Politics

Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Germany on Friday for talks with Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron on the situation in the Middle East. The leaders of the UK, the US, Germany and France will discuss the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza, where the UN has warned essential supplies for survival are

For Kemi Badenoch, less is more. Before the Tory leadership TV showdown with rival Robert Jenrick, she’d declared: “I’m running a grassroots campaign, not a TV campaign or a media campaign.” She was the frontrunner, after all, and according to conventional wisdom, had the most to lose from round-the-clock media interviews – which Mr Jenrick

Kemi Badenoch has hit back at a Tory MP’s suggestion that she can’t lead the party because she is too “preoccupied” with her children, saying “men have parental responsibilities too”. Sir Christopher Chope, the Conservative MP for Christchurch, said earlier on Tuesday that he was supporting Robert Jenrick in the leadership race because he brought

Labour’s first budget in 14 years will be delivered on 30 October, and as per the warnings of Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer, it will not be one the public is likely to welcome. The chancellor and prime minister have spent months preparing the stage for a “painful” budget, where tax rises are likely

Sir Keir Starmer met Taylor Swift when he attended her concert in Wembley, Sky News understands. It has emerged the prime minister and his family spoke to the pop star and her mum for 10 minutes and discussed the Southport stabbings. It had not been clear previously if the two had met. Sir Keir’s attendance

New weight-loss jabs could get people “back into work” to boost the economy, the prime minister has said. Sir Keir Starmer said injections could also help reduce pressure on the NHS. “I think these drugs could be very important for our economy and for health,” the prime minister told BBC Breakfast. “This drug will be

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out raising national insurance for employers in the upcoming autumn budget. The prime minister would only say Labour’s manifesto promised not to increase national insurance “for working people” when asked if he was going to break a pledge by increasing the tax for employers in the 31 October

Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard share their daily guide to the day ahead in politics in under 20 minutes.  With just over two weeks to go until the autumn budget – what are the rumours about national insurance, and would a rise in the tax for businesses be breaking

The business secretary has suggested the government could put up national insurance for employers in the budget without breaking its election pledges. Jonathan Reynolds told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that Labour’s promise not to increase national insurance “was specifically in the manifesto, a reference to employees”. National insurance is paid by both employees and

This shock of Alex Salmond’s death is reverberating around every corner of UK politics. There was not a soul involved in the political life of the past three decades who did not know his name and his achievements. A Marmite figure, Salmond divided opinion. But, he was respected as the giant who was instrumental in

Alex Salmond has died at the age of 69. The former first minister of Scotland was first elected to Westminster in 1987 as the SNP MP for Banff and Buchan – a position he retained until 2010. In 1990, he successfully defeated Margaret Ewing in the SNP leadership contest and would go on to campaign

Sir Keir Starmer will mark his first 100 days in office this Sunday. When his press spokesperson was asked ahead of the big day if the prime minister thought it had been a successful start, he simply said: “It’s up to the public to decide that.” The verdict is in, and it isn’t good: Sir

P&O Ferries is one of the few subjects on which Britain’s political class agree. Its summary sacking of 800 British seafarers and their replacement with cheaper, largely foreign agency staff is universally considered one of the most outrageous acts in the recent history of labour relations. Louise Haigh was among the first and loudest to

The chancellor will need to raise taxes by £25bn if she wants to keep spending rising with national income, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). In its annual ‘Green Budget’ analysis, the IFS warned that the government would have to dramatically increase the £9bn of tax rises outlined in its manifesto to meet

Major employment reforms promised by Labour will not become law for at least two years, as the government seeks compromise between unions and businesses on measures intended to strengthen workers rights without hindering economic growth. The Employment Rights Bill, introduced into parliament on Thursday, includes 28 measures, many of which will be subject to extended

A cabinet minister has denied top Labour politicians personally intervened to give Taylor Swift a blue-light police escort to Wembley. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan allegedly spoke to the Metropolitan Police to encourage them to give the megastar a “VVIP escort” through London in August for her Wembley Stadium concerts. The

Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard share their daily guide to the day ahead in politics in under 20 minutes. It’s the first PMQs after a difficult couple of weeks for Sir Keir Starmer, which saw scrutiny over freebies and the resignation of Sue Gray. And we have a better

The fate of Britain’s biggest road scheme hangs in the balance after ministers delayed giving it the go ahead – despite over £800m being spent on it to date. The government said it needed more time to consider whether to grant a development order for The Lower Thames Crossing (LTC), including reviewing its cost. The

David Lammy has said the government is “young” after Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray resigned and a new poll found most people think the government is “sleazy”. The foreign secretary said Ms Gray was a “superb public servant” after she quit on Sunday following weeks of briefings against her, including her salary

Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard share their daily guide to the day ahead in politics in under 20 minutes.  Following Sue Gray’s resignation, Jack and Sam share the details of her departure and they discuss the mood in Downing Street this morning, as the prime minister gets together his