UK

Rishi Sunak is being urged to overhaul the cabinet on his first day as prime minister. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News that the new PM’s government should feature the best ministers available – rather than focusing on those who are loyal. “We have got to have the first 15 on the pitch. I

Rishi Sunak has said the UK faces a “profound economic challenge” in his first comments since being announced as the next prime minister. He said he is “humbled and honoured” after he was selected by Conservative MPs to lead the party and the nation, describing it as the “greatest privilege in my life”. Mr Sunak

Boris Johnson has pulled out of the Conservative leadership race. His withdrawal leaves the path open for Rishi Sunak, who has a chance of picking up the keys to Downing Street as early as today. The former prime minister had the public backing of 59 Tory MPs – far short of the 100 required to

Penny Mordaunt has rejected a call by Boris Johnson to pull out of the Tory leadership race and back him, sources say, in another blow to his prospects of returning to Downing Street. Sources close to the Commons leader told Sky News she had spoken to the former prime minister today. Several long-time allies of

Early morning in south Manchester – and a prolific burglar known to police is arrested for a spate of thefts. Officers from Greater Manchester Police were granted a warrant to enter and search the home of the man, who is believed to have stolen items from student accommodation. Enough evidence was seized and examined to

Rishi Sunak has become the first to receive 100 public endorsements from Tory MPs – enough to meet the threshold for nominations in the leadership race. The news came before a source close to Boris Johnson claimed he had also reached the threshold to reach the ballot, although this has yet to be verified. The

Penny Mordaunt has become the first MP to enter the race to replace Liz Truss as prime minister after her dramatic resignation yesterday. The leader of the Commons announced her candidacy in a tweet on Friday afternoon, saying fellow Conservatives had urged her to stand. Ms Mordaunt, who came third in the last leadership race

The second Tory leadership race in three months is under way after the extraordinary resignation of Liz Truss. The outgoing prime minister was forced from office 44 days into her tenure after a seismic few weeks in Westminster in which her tax-slashing mini-budget crashed and burnt. Ms Truss’s resignation, which makes her the shortest-serving prime

Liz Truss has resigned as prime minister just 44 days after taking over from Boris Johnson. She will be the shortest-serving PM in British history. A new Conservative leader, who will get the keys to Number 10, is set to be elected next Friday. In a statement read outside Downing Street, Ms Truss admitted she

Liz Truss’s premiership is hanging by a thread after an extraordinary day in Westminster that saw a cabinet minister resign and a Commons motion descend into chaos with allegations of “manhandling and bullying”. The unprecedented events have led to some Tory MPs declaring the Conservative party is “finished”, with one hitting out at the “talentless

A Labour motion that would have forced a vote on a bill to ban fracking has been defeated in the Commons. The vote was overshadowed by reports of chaos in the voting lobby. Labour’s Chris Bryant told Sky News that one Conservative MP, Alexander Stafford, was “manhandled” and “bullied”. He said: “There was a bunch

The rate of inflation rose to 10.1% in September, according to official figures, as the economy reels from the effects of rising prices and the fallout from the mini-budget. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the consumer prices index (CPI) measure rose from an annual rate of 9.9% in August to match the recent

The NHS is setting up data-driven “war rooms” as it prepares for what could be England’s “toughest winter on record”, new plans have revealed. Under the government’s winter preparation plan, which aims to help the NHS cope during the colder months, the 24/7 “care traffic control centres” are expected to be created in every local

Liz Truss has apologised for the “mistakes” she has made in her first few volatile weeks as prime minister – but insisted she will lead the Tories into the next general election. Speaking for the first time after almost all the tax cuts announced in last month’s mini-budget were scrapped, Ms Truss said: “I recognise

Jeremy Hunt has told Sky News that he believes Liz Truss will still be prime minister at Christmas – despite five Conservative MPs already publicly calling for her to leave Number 10. In an interview with Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, the new chancellor called on Conservative MPs to “give her a chance”. He

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver parts of his medium-term fiscal plan later today, the Treasury has said. The Treasury said the chancellor was fast-tracking the plans, which will be released in full on 31 October. It said the decision followed conversations with Prime Minister Liz Truss over the weekend and a meeting with the governor

Conservative MPs have started to publicly call for Liz Truss to go as they do not believe she can survive the current political and economic crisis. Crispin Blunt, former chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, was the first Tory MP to put his head above the parapet since Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked as chancellor

Jeremy Hunt has admitted the government went “too far, too fast” and that he will have to take some “very difficult decisions” on spending and tax to get the economy back up and running. Earlier, the new chancellor admitted there “were mistakes” in Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget in an interview with Sky News.

Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood has been charged with attempted rape. Greenwood, 21, is accused of trying to rape a woman on 22 October last year. He is also alleged to have engaged in controlling or coercive behaviour over an almost three-year period from 1 November 2018 to 15 October this year. The footballer is

The prime minister is fighting for her political survival after ditching a major chunk of the mini-budget and sacking her chancellor and close ally Kwasi Kwarteng. But it is unclear whether Liz Truss’s gamble to stay in power will pay off, with financial markets remaining jittery and reports of a number of Tory MPs plotting to