Politics

Archbishops have called for a “radical redesign” of England’s “broken” social care system. A so-called National Care Covenant, setting out the rights and responsibilities of national and local government, communities, families and citizens should be established, the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care said. Published today, it also calls on the government to “set out a

Rishi Sunak has ordered an investigation into Nadhim Zahawi as he resisted calls to sack the Tory party chairman over his tax dispute. The prime minister asked new ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus on Monday to assess whether the cabinet minister breached the ministerial code with the HMRC settlement he made while he was chancellor.

Labour is calling for an investigation into the BBC appointment process for its chair following “sleaze” claims. The man currently in the top role, Richard Sharp, allegedly helped Boris Johnson secure a loan guarantee before being recommended for the job. Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell has written to the Commissioner for Public Appointments, William Shawcross

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has urged Nadhim Zahawi to release the full details amid the row over his tax affairs – as the embattled party chairman fights for his political survival. Labour has called for the cabinet minister to be sacked after he admitted paying a settlement to HMRC following a tax

The Labour Party has reported former prime minister Boris Johnson to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. It comes following allegations BBC chairman Richard Sharp helped the former prime minister to arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to £800,000 just weeks before he was selected for his current job. Anneliese Dodds, the Labour Party

Rishi Sunak has been branded a “total liability” and “hapless” as he faced a backlash for being fined for a second time, with police handing him a fixed penalty notice over not wearing a seatbelt. Lancashire Police issued the notice after the prime minister appeared without a belt in a clip on Instagram as he

Downing Street will be hoping that once the prime minister has paid up, voters and journalists will move on and forget this rather embarrassing unforced error. To Rishi Sunak‘s credit, he put his hands up and admitted the error almost immediately. But it is a reminder that in the top job, with a permacrisis of

A series of fresh walkouts by ambulance workers has been announced by Unite in an escalation of the bitter dispute over pay and staffing. The union said its members across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will stage 10 further strikes over the coming weeks, warning that additional dates could be announced soon. Unite’s ambulance workers

The police have said they are “looking into the matter” after the prime minister was caught on camera not wearing a seatbelt. Rishi Sunak admitted a “brief error of judgement” after appearing beltless in a clip on Instagram as he promoted his levelling-up funding in Lancashire. Downing Street said: “That was a brief error of

Rishi Sunak has announced that more than £2bn will be invested in over 100 projects across the UK through the levelling up fund – with £19m going to his own constituency. Reinforcing his commitment to levelling up the country, the prime minister promised the latest round of funding would “build a future of optimism” by

The abuse of power perpetrated by the rapist officer David Carrick is “absolutely despicable” and urgent action is needed, the prime minister has told the head of the Met Police. Rishi Sunak said he had had “constructive” talks with Sir Mark Rowley and “made clear to him – and he agrees – that the abuse

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on Rishi Sunak to apologise for the “lethal chaos” in the NHS. He made the demand during prime minister’s questions, saying Mr Sunak should “stop blaming others and take some responsibility”. But the PM said Labour should get behind his anti-strike legislation to ensure minimum service levels when

The inevitable Commons row over Rishi Sunak blocking the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill quickly descended into a pantomime. And not just because the SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, and his MPs repeatedly mocked the Scotland secretary, calling him “Baron Jack”. That’s a reference to widely reported claims that Alister Jack is on his way

The education secretary has criticised a teaching union for planning to go on strike, telling Sky News: “Our children don’t deserve it.” Speaking to Kay Burley, Gillian Keegan said she was “very disappointed” after members of the National Education Union (NEU) voted in favour of industrial action, with thousands of staff set to walkout next

A controversial anti-strike bill has moved a step closer to becoming law – hours after teachers and nurses announced fresh walkouts. Under the government’s draft Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, the right to strike would be restricted by imposing minimum service levels and bosses would be legally able to fire employees who ignore a “work

The health secretary claims the disparate level of emergency cover during recent ambulance strikes could not be “relied upon to ensure patient and public safety”. In a letter to the GMB union sent ahead of further strikes this month, and seen by Sky News, Steve Barclay accepted all areas that staged walkouts ensured the most

Rishi Sunak is backing plans to give wider powers to the police to tackle “highly disruptive and dangerous protests”. In an announcement on Monday, the government will pledge to amend the already controversial Public Order Bill to “broaden the legal definition of serious disruption”. A statement from Number 10 said it would give officers “greater

The transport secretary has given rail operating companies “permission” to make a new offer to railway unions this week as the government hopes for an end to months of strikes. Mark Harper told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge that he had given the companies a “revised mandate” to go into negotiations in the coming days, saying

More nurses strikes that would see twice as many workers take action will be announced for February if talks with the government do not progress soon, union bosses have warned. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union said that new walkouts would be announced should negotiations over pay remain stalled by the end of January.

Rishi Sunak is preparing to block laws in Scotland that make it easier for people to change gender, Sky News understands. The move would be an unprecedented intervention in 25 years of devolution and is likely to spark a new constitutional row with Holyrood. The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed by a majority