Politics

Government spending on storing personal protective equipment (PPE) in China increased by £2.35m in the year to January – as households struggle to make ends meet amid the cost of living crisis. According to data revealed by the Labour Party, the taxpayer paid £23.5m to store life-saving protective equipment from February 2021 to January 2022

Controversial Labour attack adverts targeting Rishi Sunak were not a mistake and there are more to come, a senior shadow cabinet member has told Sky News. Wes Streeting argued it was “absolutely right to take the gloves off” and hold the government to account for its record. The social media campaign in which the opposition

Escalating nurse strike action by withdrawing protection for emergency hospital care will endanger patient safety, a NHS leader has warned as the government said a “full and final” pay offer had been made to staff. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health trusts, also raised concerns over the possibility of nursing

The government is now able to play divide and conquer with England’s healthcare unions. There will be delight in Number 10 that three quarters of Unison members accepted the 5% pay offer, while the Royal College of Nursing’s rejection of the deal was far narrower (54%/46%). The two biggest unions now have contrasting strategies: Unison

Issues or errors surrounding the system of health assessments for benefits has contributed to the deaths of some claimants, MPs have heard. The Work and Pensions committee said they are “deeply concerned” people are still experiencing psychological distress because of the process – despite an inquiry five years ago highlighting “significant problems”. In a new

Boris Johnson quoted Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day in his final address to the Commons as prime minister.  “‘Hasta la vista, Baby’ – thank you”, he signed off to MPs last July. The quotation, literally “until the view” in Spanish, is usually taken to mean “until we meet again” – a

Members of the Royal College of Nursing are to go on strike again after they voted against the latest government pay offer. The result comes despite a recommendation from union leaders that they accept it and means there will be a round-the-clock 48-hour strike – without exemptions – from 8pm on 30 April to 8pm

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of being a “total fraud” and the “wettest Labour leader” on crime by government minister Chris Philp. Mr Philp, who is responsible for policing, attacked the Labour leader’s record on crime, claiming it was “worse” than that of his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn. In response, Labour said Mr Philp “owes

So many different versions of what might have been in Belfast were considered in the planning for today’s visit by the US president.  If Stormont had been up and running, President Joe Biden would have gone there with Rishi Sunak. With power sharing still deadlocked, at one point they considered making a pointed trip to

Rishi Sunak says the relationship between the UK and US is “in great shape” after he held talks with Joe Biden, despite strong criticism of the president from one of Northern Ireland’s main parties. Mr Biden arrived in the region late last night for his trip to the island of Ireland to mark 25 years

Joe Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Rishi Sunak today after arriving in Northern Ireland last night to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Sunak greeted Mr Biden after Air Force One landed at Belfast International Airport for the US president’s four-day visit to the island of Ireland. The two

A man has denied sending an offensive email to Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner. Appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, David Perry pleaded not guilty to two charges under the Communications Act. One alleges the message was “grossly offensive” and the other that it was “indecent, obscene or menacing”. The 66-year-old defendant from Weybridge in Surrey

Anne Keast-Butler will become the first female director of GCHQ, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said. She will succeed Sir Jeremy Fleming as the 17th director of the Cheltenham based intelligence agency. Mr Cleverly said: “Anne Keast-Butler has an impressive track record  at the heart of the UK’s national security network, helping to counter threats posed

Compare and contrast the following. Exhibit A – “over the next four weeks, this campaign will be shining a relentless spotlight on Scott Morrison‘s failures as Prime Minister”. Exhibit B – “we are going to be ruthless in showing how 13 years of Tory government has broken our systems and held everyone back”. Nearly half

Rishi Sunak has called for a swift return of the Stormont Assembly ahead of President Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland. “We must get on with the business of governance,” the prime minister said. He will meet Joe Biden when the US president steps off of Air Force One on Tuesday evening – not long after

After receiving a slap down from Tory HQ, Douglas Ross has stood by his controversial statements about tactical voting by essentially saying his comments were taken out of context. Earlier, he urged people to do “what’s best for the country” and support the candidate most likely to beat the SNP in their constituency. That could,

Rishi Sunak will welcome President Joe Biden when he arrives in Belfast this week, pledging to fulfil the promise of the Good Friday Agreement as they mark its 25th anniversary and talking of a “better future” for Northern Ireland. The US president’s visit comes amid a heightened terror threat in Northern Ireland, and with power-sharing

Nicola Sturgeon has said she will “fully cooperate” with police after the arrest this week of her husband Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The former Scottish first minister broke her silence after Mr Murrell’s arrest on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the SNP’s finances. She said

More brothers and sisters could now be spared the upheaval of being separated when placed into care thanks to increased tax relief for foster parents. The change, announced in the Budget, increases the amount foster carers can earn from £10,000 to £18,140 without needing to pay any tax or National Insurance contributions. After fostering 120

The Labour Party have released a second advert attacking Rishi Sunak just hours after being accused of “gutter politics” for targeting the prime minister personally. Yesterday, the party’s Twitter account released an advert claiming Mr Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison. The tweet on Friday afternoon suggests the prime minister