Politics

Conservative MPs defending slim majorities have accused colleagues of “gaming the system” to try and move to safer seats and maximise their chances of keeping their jobs. There is “fury” at the “ultra-confidential” process which will allow some Tories to switch constituencies ahead of the next election. Around 15 parliamentarians have applied to be declared

The UK has been accepted into an Indo-Pacific trade bloc in what the government says is its biggest trade deal since Brexit. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement between 11 countries across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and

Sir Keir Starmer says he is “prepared to be ruthless” to ensure Labour wins the next election, including when it comes to his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn. Earlier this week, Sir Keir put forward a motion to Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), to block Mr Corbyn from running for the party at the

An MP who travelled by train with COVID in the early stages of the pandemic is facing a 30-day suspension from the House of Commons – raising the possibility of a by-election. Margaret Ferrier admitted she broke COVID rules in September 2020 by travelling on a train between Scotland and London despite having tested positive

Voters across much of England will head to the ballot box for local and mayoral elections on 4 May. It will be the first time people in England will have to show photographic identification at voting stations before they can cast their ballot. Sky News takes you through all you need to know about the

Local Tory councils have threatened to take legal action against the government over its plans to house asylum seekers in disused military bases in their areas. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick confirmed the scheme today, saying “thousands” would be accommodated at former RAF sites in Essex and Lincolnshire. But Braintree District Council said it was planning

The government has presided over a “lost decade” and risks exposing the UK to a host of climate threats because of “lacklustre planning and preparation”, its advisers have said. The preparedness of various sectors such as food security, water supply, transport, health, business, agriculture and finance are “lacking across the board” due to a failure

Kate Forbes has rejected a job offer from Scotland’s new first minister Humza Yousaf and will return to the backbenches after serving in government for almost five years. A senior source told Sky News that Ms Forbes, who narrowly lost the SNP leadership race to Mr Yousaf on Monday, was asked to take on the

Humza Yousaf is expected to be declared Scotland’s new first minister later today. The 37-year-old has replaced Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader, triumphing over Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in the contest for the party’s top job. Mr Humza is now set to face a vote at Holyrood before being formally confirmed as the country’s

Humza Yousaf’s leadership win is a big victory for the SNP establishment. A close ally of Nicola Sturgeon, he was branded the “continuity” candidate – pledging to build on the former first minister’s work. The losers in this contest had planned a more radical overhaul of both policy and party. There is no doubt this

The gruelling contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the leader of Scotland’s biggest political party reaches its crescendo later when the winner is announced. Humza Yousaf, Ash Regan and Kate Forbes have spent weeks battling to become the new SNP leader and, ultimately, the next first minister. The party will reveal the results of the

Former Conservative cabinet ministers Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng told a fake overseas company looking for MP advisers that their daily rate for consultancy would be £10,000. In a sting operation set up by campaign group Led By Donkeys, Mr Hancock and Mr Kwarteng both set out five-figure sums for what they would expect to

People convicted of anti-social behaviour will be ordered to repair the damage they have caused within two days of being told their punishment, under new plans. Making justice “immediate” and ensuring that communities can visibly see efforts to clean up vandalism and graffiti will be a key plank of the measures. The scheme will be

Sir Patrick Vallance has said COVID restrictions were “for everybody” after Boris Johnson said lockdown leaving dos were “absolutely essential” and that he relied on incorrect advice from Number 10 advisers. The UK’s chief scientific adviser became a household name during the pandemic as he stood beside the then-prime minister during daily COVID briefings. This

Downing Street has shown “important signs of regret and embarrassment” over the rhetoric used by ministers to describe Albanians, according to the country’s prime minister. Edi Rama has previously accused Home Secretary Suella Braverman of fuelling xenophobic attacks after she spoke in parliament about an “invasion” of asylum seekers and “Albanian criminals” when describing the

UK and EU officials will sign off on a new Brexit deal in London today, despite ongoing opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The Windsor Framework – designed to address problems with the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol – was agreed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last

Sir Keir Starmer will lose the general election campaign “on day one” unless he shifts his position on transgender rights, party strategists have warned. Advisers have been telling the Labour leader since late 2021 to “deal with” the issue and explain to voters that “self-ID is not going to happen”. Sir Keir’s position has evolved

The singling out of Albanian migrants in the UK has been a “very, very disgraceful moment in British politics”, the country’s prime minister has said. Edi Rama, who is in Britain for talks with Rishi Sunak, said it is essential that relations between the two countries are not defined by a few “rotten apples”. “Unfortunately

Did Boris Johnson intentionally mislead Parliament about what he knew and when about rule-breaking events in Number 10? The privileges committee maintains it is “very likely” he did. Wednesday’s appearance in front of the privileges committee was billed as the day of reckoning for the former prime minister, with all the jeopardy that it brought.

Rishi Sunak’s tax details have been released following months of political pressure, showing that he paid £432,493 in tax in 2021/22. Much of the tax was paid on his capital gains earnings, which were more than £1.6m in that tax year. The prime minister paid £325,826 in capital gains tax and £120,604 in UK income