Politics

Liz Truss has brushed off a growing clamour for a windfall tax on energy companies even as she admitted the UK was in a “very very difficult economic situation”. The foreign secretary, speaking to Sky News’s Kay Burley shortly after new figures showed inflation hitting a four-decade high of 9%, admitted the surge in the

Ministers plan to introduce legislation to change Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trade arrangements in coming weeks as it faces a “very grave and serious situation”, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has announced. The government argues that without resolving problems caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol it will not be able to re-establish the Stormont power sharing executive

A Cabinet minister has said he was “somewhat surprised” to hear the Bank of England warn of “apocalyptic” food price rises. Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis was quizzed by Sky News’ Kay Burley on the comments made by BoE governor Andrew Bailey in a select committee appearance on Monday. Mr Lewis said: “I was somewhat

Boris Johnson has said the UK needs to “proceed with a legislative solution” to the Northern Ireland Protocol as an “insurance” in case a deal is not reached with Brussels. Speaking on an official visit to Northern Ireland, the prime minister said he would “love” for tensions over the arrangement to be ironed out “in

A government minister has suggested that people struggling with the cost of living should take on more hours or move to a better-paid job. Rachel Maclean, the safeguarding minister, told Sky News’ Kay Burley that those were some of the ways households could “protect themselves” as prices soar. She said that every minister was looking

The government is planning to publish legislation to override the Northern Ireland Protocol, but Sky News understands the cabinet has still not agreed the wording. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are demanding the trade border in the Irish Sea, created by the treaty, be removed before they restore power sharing at Stormont. Sources close to

NHS prescription charges in England are to be frozen as pressure mounts on ministers to ease the cost of living crisis following the recent Tory bruising at the polls. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the levy, which normally rises in line with inflation, will be held at the same level this year to “put money

The first group of illegal migrants have been told they will be sent to Rwanda within a fortnight under the government’s controversial new immigration plans. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 50 “illegal entrants into this country” have been served notice and will be relocated as part of a deal new signed by Home Secretary Priti

Britain should be “very proud” of its private school system, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said as he rejected a push for elite universities to increase state admissions. Mr Zahawi said the country should not “tilt the system” to ensure more pupils from state schools attend establishments such as Oxford and Cambridge, and should instead

A bottle of champagne that Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden donated to a fundraising auction was labelled as being “hugely valuable as a souvenir of partygate”. A picture of the gift, shared by food critic Jay Rayner on social media, shows the bottle’s label stating: “A bottle of champagne signed by Boris. Hugely valuable as

The unknown is far scarier than the known when it comes to partygate, even on a day when the number of fines issued to people working at the heart of government for pandemic rule breaches doubles. Number 10 must not be a comfortable place at the moment. When the investigation began, Downing Street believed they

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said Vladimir Putin was “humiliating himself on the world stage” as she called on international allies to go “further and faster” in supporting Ukraine and restraining the Russian leader. Ms Truss urged fellow G7 foreign ministers meeting on Thursday evening to commit to renewed waves of sanctions for as long

Emergency talks between the UK and EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol are due on Thursday as ministers consider whether to override parts of the post-Brexit deal. The UK’s Attorney General Suella Braverman is said to have approved the scrapping of swathes of the agreement, giving Boris Johnson legal cover to make the move, despite

Tory backbenchers are pushing for tax cuts after Boris Johnson was said to have shown “more than a bit of ankle” on doing so to address the cost of living crisis. Jake Berry, the Conservative MP who leads a group of Tories representing northern constituencies, said it was “now or never” for Mr Johnson to

The government will not be bringing forward an emergency budget in light of the cost of living crisis, but “will be saying more and doing more to help people”, Michael Gove has said. Responding to the government’s Queen’s Speech on Tuesday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claimed the government was “bereft of ideas” as the

Boris Johnson has hinted at an announcement about addressing the cost of living crisis in coming days – but the Treasury swiftly denied there would be an emergency budget. The prime minister came under pressure over the surge in prices facing British households during the Commons debate on the Queen’s Speech, which sets out the

Priti Patel has said her plan to send migrants to Rwanda sends a “clear signal” that those who arrive illegally have no right to remain – but admitted it will “take time” to implement. The plan has been described as “cruel and nasty” by charities and “opposite the nature of God” by the Archbishop of

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to offer his resignation if he is issued a fixed penalty notice for breaking COVID rules. Sir Keir has come under pressure over an event in Durham in April 2021 with party colleagues when he was filmed having a drink and a takeaway curry was ordered. Durham Police

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pulled out of a keynote speech he is due to give today – as pressure mounts on him over so-called ‘beergate’ claims. After being a hugely vocal critic of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the ‘partygate’ Downing Street gatherings during COVID lockdown, Sir Keir is now facing allegations that

Fixing the Northern Ireland Protocol “cannot be put off”, the deputy prime minister has said amid fears that progress on power sharing will remain stalled after last Thursday’s elections. Dominic Raab told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday that stability was being “imperilled” by problems with the protocol, which governs Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements.