Politics

Rishi Sunak has suffered a double-blow after losing two by-elections to Labour, overturning significant majorities in both. Both Kingswood and Wellingborough turned from blue to red, meaning this government has seen the most by-election losses of any Conservative administration since the Second World War. By-election results live: Labour secures double victory The losses do not

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is looking at cutting planned public sector spending in order to lower taxes, Sky News understands. The government has been hinting at further tax reductions in recent weeks ahead of the budget on 6 March – and as it seeks to make an attractive offer to voters before the next general election.

Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to suspend any Labour member who was present at a meeting of activists where antisemitic comments were allegedly made. Mike Katz, the national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), which is formally affiliated to the Labour Party, criticised those who were present at a community meeting that has

Labour has taken Kingswood from the Conservatives, in another by-election victory for Sir Keir Starmer’s party. Damian Egan won 11,176 votes, while Tory candidate Sam Bromiley polled 8,675 votes, giving Labour a majority of 2,501. The seat in Gloucestershire had been held by Tory MP Chris Skidmore since 2010, but he quit in January in

Another Labour politician attended a meeting of activists that has become the centre of an antisemitism row within the party, Sky News understands. Hyndburn councillor Munsif Dad is thought to have attended the gathering where two parliamentary candidates are alleged to have made antisemitic remarks. On Monday, Labour withdrew support from and suspended Azhar Ali,

The Labour Party has suspended one its election candidates who allegedly referred to “f***ing Israel” at a meeting of activists, Sky News understands. Graham Jones has been administratively suspended from the party pending investigation and was called in for an interview this evening after his comments were revealed by the website Guido Fawkes. Mr Jones, the

Sir Keir Starmer has claimed he took “decisive action” in withdrawing support from Labour’s candidate for the Rochdale by-election, after it was alleged Azhar Ali had made antisemitic remarks at a party meeting. Shadow ministers initially stood by the councillor after his comments were published by the Daily Mail – saying Israel had deliberately allowed

The sacking of Azhar Ali as Labour’s candidate in the Rochdale by-election is the biggest disaster for Sir Keir Starmer in his nearly four years as leader of the party. There will now be an almighty inquest into how a candidate who had made such comments about Israel and Gaza was selected for such a

Labour’s candidate in Rochdale “fell for an online conspiracy” that led to his remarks over the 7 October attacks in Israel, a shadow minister has said. Councillor Azhar Ali told a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party in the wake of the atrocity that Israel deliberately allowed the massacre to go ahead to give it

Labour’s by-election candidate in Rochdale was “completely wrong” to say Israel deliberately allowed the 7 October massacre to give it the “green light” to invade Gaza, the party’s UK campaign coordinator has said. But senior shadow frontbencher Pat McFadden told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips confirmed Azhar Ali will still stand for the

The defence secretary is said to be “furious” after it was reported the British Army wants to relax security clearance vetting for overseas recruits to boost diversity and inclusion. The UK’s armed forces are looking overseas to boost ethnic minority representation because they have consistently failed to hit recruitment targets, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

Fujitsu is set to have received more than £3.4bn through contracts from Treasury-linked organisations since 2019, despite its role in the Post Office scandal, MPs have found. The international tech firm, which is under intense scrutiny, was awarded around £1.4bn worth of deals since a 2019 High Court ruling concluding there had been numerous bugs

Rishi Sunak has promised to reward hard work with tax cuts as he struck an optimistic note over the UK’s economic prospects. Official figures next week may show the UK slipped into a technical recession at the end of last year, while the prime minister is facing a heavy opinion poll deficit against Labour and

Rishi Sunak has published his personal tax return, showing he paid more than half a million pounds in UK tax last year. The document shows he paid a tax bill of £508,308 in the financial year 2022-23. His income included £1.8m in capital gains, as well as his £150,000 prime minister’s salary. The prime minister

Rishi Sunak has again refused to apologise for comments he made about transgender people in parliament this week, despite calls from Brianna Ghey’s father to do so. Mr Sunak rejected suggestions he made a joke during Prime Minister’s Questions when Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, was in parliament. “That is not what I did, it is

Rishi Sunak should apologise for his transgender jibe which was made while Brianna Ghey’s mother was in parliament, Gordon Brown has told Sky News. The former PM was speaking to the Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge a day after the current occupier of Number 10 joked during Prime Minister’s Questions about Sir Keir Starmer’s record

Rishi Sunak has declined to apologise for his joke about transgender people, despite Brianna Ghey’s father calling for him to say sorry. The prime minister was criticised for aiming the political dig about transgender people at Sir Keir Starmer, saying the Labour leader had broken promises on “defining a woman” while Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey,

The father of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey has demanded an apology from Rishi Sunak, saying he was “disgusted” with the prime minister’s comments in the Commons today. Speaking to Sky News, Peter Spooner said Mr Sunak’s remarks during PMQs, which the schoolgirl’s mother Esther attended, were “degrading” and “absolutely dehumanising”. He said: “As the

Labour “will” spend £28bn a year on green plans in the next parliament if they enter government, according to a shadow minister. The party has been mired in uncertainty over the commitment, with the Conservatives repeatedly attacking Labour – saying the current opposition’s plans would mean they would need to borrow extra money to meet

Nigel Farage believes it’s possible to replace the Conservative Party with his own Reform Party as he predicts an “extinction event” for the government at the next election. Mr Farage was speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby at the launch of the Popular Conservatism (PopCon) group in Westminster. Headlined by former prime minister