Politics

The Tories will put benefit reforms at the heart of their election campaign on Sunday as Rishi Sunak seeks to turn things around following a difficult week. The party is promising to cut the cost of welfare to the tune of £12bn by the end of the next parliament through measures aimed at helping people

The Conservative Party will pledge to cut stamp duty for first-time buyers as part of its manifesto. The levy is currently paid on property purchases worth more than £250,000 – with the rate ranging from 5% to 12% of the ticket price, increasing as the price rises. For people purchasing their first home, stamp duty

It was reported last weekend that allies of Penny Mordaunt claimed Downing Street was keeping her “in a box” during the election campaign because Rishi Sunak’s team see her as a threat. Well, after her barnstorming performance in a TV debate against politicians from six opposition parties, the Leader of the Commons is well and

Rishi Sunak has said it was a “mistake” to return from D-Day commemorations in Normandy early. The prime minister was heavily criticised for not being at the final moments of the 80th anniversary D-Day ceremony on Thursday as he travelled back from France to the UK to record a TV interview. On Friday morning, he

Keir Starmer’s election manifesto is expected to pledge recognition of a Palestinian state before the end of a peace process, Sky News understands. According to people familiar with a draft, it will say a Palestinian state should be recognised as “part of a peace process” and not vetoed by other states in the region. The

A Labour minister has struggled to rule out raising other taxes after announcing VAT, income tax and national insurance will not go up. Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey was repeatedly asked if Labour would raise property taxes such as capital gains tax, council tax and stamp duty if his party wins the election – but

It’s a meeting that’s so top secret that those attending – at a secret location – are ordered to surrender their mobile phone and any other electronic devices when they arrive. They’re given numbered copies of the agenda, thick bundles which are then collected from them at the end of the meeting. Security is extremely

Labour have accused Rishi Sunak of lying after he claimed Sir Keir Starmer wants to put taxes up by £2,000 a year. Mr Sunak claimed multiple times during the first TV election debate that Labour’s plans for the country were not costed and would require tax rises of £2,000 per family due to a £38.5bn

Sir Keir Starmer said it was “garbage” to claim he would raise taxes by £2,000 as he traded blows with Rishi Sunak in their heated first TV debate. The Labour leader initially failed to challenge the prime minister’s repeated accusations that Labour’s spending plans would cost each family £2,000. He eventually called it “nonsense” and

Nigel Farage has ruled out doing a deal with the Conservatives after announcing he is standing to become an MP – as he set out his goal for Reform UK to effectively take over the Tory Party. After taking over as leader of Reform UK on Monday, Mr Farage accused the Tories of betraying his

The findings of the SkyNews/YouGov MRP poll are a disaster for the Conservatives, a worry for Labour and good news for the Lib Dems and Reform UK. The forecast of a Tory wipeout will spread panic among Conservative candidates and potentially spark a fresh bout of mutiny against Rishi Sunak from the right of his

The Conservatives have vowed to change the Equality Act to ensure “biological sex” is a protected characteristic. The party said reforming the law – which states that an individual must not be discriminated against on the basis of their sex – would clear up “confusion” among public bodies and institutions about access to female-only spaces.

Transgender athletes may have to compete alongside their biological sex under the Conservatives’ plans to “clarify” equality laws, Kemi Badenoch has said. The cabinet minister told Sky News her party is “not giving instructions” to different sporting bodies, but rather “making it very clear what the law is, that there is a difference between identifying

As AI deepfakes cause havoc during other elections, experts warn the UK’s politicians should be prepared. “Just tell me what you had for breakfast”, says Mike Narouei, of ControlAI, recording on his laptop. I speak for around 15 seconds, about my toast, coffee and journey to their offices. Within seconds, I hear my own voice,

Labour has announced its plans to reduce net migration – with Sir Keir Starmer accusing the Conservatives of having “repeatedly broken their promises” to get the number down. It marks another attempt by the Labour Party to appeal to Conservative voters. Figures published after Rishi Sunak called the general election showed a net of 685,000

The prime minister has taken a defensive approach, signalling the Conservatives’ worry about being so far behind in the polls. Sir Keir Starmer’s visits show the scale of their ambition and highlight Labour’s awareness of the challenge they face. They need to gain 125 seats to win the smallest possible majority. This campaign is being

The Conservatives have pledged to give £20m to 30 towns across the country – a move the Labour Party has branded a “reckless, unfunded commitment”. Rishi Sunak’s party said it would add the towns – many of which are based in the Midlands and north – to its existing long-term plan for towns, increasing the

People caught fly-tipping will get points on their driving licences if the Conservatives win the next general election. Rishi Sunak will make the announcement on Friday as part of his party’s election campaign, promising to crackdown on anti-social behaviour. Other measures will include a new “three strikes and you’re out” system for nuisance social housing

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of trying to purge general election candidates from the left of the Labour Party. Questions remain about whether veteran Corbyn ally Diane Abbott will be barred from standing again, while Labour suspended one candidate and declined to endorse another. Labour’s general election campaign has been overshadowed by the internal

Diane Abbott says she plans on standing in her Hackney North seat in the upcoming election “by any means possible”. The Labour MP had the whip restored to her on Tuesday after being investigated for almost a year over a letter she wrote in The Guardian, suggesting Jewish people do not face racism. But since