Politics

Boris Johnson will continue his fightback from the partygate scandal by unveiling plans for a “Brexit Freedoms Bill” to allow retained EU laws to be more easily removed. On the second anniversary of the UK’s official departure from the EU, the prime minister is pledging to “further unleash the benefits of Brexit” with a promise

Vladimir Putin’s oligarchs will have “nowhere to hide” under toughened UK sanctions, and British weapons and cash could be sent to Ukraine if Russia invades, the foreign secretary has said. Speaking to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips On Sunday – amid growing tensions between the West and Moscow over Russia’s build-up of troops on Ukraine’s border

Tom Tugendhat has become the first MP to say he would run to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a Tory leadership contest. The ex-soldier and Foreign Affairs Select Committee chairman told Times Radio it would be a “huge privilege”. He said he had not been “canvassing support”, but “of course, you should have a

Boris Johnson will receive a redacted version of the long-awaited report into lockdown-busting parties held in Downing Street and across Whitehall in “the coming hours or days”, Sky News understands – as the Metropolitan Police has denied it is seeking to delay its publication. It is understood the version of the findings – compiled by

Theresa May has said she is “angry” at the partygate revelations engulfing Boris Johnson, her successor in Number 10. Mrs May, who was in Downing Street from 2016 to 2019, made her intervention regarding the scandal in a letter seen by her local newspaper. She told constituents that “nobody is above the law”, the Maidenhead

The Metropolitan Police has asked for “minimal reference” to be made in Sue Gray’s partygate report to the events it is investigating. The senior civil servant is investigating a series of events in Downing Street and across Whitehall which are alleged to have broken lockdown rules. Her report, which is likely to have a significant

The Foreign Office has pledged to release nearly £100m in emergency funds to Afghanistan after a former UN chief warned “a million children will die” if unspent aid isn’t released quickly. On Thursday afternoon, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss described a Sky News report showing how Afghans are resorting to desperate measures to feed themselves after

Boris Johnson has said he is “absolutely not” delaying the release of a much-anticipated report into lockdown parties at Downing Street and Whitehall – and promised it would be released in full. The report, which is being compiled by senior civil servant Sue Gray, has yet to be received by Number 10 Asked during a

Boris Johnson’s parliamentary assistant contacted a private charter company in the hope of securing a plane to transport animals and staff during the evacuation of Afghanistan, telling them that her boss was keen, Sky News understands. Trudy Harrison, the prime minister’s parliamentary private secretary (PPS), contacted the firm on 25 August – a few days

The wait for Sue Gray’s report into lockdown parties in Downing Street and Whitehall to be published looks almost certain to roll into tomorrow as the House of Commons has concluded its business – with Boris Johnson still yet to receive the findings. Sky News understands from three government sources that, as of Wednesday afternoon,

Boris Johnson has still not received a report by Sue Gray into lockdown parties in Downing Street and across Whitehall despite expectations being raised last night that he would address its findings in the commons this lunchtime. On Tuesday afternoon, it was understood that Number 10 would publish the report compiled by the senior civil

A celebration in Downing Street on Boris Johnson’s birthday involved people who were already working together, the transport secretary has told Sky News. Speaking to Kay Burley, Grant Shapps said he did not “seek to defend” the gathering on 19 June 2020, the PM’s 56th birthday. Latest reaction as new claims of Downing Street parties

Downing Street has disputed a report suggesting Boris Johnson held a birthday party inside Number 10 attended by up to 30 people during the first lockdown. ITV News understands the prime minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson, helped to arrange the event which was held just after 2pm the afternoon of 19 June – Mr Johnson’s birthday.

A minister has resigned at the despatch box after criticising the government’s record on tackling fraud in the coronavirus business schemes. Lord Agnew, who was both a Treasury and Cabinet Office minister, dramatically quit his role in Boris Johnson’s government in the House of Lords on Monday afternoon, saying the Department for Business, Energy and

A limited version of the report into Downing Street lockdown parties has criticised a “serious failure” to observe the high standards expected of those working at the heart of government. The findings from senior civil servant Sue Gray have been published in a 12-page document. Sky’s deputy political editor Sam Coates has been going through

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a week of reckoning as a report into Downing Street parties during lockdown is due to be released. The partygate inquiry, which is being carried out by civil servant Sue Gray, could determine Mr Johnson’s fate as the country’s prime minister. Many Tory MPs have said they will wait

Nusrat Ghani made history in 2018. Standing at the famous Commons spot that has been occupied by generations of politicians, she became the first Muslim woman to speak as a minister from the despatch box. Colleagues cheered as the Kashmir-born MP got to her feet. For many, this was the most visual sign of a

Labour MP Liz Kendall has said she is “bursting with love and happiness” after welcoming a baby boy via surrogate. The former shadow minister for social care, 50, announced in November she would be temporarily stepping back from the front benches to become a mum. The Leicester West MP shared a picture of the new-born

Wales’ first minister has claimed that Boris Johnson’s “history” is “catching up with him”. In a highly-charged intervention in the partygate row, Mark Drakeford said he is not surprised the prime minister has become embroiled in controversy over Downing Street parties during COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021. “If I’m truthful about it, the prime

Two-thirds of anti-vaccination propaganda posted online is created by just 12 so-called influencers, research has found. Different to those who describe themselves vaccine hesitant, anti-vaxxers tend to employ aggressive methods to persuade others not to get injections designed to help prevent disease. The list was compiled by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and