Politics

Downing Street will be hoping that once the prime minister has paid up, voters and journalists will move on and forget this rather embarrassing unforced error. To Rishi Sunak‘s credit, he put his hands up and admitted the error almost immediately. But it is a reminder that in the top job, with a permacrisis of

A series of fresh walkouts by ambulance workers has been announced by Unite in an escalation of the bitter dispute over pay and staffing. The union said its members across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will stage 10 further strikes over the coming weeks, warning that additional dates could be announced soon. Unite’s ambulance workers

The police have said they are “looking into the matter” after the prime minister was caught on camera not wearing a seatbelt. Rishi Sunak admitted a “brief error of judgement” after appearing beltless in a clip on Instagram as he promoted his levelling-up funding in Lancashire. Downing Street said: “That was a brief error of

Rishi Sunak has announced that more than £2bn will be invested in over 100 projects across the UK through the levelling up fund – with £19m going to his own constituency. Reinforcing his commitment to levelling up the country, the prime minister promised the latest round of funding would “build a future of optimism” by

The abuse of power perpetrated by the rapist officer David Carrick is “absolutely despicable” and urgent action is needed, the prime minister has told the head of the Met Police. Rishi Sunak said he had had “constructive” talks with Sir Mark Rowley and “made clear to him – and he agrees – that the abuse

A government minister has appealed to the public sector not to carry out further strikes, saying it would be “an act of self-harm” for the economy. Speaking to Sky News, Robert Jenrick said international factors are “beginning tentatively to work in the right direction”, with energy and fuel prices starting to fall. But he said

The inevitable Commons row over Rishi Sunak blocking the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill quickly descended into a pantomime. And not just because the SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, and his MPs repeatedly mocked the Scotland secretary, calling him “Baron Jack”. That’s a reference to widely reported claims that Alister Jack is on his way

The education secretary has criticised a teaching union for planning to go on strike, telling Sky News: “Our children don’t deserve it.” Speaking to Kay Burley, Gillian Keegan said she was “very disappointed” after members of the National Education Union (NEU) voted in favour of industrial action, with thousands of staff set to walkout next

The UK government has blocked Scotland’s gender reform bill in an unprecedented intervention which Nicola Sturgeon has described as a “full-frontal attack” on the Scottish parliament. Downing Street has the power to stop legislation from Holyrood receiving Royal Assent – the final stage of any new bill – if it believes it will have an

The health secretary claims the disparate level of emergency cover during recent ambulance strikes could not be “relied upon to ensure patient and public safety”. In a letter to the GMB union sent ahead of further strikes this month, and seen by Sky News, Steve Barclay accepted all areas that staged walkouts ensured the most

Rishi Sunak is backing plans to give wider powers to the police to tackle “highly disruptive and dangerous protests”. In an announcement on Monday, the government will pledge to amend the already controversial Public Order Bill to “broaden the legal definition of serious disruption”. A statement from Number 10 said it would give officers “greater

The transport secretary has given rail operating companies “permission” to make a new offer to railway unions this week as the government hopes for an end to months of strikes. Mark Harper told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge that he had given the companies a “revised mandate” to go into negotiations in the coming days, saying

More nurses strikes that would see twice as many workers take action will be announced for February if talks with the government do not progress soon, union bosses have warned. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union said that new walkouts would be announced should negotiations over pay remain stalled by the end of January.

Rishi Sunak is preparing to block laws in Scotland that make it easier for people to change gender, Sky News understands. The move would be an unprecedented intervention in 25 years of devolution and is likely to spark a new constitutional row with Holyrood. The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed by a majority

Ambulance workers have written to Rishi Sunak accusing his government of “demonising” them in order to justify new anti-strike legislation. The letter from paramedics and other members of the GMB union said they were “appalled” at some of the statements from ministers in recent days and that “targeting ambulance workers for a deliberate attack is

Sadiq Khan will use a speech this evening to condemn the government’s Brexit damage “denial” and call for a pragmatic debate on rejoining the single market. The London Labour mayor will argue for a shift away from the current “unnecessarily hardline version” of Brexit towards greater alignment with Europe when he addresses the Mansion House

The SNP’s former Westminster leader has said politicians “need to be above suspicion” after the Westminster Accounts project revealed MPs are earning millions from second jobs. Ian Blackford, who stepped down from his role last month after five years, said he fully supports his successor Stephen Flynn calling for “root-and-branch” reform of how MPs earn

Boris Johnson has become the number one most donated to MP this parliament after receiving a single donation of one million pounds. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had previously been the most donated to MP with £740,000 in multiple donations, Sky News’ Westminster Accounts tool showed. But the money from Brexiteer and crypto investor Christopher

Andrew Bridgen has become the latest MP in the Commons to lose the whip after he compared the roll-out of COVID vaccines to the Holocaust. But what does it mean to “lose the whip” when you are a politician? And who else has faced the same fate in this Parliament? What does it mean? Losing

All-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) have received over £20m worth of funding from external organisations since the 2019 general election, with registered lobbying agencies dominating the ranks of biggest benefactors. Companies are required by law to sign the consultant lobbyist register if they engage in direct communications with ministers in relation to government policy or legislation