Politics

Angela Rayner has admitted she wishes she could give up vaping amid reports the government is considering a ban on disposable devices. Labour’s deputy leader – whose children call her the “vape dragon” – said she had taken up the practice to give up smoking, but it was “incredibly addictive”. It comes as government minister

A parliamentary researcher who has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China has said he is “completely innocent”. In a statement released by his lawyers, the man – who they did not name – said: “I feel forced to respond to the media accusations that I am a ‘Chinese spy’. It is wrong that

China should not be described as a “foe” or a “threat” but it should be regarded as a “challenge”, a cabinet minister has said – following allegations a Chinese spy infiltrated parliament. Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the claims were an “extremely serious concern” but we “shouldn’t be using language that makes people scared”. It

Mick Lynch is. But Sharon Graham isn’t. Yet Mick’s union the RMT isn’t even affiliated to the Labour Party, while Sharon’s Unite is one of the party’s biggest donors. Sir Keir Starmer breezes into blowy Liverpool on day two of the TUC conference to attend the traditional gala dinner for shadow cabinet ministers and the

Rishi Sunak says he is confident a trade deal will be struck between the UK and India after meeting with Narendra Modi at the G20 summit. The meeting came as the Indian prime minister said a consensus had been reached on a G20 leaders’ declaration and it has now been adopted. The wording around the

Rishi Sunak has denied his party is preparing for election defeat and insists his team is “fired up” about winning a full term. Asked what his message would be to Tory MPs despondent about the party’s lag in the polls, Mr Sunak said he was “entirely confident we can win the next election”. “I am

The career of Education Secretary Gillian Keegan looks precarious following the sudden disruption of the start of the school year. After days of hesitation, the government confirmed last week that RAAC concrete – which can cause buildings to collapse – has been identified in 146 schools, of which at least 43 were unable to begin

The jail from which terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife escaped “really needs closing ultimately”, the chief inspector of prisons has said. Speaking to Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, Charlie Taylor said there was a “crisis” in large institutions like Wandsworth prison in south London due to a lack of places and staff, and

With his heritage and large extended family in the country, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will receive a warmer welcome than most of the other world leaders arriving in India this weekend for the G20 summit. Unfortunately though, a free trade agreement between the UK and India is not guaranteed any time soon. Last year, India

The UK will rejoin the European Union’s flagship Horizon science programme after two years of absence post-Brexit, the government has confirmed. Number 10 said the UK will join “through a bespoke new agreement with the EU”. A spokesperson added Prime Minister Rishi Sunak secured “improved financial terms of association that are right for the UK

Rishi Sunak has sounded a cautious note about the prospects of signing Britain’s biggest post-Brexit trade deal, saying it is “not a given”. Speaking to reporters as he travelled to the G20 in Delhi, the prime minister said he would “check in” with Narendra Modi about the progress towards a free trade agreement. But he

The UK has been “underinvesting” in its infrastructure and the crisis surrounding concrete defects in schools and public buildings was “foreseeable”, a former Bank of England chief economist has told Sky News. Andy Haldane told the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge show that schools, hospitals, road, rail and digital infrastructure across the UK had all

Labour’s Rachel Reeves has opened up a clear lead over the Conservatives’ Jeremy Hunt when voters are asked who should be the next chancellor of the exchequer, according to an exclusive poll for Sky News. The Labour shadow chancellor is the choice of 21% of voters, according to YouGov, while Jeremy Hunt is judged to

Schools minister Nick Gibb claimed the government is taking the most proactive approach “in the world” over the concrete crisis following accusations it didn’t heed warnings. Mr Gibb told Sky News he did not accept criticism from the National Audit Office (NAO) that the Department for Education (DfE) was taking a “sticking plaster approach” to

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was caught on camera complaining about not being thanked for doing a “f***ing good job” over the unsafe concrete crisis. After an interview with ITV News in Westminster, she was heard saying other people are “sat on their arses”. She said: “Does anyone ever say ‘You know you’ve done a f***ing

Cash-strapped schools affected by collapse-risk concrete will not have to pay for repairs out of their budgets, the education secretary has insisted. Gillian Keegan told Sky News there will be no new money to fix the problem, but the costs will be covered by the Department for Education’s existing budget. There has been a growing

MPs are returning to Westminster on Monday for the rapidly accelerating downhill run to the next general election. Thanks to Boris Johnson’s success in repealing the Fixed Term Parliament Act there is no precise guidance as to when that date with political destiny will be. The next general election could even take place the year

The home secretary has ordered a review into how “political activism” among officers, including actions like taking the knee, is impacting policing. Suella Braverman has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to look into impartiality and written to police chiefs to remind them their “focus should be on tackling crime”. In the letter, she highlighted

The crisis over unsafe concrete in schools may extend beyond the education sector to other types of public buildings, experts have warned. They say the scale of the problem with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is “much bigger than schools” and could include hospitals, police stations, and court buildings. Even private sector sites such as

The chancellor has admitted more schools and other public buildings with structural problems could come to light in the coming weeks. It comes as the government investigates the extent of problems with crumbling concrete. More than 100 schools and colleges have been told by the Department for Education (DfE) to partially or fully shut buildings