Politics

The government is considering repealing a controversial law that could have seen universities and student unions fined for failing to uphold freedom of speech on campus. A Whitehall source branded The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which was due to come into force next week, “an antisemites’ charter” that could have lent a

An independent review into the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revealed “significant internal failings” that are hampering its ability to keep a check on health and social care institutions. An interim report from Dr Penny Dash found the CQC’s ability to identify poor performance at hospitals, care homes and GP practices had been impeded by

Robert Jenrick will join the race to run for Conservative Party leader this morning. The former minister is the third Tory to throw their hat into the ring to replace Rishi Sunak as leader of the party after he stepped down following a devastating loss at the general election three weeks ago. Mr Jenrick served

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat has joined the race to replace Rishi Sunak as the next leader of the Conservative Party. He is the second person to formally join the race, with shadow home secretary James Cleverly announcing his candidacy yesterday. Nominations for the race opened up this evening, with Mr Tugendhat, Mr Cleverly, Suella

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted his government will “do difficult things” to tackle violence against women and girls following a Sky News report about sexual harassment in the ambulance service. At his first PMQs in his role as prime minister, Sir Keir was asked by Labour MP Charlotte Nichols how his government plans to tackle

People phoning the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) collectively spent more than 753 years waiting for calls to be answered in 2023/24, a report has found. The wait time applied to more than 40 million calls made – although more than six million of these were abandoned. It was revealed following the latest customer

Seven Labour MPs have been suspended from the parliamentary party after voting against the government to call for the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap. Richard Burgon, John McDonnell, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, Zarah Sultana, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Ian Byrne have all had the whip suspended for six months, at which point the decision will

Rishi Sunak’s replacement as Conservative leader will be announced on 2 November, the Tory party has confirmed. The party said the former prime minister, who led the Conservatives to their worst-ever defeat on 4 July, will remain acting leader until that date. Nominations to succeed Mr Sunak will open on Wednesday at 7pm and will

The previous government was set to spend £10bn on the now-scrapped Rwanda scheme, the home secretary has revealed. Giving a statement in the Commons, Yvette Cooper said £700m of taxpayers’ money had already been spent on the scheme, which the Conservatives brought in to act as a deterrent to those travelling in small boats across

Unfunded spending commitments crash the economy, a Treasury minister has warned, as he defended keeping the two-child benefit cap in what is shaping up to be the first big test of the Labour government. Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, James Murray highlighted the market turmoil triggered by Liz Truss’s 2022 mini-budget

A Treasury minister has said there is a cost to not striking a deal on public sector pay in the face of reported proposals for inflation-busting wage hikes costing billions of pounds. But speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, James Murray insisted the Labour government’s fiscal rules were “non-negotiable” as he refused

The so-called “special relationship” between the UK and the US is acted out in the level of cooperation between the two governments and personified in the relationship between the presidents and prime ministers of the day. Voters have thrown together some odd couples since 1946 when, then ex-prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill coined the phrase

Independent pay review bodies have reportedly told ministers millions of public sector workers should be given a 5.5% increase in pay. The proposed above-inflation increase for teachers and around 1.3 million NHS staff, reported by The Times, is well above the figure the government is thought to have been preparing for. Sir Keir Starmer’s government

Labour’s Emily Thornberry, who was snubbed for a cabinet role by Sir Keir Starmer, is running to be chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, she has told Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast. Ms Thornberry, who served as shadow attorney general when Labour was in opposition, told political editor Beth Rigby she was “very sad” and

The suspension of UK funding for a UN relief agency working in Gaza has been overturned by the government. In January, the Foreign Office paused any future funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) after allegations surfaced that some members of staff had been involved in the 7 October attacks in Israel

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Number 10 on Friday as the UK government promises to lead a “crackdown” on Russian oil vessels. The Ukrainian leader, who has been in the country for the European Political Community (EPC) summit, will meet the whole of the new cabinet in Downing Street to brief them on the ongoing

Sir Keir Starmer has said people smuggling is no longer a challenge but “a crisis”, as he opened a European summit at which he hopes to strike a deal on migration. The prime minister is using the European Political Community (EPC) gathering to push for closer security ties and joint action to tackle small boat

How do you stay up for 33 hours straight to cover a general election live on TV?  Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby says she got up as normal at 7am on Thursday, 4 July and survived until 2.30pm the next day with the help of Diet Coke, sushi, and her lucky red lipstick. Here she

The new government is setting out its legislative agenda for the next year in the King’s Speech. The announcements focus on improving living standards by driving economic growth, the first of Sir Keir Starmer’s five “missions for national renewal”. Big ticket items include a plan to build more houses and infrastructure, nationalise the railways and

Wednesday will be the first time in 14 years that Labour has set the agenda for government. So, for Sir Keir Starmer’s new administration, this moment is rich in symbolism and in substance. It is the chance for his government to exercise its power and show momentum. Politics live: Wales’ first minister resigns The King’s