Politics

Rishi Sunak has said he is “just trying to stay at the crease” and “not get out” when asked by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby about his leadership ambitions. It was put to the chancellor that Boris Johnson once said, referring to his leadership intentions, that if a ball came loose from the back

For a man who spent five years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Anoosheh Ashoori laughs a lot. Snatched off the streets of Iran while visiting his sick mother in 2017, the British-Iranian father was interrogated and held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. But, last week, almost out of the blue, he and

For all the eye-catching measures from Rishi Sunak in his mini-budget on Wednesday, what most stood out was the strength of the economic headwinds coming our way. For millions of families already feeling the cost of living squeeze, the news was unrelentingly grim. Inflation is set to hit a 40-year high of 8.7% later in

Boris Johnson is set to announce a new military support package for Ukraine on Thursday as he meets with NATO and G7 leaders and urges them to “step up” in response to Russian aggression. Calling on the UK’s allies to ensure Ukrainian’s have the means to continue to protect themselves against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s

Rishi Sunak is expected to pledge to “stand by” hardworking families and set out further plans to support people with the rising cost of living when he unveils his spring statement on Wednesday. It is understood the chancellor will unveil proposals intended to build “a stronger, more secure economy” as people across the UK face

As he faces yet another mini budget on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak now suffers from having set expectations unsustainably high during his two years as chancellor.  At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, he pledged to do “whatever it takes” to support the economy. He subsequently received credit amongst the public and his colleagues for doing

A group of Conservative MPs are expected to rebel on a number of the government’s proposed asylum and immigrations reforms today. This afternoon, the Nationality and Borders Bill – which has been branded as “barbaric” by critics – returns to the Commons having been heavily amended by peers in the House of Lords. But ministers

Detectives investigating allegations of breaches of COVID rules in Downing Street and Whitehall have sent questionnaires to more than 100 people as they begin to interview key witnesses. Police are asking the recipients about their participation in the alleged gatherings, with seven days being given for a response. No fixed penalties have been issued so

Labour will force an emergency vote in parliament to demand the government takes action to outlaw the so-called fire and rehire of staff after more than 800 P&O workers were sacked on the spot. The party said reports suggest the government was aware of the sackings before they were announced, as well as the plan

Rishi Sunak has said sanctions against Russia “are not cost free” for British people and he cannot completely protect them “from dififcult times ahead”. The chancellor acknowledged sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine will add to the cost of living crisis ahead of energy bills soaring on 1 April. He told Sky News’ Sophy

Boris Johnson was accused of being a “threat to national security” following reports he was at a Tory party fundraising event on the night Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine. According to The Sunday Times, the prime minister was at a Conservative Party fundraising dinner attended by at least one donor with links to

Vladimir Putin is in “a total panic” about a revolution in Moscow which is why he is trying “so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine”, Boris Johnson has said. Condemning the “vicious and a barbarian attack on innocent civilians”, the prime minister drew a direct comparison with the actions of the

Jacob Rees-Mogg has dismissed the row over parties held during lockdown in Downing Street and across Whitehall as trivial “fluff”. Speaking at the Conservative spring xonference in Blackpool, the Brexit minister said the current Ukraine crisis showed that partygate was not a fundamentally serious issue. “It is a reminder that the world is serious, that

As the chancellor prepares to deliver the Spring Statement next week, polling suggests confidence in the Conservative Party’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Labour’s rating has remained relatively static, with only a slight improvement since Jeremy Corbyn’s time as leader and no sign yet of a

The government is reviewing its contracts with P&O after the ferry company’s “wholly unacceptable” and “insensitive” sacking of 800 staff members, a minister has told MPs. Condemning the firm, maritime minister Robert Courts told the House of Commons he was “extremely concerned and frankly angry” at the treatment of workers by P&O. “These are hardworking,

This week, the pundit, coach and former player talks to Beth Rigby about what he says are big questions about football ownerships after sanctions were put on Roman Abramovich. Plus, why he’s signed up as a member of the Labour Party, what makes a good leader and who would he rather work for – Liverpool

Boris Johnson has vowed a further crackdown on oligarchs and the super-rich by promising to curb their abuse of the UK legal system to stifle public criticism. The prime minister has called for an end to the “chilling effect” of elites using the threat of legal action to silence critics. Ministers will take aim at

