UK

Liz Truss will wrap up the Conservative Party conference by defending her approach and pledging a “new Britain for the new era” – after a week of U-turns and infighting. In her first conference speech as prime minister, Ms Truss will on Wednesday reiterate Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s plan to boost growth. And just a day

Liz Truss has refused to commit to raising benefits in line with inflation, despite growing pressure from a cabinet minister and senior Tory MPs. Speaking to broadcasters in Birmingham, where the Tory party conference is underway, the prime minister said she had “not made a decision” on whether to stick to the benefit uprate promised

The chancellor has admitted it has been a tough day after he was forced to U-turn on cutting income tax for the rich. Kwasi Kwarteng began his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference by saying: “What a day, it has been tough but we need to focus on the job in hand.” Just hours

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has confirmed that the government is axing plans to give the wealthiest 1% a tax cut following a bitter backlash from Tory MPs. Mr Kwarteng said in a tweet that the measure had become a “distraction” from his objective to grow the economy. He said: “We get it, we have listened.” Politics

Liz Truss is to delay the vote on cutting the 45p rate of tax for higher earners, a cabinet minister has told Sky News. The policy was announced in last Friday’s mini-budget, but would have to go to a vote of MPs before it could be approved. On Sunday, the party said any Tory MP

Liz Truss has admitted that she “should have laid the ground better” for the government’s tax-cutting mini-budget after the pound slumped to a record low. The prime minister said she has “learnt from that” and “will make sure in future we will do a better job of laying the ground”. Ms Truss also doubled down

A man has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel who was shot dead in her home in Liverpool. The Crown Prosecution Service said 34-year-old Thomas Cashman has been charged with the girl’s murder and the attempted murder of her mother Cheryl. Cashman has also been charged with the attempted murder of convicted

The devolved governments of the UK want an urgent meeting with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng to discuss immediate action to reverse the damaging effects of the mini-budget. In a joint letter, the finance ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are warning that the government’s spending plans are a “huge gamble” that will mean another decade

Prince William has called for improved online safety for children after a coroner ruled social media contributed to the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell. The Prince of Wales said: “No parent should ever have to endure what Ian Russell and his family have been through. They have been so incredibly brave. Online safety for our

A 34-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel. Olivia was killed in Dovecot, Liverpool on 22 August after a gunman fired shots into her home at about 10pm as he chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee. She was hit in the chest as she stood behind her mother who

Coins featuring a portrait of King Charles III will gradually enter circulation from December. The Royal Mint says his image will appear on 50p coins first – and in keeping with tradition, the King’s portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction to the Queen. A commemorative £5 coin has also been created that features

Liz Truss says her government has “done the right thing” in its mini-budget in order to get the economy growing. Speaking to the BBC in a raft of local radio interviews this morning, the prime minister said “urgent action”, along with “controversial and difficult decisions”, needed to be taken to improve the situation in the

The Bank of England has launched a temporary bond-buying programme as it takes emergency action to prevent “material risk” to UK financial stability. It revealed that it would buy as many long-dated government bonds as needed between now and 14 October in a bid to stabilise financial markets in the wake of the mayhem that

Shoppers are paying a record 10.6% more for food than they were a year ago, figures show. Overall, shop prices rose by 5.7% in the year to September, up from an inflation rate of 5.1% in August, in another record since the British Retail Consortium-Nielson IQ index began in 2005. Food price inflation rose past

The Bank of England’s chief economist has said the government’s mini-budget, which led to the pound falling to a record low against the dollar, will require “a significant monetary policy response”. Speaking at the International Monetary Policy Forum, Huw Pill reasserted the Bank of England’s willingness to act to rein in inflation. Mortgage repayments could

The collapse of the value of the pound in the wake of Friday’s mini-budget appears to have stalled, for now, but only thanks to market expectations that the Bank of England will be forced to intervene. The rout for sterling, which began after Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng revealed a £45bn tax cut plan on top of

The pound has fallen to a record low against the dollar amid a fresh investor rush towards the US currency globally. Sterling slipped by nearly 5% early on Monday to $1.0327 – building on fresh 1985 lows seen on Friday after UK chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled the biggest programme of tax cuts for 50 years.

