Politics

Rishi Sunak has said it is “absolutely right” that Sir Gavin Williamson resigned and admitted he has “regret” over appointing him as a cabinet minister in light of the allegations he is facing. The prime minister insisted he “did not know about any of the specific concerns” relating to Sir Gavin’s alleged “unacceptable” behaviour in

He had to go. It was inevitable. The charge sheet against Sir Gavin Williamson was getting longer, not just by the day, but by the hour. It was impossible for him to survive, given the damage the bullying row was doing to Rishi Sunak. Did he jump or was he pushed? Despite Sir Gavin claiming

Rishi Sunak believes Sir Gavin Williamson’s account of events on the allegations he is facing and still has confidence in the cabinet minister, Downing Street has said. The Guardian newspaper reported that Sir Gavin allegedly told a senior civil servant to “slit your throat” while he was defence secretary. An ex-official from the Ministry of

The latest proposals for a major shake-up of parliamentary constituencies across the UK have been unveiled. Ten more seats would be created in England – taking the total number of MPs from 533 to 543. Wales would lose eight seats, going down to 32 MPs – with two seats removed in Scotland to leave 57

Business Secretary Grant Shapps has hinted that the government may extend the windfall tax on oil and gas companies in this month’s autumn budget as it tries to stabilise the UK’s public finances. Speaking to Sky News with just 10 days to go before the government’s fiscal plans are unveiled, Mr Shapps said: “I mean,

When Wendy Morton attempted to be selected as Conservative candidate in Richmond, North Yorkshire, back in 2014, she was defeated by Rishi Sunak. Now she appears to be gaining her revenge as the prime minister faces questions about his judgement for re-appointing Sir Gavin Williamson to the government. Politics Hub: PM ‘has confidence’ in Williamson

Ed Miliband has called for an “urgent independent investigation” into the reappointment of Sir Gavin Williamson who faces bullying allegations. The new Cabinet Office minister allegedly sent abusive text messages to ex-chief whip Wendy Morton complaining that he and other colleagues had been excluded from the Queen’s funeral for political reasons. Speaking on Sky News’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sworn to get the UK off polluting fossil fuels and on to more clean power in order to secure energy supplies, bucking claims by his predecessor Liz Truss that oil and gas expansion was vital. Addressing world leaders at COP27 in Egypt on Monday, Mr Sunak will argue the “shock”

This weekend the prime minister is heading to the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh. Rishi Sunak is not going for a late sunshine break after his first fortnight in Number 10, he will be representing the UK at the COP27 climate change summit in Egypt. He made a point of announcing that he

The government says it still supports the Sizewell C nuclear power plant and is hoping to get a deal over the line to fully fund the project as soon as possible. Funding towards the Suffolk plant totalling £700m was signed off by Boris Johnson at the start of September in one of his last acts

Two groups of people who had crossed the Channel in small boats were left stranded in London after a “misunderstanding” with Home Office officials, a minister has confirmed. Chris Philp, the policing minister, claimed the groups had told immigration officials “they had addresses to go to, so friends and family, and that turned out subsequently

Downing Street has defended Suella Braverman after she flew to an overcrowded migration centre in a £3,500-an-hour military helicopter. The home secretary avoided questions from the press as she met the Dover coastguard and travelled to the Manston facility in a Chinook. At one point in recent days, as many as 4,000 people were being

A Tory MP should be suspended from the Commons for suggesting the standards commissioner’s potential peerage depended on ruling against him over lobbying breaches, the Standards Committee has recommended Andrew Bridgen should be suspended for five sitting days, the parliamentary committee that oversees the work of the standards commissioner said. The committee found the MP

The Home Office is facing legal action over conditions at the Manston migrant processing centre – as reports suggest asylum seekers were removed from the site and “abandoned” at London Victoria station. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick told Sky News that a judicial review is being brought following reports of severe overcrowding at the centre in

Rishi Sunak has reversed his decision to skip the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next week, following pressure from green campaigners and MPs. In a statement on Twitter, the prime minister said: “There is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change. “There is no energy security without investing in renewables. That is why I

Hundreds of migrants have been moved from an overcrowded immigration centre in Kent – with the government accused of presiding over a “shambles”. The Manston processing centre is designed to hold up to 1,600 people for no more than 24 hours – but as of Monday, there were 4,000 on the site. Sky News has

