Politics

The business secretary has suggested the government could put up national insurance for employers in the budget without breaking its election pledges. Jonathan Reynolds told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that Labour’s promise not to increase national insurance “was specifically in the manifesto, a reference to employees”. National insurance is paid by both employees and

This shock of Alex Salmond’s death is reverberating around every corner of UK politics. There was not a soul involved in the political life of the past three decades who did not know his name and his achievements. A Marmite figure, Salmond divided opinion. But, he was respected as the giant who was instrumental in

Alex Salmond has died at the age of 69. The former first minister of Scotland was first elected to Westminster in 1987 as the SNP MP for Banff and Buchan – a position he retained until 2010. In 1990, he successfully defeated Margaret Ewing in the SNP leadership contest and would go on to campaign

Once again, the government’s narrative on the economy is shifting.  After a summer warning of tax rises and cuts to deal with the “dire” inheritance allegedly left by the Tories, Rachel Reeves made a conscious “pivot” in her conference speech last month to something more optimistic. For the first time in Liverpool, there was a

It is “for the public to judge” whether Labour’s first 100 days of government has gone well, Downing Street said amid Sir Keir Starmer’s sinking poll ratings. The prime minister’s official spokesperson declined to say if his first three months in office have been a success, ahead of the milestone being hit tomorrow. Politics latest:PM’s

It’s not yet Halloween, let alone Advent, but parliament has launched its new Christmas jumper design for the 2024 Christmas season. And it appears to be politically neutral. The unveiling also comes before Scrooge Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ 30 October budget, which has many MPs chuntering “Bah, humbug!” over her winter fuel payment cuts. Follow politics

Sue Gray will not attend the prime minister’s council of nations and regions on Friday despite her new title as a special envoy. Sir Keir Starmer will meet with leaders of the devolved nations for a summit that will focus on spreading investment and growth across all parts of the UK. Ms Gray, who resigned

Major employment reforms promised by Labour will not become law for at least two years, as the government seeks compromise between unions and businesses on measures intended to strengthen workers rights without hindering economic growth. The Employment Rights Bill, introduced into parliament on Thursday, includes 28 measures, many of which will be subject to extended

Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch will battle it out to be the next leader of the Conservative Party after James Cleverly was eliminated from the race. Tory MPs held a final vote on Wednesday to reduce the field to a final two, who will then go to a ballot of Conservative members. After picking up

Tom Tugendhat has been knocked out of the Tory leadership race after receiving the least votes from MPs. It narrows the field down to three, with James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick still in the running to replace Rishi Sunak. Mr Cleverly overtook Mr Jenrick to come out on top with 39 of his

Sir Keir Starmer will attend a meeting with US President Joe Biden and the French and German leaders in Berlin this weekend. In the meeting of the “Quad” nations, the leaders will discuss the “concerning developments” in the Middle East and the situation in Ukraine, Sir Keir’s spokesman said. The meeting has been organised to

Boris Johnson has denied mocking the public by questioning why they “so avidly craved” lockdown rules and obeyed them “like a religion”. In an interview with Sky News’ Wilfred Frost, the former prime minister said he “totally rejects” he was expressing disdain for people who did as they were told by his government during the

David Lammy has said the government is “young” after Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray resigned and a new poll found most people think the government is “sleazy”. The foreign secretary said Ms Gray was a “superb public servant” after she quit on Sunday following weeks of briefings against her, including her salary

Families have called for an inquiry into mental health provision for offenders languishing on indefinite jail terms – saying it could “save lives”. Relatives of offenders still serving a now-abolished open-ended jail term, known as imprisonment for public protection (IPP), believe resources are so “starved” that the remaining prisoners now have “life-long mental health issues”.

You might not know who the people are, or what they do behind the big black door of Number 10, but what just happened in the bowels of Downing Street is a big moment. After getting off to a pretty dreadful start in government, Sir Keir Starmer has moved to get a grip of his

The man who called in police over the SNP’s finances has told Sky News “delays” in the long-running fraud investigation threatens the future of the Scottish independence movement.  Campaigner Sean Clerkin triggered the probe more than three years ago after phoning detectives with concerns about more than £600,000 that had been fundraised for a second

Sir Keir Starmer has said senior ministers do not need to hand back freebies and gifts like he has – as Diane Abbott said donors do not donate to politicians “out of altruism”. After weeks of criticism over Sir Keir and his top team taking freebies since coming into office, on Wednesday the prime minister

Sir Keir Starmer’s government has not yet been in place for 100 days. By all accounts, things are not going well. The Labour leader and his top ministers have had to backtrack after taking freebies totalling many thousands of pounds for clothing and entertainment. Sue Gray, the ex-civil servant he recruited as chief of staff,

The British government is providing £10m to Lebanon to support those who have been displaced and impacted by the current conflict in the Middle East. The humanitarian aid, announced on Friday, will go towards supporting the most vulnerable communities in Lebanon to meet their basic needs. It will also help provide education and child protection

Allowing terminally ill people to end their lives would not lead to a “slippery slope” of widening eligibility criteria, an MP pushing for the law has insisted.  Kim Leadbeater told Sky News there is a misconception that in countries where assisted dying has been introduced, the scope has been broadened over time. Politics latest: TV star