Politics

Senior MPs have pledged their allegiance to King Charles III in a rare Saturday Commons sitting. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle was the first to do so. He was followed by Father of the House, the longest serving male MP, Conservative Sir Peter Bottomley. Then came the Mother of the House, the longest serving female

This week will be remembered as one of the most significant in our nation’s history. Never before has a country lost a monarch and ushered in a new prime minister in such a short space of time. It was only on Tuesday that Queen Elizabeth II asked Liz Truss to form a government. By Thursday

Liz Truss has faced constant tests in the infancy of her premiership.  Forty-eight hours after being appointed by the Queen, the PM had to lead a nation in paying tribute to her. Today the Commons chamber was a sea of black as MPs stood for a minute’s silence, and the prime minister was again tasked

MPs have paid tribute to the Queen in the House of Commons, with Boris Johnson making his first appearance since stepping down as prime minister, asking the public to “think what we asked of her and think what she gave”. His successor, Liz Truss, the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the Speaker, Sir Lindsay

The King told Liz Truss the death of the Queen was a moment he had “been dreading”, as he held his first audience with the prime minister at Buckingham Palace. King Charles III shook Ms Truss’s hand as he welcomed her to the first of what will be their weekly meetings. Discussions between the monarch

Liz Truss’s cabinet is meeting in Downing Street to pay tribute to the Queen. A number of senior ministers, many of whom were only appointed this week, including Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg and Education Secretary Kit Malthouse, have arrived for the gathering. A Number 10 spokesperson told Sky News: “The only item [on the agenda]

Prime Minister Liz Truss has led tributes to the Queen following her death, saying she was “the rock on which modern Britain was built”. In an address in Downing Street, Ms Truss, who has only been in Number 10 for 48 hours, said: “Britain is the great country it is today because of her.” She

Liz Truss’s energy statement later today – barely 48 hours into the job – will probably be the most expensive commitment she ever makes as prime minister – and that’s if things go well. For this reason, it could also be the most important statement she makes as PM, certainly this side of a general

Prime Minister Liz Truss says she will take “immediate action” to deal with soaring energy bills – and will make an announcement tomorrow. However she has been accused of “protecting profits and forcing working people to pay the bill” after ruling out extending the windfall tax to fund her energy plans. Ms Truss is widely

Prime Minister Liz Truss will hold her first cabinet with her newly assembled top team this morning – before going head-to-head with Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs. On Tuesday, in her first speech as prime minister, Ms Truss said the UK would “ride out the storm” caused by the war in Ukraine and promised a

Liz Truss has begun appointing her cabinet after being officially asked by the Queen to form a new government. Shortly after making her first speech as PM, details began to emerge as to who would be in Ms Truss’s new cabinet. Kwasi Kwarteng, formerly Boris Johnson’s business secretary, has been confirmed as the new chancellor.

“That’s it, folks,” Boris Johnson said, flanked by dozens of his MPs and staff, as he and his wife Carrie left Downing Street for the last time. Jovial and never emotional – that’s not his style – this was (mostly) a more good-humoured affair than his resignation speech in July, which was raw with bitterness

Priti Patel is to resign as home secretary when Liz Truss takes office as prime minister. Writing a letter to Boris Johnson on Monday afternoon, Ms Patel said “it has been the honour of my life to serve our country as home secretary for the last three years”, adding that she will now “champion many

On a prime minister’s first day in office, they are taken into a top secret meeting and asked to make a plan in case of nuclear attack. Kate Fall, David Cameron’s ‘gatekeeper’ and deputy chief of staff, remembers that moment because she was firmly ushered out of the PM’s den: “I was told categorically: ‘No.

Later today, either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will be crowned victor of the Conservative leadership contest and the country’s next prime minister. It follows a gruelling six-week long campaign which has seen the two leadership hopefuls take part in 12 Conservative hustings across all four nations of the UK. Who will be the next

The home secretary has spelled out to the new Scotland Yard commissioner the vast improvements she is demanding in his force’s culture and performance. Priti Patel writes in a letter to Sir Mark Rowley: ‘It is absolutely vital that trust and confidence is restored and that visible, responsive policing which cuts crime is at the

Thousands of beds in shelters and new supported living accommodation in England will be provided as part of a strategy to end rough sleeping. An extra 14,000 emergency beds for rough sleepers and 3,000 support staff roles will be created this year as part of a three-year £500m plan, according to the Department for Levelling

Voting in the Conservative leadership contest has ended, with the party’s next leader to be announced on Monday. After a long and bitter summer of campaigning, there is nothing more Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak can do to try and win the keys to Number 10. The winner of the race, and subsequently the next

Whether it is Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak who becomes Conservative leader on Monday, they will be the third in six years to become UK prime minister by the grace and favour of the Tory party membership and without the other 99% of the electorate giving their endorsement at a general election. Liz Truss, and

The prime minister’s official jet was used for a “boozy jolly” by civil servants, according to a report. Sky News understands a number of officials joined the 91-minute journey over the UK – and that it took place with “usual catering for a flight”. The Sun newspaper claims that during the 700-mile trip – which