Politics

Russian attacks on the Black Sea is delaying vital aid from reaching Palestinians, Sir Keir Starmer has warned. The prime minister said Vladimir Putin’s actions against Ukrainian port infrastructure are also preventing crucial grain supplies from being delivered to the global south in what he called a threat to global stability. Sir Keir made the

Many leading politicians are fond of talking about having been on a journey. But Kemi Badenoch’s journey has been longer and more eventful than most. From the leafy London suburb of Wimbledon to Nigeria in West Africa and back to south London, and from the socialist hotbed of Sussex University to the rural idyll of

Government borrowing is at its highest since the pandemic due to public sector pay rises and the high cost of borrowing, official figures show. Last month had the third highest September borrowing on record, coming only behind 2020 and 2021, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). While more money came in

Tougher punishments outside prison are being considered as part of a government review into sentencing. The review will be launched on Tuesday by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood in a bid to ease overcrowding in the prison system. Led by former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke, the review will be activated on the same day that

The British public and clinicians are being asked to share their experiences and ideas to “help fix our NHS”. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is calling on the entire country to help shape the government’s “10 Year Health Plan” with a “national conversation”. Members of the public, NHS staff and experts are being invited to share

Ministers will oversee the HS2 project as the cost of delivering the high-speed train line has been allowed to “spiral out of control”, the transport secretary has said. Louise Haigh announced on Sunday she has launched an independent review into how costs have been allowed to balloon “without sufficient explanation”. The transport secretary and her

A housing minister has lost her building safety brief after Grenfell survivors complained about her attendance at a conference sponsored by a firm criticised by an inquiry into the deadly fire. Rushanara Ali said she understands that “perception matters” and trusted relationships between the government and the Grenfell community are “essential”. It came after Grenfell

A housing minister has lost her building safety brief after Grenfell survivors complained about her attendance at a conference sponsored by a firm criticised by an inquiry into the deadly fire. Rushanara Ali said she understands that “perception matters” and trusted relationships between the government and the Grenfell community are “essential”. It came after Grenfell

The world “will not tolerate any more excuses on humanitarian assistance” from Israel on the situation in Gaza, the prime minister has said. Speaking following a meeting with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer sought to make the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar a

The son of Jimmy Lai, the tycoon and pro-democracy activist jailed in China, has called for “urgent” intervention from the UK as his father’s health deteriorates in solitary confinement. British citizen Mr Lai, one of the most prominent critics of the Chinese Communist Party, has been in prison in Hong Kong since December 2020. He

The government will not follow the advice of the previous Tory administration when it comes to slashing the welfare bill, a minister has said following reports the chancellor is eyeing up £3bn worth of cuts. Work and pensions minister Alison McGovern said the UK was “paying the price of failure” from the previous government, with

Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Germany on Friday for talks with Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron on the situation in the Middle East. The leaders of the UK, the US, Germany and France will discuss the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza, where the UN has warned essential supplies for survival are

Several government departments failed to agree their spending settlement by yesterday’s deadline in a sign of ongoing turbulence over the budget, Sky News can reveal.  A number of departments have still been unable to agree with the Treasury on the scale of cuts they will be expected to deliver in the next two years, despite

Cabinet ministers are writing to the prime minister in an urgent attempt to soften some of the spending cuts being demanded ahead of the budget.  The main measures for the budget have to be decided by the end of Wednesday and sent to the Office for Budget Responsibility before the Treasury shuts up for the

Sir Keir Starmer met Taylor Swift when he attended her concert in Wembley, Sky News understands. It has emerged the prime minister and his family spoke to the pop star and her mum for 10 minutes and discussed the Southport stabbings. It had not been clear previously if the two had met. Sir Keir’s attendance

Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to support a new law to ban smartphones in schools to stop children “doom-scrolling” – after Number 10 refused to back the plan. New Labour MP Josh MacAlister is calling for the government to make legal changes to make social media and smartphones less addictive for children and to