Politics

Liz Truss has been accused of presiding over budget cuts to the Environment Agency that have resulted in “doubled sewage discharge”. Labour Party analysis of official figures shows that since 2016, when the Tory leadership hopeful was in charge of Defra – raw sewage discharge more than doubled from 14.7 per overflow in 2016 to

Rishi Sunak vowed to make Britain a “science superpower” while Liz Truss pledged to put the West Midlands “at the heart of our economic revival” in their latest policy announcements. The Tory leadership contenders are continuing to set out their visions for the country as the leadership race enters its final fortnight, with the pair

The winner of the battle for the Conservative Party crown – widely expected to be Liz Truss – will be unveiled in a 12.30pm ceremony in two weeks, the party’s co-chairman has announced. In a letter to Tory MPs and peers headed “Leadership Announcement: Arrangements”, Andrew Stephenson urged them to apply early for tickets for

Liz Truss has been accused of trying to “avoid independent scrutiny” as she prepares to hold a budget next month without an official economic forecast, despite one being ready should she ask. Having an emergency budget in September – in which she will make long-term funding pledges – has been a key part of the

Liz Truss has hinted she will announce more help on the cost of living – as Labour calls for the government to make public the plans it is considering. In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, the foreign secretary said that every government “has to look at making sure life is affordable for people”.

Michael Gove has backed Rishi Sunak to be the next Conservative leader and prime minister, as he accused Liz Truss of taking a “holiday from reality”. The former cabinet minister, who was sacked by Boris Johnson after telling the PM he should quit last month, said slashing taxes was not the answer to the cost

The government is to take further control of Liverpool away from the city council following a damning report into the operation of the authority which found a budget gap of close to £100m over four years. Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark is set to appoint a steering committee including Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, former

Grant Shapps has told union bosses to “get out of the way” and allow members to vote on newly proposed pay deals. It comes as fresh strikes take place on London Underground and the capital’s bus system, while national rail is set for more disruption on Saturday. The national strikes are related to pay rises

Labour is calling for parliament to be recalled ahead of the energy price cap rise. The opposition party has written to Boris Johnson, as well as Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, to ask for MPs to return to Westminster on Monday in a bid to propose their plan to freeze the cap. The price cap

Priti Patel has insisted that Rwanda is a “safe” country, despite warnings from Foreign Office officials of torture and killings. The latest defence from the home secretary comes after court documents revealed officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had concerns about the plan to send illegal migrants to the central African country.

Former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier, who now sits as an independent after having the whip removed, has pleaded guilty to breaching COVID rules after being told to self-isolate early on in the pandemic. Ferrier admitted she broke the rules by travelling on a train between Scotland and London after failing to self-isolate in September 2020,

Liz Truss is set to win the Tory leadership contest by a decisive margin next month, according to an exclusive Sky News poll that gives the foreign secretary a 32-point lead over rival Rishi Sunak. The poll also shows that the legacy and personality of Boris Johnson is likely to loom large over the next

Sajid Javid has said it would be “complete nonsense” if the RAF has placed an “effective pause” on offering jobs to white male recruits in favour of women and ethnic minorities. It comes after defence sources told Sky News on Tuesday that the head of RAF recruitment had resigned in protest at the move which

A leaked audio recording has revealed Liz Truss said British workers needed “more graft” and lacked the “skill and application” of foreign rivals. The Tory leadership frontrunner was chief secretary to the Treasury when the conversation with officials was recorded five years ago. In the clip, leaked to The Guardian, Ms Truss said those outside

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have both promised to increase scrutiny of the Scottish government if they become the next prime minister – ahead of a visit north of the border. Ms Truss, who remains the favourite to win the race, said she would get “Scotland’s economy moving” and would give Members of the Scottish

Eighty percent of the 40 new hospitals promised by the Conservatives in 2019 either do not have a completion date or are unlikely to be finished by the next general election, according to a Sky News investigation.  The new hospitals’ pledge, a key plank of Boris Johnson‘s 2019 election manifesto, promised 40 new hospitals by

Ministers are urging all broadband providers to offer “social tariffs” allowing low-income households to receive discounted mobile and internet deals to ease the pressure of rising living costs. A new service, which will go live this week and be run by the Department for Work and Pensions, will allow internet providers to verify, with customers’

Scotland is to become the first country in the world to introduce a law to protect the right to free period products. On Monday, when the Period Products Act comes into force, councils and education providers in Scotland will be legally required to ensure free sanitary products are available to anyone who needs them. The

Sir Keir Starmer is tomorrow expected to call for the energy price cap to be frozen this autumn as households across the UK feel the pinch amid the cost of living crisis. The Labour leader will say the price cap, which is the maximum that firms in England, Wales and Scotland can charge an average

The two prime ministerial hopefuls have each pledged new commitments if elected – with Liz Truss saying she would take on the role of ‘minister for the Union’ and Rishi Sunak promising to make Britain more “energy secure”. Ms Truss pledged her commitment to uphold the United Kingdom as she hit out at politicians in