Talks over the Northern Ireland Protocol are “kind of stuck”, an EU source has told Sky News as Boris Johnson heads to Belfast to try to make headway on the issue. The Brussels source said it was “not true or fair to say that we are being intransigent” and that the UK was asking for
Politics
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
Business Secretary Kwarsi Kwarteng has said it is “absolutely right” the government is ready to tear up parts of post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland. The cabinet minister also accused Brussels of being “unreasonable” in its approach towards the Northern Ireland Protocol. But Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said his country was also “frustrated” dealing
Sinn Fein has accused Boris Johnson of playing dangerous games with the people of Northern Ireland and shamefully using the nation as a “pawn” in negotiations with the EU. President Mary Lou McDonald said the British government is helping the DUP block Sinn Fein’s right to form an executive following their election win. It comes
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
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
Jacob Rees-Mogg has said that plans to cut more than 90,000 civil service jobs in order to free up billions of pounds for measures to ease the cost of living crisis does not amount to the return of austerity. During an away-day with cabinet ministers in Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday, the prime minister asked cabinet ministers
Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to come up with plans to cut more than 90,000 civil service jobs in order to free up billions of pounds for tax cuts. During an away-day with cabinet ministers in Stoke-on-Trent, the prime minister asked them to report back within a month on how they can reduce the size
The UK will have “no choice but to act” if the EU does not show the “requisite flexibility” over the Northern Ireland Protocol, Liz Truss has warned. Following a call between the foreign secretary and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, a foreign office spokesperson said that Ms Truss made clear that the arrangement was “the
A Conservative MP has been heavily criticised for claiming that people who use food banks do not know how to cook or manage their finances properly. Lee Anderson, who made the remarks during a House of Commons debate, was accused of insulting people who are struggling to feed their families and Labour said they were
The UK will continue negotiations with the EU tomorrow to resolve differences over the Northern Ireland Protocol, Michael Gove has confirmed – as he warned that “nothing is off the table”. The levelling up secretary told Sky News that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will be meeting European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic on Thursday. Mr
New legislation aimed at cracking down on foreign spying and interference are being introduced by Home Secretary Priti Patel today. The proposals aim to give law enforcement and intelligence agencies the tools to tackle threats such as the use of cyber attacks, drones, and “interference in our economy and democracy”. MI5 director-general Ken McCallum said
Labour is confident it can prove Sir Keir Starmer did not break lockdown rules after he pledged to offer his resignation if issued with a fixed penalty notice by police. 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
New laws to outlaw guerrilla-style climate protests that have caused misery for the public are being unveiled in a bumper Queen’s Speech. A new offence of “locking-on”, targeting activists who lock or glue themselves together or to buildings, is planned by Home Secretary Priti Patel. Her crackdown comes in one of 38 new bills, which
Britain and NATO are not planning and have never planned to invade Russia, the UK’s defence secretary has said, after Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his war in Ukraine by saying the West was preparing to launch an attack on “our land”. Ben Wallace, during a speech and Q&A during which he discussed Russia‘s actions
The Northern Ireland secretary will urge all political parties to form an executive as soon as possible after Sinn Fein’s historic election victory. Brandon Lewis will meet the leaders of Stormont’s five main political parties including Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on Monday as concerns mount within the government over the Northern