UK

The Labour Party’s annual conference begins today – and policies on neighbourhood policing and clean energy are among those on the agenda. The Labour leader is seeking to set out the dividing lines between his party and the new Tory government during the four-day event. Speaking at a London Labour reception on Friday evening, Sir

This article was supposed to be a considered look at whether or not this mini-budget will generate the growth it was promising. It was supposed to be about whether it made sense to borrow so much money to finance tax cuts and whether this economic gamble (for a gamble it is) will actually work out.

The chancellor has denied suggestions he is gambling with the economy as his raft of tax cuts were met with a hostile reception – and sent the pound plummeting to a 37-year low. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) said he was “betting the house” by putting government debt on an “unsustainable rising path”. Only

Here are the key points from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget statement to MPs: • The basic rate of income tax will be cut to 19p in the pound from April 2023. Will mean 31 million people will be better off by an average of £170 per year. • The 45% higher rate of income tax

Kwasi Kwarteng will promise a “new era for Britain” with a major package of measures to “turn the vicious cycle of stagnation into a virtuous cycle of growth”. The chancellor is set to announce tens of billions of pounds both of increased spending and of tax cuts when he delivers his mini-budget at around 9.30am

The interest rate has been raised to 2.25% – the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. The Bank of England’s half a point hike followed a three-way split in the voting. Financial markets had widely expected the Bank to follow the US Federal Reserve last night with a 0.75 percentage points rise but economists

The mother of an unarmed black man who was killed by a police officer in south London has again called for justice after being shown the bodycam footage of his shooting. Chris Kaba, 24, was killed on 5 September after a police chase in Streatham Hill. His Audi was hemmed in by two police cars

Wholesale energy costs for businesses will be slashed by up to half their expected price through the winter months, the government has announced. They will see government-funded cuts to their energy bills in line with the reductions that have already been announced for homes. The level of discount will depend on what companies are already

Liz Truss has said she is prepared to be unpopular with her tax policy as she believes it will ultimately benefit the British economy. Talking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby in New York, the prime minister defended any tax changes her government will make at the end of the week and said she

More than 250,000 people saw the Queen lying in state in London, according to the culture secretary. Michelle Donelan told Sky News that more than a quarter of a million mourners “went through parliament” but that it was an approximate figure and the government was still “crunching the final numbers”. People queued round the clock

The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is taking place as the King led members of the Royal Family in procession behind her coffin to Westminster Abbey. Tens of thousands of people have travelled to London and Windsor for the funeral and burial service, which are being watched on television by millions around the world.

The Queen has been buried beside her husband, Prince Philip, after a state funeral and a poignant chapel service – as the nation bid a final farewell to Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Elizabeth II was laid to rest at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, part of St George’s Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor

The King has issued a message of thanks to the nation as it prepares to say a “last farewell” to Queen Elizabeth. On the eve of the late monarch’s funeral, King Charles offered his gratitude to “all those countless people” who had offered “support and comfort” following his mother’s death. He said in a written

Today marks the final full day of the Queen’s lying in state. Thousands of people are still joining the queue to pay their respects, as heads of state continue to arrive in London ahead of Monday’s funeral, with the estimated queuing time at least 12 hours. Foreign dignitaries have been arriving in their droves over

Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice have paid tribute to the Queen, describing her as their “beloved Grannie” who was a “loving hand on our backs leading us through this world”. In a statement on Saturday, they said: “We, like many, thought you’d be here forever. And we all miss you terribly. “You were our matriarch, our

A man has been detained by police after a witness said he “ran up to the Queen’s coffin” in Westminster Hall. Witness Tracey Holland told Sky News: “Some person decided they were going to push my [seven-year-old niece] out the way, run up to the coffin, lift up the standard and try to do I