This is a tale of two ex-ministers: the first ministerial casualties of Sir Keir Starmer’s government, after just six months in power. Spot the difference. Louise Haigh, the crimson-haired left-wing former transport secretary, was thrown under the bus within hours of Sky News revealing a mobile phone fraud. Yet Tulip Siddiq, the anti-corruption minister accused
Politics
Scotland’s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced she has split from her husband, Peter Murrell. Ms Sturgeon and Ms Murrell met via the SNP and first became a couple in 2003. They later married in July 2010 at Oran Mor in Glasgow. In a statement posted to Instagram stories, she wrote: “With a heavy
Tulip Siddiq has sought to distance herself from her aunt, deposed Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, claiming they never spoke about politics. But Sky News can reveal that in a blog written by the now City minister she boasted about how close they were politically and published photos of them together. In posts written in late
Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq could lose her job if the investigation into her properties finds she broke government rules, a cabinet member has suggested. Science Secretary Peter Kyle was asked about Ms Siddiq on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. She has referred herself to the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests, Sir Laurie Magnus,
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh. It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be
The UK has laid out a new economic relationship with China, and to use one of China’s favourite phrases, both countries are selling it as a “win-win” situation. It’s a significant development in restoring ties between the countries. The relationship has been beset by years of tension and suspicion. Both sides want to get it
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party. In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on
Reform UK has grown in support to within one percentage point of Labour according to a new poll for Sky News by YouGov which suggests Britain has entered a new era of three-way party politics. Sir Keir Starmer looks set to spend the parliament locked in a fight with two right-wing parties after Labour support
Harriet Harman has suggested a “mini inquiry” into issues raised by the grooming gangs scandal and called on Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch to discuss “terms of reference”. The Labour peer told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that there should “openness” to a future probe as long it does
Liz Truss’ lawyers have sent a cease and desist letter to Sir Keir Starmer over his claims she “crashed the economy”. The letter says Sir Keir’s continued claim the former Conservative prime minister crashed the economy with the September 2022 mini budget is defamatory and will “likely continue to cause serious harm to her reputation”.
There are grooming gangs “in every single part of our country”, Jess Phillips has told Sky News. The safeguarding minister told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast she was issuing an “open invitation” to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to meet victims with her. Ms Badenoch’s spokesperson said she has not met
The treatment of Jess Phillips over recent days tells me all I need to know about the epidemic of misogyny, abuse and violence against women and girls that still plagues our culture. The domestic violence campaigner-turned politician, who has spent her career fighting for victims, has found herself the subject of abuse on an industrial
Sir Keir Starmer has accused Kemi Badenoch of “lies” as the Conservative leader called for a national inquiry into “rape gangs”. Ms Badenoch used the first Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) of 2025 to continue to push the government to carry out a new national inquiry into the historical grooming gangs scandal, which she called the
Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has resigned after controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh. The Hampstead and Highgate MP is probably best known for campaigning for the release of her constituent, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained in Iran for six years. Politics latest: Embattled City minister leaves government The mother-of-two also
Jess Phillips has said she has “more important things to be thinking about” than Elon Musk after he accused her of being a “rape genocide apologist”. The safeguarding minister has hit back at the billionaire’s criticism of her for the first time, telling Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that his
For days, the attacks had been raining down from Elon Musk and his supporters on Keir Starmer, safeguarding minister Jess Philips and the wider government, over handling of the historical sex abuse cases. The consensus in Number 10, as voiced by another leader subject to Mr Musk’s ire – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz – was
Professionals who work with children will face criminal sanctions if they fail to report claims of sexual abuse, the home secretary has announced. Yvette Cooper promised to implement the key recommendation from Professor Alexis Jay’s child sexual abuse inquiry after Sir Keir Starmer faced down calls from Elon Musk, the Tories and Reform UK for
Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog over alleged links to a Russian deal with her aunt, the former Bangladesh prime minister, and properties linked to her political party. Sir Keir Starmer said the economic secretary to the Treasury – who holds responsibility for financial crime and illicit finance
For British politicians, the question of the moment is how do you handle Elon Musk? The billionaire owner of X and Tesla, soon to take up a role as efficiency tsar in the Trump administration, has been throwing grenades almost every hour about British politics on his social media platform and dominating the headlines. Much
Reform’s deputy leader has praised Elon Musk as “popular” and “appreciated” by the British public – as a government minister criticised the tech tycoon for “ridiculous” and “ill informed” comments on the UK grooming scandal. Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Richard Tice defended the owner of X and Tesla as “one of the greatest