Politics

Hundreds of homes built for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham are being sold off by the council at a projected loss of more than £300m, in a situation branded “nothing short of a scandal”. The government is facing pressure to intervene to stop the sale of 755 properties on the Perry Barr Estate to a

Liz Truss has stormed off stage after a banner featuring a lettuce and the words “I crashed the economy” unfurled behind her at an event. The former prime minister was taking questions from an audience in Beccles, Suffolk, as part of her book tour on Tuesday evening when campaign group Led By Donkeys carried out

There were “multiple and fundamental failures” with the NHS’s management of Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane’s mental health treatment, the health secretary has said. Speaking after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report found paranoid schizophrenic Calocane’s condition was downplayed by the NHS, Wes Streeting said the report’s findings were “deeply distressing”. Calocane fatally stabbed students Grace

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken with the Iranian president as part of international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, Sky News understands. The 30-minute phone conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian followed a joint statement on Monday issued with France, the US and Germany calling on Iran and its allies not to “jeopardise the opportunity

Tory leadership contender Tom Tugendhat will call for a national conversation about the root causes of the recent riots – hitting out at the “reckless rhetoric” of Nigel Farage. In his first major speech since declaring his bid to head the Conservative Party, the former security minister will attack a “culture of denial” that moves

The home secretary has said respect for the police needs to be restored after the “brazen abuse and contempt” shown by rioters. Yvette Cooper said there is “lots of rebuilding to be done” after a fortnight of rioting following the Southport stabbings on 29 July. “Respect for the police, respect for the law, and respect

A government minister has been unable to guarantee that rioters who are sent to prison won’t be released early under a controversial scheme to ease overcrowding. Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, said the government had delivered an “incredibly swift and publicly visible” response to the riots that gripped the UK last week, including by publicising

Children will be taught how to spot extremist content and fake news online under proposed changes to the school curriculum, the education secretary has said. Bridget Phillipson said she is launching a review of the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools to embed critical thinking across multiple subjects and arm children against “putrid conspiracy theories”.

Junior doctors will begin voting later this month on whether to accept the government’s pay offer. The new Labour government has offered the medics in England a 22.3% average pay rise, which the British Medical Association (BMA) union is recommending is accepted by members. If it does pass, it would signal an end to the

A former Labour councillor has been charged with encouraging violent disorder. Ricky Jones, 57, was filmed addressing a crowd at a London demonstration on Wednesday evening, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Jaswant Narwal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: “Jones was filmed addressing a crowd… during which he appeared to make remarks and

Sir Keir Starmer has told police chiefs to remain “on high alert” after anticipation of more disorder largely failing to materialise on Wednesday. The prime minister is understood to have told an emergency COBRA meeting that the levels of policing and swift justice in response to the past week’s unrest has “undoubtedly” worked as a

Male Labour MPs should back a woman when the party chooses a successor to Sir Keir Starmer, Harriet Harman has said. The veteran politician, who stepped down at the general election after 40 years in parliament, said it is “embarrassing and sort of shameful” that Labour has never had a female at the helm. Speaking

A suspended Labour councillor has been arrested after allegedly telling a protest that fascists needed to have their throats cut. Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest in a tweet which included the original video of Ricky Jones, a local councillor in Dartford in Kent, appearing to make the comments. The force said: “Officers have arrested a

The government’s policing minister has warned there is intelligence more protests could happen in the next few days after concerns about violence last night did not materialise. Dame Diana Johnson said: “I am cautious about what happened last night. “It’s good that we didn’t see the level of disorder and criminality on our streets that

A Tory leadership hopeful has accused his rival of being “unwise and insensitive” after saying those who shout Allahu Akbar should be “immediately arrested”. Mel Stride took aim at his fellow Tory Robert Jenrick over the comments, telling Sky News: “I think the suggestion of wholesale criminalisation of the words Allahu Akbar is unwise and

Billionaire media baron Elon Musk is engaged in a war of words with Sir Keir Starmer over the role social media has played in riots around the UK. The X owner began to retweet posts a few days after the Southport stabbings and after the prime minister fired a warning shot to social media companies

Elon Musk has ramped up his row with the UK as he questioned if it was “Britain or the Soviet Union” after a man was apparently arrested over comments he made on Facebook. The billionaire owner of X has been engaged in a war of words with Sir Keir Starmer over riots gripping the UK,

The Metropolitan Police has said its commissioner was “in a hurry” after he grabbed a Sky News journalist’s microphone and threw it to the ground. Sir Mark Rowley grabbed part of the microphone and discarded it as he walked off after Sky News journalist Rob Catherall asked if he was “going to end two-tier policing”.

Anyone whipping up violence online will face the full force of the law, Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman warned after Elon Musk said “civil war is inevitable”, following days of rioting in the UK. Mr Musk, the billionaire owner of X, made the comments on the social media platform below a video of rioters setting off

The home secretary has said prison places “are ready” for the “thuggish minority of criminals” rioting across the UK, ahead of an emergency COBRA meeting today. Yvette Cooper will hold the emergency meeting this morning following nearly a week of rioting in cities and towns across the UK. More than 140 people have been arrested