Politics

David Lammy has said the government is “young” after Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray resigned and a new poll found most people think the government is “sleazy”. The foreign secretary said Ms Gray was a “superb public servant” after she quit on Sunday following weeks of briefings against her, including her salary

Families have called for an inquiry into mental health provision for offenders languishing on indefinite jail terms – saying it could “save lives”. Relatives of offenders still serving a now-abolished open-ended jail term, known as imprisonment for public protection (IPP), believe resources are so “starved” that the remaining prisoners now have “life-long mental health issues”.

Sue Gray has resigned from her position as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Number 10 has announced. Ms Gray has instead been appointed as the prime minister’s envoy for nations and regions. Morgan McSweeney, the party’s former campaign director who masterminded July’s election landslide, will replace her as the prime minister’s chief of staff.

Before we get onto the budget and what Rachel Reeves might do to fiddle her fiscal rules and give herself a little more room to spend, I want you to ponder, for a moment, a recent report from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). This wasn’t one of those big OBR reports that get lots

Ministers are plotting a shake-up of Britain’s drive to attract inward investment days before a summit they will claim demonstrates the country is “open for business”. Sky News has learnt that officials are drawing up plans to merge the Office for Investment – a joint venture between the Department for Business and Trade and Number

The man who called in police over the SNP’s finances has told Sky News “delays” in the long-running fraud investigation threatens the future of the Scottish independence movement.  Campaigner Sean Clerkin triggered the probe more than three years ago after phoning detectives with concerns about more than £600,000 that had been fundraised for a second

Allowing terminally ill people to end their lives would not lead to a “slippery slope” of widening eligibility criteria, an MP pushing for the law has insisted.  Kim Leadbeater told Sky News there is a misconception that in countries where assisted dying has been introduced, the scope has been broadened over time. Politics latest: TV star

Sir Keir Starmer should hold a COBRA-style meeting with his cabinet ministers to decide new rules on donations, a former Labour minister has said. Baroness Harriet Harman, a host of Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, said there needs to be “new rules and processes in place” following the row over the prime minister and his

The UK will hand over sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands to Mauritius after a decades-long dispute. The deal to transfer the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, home to a military base used by the UK and the US that plays a crucial role in the region’s stability

Sir Keir Starmer has paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality received since taking office, Downing Street has said. The prime minister is covering the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four to the races and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end designer favoured by his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer. Follow

Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Brussels on Wednesday to hold talks with EU leaders about “putting the Brexit years behind us” and bolstering ties with the UK. The prime minister has vowed to “reset” relations with Europe following tensions between the previous Tory government and the EU – though he has ruled out a

Sir Keir Starmer has said Britain stands with Israel and warned he is “deeply concerned” that the Middle East “is on the brink”. In a televised address from Downing Street, the prime minister condemned an attack by Iran which saw around 200 missiles launched into Israel. Sir Keir, who was on the phone to the

Robert Jenrick is within touching distance of Kemi Badenoch after a surge in his support, according to an exclusive Sky News poll of Tory members. The latest YouGov survey of Conservative members for Sky News suggests there is a path to victory for all four candidates, although Tom Tugendhat faces a bigger hurdle than the

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has urged British nationals to heed the government’s advice and leave Lebanon immediately. He said the situation on the ground is “fast moving” and ministers can’t guarantee being able to help “if things escalate in a major way over the coming hours and days”. There are concerns about rising violence in

Kemi Badenoch has said her remarks about maternity pay have been “misrepresented”, as she called for an “honest campaign” for the Tory leadership. The first day of the Conservative Party conference saw a row erupt over comments made by the shadow housing secretary, where she appeared to call the current level of the benefit “excessive”.

Four contenders and the biggest platform of the year to make their case to be leader of the opposition. Welcome to the Conservatives’ annual conference in Birmingham – a four day job interview in the glare of the spotlight, with the axe falling on two of the four candidates in just 10 days when MPs

In some ways this isn’t surprising. Rosie Duffield has been open with her discontent with the party, specifically over the party’s gender views – and she has been only too happy in her disagreement with Sir Keir Starmer. But what is surprising is the strength and tone of the letter – it is savage –

Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield has resigned from the Labour Party. The 53-year-old MP is the first to jump ship since the general election and in her resignation letter criticised the prime minister for accepting thousands of pounds worth of gifts. She told Sir Keir the reason for leaving now is “the programme of policies you

Applications for pension credit hit nearly 75,000 in the eight weeks since the new chancellor announced the winter fuel payment for pensioners would be means-tested for the first time. Figures released on Friday by the Department for Work and Pensions figures showed there were around 74,400 pension credit claims in the eight weeks since 29

Sir Keir Starmer has called for Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire, saying “escalation serves no one”. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, the prime minister implored the two sides to “step back from the brink”. It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his nation’s troops would keep “fighting at