Politics

Rishi Sunak has insisted there will be no return to austerity in his spending review next week. Faced with the job of balancing the UK’s books in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic the chancellor told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “You will not see austerity next week. “What you will see is an increase

Boris Johnson is poised to announce up to a week of freedom from COVID-19 restrictions at Christmas – but tough rules will remain in force in England after the national lockdown ends on 2 December. The aim – subject to agreement from the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – is for a UK-wide

Boris Johnson attempted to water down the official inquiry that found Home Secretary Priti Patel bullied staff, Whitehall sources have confirmed to Sky News. It follows claims the prime minister tried and failed to convince his standards ministerial adviser Sir Alex Allan to tone down his finding that her behaviour amounted to bullying as he

The Cabinet Office report into whether or not Priti Patel bullied her civil servants has been sitting on the prime minister’s desk for months. Since March, political reporters have asked about the progress of the inquiry into the home secretary on a near-daily basis, only to be told by Boris Johnson’s official spokesman: “I don’t

The results of an inquiry into bullying accusations against Home Secretary Priti Patel are finally set to be revealed. It follows an eight-month wait for the findings of a Cabinet Office investigation into claims against the home secretary. Why was the inquiry established? The Whitehall probe was launched in March, with the prime minister asking

Labour is demanding the publication of the full inquiry findings into allegations of bullying by Priti Patel after she was found to have broken the ministerial code. Sources with knowledge of the situation told Sky News the home secretary is unlikely to be sacked and will not be issued with a formal warning. However, Boris

Boris Johnson has vowed to “restore Britain’s position as the foremost naval power in Europe” as part of a multi-billion pound boost to defence spending. The prime minister, speaking as he set out a new multi-year funding package to the House of Commons, warned the “international situation is now more perilous and intensely competitive than

Allies of Jeremy Corbyn have reacted with fury at the decision to block him from returning as a Labour MP. The former Labour leader was told on Wednesday morning that he won’t have the party’s whip restored, despite his suspension from Labour being lifted by a disciplinary panel. It means that Mr Corbyn will still

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will not have the party’s whip restored, his successor Sir Keir Starmer has announced. It means that Mr Corbyn will not officially be a Labour MP. In a statement on Wednesday, Sir Keir said: “I’m the leader of the Labour Party, but I’m also the leader of the Parliamentary Labour

Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will be reinstated to the party, Sky News understands. The Islington MP was suspended three weeks ago for his response to an investigation into Labour’s handling of antisemitism complaints. A bombshell report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission found Labour had been responsible for “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination”.

Boris Johnson has tested negative for coronavirus but will continue to self-isolate and answer this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions remotely, Number 10 has said. Downing Street revealed the prime minister took a rapid turnaround lateral flow test as part of a pilot scheme for Number 10 staff. “The prime minister took a test yesterday and

A row has erupted after Boris Johnson reportedly condemned devolution in Scotland, saying it had been “a disaster north of the border”. The prime minister claimed it was Tony Blair’s “biggest mistake” and that while he previously thought it was a good idea, he could not “see a case” for handing down more powers to

Boris Johnson has declared himself “fit as a butcher’s dog” as he self-isolates, while also raising the prospect of a COVID-19 vaccine being distributed “perhaps before Christmas”. The prime minister is currently self-isolating after meeting with a Conservative MP who later tested positive for coronavirus. Mr Johnson’s need to quarantine comes in a critical week

Boris Johnson is self-isolating after a meeting with an MP who later tested positive for COVID-19. The prime minister’s spokesman said he had been notified by NHS Test and Trace that he has to self-isolate as he was a contact of someone who has tested positive. Mr Johnson will “follow the rules and is self-isolating”

Ireland is warning that no Brexit trade deal will be struck if the UK pushes on with a plan to break international law. Tensions have been ratcheted up following comments by ministers in both governments in another crucial week for post-Brexit trade talks. Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney told Sky News that should Boris Johnson

Anti-vaccination content should be “stamped-out” on social media, Labour has said. With hopes rising of a COVID-19 jab being rolled out by the end of the year, the opposition has called for emergency legislation to “stamp out dangerous anti-vax content”. The party wants the government to bring forward legislation that would include financial and criminal