Politics

Angela Rayner has condemned a “sexist” and “misogynistic” Mail on Sunday article which claimed Tory MPs have accused her of a ‘Basic Instinct’ ploy to distract Boris Johnson. The prime minister also commented, tweeting: “As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on almost every political issue I respect her as a parliamentarian and deplore

Jacob Rees-Mogg has reiterated his call for civil servants to return to their Westminster offices – as Conservative chairman Oliver Dowden backed the cabinet minister’s crackdown on working from home. Mr Rees-Mogg was this week criticised for leaving a note for civil servants, saying “sorry you were out when I visited”. The note was left

Three Conservative cabinet ministers are reportedly facing allegations of sexual misconduct after being reported to a parliamentary watchdog. According to The Sunday Times, two Labour shadow cabinet ministers have also been referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which deals with complaints against MPs. A total of 56 MPs are said to have

Boris Johnson will shortly return to England with his premiership under increasing strain amid the ongoing partygate scandal. The prime minister has been on a two-day official visit to India this week where he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and vowed to deepen trade ties with the country. But now, heading back to Westminster,

At least one Number 10 official has received a fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police for attending a lockdown-busting “bring your own booze” event held in the Downing Street garden, Sky News understands. It is not known who has been fined for the gathering which was held at the height of the UK’s first

Boris Johnson has said he is sure he will still be prime minister in six months despite further rumblings of backbench discontent over partygate. The PM has faced repeated questions about his future as the scandal continues to dog him despite his attempts to move on to broader issues during a trip to India. On

Boris Johnson is to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday as a investigation into whether he misled parliament about lockdown-busting Downing Street parties looms. The prime minister will try to progress UK-India trade talks when he meets Mr Modi in New Delhi, emphasising the importance of the partnership between the two nations for

Boris Johnson “should be long gone”, a senior Tory backbencher has declared during a key parliamentary debate on partygate. Steve Baker had only two days ago offered the prime minister his backing after he apologised in the Commons following his fine for breaking lockdown rules. Mr Baker revealed his change of heart as MPs discussed

Boris Johnson has said he intends to fight the next general election as Conservative Party leader as he faces persistent pressure over his leadership due to the ongoing partygate row. Speaking to reporters on the plane as he embarks on a two-day trip to India, the prime minister said that he does not intend to

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of choosing to “slander decent people” in private but lacking the “backbone to repeat it in public”. The Labour leader claimed that Mr Johnson showed a different attitude “once the cameras were off” – during bad-tempered exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions. Sir Keir accused the PM of going

Boris Johnson has hit back at Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over his criticism of sending illegal migrants to Rwanda, claiming the top clergy should be condemning Vladimir Putin instead. In an upbeat speech to Tory MPs after his partygate apology in the Commons, the prime minister said that while bishops attacked the Rwanda deal

A cabinet minister has likened Boris Johnson’s lockdown fixed penalty to a parking fine – ahead of the prime minister facing MPs for the first time since the punishment was issued. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis also told Sky News’ Kay Burley that Mr Johnson had not misled parliament when he initially declared that no

Parliament comes back on Tuesday to a first: A sitting prime minister fined by the police for breaking the laws he himself set will appear in the Commons to try to defy political gravity yet again by trying to explain away his lawbreaking.  Something we’ve never seen before in this parliament, it will be a

Boris Johnson is preparing to set out his “version of events” on partygate as he faces MPs this week for the first time since being fined as a result of a police investigation. Mr Johnson is expected to update the House of Commons on the affair as parliament resumes following the Easter break – after

Home Secretary Priti Patel has defended the government’s plan to send migrants to Rwanda, telling critics to come up with a better idea. Writing a joint article in The Times with Rwanda’s foreign minister Vincent Biruta, Ms Patel described her controversial plans as “bold and innovative”. Under the new scheme, approved refugees will have to

New allegations have emerged regarding lockdown parties in Downing Street – with Labour claiming Boris Johnson has “deliberately misled the British people at every turn”. The prime minister has already been fined once for breaking COVID rules on his birthday in 2020, but that is said to be regarded as the least problematic of a

The Home Secretary has issued a “ministerial direction” in relation to the Rwanda asylum plan, overruling concerns from her own civil servants, Sky News understands. Ministerial directions are used when the top civil servant in a department has objected to the costs or feasibility of a spending plan. A Home Office source said: “Home Office

The government hopes it can start sending asylum seekers to Rwanda in a matter of “weeks”, according to Boris Johnson’s policy chief. The UK government is attempting to crack down on Channel crossings by small boats and as part of the plans, the Home Office has signed a “world first” deal with Rwanda to send

In our analysis of the government’s new plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, we’ve looked at the moral and legal implications as well as the cost. There is one thing we’ve overlooked, though, and that is how those changes will impact the country which the government says will process “tens of thousands” of asylum

Coming two days after the prime minister was fined for breaking his own lockdown rules, today’s eye-catching asylum announcement has been greeted by many as a cynical attempt to change the subject. In reality, this unveiling has been in the offing for a while, with details of the home secretary’s trip to Rwanda pencilled in