Politics

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has admitted the government’s energy security strategy is “more of a medium three, four, five year answer” ahead of its reveal later today. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Kwarteng said it is “right” to say “the strategy is more of a medium term three, four, five year answer”, suggesting there will

Britain is to step up its development of nuclear power under plans to boost the country’s long term energy security while delivering thousands of jobs and cheaper bills. The government said up to eight reactors could be delivered by 2030 – accelerating the pace from one a decade to one a year – as the

Boris Johnson has said there is a “limit to the amount of taxpayers’ money” that can be used to address rising bills ahead of launching a long-awaited energy strategy. The government will publish its Energy Security Strategy on Thursday to help tackle soaring energy prices and reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas. But Mr

Boris Johnson has described atrocities being committed in Ukraine as a “stain on the honour of Russia itself” in a stark video message to the Russian people. In the video, published on Twitter and including brief passages spoken in Russian, the prime minister tells them they “deserve the truth” about the massacre of civilians and

Boris Johnson is set to announce plans to send migrants to Rwanda to be processed, it has been reported. The prime minister is edging closer to unveiling proposals to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and settlement, according to reports in The Times. The Home Office did not deny the reports, with a spokesperson

The government’s former ethics chief has apologised for an “error of judgement” after being fined by the Met Police for going to a lockdown-breaking party in Westminster. Helen MacNamara said she has paid the fine she was handed in connection with a leaving party held in the Cabinet Office on June 18 2020 to mark

Jacob Rees-Mogg has refused to apologise for calling the Downing Street partygate scandal “fluff” and “fundamentally trivial”. Answering questions from callers on LBC, the Brexit minister said partygate is “not the most important issue in the world” as the war in Ukraine continues. Mr Rees-Mogg also said some of the coronavirus rules in place at

Tory MP David Warburton has told friends he has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after allegations about his behaviour were made in a Sunday newspaper, Sky News understands. The MP has said he is being treated “for severe shock and stress”, adding: “This has been sheer hell.” The Somerton and Frome MP has had

Grant Shapps has pushed back against reported proposals to increase the number of onshore windfarms as the government prepares to unveil its energy security strategy next week. The transport secretary told Sky News’ Ridge on Sunday programme that onshore windfarms are “eyesores” and damage the environment, adding that he personally does not favour “a vast

An MP has had the Tory whip withdrawn pending an investigation into allegations about his conduct. Claims about Somerton and Frome MP David Warburton are being examined by Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS). The scheme is the first of its kind in any parliament in the world and aims to tackle “inappropriate behaviour”

The first fines have been issued to people in government for breaking COVID rules at the height of lockdown. Officials are understood to have received fines thought to be in connection with an event in the Cabinet Office on 18 June 2020. The fines, worth £50, have been sent to individuals by email. The names

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is “right to ask for answers”, a leading MP said as he launched a select committee inquiry into the government’s handling of her six-year Iran hostage ordeal. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, and fellow British-Iranian national Anoosheh Ashoori, 67, were released last month after the UK agreed to settle a £400m debt with Tehran dating

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged Rishi Sunak to “come clean” over whether his wife benefits from investments in Russia. The chancellor has come under pressure over his wife, Akshata Murthy, having a 0.91% stake in Infosys, a company founded by her father, which continues to operate in Russia. Mr Sunak has described the

Sir Keir Starmer called for voters to send a message to Boris Johnson over his “pathetic” response to the cost of living crisis – as he launched Labour’s local election campaign. The party is focusing on the crunch facing UK households – which it says it would partly mitigate through a plan to take £600

A second Cabinet minister has admitted that lockdown laws were broken during the partygate scandal – even after Boris Johnson refused to do so. International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan conceded that people who have been referred for fines by police investigating events in Downing Street and Whitehall had “broken the regulations”. Ms Trevelyan’s comments on

Boris Johnson has refused to admit to criminality in Downing Street as he was grilled by MPs after fines were issued over the police’s partygate investigation. The prime minister came under pressure, during questions from the Commons liaison committee, to concede that this week’s announcement of 20 fixed penalty notices by the Met Police meant

Dominic Raab has defended Downing Street staff who were under “incredible pressure” after police investigating the partygate scandal began to announce fines for lockdown breaches. The deputy prime minister admitted that “there were clearly things that were got wrong” but said the prime minister had since overhauled the Number 10 operation. Mr Raab’s comments come

Russian-born newspaper mogul Evgeny Lebedev has said he supports Labour’s call for information on the decision to give him a peerage to be made public as he has “nothing to hide”. Boris Johnson has denied that advice was overruled to award the Russian businessman and owner of the Independent and Evening Standard newspapers a seat

The Metropolitan Police is to issue 20 fines to people who attended lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall. But the force has not named the individuals facing the penalties or revealed which events they attended. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among 100 people who were sent formal legal questionnaires relating to the investigation –

Twenty fines could be issued to 20 people in the coming hours over events held in Downing Street and Whitehall during lockdown, Sky News understands. The fines will be issued by detectives investigating the “partygate” scandal. It is believed these punishments are only the first, and more are expected as more than 100 people were