Politics

The number of people who died from COVID-19 in the UK has been projected onto the walls of Barnard Castle – the evening before Dominic Cummings was set to give evidence to the official inquiry into the virus and how the UK government handled it. A message saying “231,332 COVID deaths – is that clear

The UK’s top civil servant described “being at the end of my tether” over Boris Johnson’s indecision during the pandemic and said he “cannot lead”. WhatsApp messages shown to the COVID inquiry on Monday reveal the then prime minister’s leadership ability frustrated some of the most senior figures in government. Politics Live: WhatsApps by aides

The COVID public inquiry is set to become explosive this week, with former Boris Johnson aide Dominic Cummings expected to dish the dirt on the former prime minister. The maverick former No 10 adviser, once Mr Johnson‘s closest ally but now his sworn enemy, heads a list of top former Downing Street insiders giving evidence

The Met Police chief has said there is scope for “sharper” laws in dealing with extremism amid a surge of protests in the capital over the Israel-Hamas war. Sir Mark Rowley told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that his officers are working “ruthlessly” to arrest anyone who “steps over the line” by committing a hate

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has said he is “desperately worried” about whether his family who are trapped in Gaza are alive or dead after losing contact with them. The first minister said he last spoke to the parents of his wife Nadia El-Nakla at around 7.30am on Friday before communications were cut off as

Former leadership candidate for the SNP, Ash Regan, has quit the party to join the Alba Party – becoming its first MSP. Ms Regan, who got just over 11% of the vote in the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon earlier this year, said the SNP has “lost its focus on independence”. Ms Regan said she

Humza Yousaf has said he has lost contact with his family who are trapped in Gaza as Israel expands its ground operations overnight. Scotland’s first minister has previously spoken to Sky News about how his wife’s parents are “trapped” in Gaza. The Israeli Defence Forces said tonight that it had “significantly expanded” its ground operations,

There is no wider cultural problem among Conservative MPs, a minister insisted, after Crispin Blunt was arrested on suspicion of rape and the possession of controlled substances. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the allegation against the former minister related to an “individual incident” and was not a sign of a wider problem in the party.

The Labour Party has promised to set up a COBRA-style taskforce that would meet every winter to assess the flood risk to communities as parts of the UK continue to be battered by heavy rain after Storm Babet. The party said it would create a flood resilience taskforce that would co-ordinate preparation between the government, local

Rishi Sunak has vowed to tackle fears around artificial intelligence (AI) “head-on” as the government prepares to host a world-first global safety summit. The prime minister has made taking advantage of the fast-improving technology, while also regulating against its potential dangers, a focus since taking office last year. Politics latest: Potential by-election headache for PM

Asking Israel to reach a ceasefire with Hamas is “untenable”, the UK’s defence secretary has said, as the number of MPs calling for a cessation of hostilities grows. Grant Shapps said Israel has “a right” to “go after” Hamas after its gunmen killed more than 1,400 Israelis on 7 October and abducted over 220 other

Sir Keir Starmer mocked Rishi Sunak over the Conservatives’ two by-election defeats last week, as he pressed him on the cost of living crisis at Prime Minister’s Questions. Labour took both Tamworth and Mid Befordshire from the Conservatives after Thursday’s vote, overturning huge majorities in a double blow for the government. In the Commons today,

A mosque in South Wales that hosted Sir Keir Starmer has apologised for the “hurt and confusion” caused by the visit after a backlash from some within the Muslim community. The South Wales Islamic Centre issued a statement late on Tuesday evening in which it sought to “clarify our stance” following the Labour leader’s visit

The government will stop using 50 hotels for asylum seekers by January, Sky News understands. Ministers are expected to make the announcement as they continue attempts to reduce the amount of money being spent on accommodation that houses people waiting for a decision on their applications. But many hotels will still be in use –

An MP was prevented from boarding a flight to Canada “because his name was Mohammad”, the Commons has been told. Mohammad Yasin, the Labour MP for Bedford, was due to fly to Canada last week with a group of other MPs from the Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee when he was held back

A government pledge to ban no-fault evictions could face long delays after Michael Gove told his backbenchers he would not enact the policy until courts have been reformed. A promise to outlaw Section 21 evictions was made by the Conservatives in its 2019 manifesto – although the plan was only confirmed in May this year

The home secretary will challenge the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police over the force’s decision not to arrest pro-Palestine protesters calling for “jihad” against Israel. Suella Braverman will tell Sir Mark Rowley later “there can be no place for incitement to hatred or violence” on UK streets and police should “crackdown on anyone breaking the

Chanting jihad on the streets of London is “completely reprehensible”, immigration minister Robert Jenrick has told Sky News – as he confirmed terror arrests have been made in the UK since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips today, Mr Jenrick said “we want to make sure that the

The prime minister has warned the Israel-Hamas war risks unleashing a “contagion of conflict” across the Middle East.  Rishi Sunak, who met with leaders in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt this week, said they had agreed “we need to do everything possible” to stop the spread of the war. He said his two-day visit to

Rishi Sunak has defended the Conservatives after two by-election losses overnight, claiming mid-term polls are “always difficult” and “local factors” were at play. The party lost their seats in both Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire in the early hours of Friday morning, as Labour overturned two huge Conservative majorities to deal a double blow to the