Politics

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has hinted at changing the status of the inquiry looking into the crimes of Lucy Letby, saying he wanted to ensure the families affected had “full confidence” in the probe. The government ordered an inquiry last week after Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six

Kemi Badenoch heads to India this week in the hope of making progress on a trade deal, but government sources played down the prospect of an imminent breakthrough. A source told Sky News that “tricky” issues have not yet been resolved as the talks enter their twelfth round, almost a year after a deadline announced

Home Office plans to clamp down on illegal migration risk creating a “perma-backlog” of asylum seekers that could end up costing the taxpayer over £6bn a year, a think tank has said. Researchers at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) argue that measures in the Illegal Migration Act – which aims to detain and remove

Half of private renters in England are only “one paycheque away” from potentially losing their home, a new study by Shelter has found. Some 51% of private renters surveyed by the housing charity were at risk of not being able to pay a full month’s rent, while more than a third said they did not

Sir Keir Starmer has said questions about his role as the director of public prosecutions (DPP) during the wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson should be “directed elsewhere”. The Labour leader said Mr Malkinson – who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit before having his conviction overturned – had been

Sadiq Khan’s deputy and a scientist the mayor’s office helps to fund have been accused of working together in an attempt to criticise research that questioned the effectiveness of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Emails obtained by the Conservative Party under the Freedom of Information Act showed Professor Frank Kelly of Imperial College London

A Tory MP has written to his local police force asking officers to “turn a blind eye” to pubs opening an hour early for the Women’s World Cup final this weekend. Pubs can choose when they open on Sundays, but the time from which they can start selling alcohol varies depending on each pub’s individual

Suella Braverman has been urged to “stand up” to France as reports emerged the country is intercepting fewer migrants in the Channel despite a £480m funding deal. The call from Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis came as The Telegraph claimed just 45.2% of migrants have been stopped by French patrols since January, down from 45.8% in

A Labour frontbencher has failed to deny claims the party has watered down its key commitment to strengthen workers’ rights. The Financial Times alleged leader Sir Keir Starmer has scaled back this commitment in an attempt to appease corporate backers, including by diluting his pledge to bolster the rights of gig workers. This would mean

There have been over 100 sewage leaks in government buildings across the UK in the past 12 months, data obtained by the Liberal Democrats reveals. Legionella was also discovered in water outlets in HMRC’s Liverpool offices, leading civil service unions to criticise the “unsafe and unsanitary environments” for civil servants. But the government says it

Calls from pubs and the Liberal Democrats for alcohol licensing laws to be relaxed for Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final have been rejected by ministers. Pubs can choose when they open on Sundays, but the time from which they can start selling alcohol varies depending on each pub’s individual licence. The British Beer and Pub

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has been criticised for suggesting employers won’t ask pupils about their A-levels in a decade’s time. Ms Keegan said students “shouldn’t be disappointed” if their results were not what they had hoped for as top grades fell from last year – although they remain above pre-pandemic levels. Please use Chrome browser

The government has confirmed that two-thirds of NHS England cancer targets will be scrapped by the autumn as it aims to bring cancer care “into the modern era”. The new guidelines will see the 10 targets currently in place reduced to three – and the two-week wait target will be scrapped in favour of the

The Scottish government will go to court next month to challenge Westminster’s decision to block its much-debated gender reform bill. The hearing has been locked in to begin on 19 September after both parties told Scotland’s highest civil court they are ready to present their arguments. A procedural hearing was held at the Court of

Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to “say something” about the case of a man who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit before having his conviction overturned. Former justice secretary Robert Buckland has said the Labour leader – who was director of public prosecutions (DPP) and head of the

The government will have left households in Britain “worse off”, even if official data on Wednesday shows a slowdown in the rate of inflation, Labour has said. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is expected to reveal the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate of inflation was down to 6.7% in July, from 7.9% the previous

Rishi Sunak has refused to say whether he was personally warned about potential health risks for asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm after bacteria was discovered on the barge. All 39 asylum seekers were removed from the vessel, which is currently docked in Portland, Dorset, on Friday after Legionella bacteria was found in the vessel’s

