Politics

Police officers who are found guilty of gross misconduct will face automatic dismissal under reforms designed to toughen up the disciplinary process following a series of scandals. Chief constables and other senior officers will be given greater powers to sack rogue staff while those who fail vetting checks can also be fired. Under the new

A new law will force criminals to attend their sentencings in court, with the offenders facing longer behind bars if they still refuse to sit in the dock. The government confirmed its plans to introduce the reform on Wednesday, promising to create a new power for judges to make the order. The change will also

The foreign secretary has landed in China for meetings with senior members of the government as Rishi Sunak comes under pressure at home over how to approach the country. James Cleverly will hold talks with senior Chinese officials – including minister of foreign affairs Wang Yi and vice president Han Zheng – on issues ranging

The housing secretary Michael Gove is planning a major change to rules on waterway pollution in a bid to boost home building in England. The so-called “nutrient neutrality” rules have been criticised by developers and some Tory MPs for blocking much-needed housebuilding. The government hopes the move, which is coming in an amendment to the

Police chiefs have warned the home secretary they must have “operational independence” when deciding how to respond to crime. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) was responding to Suella Braverman‘s announcement that police forces in England and Wales must investigate every theft as part of a crackdown on crime. The home secretary said it was

“A nightmare. Absolute nightmare. It can’t happen.” Those were the words of a senior NHS Trust leader when I called to break the news of joint action by junior doctors and consultants over four days across England in October. This will effectively bring the NHS to a grinding halt. Christmas-style rotas will be in place

The government is not ruling out using electronic tagging to control migrants who come to the UK illegally. Home Secretary Suella Braverman told Sky News she is willing to use a “range of options” in dealing with migrants who cross the Channel in small boats. It comes after a report in The Times said the

Labour has “no plans for a wealth tax”, the shadow chancellor has said – comments described as “shameful” by a left-wing pressure group. Rachel Reeves has also admitted she will find it difficult to raise taxes at all, should Labour win a majority at next year’s general election. And she confirmed that Labour leader Sir

Labour and the Liberal Democrats hit the campaign trail in Mid Bedfordshire in the hours after Nadine Dorries stood down. The former Conservative culture secretary handed in her resignation yesterday – 11 weeks after she vowed to go – leaving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak facing yet another test in the form of a by-election. In

Nadine Dorries has announced her resignation with a scathing attack on Rishi Sunak, accusing him of “demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy” against her. The Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire said on Saturday she had submitted her resignation letter to the prime minister, publishing it in the Mail

Rishi Sunak has said the inquiry into the murders carried out by Lucy Letby should be judge-led. The government ordered an inquiry last week after Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others while working as a neonatal nurse. She was sentenced to 14 whole-life orders and will never

MPs who lose their seat at the next general election will receive double the financial support following a ruling from parliament’s expenses watchdog. MPs who are forced out in an election defeat have previously been entitled to two months of financial assistance to help close their office and manage the departure of staff, but the Independent

The taxpayer bill on asylum almost doubled in a year to nearly £4bn as Rishi Sunak said the cost was “unacceptable” and warned the system is under “unsustainable pressure”. Home Office spending on asylum rose by £1.85bn, from £2.12bn in 2021/22 to £3.97bn this year. A decade ago, in 2012/13, the total cost to the

Asylum seekers who were housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge have claimed the Home Office did not contact them even when some on board showed signs of suspected Legionnaires’ disease. In an open letter to the Home Office, seen by Sky News, one asylum seeker hit out at their treatment from the department, describing their

The backlog of asylum cases in the UK has hit a new record high, according to Home Office figures. A total of 175,457 people were waiting for an initial decision on an asylum application in the UK at the end of June 2023, up 44% at the end of June 2022 and the highest figure

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has hinted at changing the status of the inquiry looking into the crimes of Lucy Letby, saying he wanted to ensure the families affected had “full confidence” in the probe. The government ordered an inquiry last week after Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six