Politics

Schools minister Nick Gibb claimed the government is taking the most proactive approach “in the world” over the concrete crisis following accusations it didn’t heed warnings. Mr Gibb told Sky News he did not accept criticism from the National Audit Office (NAO) that the Department for Education (DfE) was taking a “sticking plaster approach” to

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was caught on camera complaining about not being thanked for doing a “f***ing good job” over the unsafe concrete crisis. After an interview with ITV News in Westminster, she was heard saying other people are “sat on their arses”. She said: “Does anyone ever say ‘You know you’ve done a f***ing

Cash-strapped schools affected by collapse-risk concrete will not have to pay for repairs out of their budgets, the education secretary has insisted. Gillian Keegan told Sky News there will be no new money to fix the problem, but the costs will be covered by the Department for Education’s existing budget. There has been a growing

MPs are returning to Westminster on Monday for the rapidly accelerating downhill run to the next general election. Thanks to Boris Johnson’s success in repealing the Fixed Term Parliament Act there is no precise guidance as to when that date with political destiny will be. The next general election could even take place the year

The home secretary has ordered a review into how “political activism” among officers, including actions like taking the knee, is impacting policing. Suella Braverman has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to look into impartiality and written to police chiefs to remind them their “focus should be on tackling crime”. In the letter, she highlighted

The crisis over unsafe concrete in schools may extend beyond the education sector to other types of public buildings, experts have warned. They say the scale of the problem with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is “much bigger than schools” and could include hospitals, police stations, and court buildings. Even private sector sites such as

The chancellor has admitted more schools and other public buildings with structural problems could come to light in the coming weeks. It comes as the government investigates the extent of problems with crumbling concrete. More than 100 schools and colleges have been told by the Department for Education (DfE) to partially or fully shut buildings

Not all schools impacted by concrete safety fears have been contacted and it is not clear how many will have to shut fully, a minister has admitted. Schools minister Nick Gibb said in most cases “just a few buildings” or rooms within the affected schools will have to shut but “in some cases it will

Rishi Sunak today sought to put his own stamp on the cabinet, in a way not possible a year ago when he took over.  Yet this reshuffle – which was already in the works in May – took only baby steps towards creating a cabinet truly in Mr Sunak’s image. Even this level of change

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