Politics

Bar closures in Parliament are not needed to prevent MP scandals, senior politicians agree, as it was argued the cause is “bigger than the hospitality arrangements”. Frontbenchers from both main parties pointed out few of the recent misconduct controversies had actually happened in hostelries at Westminster. Chris Pincher, MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire, quit as

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 facing questions over his delay in suspending former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher from the parliamentary party over an allegation that he drunkenly groped two men. Mr Pincher had already been forced to quit his role in the Tory whips’ office – in which he was responsible for party discipline and the

Boris Johnson has rejected calling a snap election after fuelling speculation he could go to the country early. The prime minister ruled out a fresh poll in an interview recorded before the government became embroiled in fresh controversy when Tory MP Chris Pincher quit as deputy chief whip, a role in which he was responsible

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

The investigation into whether Boris Johnson deliberately misled parliament over the partygate scandal has begun with a call for evidence – and individuals will be allowed to contribute to the inquiry anonymously. Labour veteran Harriet Harman, currently the longest-serving female MP, has been selected to chair the probe which will be conducted by the Commons

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

Boris Johnson is capable of winning the next general election, a cabinet colleague has insisted, as he said the ability to look forward is a good thing after the prime minister said he was eyeing a third term. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis threw his support behind the Tory leader, amid fresh criticism and plots

Two by-election defeats, the resignation of his party chairman with the parting shot that Conservative grassroots “deserve better than this”, and his colleagues back home openly discussing how to change party rules for another confidence vote – none of it seems to bother Boris Johnson. As MPs back in the UK talked – publicly and

In the end, it wasn’t a double blow, but a triple one. Boris Johnson lost not just two by-elections but his party chairman too, who became the first of his cabinet to publicly express misgivings over the PM’s leadership, saying volunteers and staffers “deserve better than this”. The by-election losses he was reluctantly expecting, but

Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden this morning resigned declaring “somebody must take responsibility”. Yet it is far from clear that blame for the two overnight defeats in two very different sets of electoral circumstances could ever be laid at the door of the mild-mannered Mr Dowden. The voters of Tiverton were not demanding his head

Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden has resigned after the party slumped to two by-election defeats. Mr Dowden said in a letter to Boris Johnson that the defeats were “the latest in a run of very poor results” and added: “We cannot carry on with business as usual.” He is the first Cabinet minister to fall

Labour has won the Wakefield by-election with 13,166 votes – a majority of 4,925 – taking the traditional Red Wall seat back from the Conservatives. NHS worker Simon Lightwood will now represent the West Yorkshire city in the Commons. Speaking after the result, Mr Lightwood addressed the prime minister, saying: “Boris Johnson, your contempt for

The source of the polio virus discovered in a London sewage works could be narrowed down to a house or street, a health minister has said. Lord Kamall said relevant agencies were now using “world-beating” tools to work out how to “go along the pipe” to locate where the virus came from. “In theory, it

Voters will head to the polls this morning in two crucial by-elections that are seen as a key test for Boris Johnson’s leadership. In Wakefield, a former industrial area in West Yorkshire, the election was triggered by the resignation of Imran Ahmad Khan. Wakefield was one of the so-called Red Wall seats won by the

Sir Keir Starmer has attacked the prime minister for failing to hold meetings with unions to stop the national rail strike this week. During Prime Minister’s Questions, the Labour leader said Boris Johnson had not “held a conversation or lifted a finger” to stop the industrial action that brought the network to a halt on

The deputy prime minister wants to introduce a Bill of Rights to ignore European Court of Human Rights judgments blocking removal flights to Rwanda. Dominic Raab is introducing the proposed legislation, which would also increase deportations of foreign criminals, to parliament on Wednesday after the court in Strasbourg disputed the government’s heavily-criticised policy of sending

Commuters must be prepared to “stay the course” in the face of the “unnecessary aggravation” caused by rail strikes, Boris Johnson has warned. He made the remarks came at the start of a Cabinet meeting on the first day of walk-outs across the network that are the biggest for three decades, leaving millions facing inconvenience.

Downing Street has confirmed it was in conversation with The Times around the time the newspaper dropped a report claiming Boris Johnson tried to appoint his now wife to a government role when he was foreign secretary. In a story published on Saturday morning, the paper reported that Mr Johnson attempted to hire Carrie Johnson,

Boris Johnson is resting after undergoing a minor operation during which he was briefly under general anesthesia, Downing Street has said. Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab will take any “significant decisions” that are required to be made ahead of the PM returning to work on Tuesday. The prime minister’s official spokesperson said Mr Johnson went

Tearing up post-Brexit trade arrangements in Northern Ireland would inflict “economic vandalism”, the Irish prime minister has warned. Micheal Martin said it would be a “very serious situation” if the UK Government pressed ahead with legislation to ditch key parts the Northern Ireland Protocol. He insisted the European Union wanted to avoid a trade war

Cabinet minister Grant Shapps has revealed  he predicted to within one vote the scale of the recent revolt by Tory MPs against Boris Johnson. In doing do so, the transport secretary was far more accurate in forecasting the scale of opposition against the prime minister’s leadership than the Conservative whips. The backroom fixers were taken

The RMT’s decision to proceed with train strikes next week will “punish millions of people”, the transport secretary has said. Grant Shapps warned the UK is “now on the cusp of major disruption which will cause misery for people right across the country”. He also claimed the RMT union had been repeatedly urged not to

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned the world against letting “Ukraine-fatigue” set in as he returned from a surprise visit to the war-torn country. Mr Johnson had pulled out of a planned appearance at conference of northern Tories on Friday in order to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Asked if he had timed the visit

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