Politics

Labour has hailed a “political earthquake” after overturning huge Conservative majorities in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire. Sir Keir Starmer claimed his party was “redrawing the political map” after dealing a double by-election blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – in results viewed as significant markers ahead of a general election next year. The contests were

Rishi Sunak will arrive in Israel on Thursday, commencing a two-day trip to the wider region amid growing concerns the conflict with Hamas could escalate. The prime minister will hold a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on Thursday morning, before travelling to a number of other regional capitals in

Polling has opened in two crunch by-elections taking place today in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth. Voters in the constituencies will have until 10pm to decide who they want to represent them in parliament, following the resignations of Conservative MPs Nadine Dorries and Chris Pincher. Ms Dorries, a key ally of Boris Johnson, officially quit her

Labour has taken Tamworth from the Conservatives in a historic by-election victory for Sir Keir Starmer’s party. The seat in Staffordshire has been held by the Tories since 2010, with the last election seeing the party secure a majority of almost 20,000. But it was left vacant by former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, who

Rishi Sunak has failed to endorse cross-party calls for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas. In response to a question from the SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, the prime minster said Israel has a “right to defend itself, to protect its people and to act against terrorism and ensure that the awful attack

Rishi Sunak is set to visit Israel, possibly as soon as Thursday, Sky News understands. The trip could be part of a broader visit to the region, which may include stops in Jordan and Egypt. It follows visits from Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz today and US president Joe Biden on Wednesday. And it comes amid

Conservative HQ is claiming the Tory vote share in two upcoming by-elections could halve to around 30%, based on telephone canvassing data over recent days. The resignation of two Tory MPs have triggered by-elections this Thursday in Tamworth, Staffordshire and Mid Bedfordshire, with the party fighting hard to hold on to both. Party officials say

Rishi Sunak has confirmed that six British citizens have been killed and 10 are missing after Hamas attacks on Israel. The prime minister read out the figures as he gave a statement in the House of Commons on the conflict. Israel-Gaza latest: ‘There’s no humanitarian crisis in Gaza,’ says Israeli ambassador He said: “The terrible

Rishi Sunak has raised with Benjamin Netanyahu Israel’s need to minimise the impact on civilians as it prepares to launch an expected ground invasion of Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’s deadly attack. The prime minister repeated his belief that Israel had “every right to defend itself and its people to ensure that nothing like

Rishi Sunak is set to reiterate the UK’s total condemnation of Hamas’s attack on Israel during an address to MPs later. Before making a statement in the Commons, the prime minister is expected to make a visit this morning to demonstrate the government’s continued support for the Jewish community and zero-tolerance for antisemitic abuse. It

Rapists will be made to serve their full sentences and fewer “low-level offenders” will be sent to prison under new reforms, the justice secretary has pledged. Alex Chalk has promised “Texan-style justice” in the UK through sentencing reforms which are set to be outlined tomorrow. Offenders who may have been given a short stint in

Labour has been accused of “shutting down any solidarity” with Palestinians after its elected representatives were given “strong advice” to stay away from protests this weekend. Supporters of the party were also urged to “exercise caution” and asked not to take Labour Party banners to demonstrations. An email, shared with Sky’s deputy political editor Sam

An MP who defected from the Scottish National Party to join the Conservatives this week has said she and her family have been forced into hiding after receiving a barrage of threatening messages. Dr Lisa Cameron said she was told “I hope you burn” and “I hope someone throws a brick at you in the

As first minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf sets many of the rules by which millions of Scots live their lives. But when I interviewed him in Glasgow on Friday ahead of the Scottish National Party’s annual conference, what I saw before me was a husband and father who felt “powerless” to protect his family. There

Nigel Farage, the former UKIP leader, is to start banking with Britain’s biggest high street lender, months after a row over the closure of his previous accounts resulted in the ousting of one of the industry’s top executives. Sky News can reveal that Mr Farage has opened a number of accounts at Lloyds Banking Group,

The UK will send RAF aircraft and Royal Navy ships to carry out surveillance over Israel in a show of support following the Hamas incursion over the weekend. RAF aircraft will begin patrols in the next 24 hours while two ships will be sent to the eastern Mediterranean. A Royal Navy task group will be

Convicted criminals could avoid jail from next week because prisons are full, according to reports. The Times reported that Lord Edis, the senior presiding judge for England and Wales, has said that from next week the sentencing of criminals who are on bail should be delayed. Some prisoners may also be released early under proposals

Rishi Sunak is “completely wrong” to say nobody wants a general election and won’t call one now “because he thinks he’ll lose”, Sir Keir Starmer has said. Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby asked the Labour leader what he thought about the prime minister’s comments last week that an election is “not what the country

It was a leader’s speech received with such defining and raucous applause that Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria, having exited the stage, came back for an encore. You probably never thought of Starmer as a rockstar politician, but in that hall this cautious, steady lawyer had undoubtedly electrified his crowd. It was, shadow

Two of Westminster’s best-connected journalists – Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard – provide the essential guide to politics in the week ahead. They look to what’s in store at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool – including how Sir Keir Starmer will lay out his priorities ahead of a general election –