The autumn statement this month will likely encompass “rough” tax rises as the Treasury seeks to fill a multi-billion “black hole” in the nation’s finances, Sky News has been told. The warning from a source in the Treasury comes after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met yesterday morning. They discussed what is

The Home Office has been told to “get a grip” over the issues at the Manston migrant processing centre – as a new report reveals detainees were not allowed to close toilet doors fully and had to sleep on the floor. Some migrants have not been allowed access to mobile phones to inform their families

The situation at the Manston migration centre in Kent is a “breach of humane conditions”, according to the Tory MP for the area. Conservative backbencher Sir Roger Gale told Sky News overcrowding at the facility – where outbreaks of MRSA and diphtheria have been reported – is “wholly unacceptable”. The site is only designed to

Amid the relative political calm that’s washed across Westminster in the last five days, one issue has stuck out like a sore thumb. The reappointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary, a week after she resigned over security breaches, has baffled and bemused Conservative MPs and officials. Given Rishi Sunak set great store by his

Michael Gove has defended cabinet colleague Suella Braverman’s controversial reappointment, describing her as a “first-rate, front-rank politician”. Ms Braverman was forced to resign from Liz Truss’s government after she sent an official document from her personal email to a fellow MP and copied in another MP by mistake. New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under

The government is facing calls to carry out an urgent investigation after reports emerged that a phone belonging to Liz Truss was hacked by Russia. The Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party have described the allegations as “extremely serious” and “concerning”. Agents suspected of working for Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly hacked the former prime

The UK is now spending more of its aid budget at home than in poorer countries, development experts have said. That is because a large proportion of the pot – some £3bn – is being spent on housing refugees, mainly from Ukraine, according to the Centre for Global Development (CGD). The UK aid budget is

James Cleverly will today urge world leaders to work together to fight online terror and prevent attacks at a United Nations meeting in India. Attending the UN Security Council counter-terrorism committee in New Delhi, the Foreign Secretary – who kept his job in new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s Cabinet reshuffle – will urge the UK’s

The UK’s Northern Ireland secretary has said he “will be calling an election” in the nation after a deadline to restore devolved government at Stormont passed at midnight. Yesterday, last-ditch efforts to restore the multi-party executive failed and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris had been expected to subsequently call an election today and announce the

It’s Albert Einstein’s classic definition of insanity – “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” A second Northern Ireland Assembly election might produce a slightly different picture but the end result will be the same. Unless there’s a solution to the Brexit trading arrangement, there still won’t be a power-sharing government

Security services could be reluctant to share sensitive information with Suella Braverman after her controversial reappointment as home secretary, Lord Blunkett has warned. The Labour peer, himself a former home secretary, suggested “there could be two really unfortunate outcomes to the reappointment of the current home secretary” just six days after she was forced to

Rishi Sunak is facing pressure to protect the triple lock on state pensions – and a growing backlash over his decision to reappoint Suella Braverman as home secretary. The new prime minister has confirmed that a planned Halloween budget will be delayed until 17 November so the latest economic forecasts can be taken into account.

Rishi Sunak is reinstating the ban on fracking that Liz Truss controversially lifted. During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, the new prime minister said he stands “by the manifesto” on fracking. The Conservative 2019 manifesto placed a moratorium on fracking in England following opposition from environmentalists and local communities. Mr Sunak‘s spokesman explicitly confirmed he

Rishi Sunak has started to appoint his cabinet after being officially asked by the King to form a new government. The new prime minister has promised to form a government of “all the talents” amid calls from senior Tories to appoint the best ministers available – rather than focusing on those who are loyal to

Rishi Sunak has appointed his cabinet after being asked by the King to form a new government. The new prime minister promised to form a government of “all the talents” amid calls from senior Tories to appoint the best ministers available – rather than focusing on those who are loyal to him, as his two

Rishi Sunak will become the UK’s prime minister after meeting King Charles at Buckingham Palace this morning. At the start of the day, outgoing PM Liz Truss will hold her last cabinet meeting before she is expected to make a departing statement outside Number 10 at 10.15am. Ms Truss, who became the shortest-serving leader in