Politics

Rishi Sunak looks to have seen off his backbenchers – at least for now. The nascent rebellions have gone quiet in the past few weeks and the Commons is currently in its Easter recess, with MPs returning to Westminster on 15 April. Time away from parliament normally strengthens – or at least prevents the further

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has warned the UK should “absolutely” be concerned about the threat of Islamic State following the terror attack in Moscow. At least 133 people died in the massacre in the Russian capital on Friday. Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), which is a branch of the militant group operating in central Asia, has claimed

The chancellor has claimed that earning £100,000 a year is “not a huge salary”. Jeremy Hunt made the remark on social media platform X, in a post which was aimed at his constituents in Surrey. He will be campaigning hard as he is changing seats for the next general election after the boundaries were redrawn

Rishi Sunak has warned against “messing with” the national flags after Nike changed the colour of the St George’s Cross on a new England football shirt. Wading into the controversy, the prime minister argued the standards are “a source of pride, identity, who we are and they are perfect as we are”. His comments came

Harry Maguire says he did not give permission for the Conservative Party to use an image of him and his partner on social media. The photo is of the footballer talking to his then girlfriend – now his wife – Fern Hawkins after England‘s penalty shootout win over Colombia in the 2018 World Cup in

There goes another one. The Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced this week that he is quitting at the age of 45, explaining: “I don’t feel I’m the best person for that job any more.” He is just the latest in a spate of national leaders to stand down voluntarily when seemingly at the peak

Back in the 1990s, a row was brewing over the state pension. After it was introduced for everybody back in 1948, men were entitled to receive it when they hit 65, but women started getting the payments from the age of 60. Politics live: Tories suffer another defection to Reform With more women heading to

A long-awaited report on how women born in the 1950s were affected by increases to their retirement age has recommended they are owed compensation. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has been looking at potential injustices resulting from the decision to raise women’s retirement age to bring it into line with men’s. Women Against State

A government bill centred on deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda has been sent back to MPs after peers rejected it. The Safety of Rwanda Bill had been debated in the House of Lords after their previous changes were dismissed by the Commons earlier this week. In the upper chamber, the government lost seven votes by

Jeremy Hunt has intervened to stop HMRC closing its helplines for half the year following outcry. On Tuesday, the revenues office announced that from 8 April until 29 September, people would be unable to call them for help with their tax return as part of a push to digitise services. The plans would have meant

Jeremy Hunt has hinted at an autumn election as speculation continues to grow over when the country will head to the polls. Speaking at the Lords’ Economic Affairs Committee on Tuesday, the chancellor was asked about the government’s spending review – the detailed multi-year plan on how departments will spend their cash – and revealed

The Conservatives have been fined over £10,000 by the elections watchdog for failing to accurately declare donations. The party under-reported non-cash donations in the form of a member of staff seconded to the party by donor Richard Harpin between April 2020 and December 2023, the Electoral Commission said. Politics Live: ‘Act of folly’ to get

Campaigners and MPs are calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the Loan Charge scandal – accusing HMRC of “airbrushing” its approach to a harsh tax crackdown linked to several suicides. The Loan Charge Action Group (LCAG) has hit out at the Treasury Committee after it wrote to the tax office requesting information on its approach

Rishi Sunak said he is “not interested in Westminster politics” and insisted his party is “united” as he brushed off rumours of a plot to oust him. Asked during a visit to the West Midlands why he did not let one of his “disloyal colleagues” have the “poisoned chalice” of being prime minister, Mr Sunak

Rishi Sunak hopes three key moments this week will turn around his fortunes after his standing in the party plummeted. The PM is hoping Monday’s speech on the economy, Wednesday’s end of term appearance before Tory MPs and new inflation figures due out the same day, which could be close to the Bank of England

Rishi Sunak will lead the Tories into the next general election, the transport secretary insisted amid reports of a plot to oust the PM. Mark Harper dismissed speculation some Conservative rebels want the prime minister to be replaced with Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt. Politics Live: Rishi Sunak ‘will lead Tories’ into next election Asked on

Vaughan Gething has been elected leader of Welsh Labour – and is set to become the next Welsh first minister and first black leader of any European country. Currently serving as minister for the economy, Mr Gething, 50, has been in politics since he was a teenager. But he rose to prominence as health minister

On a cold Wednesday night, in the shadows of the Port Talbot steelworks, a group of men is playing football under the floodlights. The game has been arranged by a local group called Marauders Men’s Health, which provides help to those struggling with mental health problems. Increasingly, the team is made up of men from

Diane Abbott has appeared at a rally where she hit out at the “level of racism that is still in Britain”, following a row over comments made about her. Ms Abbott was greeted in Hackney, east London, with cheers and chants of “I stand with Diane” after a Tory donor’s reported offensive remarks. The former

Ministers have been criticised for encouraging parents to secure a place for their child at their preferred nursery now ahead of September in order to beat long waiting lists. Applications will open on 12 May for the second wave of the rollout of reforms that expand the amount of funded childcare families can claim, the