Politics

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has returned a questionnaire to police investigating the so-called “beergate” episode. Sir Keir has been under pressure over the event in Durham in April 2021, when he was filmed having a drink and a takeaway curry with party colleagues. He has pledged to resign as party leader if he is

Travel turmoil at UK airports caused by severe labour shortages could be solved by staff opting to work longer hours, a business minister has suggested. Speaking to Sky News, Paul Scully highlighted the scope for part-time workers to be “more productive” as he was tackled over months of misery faced by air passengers. His comments

Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser told the prime minister he was quitting after being placed in an “impossible and odious position”. Downing Street published Lord Geidt’s resignation letter a day after he unexpectedly decided to step down, becoming the second in the role to do so under Mr Johnson. Lord Geidt admitted this week that he

Plans to ban “no-fault” evictions and to make it easier for tenants to keep pets will be unveiled as part of the government’s new deal for private renters published later. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is set to publish its Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper, which it describes as “the biggest

The government has not ruled out leaving Europe’s human rights framework after last-ditch legal rulings blocked the first scheduled deportation flight on Tuesday evening. Downing Street said on Wednesday that all options were on the table and did not rule out withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It comes after last-minute interventions

The government will appeal against a European court ruling that grounded the first flight due to take asylum seekers to Rwanda and is “highly confident” the next plane will take off, a Cabinet minister has told Sky News. Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said the public would be surprised that the European Court

SNP MP Patrick Grady is facing suspension from the House of Commons after an allegation of sexual misconduct was upheld by a parliamentary probe. The independent expert panel recommended that Mr Grady should be suspended from the House for two days for making an “unwanted sexual advance” to a member of party staff at a

Boris Johnson has said it would be “preposterous” for Brussels to launch a trade war over “trivial” planned changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol – as senior EU figures warned of the damage they could cause. The government is preparing to table legislation to override parts of the deal, which governs Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading

Boris Johnson has been told that the majority of Northern Ireland assembly members reject the government’s “reckless new protocol legislation”. A letter on behalf of 52 of the 90 members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) said the proposal “flies in the face of the expressed wishes of not just most businesses, but most people in

For a leader on the backfoot, offence can be the best form of defence. For Boris Johnson, there’s no better way to try and move the conversation on from his own political woes than picking a big fight with the EU. But when the prime minister unveils controversial legislation on the Northern Ireland Protocol that

The Northern Ireland secretary has insisted that plans to override the Northern Ireland Protocol are within the law – but critics say the move is “disgraceful”. Brandon Lewis defended the proposals as the government prepares to publish legislation on Monday despite growing concern about the legalities of the move. One senior Tory MP has told

Rwanda’s government has asked for the scheme to send some illegal migrants to its country to be given “a chance”, after Prince Charles is said to have privately called it “appalling”. Yolande Makolo, a spokesperson for the Kigali government, told Sky News the scheme is “well thought out” and it is the responsibility of governments

A leaked version of the government’s new food strategy advises people to eat wild venison as a low-carbon alternative to beef and grow their own cucumbers to save the planet, reports claim. The 27-page document, due to be officially released on Monday, follows two reports carried out by the co-founder of restaurant chain Leon, Henry

Prince Charles is said to have privately called the UK government’s plans to send some illegal migrants to Rwanda “appalling”. The first deportations under the contentious deal are expected to happen next week after the High Court ruled on Friday that a flight taking asylum seekers to the east African country can go ahead. They

As Westminster lurches to the end of the worst week so far for the prime minister, there is only one clear winner evident as the fog of war subsides. It’s not Sir Keir Starmer – Labour folk are fretting about their lack of impact at the moment. Nor is it the 148 Tory rebels who

Today, housing. Soon: childcare, energy and transport. Boris Johnson has a plan and he wants people to know about it – most of all those Tory MPs who sat in judgement on him in recent days. So during his speech in Blackpool the PM had an important argument to make. There are huge economic headwinds

Boris Johnson is not a good role model for children, according to a top government adviser who is known as Britain’s strictest headmistress. Katharine Birbalsingh, chair of the social mobility commission, told Sky News’s Beth Rigby Interviews that from his personal life to his messy hairstyle, the three-times married prime minister causes her to “raise

Michael Gove has said he would not run against Boris Johnson for leader of the Conservative Party after admitting he “made a mistake” when he scuppered the prime minister’s chances in 2016. The levelling up secretary told Sky News he “enthusiastically” voted for the prime minister to stay as party leader in Monday night’s confidence

Boris Johnson has said he is getting on with the job as he came back fighting in his first PMQs after surviving a confidence vote. The prime minister entered the House of Commons to cheers, just two days after he won a vote by his own MPs – although 41% voted to oust him as

Sajid Javid has promised urgent action to reform health and social care management after a review found evidence of bullying, discrimination and blame culture. The health secretary is promising “the biggest shake-up of leadership in decades” in response to a “stark” conclusion that there is “instructional inadequacy” in how leaders and management are trained, valued