Politics

The SNP’s hopes of securing a majority in the Scottish elections are on a knife edge this morning, but Nicola Sturgeon’s party remains on course for an historic fourth term in office. Ms Sturgeon has told Sky News that a majority is “very much in the balance” and has “always been a long shot”. She

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “bitterly disappointed” and takes “full responsibility” for Labour’s defeat in the Hartlepool by-election. “I’m bitterly disappointed in the results and I take full responsibility for the results. And I will I take full responsibility for fixing things,” the Labour leader said. Labour suffered a “shattering” defeat in Thursday’s

The Conservatives have won the Hartlepool by-election – taking a seat that has been under Labour’s control since it was created in the 1970s. Jill Mortimer’s victory marks a rare gain for a governing party, but serves as a major blow to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. UK election results live: Early blow for Sir

New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed the take-up of first dose COVID jabs among over-50s in England. Due to the progress of the coronavirus vaccination programme, it can be assumed that a substantial proportion of over-50s had been offered a jab up to 12 April – the period to which the

The polls open at 7am today for the biggest set of elections outside a general election in almost 50 years. Voters will cast their ballots despite the many COVID-19 restrictions still in place, with 48 million people given the chance to have their say. In Scotland and Wales, the electorate will decide on their national

The UK is sending two Royal Navy boats to Jersey “as a precaution” after threats of a French blockade of the island’s main port. Downing Street confirmed Boris Johnson spoke to Chief Minister of Jersey Senator John Le Fondre on Wednesday evening “about the prospect of a blockade of Saint Helier” – the island’s main

Sir Keir Starmer is making a last-ditch appeal to voters ahead of “Super Thursday” with opinion polls and Labour’s own canvassing suggesting the party is heading for a series of defeats. On the last day of campaigning, the Labour leader is joining Labour’s candidates in three high-profile mayoral races in England: West Yorkshire, the West

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted Labour still have “a mountain to climb” to win back voters ahead of this week’s local elections – as some polls showed his party behind the Conservatives in key races. On Thursday, people in England, Scotland and Wales will head to the polls in a bumper set of elections with

This week Scotland goes to the polls in an election that could have profound consequences for the whole of the United Kingdom. The Holyrood result will decide not just who runs Scotland, but whether the battle for another Scottish independence referendum will return to the forefront of our national politics once more. It is a

Boris Johnson has said there is a “good chance” the one-metre plus social distancing rule can be scrapped from 21 June. During a campaign visit in Hartlepool, the prime minister told reporters: “I think we’ve got a good chance, a good chance, of being able to dispense with one-metre plus.” Under the government’s roadmap for

Nicola Sturgeon has thrown down the gauntlet to Boris Johnson over a second independence referendum, telling Sky News that if the UK government doesn’t challenge the Scottish government in court, then “by definition it would be a legal referendum”. Scotland’s first minister, who will claim the right to hold a second independence referendum by the

The prime minister has been “crystal clear” about how the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat was financed, the foreign secretary has told Sky News. Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Dominic Raab said Boris Johnson had “covered the cost himself” and “followed all the relevant codes of conduct”. But another senior Conservative, the party’s

Boris Johnson is trying to focus attention on tackling crime and recovering from the coronavirus, despite a number of allegations against him that may damage his party’s election chances. Two new polls suggest the Conservative lead over Labour has been trimmed ahead of Thursday’s local elections in England and voting for parliaments in Scotland and

There’s a generation in Scotland that’s only known its government run by the SNP.  That won’t change this week as everything points to Nicola Sturgeon winning a majority. Barring a huge political upset, Scotland’s under-20s will get the result they’ve had all their lives. Mairi Matheson and Lloyd Cameron are among them – two teenagers

The drip feed of allegations has been relentless, and the questions seemingly never-ending. How did Boris Johnson fund his trendy make-over of the Downing Street flat? What messages did he exchange with businessman James Dyson? Just how many times did David Cameron text Rishi Sunak? But perhaps the biggest question of all – just how

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has insisted “all security protocols have been followed” despite the prime minister’s phone number being freely available online, prompting snooping fears. The Conservative cabinet minister moved to play down concerns that Boris Johnson had left himself vulnerable to being targeted by hostile states and criminal gangs after it was revealed his personal

Boris Johnson’s mobile phone number has been freely available on the internet for the past 15 years. The number was listed at the bottom of a news release issued when Mr Johnson was shadow higher education minister in 2006. The document, which encouraged journalists to contact him on a Commons office number or his mobile,

Boris Johnson has claimed there isn’t “anything to see here” as he fights inquiries into who paid for his Downing Street flat renovations, as a new poll showed the Tories’ lead undented despite the growing questions. The prime minister, who currently faces three probes, said he will have the final say on any investigation into

A formal investigation has been launched into Boris Johnson’s refurbishment of his Downing Street flat after a watchdog found “reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred”. An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “We have been in contact with the Conservative Party since late March and have conducted an assessment of the

Arlene Foster has told Sky News she will step down as DUP leader and Northern Ireland’s first minister, following calls within the party for a leadership contest. In a statement, Mrs Foster said: “It is important to give space over the next few weeks for the Party Officers to make arrangements for the election of