Politics

London mayor Sadiq Khan has written to the Met Police asking for a “detailed explanation” of its partygate probe – after claiming photos showed the PM was “caught red-handed” at an event for which he was not fined. Mr Khan said he had written to the Metropolitan Police’s acting commissioner Sir Stephen House to ask

Tory MPs have criticised photos of Boris Johnson drinking with colleagues during lockdown ahead of the Sue Gray report into parties being published. New pictures emerged on Monday of the prime minister appearing to toast colleagues allegedly during the second national lockdown when people were not allowed to mix with other households inside. The photos,

Photos have emerged of the prime minister drinking at a gathering allegedly during the second lockdown. The photos, obtained by ITV News, show Boris Johnson holding a glass with at least six other people around a table with several empty wine bottles, biscuits and crisps. In the series of photos, the group appear to be

The long-awaited Sue Gray partygate report is finally set to be published this week – with the deadline for Downing Street officials to object to being named in it passed. Reports have suggested the document, expected to be published in the coming days, will feature photographs of illegal gatherings. It was also reported that top

Civil Service job cuts of up to 40% are being examined as part of cost-saving plans at the Department for Education, Nadhim Zahawi has confirmed. The education secretary told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme that modelling across a range of scenarios was being carried out with a view to rein in spending, while

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said he does not know who requested a meeting between the prime minister and Sue Gray over her partygate report, but is confident there was “no way” she would allow herself to be influenced by anybody. Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, the cabinet minister also insisted

Suggestions a meeting with the prime minister had been initiated by Sue Gray to discuss her long-awaited report into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street has been rejected by her spokesman. It comes after Sky News revealed Boris Johnson had met the senior civil servant to discuss the findings of her inquiry. Sources had suggested this

Sue Gray and Boris Johnson had a private meeting to discuss the handling of the partygate report, Sky News can reveal. The pair discussed where Ms Gray believed the Metropolitan Police were with the inquiry, and Whitehall’s understanding of where the police were on interviews. The revelation of an undisclosed meeting is likely to trigger

Top civil servants across Whitehall are to be asked to draw up plans for how they would deliver personnel cuts of up to 40% in each of their departments, Sky News understands. Two senior government sources have said the Cabinet Office is poised to write to all permanent secretaries asking them to model what would

For five long months, the prime minister and his Number 10 team have been beset by the partygate scandal. From the revelations of multiple rule-breaking events in Downing Street and Whitehall, to the public and political fury that prompted a Whitehall and then a police investigation – the PM will emerge from all of this

The investigation into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and around Whitehall has concluded, the Met Police has announced. In all, police have made 126 referrals for fines relating to the partygate scandal – not all of which have yet been issued. Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are among those that have

The Liberal Democrat leader has claimed that Boris Johnson bears responsibility for a rotten political culture and that Tories are “dragging their feet” over rape claims against an MP. Sir Ed Davey told Sky News’s Kay Burley that the arrest of an unnamed Conservative over a series of allegations was “utterly shocking”. He said some

Boris Johnson’s legislative programme outlined in the Queen’s Speech has been passed by MPs – despite some suggesting it should have contained more measures to help the poorest households amid the cost of living crisis. The speech, which was read least week by the Prince of Wales, was passed by MPs in the Commons by

Liz Truss has brushed off a growing clamour for a windfall tax on energy companies even as she admitted the UK was in a “very very difficult economic situation”. The foreign secretary, speaking to Sky News’s Kay Burley shortly after new figures showed inflation hitting a four-decade high of 9%, admitted the surge in the

A Conservative MP has been arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault offences spanning a seven-year period. Scotland Yard confirmed in a statement that a man aged in his 50s has been arrested on suspicion of indecent assault, sexual assault, rape, abuse of position of trust and misconduct in public office. The individual remains

A Cabinet minister has said he was “somewhat surprised” to hear the Bank of England warn of “apocalyptic” food price rises. Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis was quizzed by Sky News’ Kay Burley on the comments made by BoE governor Andrew Bailey in a select committee appearance on Monday. Mr Lewis said: “I was somewhat

