Politics

The home secretary’s date rape joke was “misogynistic” and “very ill-judged”, a senior Conservative MP has told Sky News. James Cleverly apologised after making an “ironic joke” about putting a date rape drug in his wife’s drink, hours after the Home Office announced plans to crack down on spiking. He has faced calls to resign,

Tony Blair’s government considered setting up a holding camp on the Isle of Mull to drive down the number of asylum seekers entering the UK, according to newly released official papers. The plan, put forward by one of the then-Labour prime minister’s closest aides, was part of a “nuclear option” that would see people who

It is “the worst kept secret in parliament” that the UK is heading for a May general election, according to a Labour frontbencher. Emily Thornberry told Sky News that the date of the spring budget “seems to confirm” what many MPs suspect – that the prime minister could go to the polls early. The next

Fires, floods and overheating incidents have increased across the NHS in England year-on-year, analysis of official figures has shown. NHS Digital statistics highlighted by the Liberal Democrats show that flooding on health service properties increased by 59% when the 2022/23 period was compared to the 2021/22 year. There were 279 incidents in the most recent

No action will be taken against James Cleverly over his date rape joke as the prime minister “considers the matter closed”. The home secretary has been facing calls to quit after joking about putting a date rape drug in his wife’s drink – hours after the Home Office announced plans to crack down on spiking.

An MP whose office was hit by a suspected arson attack on Christmas eve says he wears a stab vest when going to public events. Conservative MP Mike Freer told Sky News that the use of stab vests among MPs is “sadly par for the course these days” when out in public. His comments came

Labour has vowed to tackle rogue American candy stores – and has urged the government to help restore the British high street. The party is calling on the government to introduce a “new shops bonus” for any legitimate businesses which open up on shopping streets, starting with Oxford Street in central London. There are currently

It’s been another eventful year in British politics. But how much of it do you remember? The Politics Hub Christmas special will air on Sky News from 9pm on Christmas Eve. It will include a quiz testing your knowledge of the last 12 months – and you can play along below as the show airs.

The Mayor of London has pledged his support to send 4x4s to Ukraine that would otherwise be scrapped under the city’s ULEZ scheme. Sadiq Khan had previously blocked cars that were not ULEZ compliant from being sent to the country, saying he did not believe altering the environmental scheme for exports was possible under current

If you think this has been a pretty tough year, you are not alone. The annual Global Advisor survey conducted around the world by Ipsos records that a majority of us, 53%, think 2023 has been a bad year for us and our family. Worse, a significantly greater proportion, 70%, say it has been a

James Cleverly has apologised after joking about putting a date rape drug in his wife’s drink in comments made at a Downing Street reception within hours of the Home Office announcing plans to crack down on spiking. The home secretary told female guests “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not

Rishi Sunak has urged people to focus on “the promise of a brighter future” – as party leaders delivered their Christmas messages. The prime minister said Christmas was “a time of hope” but it was important to remember “those facing a difficult time”. Mr Sunak, who is a Hindu, highlighted the “Christian values at the

Rishi Sunak is under fire from his own MPs after rowing back on plans to lift the salary threshold for a family visa – with some Tories accusing him of “weakness”. The prime minister said the government was “increasing the salary threshold significantly” to £38,700 in “early 2025” – a change from the original plan

Simon Case is set to return to his role leading the civil service in January following weeks of medical leave, the Cabinet Office has confirmed. Mr Case, who as cabinet secretary is the UK’s most senior civil servant, took a leave of absence for medical reasons in October. Politics latest: Rishi Sunak accused of ‘legacy

The cost of train travel is set to rise by almost 5% next year, according to the government. In England, regulated rail fares will increase by up to 4.9% from 3 March 2024, the Department for Transport has said. The government says the new 4.9% cap is lower than the equivalent in Scotland, where prices

As if the government’s “stop the boats” policy wasn’t already in disarray, now James Cleverly’s crackdown on legal migration is already unravelling. In a move cynically timed to avoid a backlash from MPs, he has admitted he’s made a major climbdown on workers bringing family members from overseas to the UK. When he announced plans

Scotland’s first minister has been mocked over a “bold claim” world leaders have been “lining up” to seek advice from the Scottish government. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross ridiculed a statement made by transport, net zero and just transition secretary Mairi McAllan in the chamber last week. She said world leaders have been approaching the

Jeremy Hunt has said the “door is open for constructive discussions” with junior doctors, as they begin three days of strike action in England over pay and conditions. The walk-out started at 7am on Wednesday, after negotiations between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Department of Health broke down earlier this month. Reports suggested

Another winter. Another strike. Except this time the industrial action by junior doctors will be longer than any other NHS history. In total, three days starting on Wednesday morning. Then back out again for six consecutive days from 3-9 January. In all, there will only be four weekdays unaffected by strike action or holidays over

An MP suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party has lost his seat in a recall petition, Sky News understands, leaving another by-election for Rishi Sunak to contend with. The voters of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire have decided they want to choose a new MP after Peter Bone was found by parliament to have subjected a staff