Boris Johnson has declined to say whether his trip to Saudi Arabia will result in a boost to the kingdom’s oil production – as he insisted his talks about its human rights record would be “kept private”. The prime minister visited both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as he continues his

Legal targets for air pollution and the abundance of wild species are among proposals being set out by the government. Ministers want legally-binding targets for air quality, wildlife, water, waste reduction and resource efficiency. The proposals include annual targets for average concentrations of fine particulate matter – air pollution that can affect lung function and

The Lord Speaker has called for a more “robust” appointment process for peers after the SNP called for Lord Lebedev’s parliamentary pass to be revoked. In a letter on Tuesday, Lord McFall said “there is a case for examination of the appointments process” to ensure that “new appointees are able to make a worthwhile contribution

There will be no limit to the number of Ukrainian refugees who can come to the UK as they face their “hour of greatest need”, Cabinet minister Michael Gove has told MPs. Announcing the details of a new sponsorship scheme for those fleeing Russia’s invasion, Mr Gove expressed his hope that many Britons would “open their

The UK has issued 4,000 visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme ahead of launching a further programme for Britons to house refugees. The Home Office said the latest number is as of 3pm on 13 March, after Communities Secretary Michael Gove told Sky News on Sunday “more than 3,000” visas had been issued. Under the

Michael Gove said he was never told that he or Boris Johnson should not meet Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev after reports that MI6 has had concerns about the Russian oligarch since 2013. Fresh questions have been raised about Boris Johnson’s decision to nominate Lord Lebedev, whose father was a KGB agent in London, for

JK Rowling has accused Sir Keir Starmer of misrepresenting equalities law after the Labour leader said that according to statute, “trans women are women”. The Harry Potter author disagreed with the Labour leader’s comments and said he had misrepresented the law, which she said indicated “the Labour Party can no longer be counted on to

Downing Street put the brakes on Home Office initiatives to allow a bigger share of Ukrainians fleeing their homeland to settle in the United Kingdom, Sky News understands. Home Secretary Priti Patel faced significant criticism this week from colleagues for failing to provide more routes for Ukrainians to reach the UK, prompting anger among Conservative

Public hearings for the inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic are not set to begin until next year, raising the possibility that its findings won’t be published before the next election. The revelation came in an open letter to the public from Baroness Hallett, the chair of the inquiry. She said representatives

Britons will be able to open their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion under a new scheme. Defending the government amid criticism of its response to the refugee crisis, Boris Johnson told Sky News’ Beth Rigby Interviews programme the UK would be “generous” to those fleeing Ukraine, and details of this second visa scheme

When Boris Johnson was deep in the quagmire of the partygate scandal, his rival Sir Keir Starmer said the country needed “a serious leader for serious times” and called on the prime minister to go.  For weeks, Mr Johnson was hanging on by a thread, his future being openly discussed as the Metropolitan Police launched

Armed Forces minister James Heappey has warned serving British soldiers and veterans not to travel to fight in Ukraine. Mr Heappey told Sky News the government position is that if you are serving member of the armed forces and choose to join the conflict in Ukraine, you are considered to be breaking the law. “No

Liz Truss will warn the West must “never again” allow aggression like Vladimir Putin’s “to grow unchecked” – as the Ukraine invasion enters its third week. The foreign secretary will use a speech at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington DC on Thursday – the 15th day of the Ukraine invasion – to call

A visa centre being set up in northern France to assist Ukrainian refugees will not offer appointments or walk-in access, and its exact location will not be made public, the Home Office has confirmed. Earlier, a Downing Street spokesman told reporters the centre in Lille would “start accepting appointments” from Thursday, but that has been

The Ukrainian ambassador to the UK has said he does not believe a huge number of refugees fleeing the country will come to Britain as many want to stay in bordering nations “closer to their roots”. Appearing in front of the Home Affairs Commons Committee, Vadym Prystaiko told MPs that Ukrainian refugees want to get

The government has made it a criminal offence for any Russian aircraft to enter UK airspace. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also announced a ban on the export of aviation and space-related goods and technology and on UK companies providing insurance and re-insurance services in relation to these. On Tuesday Transport Secretary Grant Shapps sent a