Boris Johnson has said the UK needs to “proceed with a legislative solution” to the Northern Ireland Protocol as an “insurance” in case a deal is not reached with Brussels. Speaking on an official visit to Northern Ireland, the prime minister said he would “love” for tensions over the arrangement to be ironed out “in

A government minister has suggested that people struggling with the cost of living should take on more hours or move to a better-paid job. Rachel Maclean, the safeguarding minister, told Sky News’ Kay Burley that those were some of the ways households could “protect themselves” as prices soar. She said that every minister was looking

The government is planning to publish legislation to override the Northern Ireland Protocol, but Sky News understands the cabinet has still not agreed the wording. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are demanding the trade border in the Irish Sea, created by the treaty, be removed before they restore power sharing at Stormont. Sources close to

NHS prescription charges in England are to be frozen as pressure mounts on ministers to ease the cost of living crisis following the recent Tory bruising at the polls. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the levy, which normally rises in line with inflation, will be held at the same level this year to “put money

The first group of illegal migrants have been told they will be sent to Rwanda within a fortnight under the government’s controversial new immigration plans. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 50 “illegal entrants into this country” have been served notice and will be relocated as part of a deal new signed by Home Secretary Priti

Britain should be “very proud” of its private school system, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said as he rejected a push for elite universities to increase state admissions. Mr Zahawi said the country should not “tilt the system” to ensure more pupils from state schools attend establishments such as Oxford and Cambridge, and should instead

A bottle of champagne that Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden donated to a fundraising auction was labelled as being “hugely valuable as a souvenir of partygate”. A picture of the gift, shared by food critic Jay Rayner on social media, shows the bottle’s label stating: “A bottle of champagne signed by Boris. Hugely valuable as

Jacob Rees-Mogg has said that plans to cut more than 90,000 civil service jobs in order to free up billions of pounds for measures to ease the cost of living crisis does not amount to the return of austerity. During an away-day with cabinet ministers in Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday, the prime minister asked cabinet ministers

At least 50 more fines have been issued as a result of the police investigation into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall during coronavirus restrictions. But Number 10 has confirmed Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not one of those who have received a new fixed penalty notice (FPN). In the latest update on its

Emergency talks between the UK and EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol are due on Thursday as ministers consider whether to override parts of the post-Brexit deal. The UK’s Attorney General Suella Braverman is said to have approved the scrapping of swathes of the agreement, giving Boris Johnson legal cover to make the move, despite

Tory backbenchers are pushing for tax cuts after Boris Johnson was said to have shown “more than a bit of ankle” on doing so to address the cost of living crisis. Jake Berry, the Conservative MP who leads a group of Tories representing northern constituencies, said it was “now or never” for Mr Johnson to

The government will not be bringing forward an emergency budget in light of the cost of living crisis, but “will be saying more and doing more to help people”, Michael Gove has said. Responding to the government’s Queen’s Speech on Tuesday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claimed the government was “bereft of ideas” as the

Boris Johnson has hinted at an announcement about addressing the cost of living crisis in coming days – but the Treasury swiftly denied there would be an emergency budget. The prime minister came under pressure over the surge in prices facing British households during the Commons debate on the Queen’s Speech, which sets out the

New laws to outlaw guerrilla-style climate protests that have caused misery for the public are being unveiled in a bumper Queen’s Speech. A new offence of “locking-on”, targeting activists who lock or glue themselves together or to buildings, is planned by Home Secretary Priti Patel. Her crackdown comes in one of 38 new bills, which

The Queen will not be attending tomorrow’s State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years, Buckingham Palace has said. The Prince of Wales will read the Queen’s Speech on her behalf, with the Duke of Cambridge also in attendance. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pulled out of a keynote speech he is due to give today – as pressure mounts on him over so-called ‘beergate’ claims. After being a hugely vocal critic of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the ‘partygate’ Downing Street gatherings during COVID lockdown, Sir Keir is now facing allegations that

Fixing the Northern Ireland Protocol “cannot be put off”, the deputy prime minister has said amid fears that progress on power sharing will remain stalled after last Thursday’s elections. Dominic Raab told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday that stability was being “imperilled” by problems with the protocol, which governs Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements.