Politics

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has admitted that the soaring energy price cap will cause “stress and anxiety for many people” – but added that “help is coming” from the government. This morning, energy regulator Ofgem announced the price cap for an average household will rise to £3,549 a year in October, £800 more than the forecast

Boris Johnson has pledged the government will announce “extra cash” in September to support households further with energy bills – after Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi suggested people should cut back on their usage. The outgoing PM said: “There’s a pipeline of cash coming through over the next few months and through the autumn and the winter.

Emmanuel Macron has responded after Liz Truss refused to say if he was a “friend or foe” during the penultimate Conservative leadership hustings on Thursday. Asked if Mr Macron, the French president and leader of the UK’s closest neighbour, was a “friend or foe”, the Conservative leadership race frontrunner replied: “The jury is out.” She

Rishi Sunak says he will not quit politics if he loses the race to become the next prime minister and leader of the Conservatives. The former chancellor has become the underdog in the contest, with his rival, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, continuing to lead polls of party members – who will ultimately choose the winner.

Rishi Sunak has said it was “wrong to empower scientists” during the pandemic and claimed lockdown “trade-offs” were never properly discussed. In an interview for The Spectator on the “inside story of lockdown”, the former chancellor attacked the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) for having too much influence over government decision-making during the COVID

Freezing energy bills will not help people who need the most support with the cost of living crisis, according to a government minister. The boss of Scottish Power revealed on Tuesday that he had asked the government to back a £100bn loan scheme to allow energy companies to freeze bills for two years. Keith Anderson

Police are investigating a social media post which appeared to show a Plaid Cymru councillor posing with a gun while commenting that he was making sure “there wasn’t any English people trying to cross the channel”. Jon Scriven, who represents Penyrheol in Caerphilly, subsequently deleted the Facebook post and apologised. A Plaid Cymru spokesman said

It was a 3am rise for a dawn police raid in Surrey. But the home secretary – a regular at these kind of events – wanted to project a steady hand at the Home Office, getting on with business as usual when everything else is in a state of flux.  On this occasion, the raid was a

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’ plan to focus on tax cuts to tackle the cost of living – rather than targeted support for low income households – could see people end up on the streets, according to one of her rival’s backers. Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake, who is supporting Rishi Sunak in the race to become the next

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”.

Liz Truss has renewed optimism about her chances of getting into Downing Street next month – despite former Tory cabinet ministers pouring cold water on her plans. Ms Truss, who is leading the race to become the next Conservative leader by a significant margin, has continued her economic push, saying there is “too much talk

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.

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

The government has been allowed to keep parts of internal documents about Rwanda secret as part of a High Court challenge against plans to deport asylum seekers there. A handful of charities and several asylum seekers are challenging the Home Office over proposals to provide one-way tickets to the east African country for those who