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel has accused her former department of being “evasive” and “secretive” over how long it plans to use a former RAF base to house asylum seekers. In a letter to her successor Suella Braverman and the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, earlier on Monday, Dame Priti wrote that the “lack of

Ministers are injecting £250m into the NHS ahead of winter as they try to get a grip on record waiting times for treatment. The funding for 30 NHS organisations across England will create 900 new beds in urgent and emergency care services to avoid patients needing to be admitted and occupying hospital spaces. However, a

Rishi Sunak has been warned that rowing back on climate policies could defeat the objective of protecting households from higher costs – and actually make energy bills more expensive. Downing Street has confirmed ministers are scrutinising existing net zero pledges “in light of some of the cost of living challenges”. The prime minister said he

The government has defended its immigration strategy after deaths in the English Channel prompted renewed criticism of the “stop the boats” pledge – including from Tory MPs. At least six people died after a small boat crossing from France to the UK capsized and sank, in what has been described as an “appalling and preventable”

The health secretary is said to be “open to requests” for patients from other UK nations to be treated in England to help tackle waiting lists. Steve Barclay has invited the health ministers for Scotland and Wales to discuss what can be learned from their varying approaches. He suggested he would consider appeals for people

Asylum seekers on board the Bibby Stockholm were not told to stop showering or drinking water during their stay despite Legionella bacteria being discovered in the water supply, a source told Sky News. Stand Up to Racism, who have been in contact with migrants who have been moved from the barge, heard reports that the

Jeremy Hunt’s younger brother has died from an ‘aggressive’ form of cancer aged 53. Charlie Hunt, a father-of-three, died peacefully on August 2, his family said in a statement to the Daily Telegraph. The chancellor spoke last month about how the disease had hit his family, with his sibling having been diagnosed with sarcoma in

The discovery of Legionella on board the Bibby Stockholm is the latest embarrassing setback in a plan beset with controversy and delay from the very start. Thankfully, no one on board has developed any symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially serious form of pneumonia spread by infected water droplets. The Home Office insist the 39

Doctors who have been working for the NHS for less than two weeks are among those downing tools this morning and going on strike. Junior doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) are staging a four-day walkout from 7am in an ongoing dispute over pay. Concerns have been mounting over the impact of the strike

The number of people who have crossed the English Channel in small boats in the past five years is now likely to have passed 100,000. Government figures show that since 2018, when records began, 99,960 people have made the perilous journey from France to the UK as of Tuesday. With more than 40 people believed

Diane Abbott has been accused of exploiting the deaths of 41 migrants in a shipwreck off Italy in a now-deleted tweet about the tragedy. The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, who is currently suspended from the parliamentary Labour Party, tweeted a link to an article about the deaths earlier today, and wrote: “These

A government minister has called for “absentee” Tory MP Nadine Dorries to officially resign, saying her constituents are not being properly represented – while a Labour MP has said the Conservative is “taking voters for a ride”. Robert Jenrick said Downing Street will “consider” proposals to oust her from the Commons but she should “get

The UK and Turkey will work together to “disrupt and dismantle” people smuggling gangs under a new deal announced today. A new operational “centre of excellence” will be established by the Turkish National Police as part of the agreement and both countries will also share intelligence. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said he was unable to

Lee Anderson has refused to apologise for saying asylum seekers who don’t want to be housed on barges should “f*** off back to France”. But the Conservative deputy chairman also said there was “no doubt” the government had failed to tackle illegal immigration. Tory MP Mr Anderson made the remark about asylum seekers after it

The government has announced a “task force” to root out dodgy lawyers after reports that false asylum claims are being submitted for a fee. The Home Office said the unit would bring together regulatory bodies, law enforcement teams and other government departments to act against solicitors and barristers found to be deceiving the courts. The

Asylum seekers who did not get on the Bibby Stockholm today have until Tuesday to board the vessel or face having their government support cancelled, Sky News can reveal. While 15 people did board the barge docked in Portland, Devon, around 20 people did not take up the offer made on what the government has