Politics

The Conservatives have suffered two by-election defeats in what had been seen as safe seats. Labour won in the constituency of Selby and Ainsty, while the Liberal Democrats triumphed in Somerton and Frome. The opposition parties both overturned Tory majorities of about 20,000 – as polling experts said the results meant “deep electoral trouble” for

Two by-elections lost, one held by the Tories, but the biggest lesson of the last extraordinary few hours is apparent by looking at the swings against Rishi Sunak’s party: that they suggest the Conservative Party is on course to lose Number 10 at the next election. This does not mean the situation isn’t salvageable. But

Former Tory MP Chris Pincher is appealing an eight-week suspension – which was recommended after an investigation into groping claims made against him. A letter from the Independent Expert Panel – which handles appeals against such rulings – confirmed his decision on Thursday night, hours before the deadline. The allegations surfaced last summer when the

The government has delayed publishing its long-awaited transgender guidance for schools after its own legal advisors concluded some of the suggested elements would be unlawful, Sky News understands. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had promised to bring out the advice during the summer term, which comes to an end this week for most state schools. But

Polls will open today at 7am for three by-elections across the country, as voters decide who they want to represent them in parliament. The seats of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in west London, Selby and Ainsty in North Yorkshire, and Somerton and Frome in Somerset, will all be up for grabs, with polls closing at

Nigel Farage has claimed his bank account was closed down after Coutts decided his views “do not align with our values”. The former UKIP leader said last month that the exclusive bank – used by the Royal Family – had written to him to tell him both his personal and business accounts were being closed,

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has hit back at criticism of his plan to keep the two-child benefit cap if his party is elected – maintaining they need to make “tough decisions”. There has been a growing rift between Labour MPs and the leadership after Sir Keir revealed he would not scrap the Conservative policy

Controversial plans to tackle the small boats crisis are poised to become law after the government crushed a series of renewed challenges by peers at Westminster. The Tory front bench saw off five further changes being sought by the upper chamber to the Illegal Migration Bill, including modern slavery protections and child detention limits. At

The government has managed to fight off the latest challenge from the House of Lords seeking to change its Illegal Migration Bill. In a vote in the Commons, MPs voted to reject all nine amendments peers had put forward to change the legislation. That was despite some high-profile rebels from the Tory benches supporting the

Boris Johnson has been criticised for the swelling size of the House of Lords and an imbalance in the political make-up of the upper chamber. A report from the Lord Speaker’s committee on the size of the house highlighted Mr Johnson as showing “no interest” in trying to reduce the number of peers. This follows

The government has signed an agreement to join an Indo-Pacific trading bloc, although the estimated benefit could only be £1.8bn in GDP. In announcing the formal plans to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Rishi Sunak administration highlighted the £12trn value of the combined GDPs of all the member nations if

Tony Blair has said that the NHS is “not serving its purpose” in an exclusive interview with Sky News. Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sunday, the former PM didn’t mince his words when addressing the current state of the UK’s health service. Asked if he thought the NHS was providing a good standard of service,

Defence minister Ben Wallace says he will stand down at the next election. Mr Wallace, the longest-serving Conservative defence secretary, said in an interview with The Times: “I’m not standing next time.” He added that he will not be resigning “prematurely” and forcing a by-election. Mr Wallace also confirmed he would leave the cabinet at

Ben Wallace – the longest-serving Conservative defence secretary – is considering leaving government in an anticipated autumn reshuffle, Sky News understands. It follows a failed UK bid to make Mr Wallace, 53, the next head of NATO and as the prime minister reportedly prepares to refresh his top team ahead of next year’s election. The

MPs should “focus on serving their constituency” rather than on second jobs, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson has said, in reaction to reports from Sky News. Research by our Westminster Accounts project today revealed MPs earned an average £233 per hour for roles outside of parliament – 17 times higher than the national average and over

The government has put the UK in an “unconscionable” position by forcing through pay rises on the back of cuts to existing budgets, according to the junior doctors’ union. Rishi Sunak has said the roughly 6% rise in salaries the government will implement is a “final” offer, upon which there will be no negotiation. “We