was sentenced to 14 whole-life orders and will never

Asylum seekers who were housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge have claimed the Home Office did not contact them even when some on board showed signs of suspected Legionnaires’ disease. In an open letter to the Home Office, seen by Sky News, one asylum seeker hit out at their treatment from the department, describing their

MPs who lose their seat at the next general election will receive double the financial support following a ruling from parliament’s expenses watchdog. MPs who are forced out in an election defeat have previously been entitled to two months of financial assistance to help close their office and manage the departure of staff, but the Independent

The backlog of asylum cases in the UK has hit a new record high, according to Home Office figures. A total of 175,457 people were waiting for an initial decision on an asylum application in the UK at the end of June 2023, up 44% at the end of June 2022 and the highest figure