Politics

The resignation of Anneliese Dodds as international development minister “won’t make a difference” to Sir Keir Starmer, Harriet Harman has said.  The Labour peer told Beth Rigby on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast that there is “such coherence” in the rest of the cabinet that her decision to quit will do little damage. Politics Live:

Anneliese Dodds has quit as international development minister over Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to slash the overseas aid budget to pay for an increase in defence spending.  Ms Dodds, who is also women and equalities minister and attends cabinet, said she was resigning from both posts “with great sadness” but would continue to support the

All eyes have been on Sir Keir Starmer as he held the most consequential news conference of his premiership so far. By Donald Trump’s own admission, Sir Keir’s first trip to Washington as prime minister got off to an “outstanding start”. The love-in between the prime minister and the US president continued on stage, as

Donald Trump has questioned whether he ever called President Zelenskyy a “dictator”  - after he was invited by King Charles for an “unprecedented” second state visit to the UK. Sir Keir Starmer presented the US president with a copy of the invitation while the pair met in the Oval Office. The prime minister and his

The prime minister has refused to say whether further tax rises will be imposed in the spring statement. Sir Keir Starmer said the government was in the “early stages” of looking at whether tax rises or spending cuts were needed to meet Labour’s self-imposed fiscal rules. He would not say if Ms Reeves is looking

Sky News’ Sam Coates and Poltico’s Anne McElvoy hold their hands up on this episode – to not seeing Keir Starmer’s big defence announcement coming yesterday morning. The plan to shift defence spending to 3% of GDP (and a new Downing Street podium slogan) is a pivot for the PM. Sam and Anne discuss the

An MP has confronted social media bosses over extreme messages received by politicians after she was threatened with being hung. Emily Darlington said the comment was made after she shared a petition to save her local Post Office on X last November and still hasn’t been removed – despite reporting it. The same account has

Big announcement. Big spending. Big numbers. That’s what the prime minister wants you to know.  But do the numbers stack up? £59.8bn is the Ministry of Defence budget in the coming year. £59.8bn. It’s the lion’s share of military spending – which makes up 2.3% of our GDP. And £13.4bn is how much more Sir

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted his decision to increase defence spending was “accelerated” by Donald Trump taking office. The prime minister said today’s announcement was “three years in the making” after Russia invaded Ukraine – but a “very changed context” pushed him forward. Politics Live: PM warns ‘everything has changed’ after announcing defence spending boost

Kemi Badenoch has said the US is acting in its national interest and the UK also needs to, ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s meeting with Donald Trump. The Conservative leader, giving a foreign policy speech in London on Tuesday, told Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby the US is “not an authoritarian regime” and shares

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said Runcorn needs a new Labour MP after Mike Amesbury was jailed for beating up a constituent – and will keep his £91,000 MPs salary in prison. She told Wilfred Frost on Sky News Breakfast: “Whether it is resigning or through recall, everyone’s clear – the people of Runcorn deserve

The business secretary has apologised after it emerged he claimed to be a solicitor – despite not finishing his training. Jonathan Reynolds faced calls to resign after accusations he described himself as a solicitor on several occasions – including on his LinkedIn page, in the Commons and on an old constituency website that is no

To Opposition MPs, she’s “Rachel from Accounts”. But as well as being accused of embellishing her CV, she’s now being challenged about her own accounts – her expenses claims. The chancellor has been accused of being involved in an “expenses scandal” when she worked at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS). It’s claimed she spent hundreds

The UK government is facing increasing pressure to call on China to release jailed pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai as it seeks closer trading ties with Beijing. Media tycoon Mr Lai is currently on trial in Hong Kong facing charges under the city’s national security law, imposed by Beijing in 2020 in response to mass pro-democracy

Farmers forced the prime minister to cut short a visit to a housing development as they drove tractors to the site in a protest against changes to inheritance tax. Sir Keir Starmer was in Buckinghamshire to announce more than 100 new towns could be built under the government’s plans for the “largest house building programme

Sir Keir Starmer says he has full confidence in Rachel Reeves after questions were raised about inaccuracies in her CV and her use of expenses in a previous job. The chancellor has been accused by former employees of being involved in an “expenses scandal” while working at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) from 2006 to 2009,

A leak inquiry will take place following reports that economic growth forecasts have been reduced by the government’s financial watchdog. Bloomberg reported that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had reduced its growth forecasts in data sent to Chancellor Rachel Reeves last week. Reduced growth could force the government to cut further spending or increase

Keir Starmer was touring the UK National Nuclear Laboratory in Preston when the Bank of England halved its 2025 growth forecast, cut interest rates for the third time in six months, warned of an uptick in inflation and said the national insurance hike on employers would hit prices and jobs more than expected.  It was

Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics. Sam and Anne discuss Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to break down barriers to building nuclear reactors in the UK, and Kemi Badenoch’s new proposals for stricter immigration rules in a possible bid to win back voters

The Conservative Party is pledging to tighten immigration rules after Reform topped a landmark poll for the first time earlier this week. In her first major policy announcement as Tory Party leader, Kemi Badenoch is pledging to double the amount of time an immigrant needs to have been in the UK before claiming indefinite leave