Politics

Rishi Sunak is set to battle it out with Sir Keir Starmer over the economy after a bruising day for the Conservative leader which saw two senior party figures quit as MPs. Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom both announced on Friday they would not stand in the 4 July general election, bringing the total number

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of “sounding a bit desperate” after he accused him of chickening out of TV debates. The Labour leader told Sky News that “of course there are going to be TV debates” and they are “part and parcel of the election cycle now”. “I obviously want to spend as

Rishi Sunak is presenting himself as the underdog in this campaign. In many ways it’s remarkable that a prime minister can position like this, but the 20-point poll deficit means he feels he has no alternative. But can he pull it off? He knows the job of the next six weeks is to change minds

Rishi Sunak has admitted Rwanda flights will not take off before the general election – as he denied calling a summer vote because inflation is expected to rise. The prime minister has said for the past few months the first flights removing asylum seekers to the African nation will happen in July. But after calling

The race for Number 10 begins in earnest today following Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap summer general election in a high stakes move that could bring to an end his party’s 14 years in government. The prime minister took the gamble of his political life when he announced that he will go to

Rishi Sunak will call a general election for 4 July, Sky News understands. The surprise move comes after days of rumours the prime minister could go to the country earlier than previously thought. Follow the latest politics news live – general election to be confirmed Mr Sunak has been saying for months an election would

People infected with deadly viruses due to the tainted blood scandal could receive more than £2m in compensation, according to government documents. “Illustrative figures” have been published on the Infected Blood Compensation Authority section of the government website, which show “the compensation award that an infected person living with a single infection or co-infection may

Victims of the infected blood scandal will get £210,000 as an interim compensation payment from as early as this summer, the government has announced. Cabinet minister John Glen told parliament the initial payment will be given to people living with the effects of contaminated blood “within 90 days, starting in the summer”. Infected people who

After decades of denial, gaslighting and a chilling cover-up of the plight that befell thousands of victims of the infected blood scandal, finally an apology that sought to begin to make amends on this “day of shame” for the British state. “I want to speak directly to victims and their families,” said Rishi Sunak. “I

The Downing Street diary has an enormous red ring circled around Wednesday morning when the Office for National Statistics releases its monthly inflation data. The Politics at Jack and Sam’s podcast discuss whether the prime minister can use this week to create an economic turning point. Spreaker This content is provided by Spreaker, which may

Two of Westminster’s best-connected journalists, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard, guide you through their top predictions for the next seven days in British politics. This week the government will be hoping to see the rate of inflation hit the Bank of England’s 2% target as Rishi Sunak aims to claim a victory

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said he won’t be standing at the next general election but will keep campaigning for the Conservative Party. In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which he posted on X on Saturday night, Mr Heaton-Harris said after 24 years in politics, it had been an “honour and a

A Tory peer has resigned the government whip after he was found to have bullied and harassed two people while drunk. Lord Kulveer Ranger, a former adviser to Boris Johnson, faces being banned from the House of Lords bars following an investigation into his conduct. He has apologised for his behaviour and given up the

Plaid Cymru has pulled out of its co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government. The two parties signed up to the three-year deal in 2021, agreeing to work together in a raft of policy areas in the Senedd. However, the smaller partner has now withdrawn with immediate effect, seven months before the agreement was due

Jeremy Hunt has pledged to cut national insurance again in the autumn “if we can afford” it. The chancellor has lowered the tax twice since he entered Number 11, which the government says has saved people an average of £900 a year. But speaking at an event in London on Friday, he said “we’re not

Jeremy Hunt will promise further tax cuts if the Tories win the next general election and will accuse the Labour Party of not being honest about how it will fund its spending pledges. The chancellor will give a speech in London on Friday in which he will accuse his shadow, Rachel Reeves, of resorting to

The defence secretary has said he is “angry inside” over the infected blood scandal ahead of a long-waited report into the decades-long injustice. Grant Shapps told Sky News he agreed it had been one of the most “shameful failures” of government and said he was dismayed by the “lack of anybody taking responsibility”. The findings

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are both facing a historic lack of popularity among ethnically diverse communities, new polling suggests. While ethnically diverse community voting trends are incredibly complex and almost always hard to predict, some polling can give useful indications that can speak to the mood of the country. A comprehensive set of

Sir Keir Starmer will outline his “first steps” for government at a launch event to kickstart the next phase of Labour’s campaign for the general election. The party leader will host the event in the potential battleground of Essex, where he will pledge to build on the five “missions” he set out last year. Among

Age limits are set to be imposed for the first time on when children can be taught sex education, according to reports. Under the proposals, schools will be told not to teach children any form of sex education until year 5, when pupils are aged nine. Other measures due to be announced by Education Secretary