Politics

Boris Johnson has conceded that the cost of living crisis “is going to go on” but said people asking what more the government will do to help will “just have to wait a little bit longer”. The prime minister faces a growing clamour – including from a number of Tories – to adopt Labour’s idea

The long-awaited Sue Gray partygate report is finally set to be published this week – with the deadline for Downing Street officials to object to being named in it passed. Reports have suggested the document, expected to be published in the coming days, will feature photographs of illegal gatherings. It was also reported that top

Civil Service job cuts of up to 40% are being examined as part of cost-saving plans at the Department for Education, Nadhim Zahawi has confirmed. The education secretary told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme that modelling across a range of scenarios was being carried out with a view to rein in spending, while

The education secretary says an alleged bullying incident in which an 11-year-old boy lost a finger is “sickening” – as he spoke of his own bullying ordeal as a child. Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News he was determined to “stamp out” racism in schools after youngster Raheem Bailey had his finger amputated following an alleged

Suggestions a meeting with the prime minister had been initiated by Sue Gray to discuss her long-awaited report into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street has been rejected by her spokesman. It comes after Sky News revealed Boris Johnson had met the senior civil servant to discuss the findings of her inquiry. Sources had suggested this

Top civil servants across Whitehall are to be asked to draw up plans for how they would deliver personnel cuts of up to 40% in each of their departments, Sky News understands. Two senior government sources have said the Cabinet Office is poised to write to all permanent secretaries asking them to model what would

The US has warned a trade deal with the UK is at risk if Westminster implements legislation to change the Northern Ireland Protocol. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it could damage the Good Friday Agreement, which aims to help maintain peace between Northern Ireland‘s communities. Her comments have been met with consternation by the

For five long months, the prime minister and his Number 10 team have been beset by the partygate scandal. From the revelations of multiple rule-breaking events in Downing Street and Whitehall, to the public and political fury that prompted a Whitehall and then a police investigation – the PM will emerge from all of this

The Met Police’s investigation into lockdown breaching events at Downing Street and Whitehall has now concluded. They have issued, or will issue, 126 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to 83 people, with some people getting up to five fines each. Having completed the investigation, the Met Police has now revealed details of how it was carried

The Liberal Democrat leader has claimed that Boris Johnson bears responsibility for a rotten political culture and that Tories are “dragging their feet” over rape claims against an MP. Sir Ed Davey told Sky News’s Kay Burley that the arrest of an unnamed Conservative over a series of allegations was “utterly shocking”. He said some

Boris Johnson’s legislative programme outlined in the Queen’s Speech has been passed by MPs – despite some suggesting it should have contained more measures to help the poorest households amid the cost of living crisis. The speech, which was read least week by the Prince of Wales, was passed by MPs in the Commons by

Liz Truss has brushed off a growing clamour for a windfall tax on energy companies even as she admitted the UK was in a “very very difficult economic situation”. The foreign secretary, speaking to Sky News’s Kay Burley shortly after new figures showed inflation hitting a four-decade high of 9%, admitted the surge in the

Ministers plan to introduce legislation to change Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trade arrangements in coming weeks as it faces a “very grave and serious situation”, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has announced. The government argues that without resolving problems caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol it will not be able to re-establish the Stormont power sharing executive

Boris Johnson has said the UK needs to “proceed with a legislative solution” to the Northern Ireland Protocol as an “insurance” in case a deal is not reached with Brussels. Speaking on an official visit to Northern Ireland, the prime minister said he would “love” for tensions over the arrangement to be ironed out “in

A government minister has suggested that people struggling with the cost of living should take on more hours or move to a better-paid job. Rachel Maclean, the safeguarding minister, told Sky News’ Kay Burley that those were some of the ways households could “protect themselves” as prices soar. She said that every minister was looking

The government is planning to publish legislation to override the Northern Ireland Protocol, but Sky News understands the cabinet has still not agreed the wording. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are demanding the trade border in the Irish Sea, created by the treaty, be removed before they restore power sharing at Stormont. Sources close to

NHS prescription charges in England are to be frozen as pressure mounts on ministers to ease the cost of living crisis following the recent Tory bruising at the polls. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the levy, which normally rises in line with inflation, will be held at the same level this year to “put money

The first group of illegal migrants have been told they will be sent to Rwanda within a fortnight under the government’s controversial new immigration plans. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 50 “illegal entrants into this country” have been served notice and will be relocated as part of a deal new signed by Home Secretary Priti

Britain should be “very proud” of its private school system, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has said as he rejected a push for elite universities to increase state admissions. Mr Zahawi said the country should not “tilt the system” to ensure more pupils from state schools attend establishments such as Oxford and Cambridge, and should instead

A bottle of champagne that Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden donated to a fundraising auction was labelled as being “hugely valuable as a souvenir of partygate”. A picture of the gift, shared by food critic Jay Rayner on social media, shows the bottle’s label stating: “A bottle of champagne signed by Boris. Hugely valuable as