Politics

The architect of the government’s delayed reforms to social care has told Sky News politicians need to “grow up” and tackle the crisis in the sector. Amid a bitter election row over public spending, Sir Andrew Dilnot said he believed the two main parties were reluctant to discuss care reform for fear of being accused

A second Conservative candidate facing an investigation over allegedly betting on the timing of the general election is married to the party’s director of campaigns. Laura Saunders, the Tory candidate for Bristol North West, is being looked into by the Gambling Commission. She has worked for the party since 2015 and is married to the

Even the world of escapism can’t escape politics. Decisions made on the green benches of parliament could be life or death for the circus. Like many businesses, it is walking the wire between rising costs and cash-strapped audiences. Election latest: Starmer’s wife says protest outside home made her feel ‘sick’ As part of our Bench

Labour are on course for a majority of 200 according to a new YouGov projection, which also suggests the Tories will slump to their lowest number of seats at an election since the party’s formation in 1834. If this projection is replicated when the country goes to the polls on 4 July, Labour would have

The general election may be “the last chance” to fix the UK’s “broken renting system”, housing organisations have warned as they called on party leaders to come up with bolder solutions to the crisis. In an open letter to Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, groups representing tenants said thousands more people “face homelessness, poverty

Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson says allowing Nigel Farage to join the Conservatives would be “imbecilic” and would only happen “over my cold, dead corpse”. The Reform UK leader used the launch of his party’s policy document to set out his pitch to “become a real opposition” to Labour, which will form the next

A former Brexit Party candidate is running for Reform UK under a different name, following accusations of Islamophobia in 2019. Dionne Moore Cocozza is now running in Glasgow West as Dionne Moore, using her middle name as a surname. No details on Reform UK’s website link the candidate to the 2019 race. The Reform UK

Nigel Farage has acknowledged Reform UK will not form a government after 4 July – but said the general election campaign is the “first big push” towards the next contest. Launching his party’s offer to the electorate – which he is calling a “contract” rather than a manifesto – Mr Farage said his campaign has

The Reform Party has accepted the resignation of one of its election candidates after “unacceptable historic social media comments” came to light. Grant StClair-Armstrong, who was standing in Saffron Walden, the Essex constituency where Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch was the most recent MP, tendered his resignation following reports in The Times that he had previously

Nigel Farage is “terrorising” the Conservative Party and Rishi Sunak is afraid to take him on, Labour grandee Lord Mandelson has told Sky News. The former cabinet minister and spin-doctor, who masterminded Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide win, argued the job of the Tory leader should be to stand up to Mr Farage and Reform UK

Covering a general election campaign as a journalist can largely be summed up in two words – battle bus. Not too dissimilar to the coaches that rockstars use for their tours, battle buses are the vehicles each political party uses to transport their leaders, candidates, and advisers around the country during the election campaign. Sky’s

People are “really annoyed” the government has not always kept its promises, a Tory minister has said as he acknowledged the election was “tough” after 14 years in power. Speaking to Sky News Johnny Mercer admitted the campaign had been “up and down”, but insisted the polls showing the party lagging behind were not reflected

Even a poll-obsessive like me would have to admit that during election campaigns we often spend too much time focusing on the election ‘horse race’ – who is up and who is down in the polls – on an almost hourly basis. Even in this election, where Labour has been well ahead of the Conservatives

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said he should be allowed into a political leaders’ event next week – and challenged Sir Keir Starmer to a head-to-head debate. The parliamentary hopeful was speaking at an event in London, after a single poll put his party one percentage point above the Conservatives. This is within the

Let’s party like it’s 1997. That could be the message from Labour’s 2024 general election. Back in ’97, the front cover of Labour’s manifesto showed a full-page photo of a mean and moody-looking Tony Blair. The title then was “New Labour, because Britain deserves better” and the campaign song was D:Ream’s Things Can Only Get

Sir Keir Starmer has promised to “end to the desperate era of gestures and gimmicks” with a “credible” long-term plan from Labour to “rebuild our country”. There were no surprises at the party’s manifesto launch in Manchester, with the leader sticking to the “five missions” for government he set out last year – if they

Whether it was the audience reaction, the overwhelming verdict in a snap poll or simply the crestfallen look of the PM as he battled to defend his record, it was clear which of the two leaders had the more challenging time on Wednesday night. The Battle for Number 10 rigorously ran the rule over Keir

The countdown is almost over. In just a matter of hours, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will answer questions from Beth Rigby and audience members in the Sky News leaders’ special event. The Battle for No 10 will be broadcast live from Grimsby with each leader facing 20 minutes of questions from Sky’s award-winning

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be interrogated by Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby and members of the public tonight. During The Battle For Number 10, they will talk and be questioned at length about their ambitions, so viewers can understand in detail what their plans are. Mr Sunak

Rishi Sunak has said “now is the time for bold action” as he pledged a £17bn package of tax cuts in the Conservative manifesto. The prime minister has put reductions to national insurance, stamp duty and a tax break for pensioners at the heart of his pitch to voters in a multi-million pound gamble to