Politics

On 20 July, Rishi Sunak could become the first prime minister since Harold Wilson in 1968 to lose three seats at by-elections on the same day. The Conservative Party’s implosion over MP misconduct and whether Boris Johnson lied to parliament has presented election watchers with an intriguing set of contests. Uxbridge and South Ruislip in

Rishi Sunak has hinted there will be no tax cuts on offer from the government before the next general election, as his party faces three by-elections next week. A number of Conservative backbenchers have been pushing the prime minister for reductions to a range of levies, including corporation tax, income tax and fuel duty. But

Theresa May has attacked the government’s Illegal Migration Bill, saying it would “enable more slave drivers to… make money out of human misery” and “consign more people to slavery”. The former prime minister, who has long campaigned on tackling modern slavery in the UK, said ministers wanted to use the new legislation to “stop the

Rishi Sunak will call on the UK’s NATO allies to commit to spending a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defence as he attends an alliance summit in Lithuania. The prime minister will argue the commitment will be crucial to NATO’s ability to deter and defend against the kind of tactics Russian President Vladimir

MPs have approved a report criticising the conduct of Boris Johnson’s allies after he was found to have lied to parliament over partygate. The motion was approved on the nod and without the need for a formal vote. Commons leader Penny Mordaunt earlier said she hoped it would bring an end to the “sorry affair”.

A Cabinet minister has suggested the BBC presenter who has been suspended for allegedly paying for sexually explicit images of a teenager should only be named once a “full” investigation has taken place. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk agreed there was a “public interest” in the broadcaster being named but said it would not be appropriate

Monday will mark the sixth meeting between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden – and their seventh encounter in all as both were at official functions for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last September during the Liz Truss interregnum. The president did not attend the King’s Coronation – that is normal

US President Joe Biden will fly into the UK on Sunday amid tensions over his decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine. Air Force One is expected to touch down at Stansted Airport this evening before Mr Biden meets with both Rishi Sunak in Downing Street and the King at Windsor Castle on Monday. Mr

Friday saw the highest number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel in a single day so far this year. Some 686 migrants made the dangerous journey, according to Home Office figures. The previous daily high for 2023 was recorded on 11 June, when 549 people made the trip. The latest crossings

Boris Johnson has used his latest column in the Daily Mail to attack Sadiq Khan’s “bone-headed” ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) – despite coming up with idea while he was London mayor himself. The former prime minister, who dramatically resigned as an MP last month, pointed to divisions within Labour’s ranks over the expansion of the

Rishi Sunak was unaware of Home Office emergency break proposals on migration reportedly rejected by his predecessor, No 10 has suggested. The Sun reported the Home Office had drawn up a policy document suggesting ministers could cap entry visas, raise fees and increase salary thresholds as “deliberate frictions” in a bid to meet the Conservatives’

The delay to HS2 work at Euston shows ministers do not know what they are “trying to achieve” with the “floundering” station, MPs have warned. Ministers have been told to “finally establish” what their plans are for the central London station after the government paused work due to rising costs. HS2 is a central part

Sir Keir Starmer says he hopes to bring state school standards up to those of their private counterparts within his first term if Labour wins the next general election – though he warned of funding issues due to the state of the economy. Speaking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, the Labour leader said

A report into groping allegations against MP Chis Pincher is due to be published on Thursday. Parliament’s watchdog launched an investigation into Mr Pincher, a former deputy chief whip, in October over “actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the House as a whole, or of its members generally”. If the standards commissioner’s report

Short-term policy making and a decade of underinvestment has left the NHS in a “critical condition” as it turns 75, health experts have warned. Three leading thinktanks said the service may not reach its 100th birthday without more resources being pumped into it and fundamental reforms. Separately, NHS Providers – which represents hospital trusts –

The health secretary has refused to accept Conservative spending cuts have played a role in problems faced by the health service – blaming an ageing population, rising costs and the pandemic instead. In an exclusive interview with Sky News’ Beth Rigby, Steve Barclay rejected the findings of a King’s Fund report from April, which said

Two investigations into partygate gatherings involving senior Tories have been announced by the Met Police. One is a re-investigation into claims of a Covid rule breaching party by staff of former Conservative London mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, in December 2020. In a press release, the force said: “The Met is now re-opening an investigation into

Ofcom has launched an investigation into an episode of Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg’s GB News show in which he covered a breaking news story about a court case involving Donald Trump. The media watchdog said it received 40 complaints objecting to the MP for North East Somerset acting as a newsreader during his State Of The

Sue Gray broke the Civil Service code by discussing a job with Labour, a Cabinet Office investigation has concluded. In a written ministerial statement, Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quinn said the “undeclared contact” between her and the party constituted a breach. “The rules and guidance that govern the conduct of civil servants are clear and

Right-wing Tory MPs have urged Rishi Sunak to take action to reduce immigration, saying the system is “too lenient”. The New Conservatives group, made up of 25 MPs on the right of the party, will put forward a number of proposals to the prime minister in a report released on Monday, including ending the temporary