Politics

Iceland supermarket boss Richard Walker has switched his support from the Conservatives to Labour, saying Sir Keir Starmer’s party is “the right choice” for his customers. Mr Walker, a former Tory donor and the executive chairman of Iceland, said under Sir Keir’s leadership Labour had “progressively moved towards the ground on which I have always

Labour MP Kate Osamor has had the Labour whip suspended while she is investigated for saying Gaza should be remembered as a genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day. The Edmonton MP sent the message to her party members, saying Holocaust Memorial Day should be observed, but other genocides should also be remembered – and list Gaza

There was general agreement at the Institute for Government’s Annual conference last week that it would be a good thing for Britain if this year’s election campaign is not “dirty”. This highfalutin notion was shot down in seconds with equally universal assumption by the assembled politicians and policy wonks that “that is not going to

Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband have had some of their assets frozen by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the couple have confirmed. A spokesman for the pair said the move was part of a “consensual process” which would allow them to “prove their innocence more quickly” amid an investigation into government contracts for personal

The government’s plan to drill for more oil and gas in the North Sea passed its first major hurdle in the Commons this week. But will it, as the government claims, deliver energy security and protect the jobs we need to help drive a transition to a low-carbon economy? Or are the Petroleum Licencing Bill’s

It is more likely to fail than succeed, the plotters behind the attempt to oust Rishi Sunak believe. The most likely outcome of all the conversations, scheming and briefing is that the Tories go down to an even bigger defeat than they otherwise would have done when the election finally comes. Yet, the handful of

There is no clear alternative to lead the Conservative Party if Rishi Sunak were to be ousted, new polling has suggested.  Questions about the prime minister’s future have been raised by the calls for him to go from Sir Simon Clarke, and the defection of his pollster Will Dry to a group seeking his removal.

An aide to Rishi Sunak has quit and joined an effort to oust him, warning the Conservative Party could be destroyed by Christmas. Will Dry, a special adviser responsible for polling and opinion research at Number 10, resigned in November “after steadily becoming more dispirited”. After leaving Downing Street, he joined “others” who believe the

The next government could struggle to fund public services because of the biggest debt challenge since the 1950s, according to a respected thinktank. Whichever party wins the next election may be unable to fund key services if politicians are not transparent about the trade-offs they face, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says in a

British citizens should be “trained and equipped” to fight in a potential war with Russia – as Moscow plans on “defeating our system and way of life”, the head of the British Army has said. General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing Chief of the General Staff (CGS), said increasing army numbers in preparation for a

Former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke has called on Rishi Sunak to resign as prime minister. The Tory MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, who served as housing secretary under Liz Truss, said in The Telegraph: “Rishi Sunak has sadly gone from asset to anchor.” Politics latest: Reaction to Clarke’s call for PM to

Rishi Sunak has said the UK is “not seeking a confrontation” with Yemen’s Houthi fighters – but it will strike again if their attacks in the Red Sea continue. Royal Air Force jets took part in a second wave of joint US-UK action against the group on Monday night after attacks on the vital shipping

The passing of the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill to its next stage is good news for Rishi Sunak.  MPs gave the bill a second reading by 293 votes to 211 on Monday evening, with the government securing a majority of 82. The prime minister is a man, remember, who said he wants to “max out”

The House of Lords has defied Rishi Sunak to vote against the ratification of the UK’s new treaty with Rwanda – in what could prove a damaging development for the Safety of Rwanda Bill. The upper house was voting following a report last week that recommended the treaty not be ratified. It comes after Rishi

Water company bosses have awarded themselves over £25m in bonuses and incentives since the last general election, according to analysis by Labour. The analysis found that nine water chief executives were paid £10m in bonuses, £14m in incentives and £603,580 in benefits since 2019. It comes amid outrage over illegal sewage dumping, with water firms

Rishi Sunak will seek to refocus attention on the economy this week amid questions about how long his chancellor will remain in post. Downing Street issued a statement in October saying: “The chancellor will be delivering the autumn statement in a few weeks’ time and the budget next spring.” The latest Politics at Jack and

Jeremy Hunt has compared himself to tax-cutting former chancellor Nigel Lawson as he suggested using his spring budget to “relieve pressure on families”. Ahead of the budget on 6 March, the chancellor said the government’s plan of “prioritising tax cuts” is working, and they will “stick to it”. Mr Hunt went on to liken his

Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted a speech by shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, with cries of “will you condemn the genocide” and “how many more children need to die”. The Labour Tottenham MP was giving a speech to the Fabian Society on Saturday to outline the party’s foreign policy if it wins the next general election. But

MPs have demanded that the Treasury and other public sector organisations reveal the details of any contracts awarded to Fujitsu since 2019 as the firm continues to come under fire for its role in the Post Office scandal. The letter to the Treasury – which was also sent to the Bank of England, the Office

Rishi Sunak awkwardly laughed when he was challenged about the state of the health service by a former NHS worker in Winchester. The prime minister was walking through the city in Hampshire when he was stopped by a woman who indicated she had worked for the NHS in the past. In the footage, captured by