Politics

Rishi Sunak has declined to apologise for his joke about transgender people, despite Brianna Ghey’s father calling for him to say sorry. The prime minister was criticised for aiming the political dig about transgender people at Sir Keir Starmer, saying the Labour leader had broken promises on “defining a woman” while Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey,

The father of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey has demanded an apology from Rishi Sunak, saying he was “disgusted” with the prime minister’s comments in the Commons today. Speaking to Sky News, Peter Spooner said Mr Sunak’s remarks during PMQs, which the schoolgirl’s mother Esther attended, were “degrading” and “absolutely dehumanising”. He said: “As the

As the next general election draws closer, three political powerhouses are uniting to unravel the spin in a new weekly podcast from Sky News. Launching on 1 March, Electoral Dysfunction will bring together our Political Editor Beth Rigby, Labour MP Jess Phillips and former leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson to analyse the week

Nigel Farage believes it’s possible to replace the Conservative Party with his own Reform Party as he predicts an “extinction event” for the government at the next election. Mr Farage was speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby at the launch of the Popular Conservatism (PopCon) group in Westminster. Headlined by former prime minister

Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will stand down at the next election. Mr Kwarteng delivered the disastrous mini budget, and was later sacked by then prime minister Liz Truss and replaced with Jeremy Hunt in a bid to reassure markets. The Truss administration collapsed shortly after. Politics latest: PM responds to criticism of ‘depraved bet’ Mr

Rishi Sunak has wished the King a “speedy recovery” after Buckingham Palace announced he was diagnosed with a form of cancer. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on X: “Wishing His Majesty a full and speedy recovery. “I have no doubt he’ll be back to full strength in no time and I know the whole country

Rishi Sunak is visiting Northern Ireland to celebrate the restoration of power-sharing at Stormont, where he will meet the country’s first nationalist first minister. Over the weekend, an executive was finally re-established after almost two years without one in the region. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which had been holding up the process, allowed a

The Clapham chemical attack is “not really about asylum”, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has claimed. A manhunt is still under way for Abdul Ezedi following the attack on Wednesday 31 January in which a mother, 31, and her two children, three and eight, were hospitalised. After two failed attempts, the 35-year-old suspect’s asylum claim to

Northern Ireland’s new first minister has told Sky News she “absolutely contests” the UK government’s claim that a referendum on Irish unity is decades away. Sinn Fein‘s Michelle O’Neill, the first nationalist to occupy the office, described her elevation at Stormont as “a historic day, truly representing a new dawn”. In a document, outlining the

A power-sharing government will return to Northern Ireland today, as Michelle O’Neill makes history as the first nationalist first minister. Politicians will gather at Stormont later for a sitting at which a series of ministers will be appointed to the executive, bringing an end to a two-year political quagmire. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the

Without political input, many important decisions on budgets and public sector pay have been impossible to pass. Successive suspensions at Stormont over the years have contributed to long-term issues in the public sector, with impacts seen across all areas of public services. But perhaps nowhere more so than in the health and social care sector.

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has revealed to Sky News she no longer goes out socially because of threats and abuse and that she was “scared” when confronted by pro-Palestinian supporters. The senior frontbencher said the level of intimidation had impacted on her day-to-day life and she had changed her behaviour. People wanting to see

The suspected chemical attacker who targeted a woman and children is still at large, and the focus is on the police finding hm. But inside government, serious questions are starting to be raised about how a convicted sex offender is understood to have been granted asylum, after being handed a suspended jail sentence. Abdul Shokoor

Rachel Reeves has refused to commit to Labour’s pledge of investing £28bn in green technologies if her party wins the next election. Asked 10 times by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby if the policy remained in place, the shadow chancellor appeared to dodge the question. Instead, she pointed to increasing government debt and “the

Sir Keir Starmer will promise to “fix unprecedented stagnation” in the growth of productivity in the UK, as he unveils Labour’s “plan for business”. The party leader and his shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will host hundreds of business leaders and investors at a central London event on Thursday, as the pair seek to win over

Jeremy Hunt has cast doubts over introducing big tax cuts at the next budget, saying he is unlikely to have the fiscal “room” he had in the autumn. Earlier this month, the chancellor hinted at further reductions come 6 March, saying the government’s plan of “prioritising tax cuts” was working, and that it would “stick

Lord David Cameron has faced a backlash from Conservative MPs after he suggested the UK was moving towards recognising a Palestinian state. Speaking to the Conservative Middle East Council on Monday, the foreign secretary said the UK “should be starting to set out what a Palestinian state would look like – what it would comprise,

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are “in a position” to restart the executive in Northern Ireland after a near two-year absence – if ministers keep to the “agreed timeline” over a fresh deal on post-Brexit trade, their leader has said. The power-sharing agreement between the main parties at Stormont collapsed in 2022, with the unionist

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has agreed a deal restore power sharing to Northern Ireland, subject to legislation by the UK government. The party collapsed the power-sharing government nearly two years ago in protest against post-Brexit trade arrangements. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says his party will restore power sharing in Northern Ireland, subject to

The Archbishop of Canterbury has again slammed the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, telling the House of Lords: “We can as a nation do better than this bill.” Speaking in the upper chamber, the Most Rev Justin Welby said the government was “continuing to seek good objectives in the wrong way”, leading