Politics

The government has confirmed retailers selling knives online will require ID to purchase and also on delivery. After it emerged Southport killer Axel Rudakubana bought the knife he used to kill three young girls from Amazon when he was just 17 years old, the government has brought forward planned changes to online knife sales. A

Southport child killer Axel Rudakubana received the second-longest life sentence in English history and the government does not ever want to see him released, Downing Street has said. Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said ministers “share the public’s disgust at [Rudakubana’s] barbaric crimes” but said imposing a whole life order (WLO) was not possible because

The government has hinted it is open to joining a tariff-free trading scheme as part of its plan to “reset” its relationship with Europe. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds suggested that joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention (PEM) could be acceptable as it “is not a customs union”. Politics latest: Minister ‘hopes’ Southport killer dies in prison The

From shattering the record for most executive orders signed on a first day in office, a bishop imploring him to have mercy on immigrants and LGBTQ+ people, Melania’s hat and Mark Zuckerberg’s wandering eye – the first few days of Trump 2.0 has been not just the talk of the town in Washington DC, but in

The government should set time limits for public inquiries and “not let them go on for years and years”, Harriet Harman has said. The Labour peer told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast it is “perfectly possible for them to get on and do their job quickly”. Speaking after Home Secretary

A record number of children are living in B&Bs beyond the legal limit as England’s homelessness crisis pushes councils to breaking point. MPs said there is a “dire need” for housing reform, with the lack of affordable homes forcing cash-strapped local authorities to haemorrhage their funds on temporary accommodation. The “crisis situation” means there is

Sir Keir Starmer is vowing to take on “the NIMBYs” by reducing legal challenges to infrastructure building – with a new approach stopping “newts and bats” from blocking construction. The Labour government has made growth one of its primary targets, with a key plank of this strategy to build new infrastructure like roads and power

People buying knives online will be asked for two types of identification as the government plans to prevent underage sales following the murder of three girls in Southport. Axel Rudakubana, who admitted this week to killing the young girls last summer, bought the knife he killed them with from Amazon when he was 17, despite

It presented Sir Keir Starmer with his first big challenge in office, and the Southport stabbings – followed by riots – look set to colour the early stages of his premiership. He dealt with the immediate aftermath by successfully mobilising the justice system and fast-tracking offenders through it – a throwback to his days as

Former home secretary Lord Blunkett has called for a cap on political donations made by companies and stricter rules on “where money originates”. The Labour stalwart – who is now a member of the House of Lords – told Sky News that he is not against firms or trade unions being able to give cash

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will travel to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week to court potential investors in UK growth projects, joining hundreds of political and economic leaders gathering in the Swiss Alps in the shadow of Donald Trump’s inauguration. Ms Reeves will join political leaders including German chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission

It was a small signifier – one which could be over-interpreted – but nevertheless provoked angst among some in government at a time when there isn’t universally huge confidence that UK-US political relations are as robust as they should be. On Sunday, the British Embassy in Washington had a bash for members of the incoming

There’s a deep, transatlantic contrast between the bombastic billionaire Donald Trump and the bespectacled human rights lawyer Sir Keir Starmer, on a political and a personal level. Despite the so-called “special relationship” it’s clearly going to be an uphill battle for the British PM to forge a productive relationship with the incoming president, but he

There are currently “no plans” for the UK to follow in America’s footsteps and ban TikTok, a cabinet minister said. Darren Jones said cats and dancing videos do not “seem like a national security threat”, but suggested the position could change if an issue emerges which the government is “concerned about”. The Chinese-opened app was

Poland’s prime minister has said he hopes for the “Breturn” of the UK as a member of the European Union – as he discussed a defence treaty with Sir Keir Starmer. Donald Tusk, who was hosting the prime minister for discussions on a UK-Polish defence pact in Warsaw, said it was his “dream” that “instead

When Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is just one point behind you in the opinion polls, the last thing you want to be reminded about is Brexit. If you’re Sir Keir Starmer, that is. No doubt Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, was trying to be friendly. After all, as Sir Keir said, they share a passion

