Politics

Professor Alexis Jay has criticised the “weaponisation” of child sexual abuse by the Conservatives and accused the previous government of an “awful” response to the scandal. The former chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse said she did not want to give Tory MPs “oxygen” after they called for a new national inquiry

It was a small signifier – one which could be over-interpreted – but nevertheless provoked angst among some in government at a time when there isn’t universally huge confidence that UK-US political relations are as robust as they should be. On Sunday, the British Embassy in Washington had a bash for members of the incoming

The government’s decision not to activate the so-called Stormont brake has been described as “wrong” and “utter foolishness” by the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), backed by the other unionist parties, had asked London to use the post-Brexit mechanism to stop amended EU rules on the packaging and labelling

There’s a deep, transatlantic contrast between the bombastic billionaire Donald Trump and the bespectacled human rights lawyer Sir Keir Starmer, on a political and a personal level. Despite the so-called “special relationship” it’s clearly going to be an uphill battle for the British PM to forge a productive relationship with the incoming president, but he

There are currently “no plans” for the UK to follow in America’s footsteps and ban TikTok, a cabinet minister said. Darren Jones said cats and dancing videos do not “seem like a national security threat”, but suggested the position could change if an issue emerges which the government is “concerned about”. The Chinese-opened app was

Poland’s prime minister has said he hopes for the “Breturn” of the UK as a member of the European Union – as he discussed a defence treaty with Sir Keir Starmer. Donald Tusk, who was hosting the prime minister for discussions on a UK-Polish defence pact in Warsaw, said it was his “dream” that “instead

When Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is just one point behind you in the opinion polls, the last thing you want to be reminded about is Brexit. If you’re Sir Keir Starmer, that is. No doubt Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, was trying to be friendly. After all, as Sir Keir said, they share a passion

Kemi Badenoch has denied the Conservatives would consider means testing the pensions triple lock, as she accused her opponents of trying to “scare people”. The Tory leader sought to clarify remarks she made on LBC on Thursday evening, which were interpreted as her leaving the door open to means testing the system that guarantees the

No phones or other devices, strict reporting rules, bombed-out buildings, and a drone threat – Beth Rigby shares what it’s like to join the prime minister Sir Keir Starmer in Ukraine. Sky News’s political editor said “the whole experience was absolutely fascinating” on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, but added the nature of Sir Keir‘s visit

Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservatives will consider means-testing the pensions triple lock. The Tory leader said her party would “look at means-testing” the system which guarantees that the state pension rises in line with average earnings, inflation or 2.5% – whichever is highest. The Conservatives have long championed the triple lock – introduced by

Keir Starmer’s visit to the presidential palace in Kyiv was met with a message from Russia when a drone was blasted out of the sky above. The prime minister was meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the next steps for Ukraine, on Sir Keir’s first visit to Kyiv since his election victory last July.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he will “look at every conceivable way” to stop former Troubles internees claiming compensation after a report warned ex-Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is in line for “a payday from the taxpayer”. Currently, the law under the Legacy Act blocks Mr Adams and others interned without trial in the 1970s

MPs are calling for the government to intervene in the upheaval currently gripping English rugby. England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) is currently subject to widespread dissatisfaction within the grassroots and parts of the professional game. A slew of factors, including increased executive pay, record financial losses, a struggling grassroots game and poor results from the

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been accused of refusing to “face up to her own failures” by “jetting off to Beijing” during a week of market turmoil. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride accused the chancellor of ducking difficult questions as the “government was losing control of the economy” while Ms Reeves visited China over the past week

Tulip Siddiq has resigned as a Treasury minister after controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh. In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, the Hampstead and Highgate MP said while she had “not breached the ministerial code”, continuing in her post would be “a distraction from the work of the government”.

Sir Keir Starmer has said the Treasury will be “ruthless” in cutting government spending as market turbulence continues. Responding to a question about the economic situation from Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, he said: “The number one mission of this government is economic growth. “And that was run through the budget, but there’s much

The chair of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry will not “hesitate to make recommendations about the use of social media” and its role in spreading “misinformation and disinformation” around vaccines, the secretary to the inquiry has told Sky News. The independent public inquiry resumes on Tuesday with Module 4 looking at Vaccines and Therapeutics. Ben Connah,

Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq could lose her job if the investigation into her properties finds she broke government rules, a cabinet member has suggested. Science Secretary Peter Kyle was asked about Ms Siddiq on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. She has referred herself to the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests, Sir Laurie Magnus,

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh. It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be

Rachel Reeves’s trip to China – the first by a British chancellor since 2019 – was always going to be controversial. In recent years Conservative governments have been keeping Beijing at arm’s length – amid concern about espionage, the situation in Hong Kong, and the treatment of the Uyghurs. David Cameron‘s so-called “Golden Era” of