Politics

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

Kemi Badenoch heads to India this week in the hope of making progress on a trade deal, but government sources played down the prospect of an imminent breakthrough. A source told Sky News that “tricky” issues have not yet been resolved as the talks enter their twelfth round, almost a year after a deadline announced

Energy secretary Grant Shapps has visited Ukraine to announce fresh financial support for its nuclear fuel supply in a bid to end its reliance on Russia. The UK will provide a £192m loan guarantee to Ukraine’s national nuclear company, Energoatom via the UK’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance. Through the deal, UK-headquartered Urenco will

Home Office plans to clamp down on illegal migration risk creating a “perma-backlog” of asylum seekers that could end up costing the taxpayer over £6bn a year, a think tank has said. Researchers at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) argue that measures in the Illegal Migration Act – which aims to detain and remove

Half of private renters in England are only “one paycheque away” from potentially losing their home, a new study by Shelter has found. Some 51% of private renters surveyed by the housing charity were at risk of not being able to pay a full month’s rent, while more than a third said they did not

Sadiq Khan’s deputy and a scientist the mayor’s office helps to fund have been accused of working together in an attempt to criticise research that questioned the effectiveness of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Emails obtained by the Conservative Party under the Freedom of Information Act showed Professor Frank Kelly of Imperial College London

A Tory MP has written to his local police force asking officers to “turn a blind eye” to pubs opening an hour early for the Women’s World Cup final this weekend. Pubs can choose when they open on Sundays, but the time from which they can start selling alcohol varies depending on each pub’s individual

Suella Braverman has been urged to “stand up” to France as reports emerged the country is intercepting fewer migrants in the Channel despite a £480m funding deal. The call from Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis came as The Telegraph claimed just 45.2% of migrants have been stopped by French patrols since January, down from 45.8% in