Sir Keir Starmer has called his visit to Auschwitz “utterly harrowing” and said he was determined to fight the “poison of antisemitism”. The prime minister visited the former Nazi concentration camp where he laid a wreath ahead of the 80th anniversary of its liberation, during a trip to Poland to meet its political leaders. After

No phones or other devices, strict reporting rules, bombed-out buildings, and a drone threat – Beth Rigby shares what it’s like to join the prime minister Sir Keir Starmer in Ukraine. Sky News’s political editor said “the whole experience was absolutely fascinating” on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, but added the nature of Sir Keir‘s visit

Lisa Nandy has said she “utterly refutes” claims Elon Musk’s intervention on UK grooming gangs prompted action from the government. The culture secretary told Sky News: “We’re not a government that conducts government by social media.” Tech billionaire and Trump ally Mr Musk spent the first fortnight of 2025 accusing the government of failing to

Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservatives will consider means-testing the pensions triple lock. The Tory leader said her party would “look at means-testing” the system which guarantees that the state pension rises in line with average earnings, inflation or 2.5% – whichever is highest. The Conservatives have long championed the triple lock – introduced by

Keir Starmer’s visit to the presidential palace in Kyiv was met with a message from Russia when a drone was blasted out of the sky above. The prime minister was meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the next steps for Ukraine, on Sir Keir’s first visit to Kyiv since his election victory last July.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he will “look at every conceivable way” to stop former Troubles internees claiming compensation after a report warned ex-Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is in line for “a payday from the taxpayer”. Currently, the law under the Legacy Act blocks Mr Adams and others interned without trial in the 1970s

MPs are calling for the government to intervene in the upheaval currently gripping English rugby. England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) is currently subject to widespread dissatisfaction within the grassroots and parts of the professional game. A slew of factors, including increased executive pay, record financial losses, a struggling grassroots game and poor results from the

Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has been named by investigators in Bangladesh who allege she was involved in the illegal allocation of land to members of her family while serving as an MP. Sky News has obtained an affidavit – or legal written statement – filed by the anti-corruption commission in Bangladesh that accuses Ms Siddiq

Tulip Siddiq has resigned as a Treasury minister after controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh. In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, the Hampstead and Highgate MP said while she had “not breached the ministerial code”, continuing in her post would be “a distraction from the work of the government”.

The Labour MP for Rotherham has called for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal, adding more pressure on Sir Keir Starmer. Sarah Champion said child sexual abuse was “endemic” in Britain and “needs to be recognised as a national priority”. She is the latest Labour politician to call for a national inquiry into

Tulip Siddiq has sought to distance herself from her aunt, deposed Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, claiming they never spoke about politics. But Sky News can reveal that in a blog written by the now City minister she boasted about how close they were politically and published photos of them together. In posts written in late

There comes a point in the arc of most political scandals after which a resignation risks prompting more questions than it answers. The danger for Tulip Siddiq – and by extension Sir Keir Starmer – is that threshold may about to be passed, if it hasn’t been already. In other words, if she goes now,

Half the public think Elon Musk is having a negative impact on British politics following his rants on X about Labour and Sir Keir Starmer, according to a new survey. The South African-born billionaire has spent much of the past week attacking the prime minister over his opposition to another national inquiry into grooming gangs.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh. It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be

Nigel Farage has said 10 Reform councillors who quit in protest over his “autocratic” leadership were put forward by a “rogue branch” of the party. The Derbyshire group made the announcement after billionaire X owner Elon Musk said Mr Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead the party. The Clacton MP told Sky News

From Essex County Council chamber to Nigel Farage’s speech at Reform UK’s Surrey conference, two very different events today tell you everything you need to know about why the government’s devolution overhaul matters. Let’s start with the substance. Councils in Essex have today decided to apply to turn 15 local authorities into two to five

Harriet Harman has suggested a “mini inquiry” into issues raised by the grooming gangs scandal and called on Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch to discuss “terms of reference”. The Labour peer told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that there should “openness” to a future probe as long it does