Politics

Suddenly, at election time, political predictions become so much harder and riskier. Everything changes in a campaign, not least the news cycle. That’s my excuse, at any rate, for failing to foresee the announcement of a general election in last week’s Politics at Jack and Sam’s. There were a few clues – and one magisterial

Nobody would go to jail for refusing to comply with National Service under a Conservative government, the home secretary has said. In the Conservatives’ first policy announcement of the general election campaign, Rishi Sunak said on Saturday he would introduce a new form of mandatory National Service for 18-year-olds if his party wins the vote

Rishi Sunak has said he will introduce a new form of mandatory National Service for young people if the Conservatives win the general election. In the first new policy announcement of the campaign, the prime minister has unveiled a plan that would see 18-year-olds given the choice of a full-time military placement for 12 months

The prime minister has joked he avoided catching pneumonia after making his election announcement speech outside Number 10 in the pouring rain. Speaking during a breakfast meeting with ex-servicemen in his constituency of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Rishi Sunak assured concerned local Vicky Rudd of his health, but couldn’t guarantee his suit survived the wet weather.

On the final day the House of Commons sat before the election, the view from the back of the chamber said it all. As Theresa May – in her familiar flame red suit – left the chamber after a speech by Ben Wallace, the Tory benches were packed, Labour’s almost deserted. MPs were taking part

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of “sounding a bit desperate” after he accused him of chickening out of TV debates. The Labour leader told Sky News that “of course there are going to be TV debates” and they are “part and parcel of the election cycle now”. “I obviously want to spend as

A minister asked a meeting of Tory MPs whether it was still possible to submit a letter of no confidence in the prime minister after he announced the election, Sky News understands. Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby revealed in her Electoral Dysfunction podcast that health minister Dame Andrea Leadsom made the query at the 1922

Nigel Farage has said he will not be making a return to British politics after a general election was called. The Reform UK honorary president and former UKIP leader said he had thought “long and hard” as to whether he should stand to become an MP but said “it is not the right time”. Mr

Rishi Sunak will call a general election for 4 July, Sky News understands. The surprise move comes after days of rumours the prime minister could go to the country earlier than previously thought. Follow the latest politics news live – general election to be confirmed Mr Sunak has been saying for months an election would

There has been a sharp fall in the number of overseas health and care workers applying for visas in the first few months of this year compared with the year before. Just 12,400 people applied for the Health and Care Worker visa from January to April this year, according to the latest statistics published by

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has bowed to pressure from some of his senior cabinet colleagues over proposed changes to the graduate visa scheme. Reports had suggested he planned on either shortening or scrapping the two-year period students could stay in the country after completing their studies, as he faced increasing pressure from the right of

Victims of the infected blood scandal have called for former health secretary Ken Clarke to be stripped of his peerage. Lord Clarke was heavily criticised in a report by Sir Brian Langstaff, chair of a seven-year inquiry into the scandal that killed more than 3,000 and infected more than 30,000 Britons with HIV and Hepatitis

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has offered a “wholehearted and unequivocal” apology to the victims of the infected blood scandal, saying it was a “day of shame for the British state”. Mr Sunak said the findings of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s final report should “shake our nation to its core”, as he promised to pay “comprehensive

The Downing Street diary has an enormous red ring circled around Wednesday morning when the Office for National Statistics releases its monthly inflation data. The Politics at Jack and Sam’s podcast discuss whether the prime minister can use this week to create an economic turning point. Spreaker This content is provided by Spreaker, which may

Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has told Sky News that Britain is ready for a change of government after scolding the Conservatives over their handling of the economy and immigration after Brexit. While insisting his petrochemicals conglomerate INEOS is apolitical, Sir Jim backed Brexit and spent last weekend with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at Manchester

A Tory peer has resigned the government whip after he was found to have bullied and harassed two people while drunk. Lord Kulveer Ranger, a former adviser to Boris Johnson, faces being banned from the House of Lords bars following an investigation into his conduct. He has apologised for his behaviour and given up the

Plaid Cymru has pulled out of its co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government. The two parties signed up to the three-year deal in 2021, agreeing to work together in a raft of policy areas in the Senedd. However, the smaller partner has now withdrawn with immediate effect, seven months before the agreement was due

Jeremy Hunt has pledged to cut national insurance again in the autumn “if we can afford” it. The chancellor has lowered the tax twice since he entered Number 11, which the government says has saved people an average of £900 a year. But speaking at an event in London on Friday, he said “we’re not

Jeremy Hunt will promise further tax cuts if the Tories win the next general election and will accuse the Labour Party of not being honest about how it will fund its spending pledges. The chancellor will give a speech in London on Friday in which he will accuse his shadow, Rachel Reeves, of resorting to

The defence secretary has said he is “angry inside” over the infected blood scandal ahead of a long-waited report into the decades-long injustice. Grant Shapps told Sky News he agreed it had been one of the most “shameful failures” of government and said he was dismayed by the “lack of anybody taking responsibility”. The findings