Politics

More ministers have resigned today from government than have ever done before in a single day, higher than the previous record of 11 ministers quitting in September 1932. Twelve have left Boris Johnson’s government today, and since 6pm yesterday evening when then Chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid resigned, fifteen ministers have left

Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed Boris Johnson’s new chancellor after Rishi Sunak dramatically quit the role. He moves from the post of education secretary, a role which has now been awarded to former universities minister Michelle Donelan. The resignations of Mr Sunak and his fellow senior minister Sajid Javid have left the prime minister battling

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid have resigned from Boris Johnson’s government. The chancellor, who quit moments after Mr Javid, said: “The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that

Carrie Johnson openly questioned Chris Pincher’s suitability as a government whip as far back as 2017, Sky News understands. While communications director at CCHQ in 2017, Mrs Johnson (then Ms Symonds) questioned how Mr Pincher had ever ended up in the whips’ office in correspondence seen by Sky News. The exchanges followed Mr Pincher’s resignation

Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out rejoining the European Union as he laid out Labour’s plan to tackle issues caused by Brexit. Presenting a five-point plan to deal with Brexit, the Labour leader said his party has been “claiming the centre ground of British politics once again” while the Conservatives are “flailing around”. He said

Labour have called on Boris Johnson to set out what he knew about allegations of inappropriate behaviour by disgraced MP Chris Pincher before appointing him to the Tory whips’ office. The prime minister allegedly referred to the MP as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” before making him deputy chief whip in February. Mr Pincher

Chris Pincher was “incredibly drunk” on the night he is alleged to have groped two men, MPs present at the Carlton Club that evening have told Sky News. “He was beyond the limit when he should have been socialising,” one MP claimed. “He was slurring and mumbling some nonsense and came back in saying he

Chris Pincher’s statement breaking his silence on allegations of drunken groping was both contrite and defiant. It was contrite because he pledged co-operation with the inquiry now being undertaken by the Commons sleaze watchdog, the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme. But it was defiant because he served notice that he has no intention of quitting

Boris Johnson is desperate to avoid a by-election in Chris Pincher’s Tamworth constituency. But Labour, not surprisingly, would dearly love one. After last week’s double defeat in the Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-elections, the Tory high command has got the jitters about anti-Conservative tactical voting. At the December 2019 general election, Mr Pincher had

Boris Johnson is facing mounting pressure over groping claims against a Conservative whip, as two senior female MPs demand a “zero tolerance” approach to sexual misconduct in the party. Chris Pincher quit his role as deputy chief whip after allegedly groping two men – and the PM is being urged to kick him out of

A Tory MP accused of drunkenly groping two men has been suspended by the party. Chris Pincher has had the Conservative whip withdrawn at Westminster over the claims, forcing him to sit as an independent without the support of the parliamentary group. The 52-year-old resigned from his role as deputy chief whip and apologised after

Boris Johnson’s deputy chief whip has resigned over an allegation of “groping”, Sky News understands. Chris Pincher said he had drunk “far too much” and “embarrassing myself and other people” on a night out. The Conservative MP for Tamworth wrote to the prime minister to explain his decision to stand down. He said in his

The UK government will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030, Boris Johnson has announced, as NATO’s secretary general warned that the alliance must stand up to Vladimir Putin. Speaking from the NATO conference in Madrid, the prime minister told broadcasters that “we need to invest for the long-term in vital capabilities like future

Gordon Brown has claimed that Britain is “at war with America over Ireland” – amid opposition from US politicians over plans to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol. The former prime minister told Sky News’s Beth Rigby Interviews that there was no chance of the UK signing a trade deal with the world’s biggest economy

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is doing “the responsible thing” as she pursues a second referendum on Scottish independence – and has contested whether the right to call a vote lies with the UK’s Supreme Court. Scotland’s first minister has also accused Boris Johnson of disrespecting democracy and not following the rule of law. She

An anti-Brexit protester has had his amplifiers seized from him outside Parliament in line with new laws that came into force on Tuesday. Steve Bray, known as the “Stop Brexit Man”, was demonstrating in Westminster when police took the equipment. Under the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act, noisy protests are forbidden in a designated

Boris Johnson has called questions over his leadership “political commentary” as rumours mount that a few of his own MPs are considering defecting to the Labour Party. Asked about the reports, the prime minister told reporters that “these are matters for commentators”. Mr Johnson added that his job is to “get on with the agenda”

The Scottish people must be allowed to have “the democratic choice they have voted for”, with another referendum on independence, Scotland’s First Minister has said. Nicola Sturgeon made the comments ahead of laying out what she has called the “route map” to another independence vote, even if Westminster tries to block the plans. Under the

Boris Johnson has said he is not worried Conservative MPs could be plotting to remove him while he is out of the UK at the G7 summit. Speaking to broadcasters from Germany where the world leaders are convening, the prime minister said doubts over his premiership were “settled” after he survived a confidence vote “a

A move by the British government to rip up post-Brexit trade arrangements in Northern Ireland is “illegal and unrealistic”, the European Union’s ambassador to the UK has warned. Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Joao Vale de Almeida argued steps being taken by Boris Johnson’s administration over the Northern Ireland Protocol were