The Bank of England says it “will not hesitate to change interest rates as necessary” after markets reacted badly to the chancellor’s tax-cutting mini-budget. In a statement, the Bank said it was “monitoring developments in financial markets very closely in light of the significant repricing of financial assets”. It came after the pound fell to

A freed British prisoner of war who was held by Russian-backed separatists has told Sky News how he was tortured over several days. John Harding said he was used as a “punching bag” by the guards in a holding facility in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine. The centre was run by the

Labour will reverse the cut in the higher rate of income tax if it wins power at the next election, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Treasury has acknowledged that around 660,000 of the highest earners on more than £150,000 will benefit from the scrapping of the 45p rate, getting back on average £10,000 a

Buckingham Palace has released the first image of the new ledger stone marking the Queen’s final resting place. The late monarch was laid to rest on Monday evening in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Her parents and husband are also buried there. Elizabeth II’s name is inscribed on

The chancellor has denied suggestions he is gambling with the economy as his raft of tax cuts were met with a hostile reception – and sent the pound plummeting to a 37-year low. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) said he was “betting the house” by putting government debt on an “unsustainable rising path”. Only

Here are the key points from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget statement to MPs: • The basic rate of income tax will be cut to 19p in the pound from April 2023. Will mean 31 million people will be better off by an average of £170 per year. • The 45% higher rate of income tax

Fresh evidence of a toxic bullying culture in Parliament has emerged, as a Sky News investigation reveals numerous shocking allegations of abusive behaviour by MPs. A five-month-long probe uncovered disturbing accounts of MPs regularly demeaning and berating staff, leaving them feeling scared and isolated. Some felt forced to leave politics altogether while others suffered lasting

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has announced that April’s National Insurance hike is to be reversed from 6 November. The 1.25 percentage point increase was introduced under former chancellor Rishi Sunak, but during the Tory leadership race Liz Truss pledged to change it. Mr Kwarteng made the announcement ahead of a “mini-budget” on Friday. Politics hub: Health

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 15-year-old was stabbed to death in Huddersfield. West Yorkshire Police said: “The youth was arrested at an address in Huddersfield shortly before 5am this morning in connection with the incident in Woodhouse Hill, Fartown, yesterday afternoon. “He remains in custody and enquiries are

The mother of an unarmed black man who was killed by a police officer in south London has again called for justice after being shown the bodycam footage of his shooting. Chris Kaba, 24, was killed on 5 September after a police chase in Streatham Hill. His Audi was hemmed in by two police cars

Wholesale energy costs for businesses will be slashed to less than half their expected price through the winter months, the government has announced. They will see government-funded cuts to their energy bills in line with the reductions that have already been announced for homes. The level of discount will depend on what companies are already

Liz Truss has said she is prepared to be unpopular with her tax policy as she believes it will ultimately benefit the British economy. Talking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby in New York, the prime minister defended any tax changes her government will make at the end of the week and said she

More than 250,000 people saw the Queen lying in state in London, according to the culture secretary. Michelle Donelan told Sky News that more than a quarter of a million “went through parliament” but that it was an approximate figure and the government is still “crunching the final numbers”. People queued 24 hours a day

The Queen has been buried beside her husband, Prince Philip, after a state funeral and a poignant chapel service – as the nation bid a final farewell to Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Elizabeth II was laid to rest at the King George VI memorial chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle following a private burial

The Duke of York has paid tribute to the Queen, saying:  ”Mummy, your love for a son, your compassion, your care, your confidence I will treasure forever.” Prince Andrew, who is no longer a working royal, accompanied his statement with a black and white image of his mother holding him as a baby in March

Today marks the final full day of the Queen’s lying in state. Thousands of people are still joining the queue to pay their respects, as heads of state continue to arrive in London ahead of Monday’s funeral, with the estimated queuing time at least 12 hours. Foreign dignitaries have been arriving in their droves over