Politics

“All options are on the table” regarding possible coordinated strikes by junior doctors and nurses, a union representative has warned. Dr Arjan Singh, chair of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) junior doctors committee, refused to rule out the possibility of coordinating industrial action with Royal College of Nursing (RCN), saying: “We have a very close

The government is now able to play divide and conquer with England’s healthcare unions. There will be delight in Number 10 that three quarters of Unison members accepted the 5% pay offer, while the Royal College of Nursing’s rejection of the deal was far narrower (54%/46%). The two biggest unions now have contrasting strategies: Unison

Boris Johnson quoted Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day in his final address to the Commons as prime minister.  “‘Hasta la vista, Baby’ – thank you”, he signed off to MPs last July. The quotation, literally “until the view” in Spanish, is usually taken to mean “until we meet again” – a

Members of the Royal College of Nursing are to go on strike again after they voted against the latest government pay offer. The result comes despite a recommendation from union leaders that they accept it and means there will be a round-the-clock 48-hour strike – without exemptions – from 8pm on 30 April to 8pm

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of being a “total fraud” and the “wettest Labour leader” on crime by government minister Chris Philp. Mr Philp, who is responsible for policing, attacked the Labour leader’s record on crime, claiming it was “worse” than that of his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn. In response, Labour said Mr Philp “owes

So many different versions of what might have been in Belfast were considered in the planning for today’s visit by the US president.  If Stormont had been up and running, President Joe Biden would have gone there with Rishi Sunak. With power sharing still deadlocked, at one point they considered making a pointed trip to

Rishi Sunak says the relationship between the UK and US is “in great shape” after he held talks with Joe Biden, despite strong criticism of the president from one of Northern Ireland’s main parties. Mr Biden arrived in the region late last night for his trip to the island of Ireland to mark 25 years

Union bosses have defended one of their organisers amid reports he has taken holiday during a four-day strike by junior doctors. Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) have begun their second day of industrial action over pay and working conditions, with thousands taking to the picket line. However, the government has insisted they will

US President Joe Biden has landed in Belfast to meet Rishi Sunak to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The policing operation around Mr Biden’s visit on Tuesday will be the biggest in nearly a decade, at an estimated cost around £7m. Around 300 officers from other parts of the UK will

Labour will continue with its controversial attacks on Rishi Sunak by turning attention to government “failures” over the cost of living crisis. The Labour leader has described the prime minister as the “chief architect of choices prioritising the wealthiest” as both parties gear up for the local elections next month. In a letter to his

Compare and contrast the following. Exhibit A – “over the next four weeks, this campaign will be shining a relentless spotlight on Scott Morrison‘s failures as Prime Minister”. Exhibit B – “we are going to be ruthless in showing how 13 years of Tory government has broken our systems and held everyone back”. Nearly half

Rishi Sunak has called for a swift return of the Stormont Assembly ahead of President Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland. “We must get on with the business of governance,” the prime minister said. He will meet Joe Biden when the US president steps off of Air Force One on Tuesday evening – not long after

After receiving a slap down from Tory HQ, Douglas Ross has stood by his controversial statements about tactical voting by essentially saying his comments were taken out of context. Earlier, he urged people to do “what’s best for the country” and support the candidate most likely to beat the SNP in their constituency. That could,

Rishi Sunak will welcome President Joe Biden when he arrives in Belfast this week, pledging to fulfil the promise of the Good Friday Agreement as they mark its 25th anniversary and talking of a “better future” for Northern Ireland. The US president’s visit comes amid a heightened terror threat in Northern Ireland, and with power-sharing

Nicola Sturgeon has said she will “fully cooperate” with police after the arrest this week of her husband Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The former Scottish first minister broke her silence after Mr Murrell’s arrest on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the SNP’s finances. She said

More brothers and sisters could now be spared the upheaval of being separated when placed into care thanks to increased tax relief for foster parents. The change, announced in the Budget, increases the amount foster carers can earn from £10,000 to £18,140 without needing to pay any tax or National Insurance contributions. After fostering 120

The Labour Party have released a second advert attacking Rishi Sunak just hours after being accused of “gutter politics” for targeting the prime minister personally. Yesterday, the party’s Twitter account released an advert claiming Mr Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison. The tweet on Friday afternoon suggests the prime minister

A Labour frontbencher has defended a social media post used by the party which claims Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison. Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said the post was part of “political campaigning” but admitted: “It won’t be to everybody’s taste.” Asked whether she was “comfortable with pointing

More than 400 people crossed the English Channel in small boats in one day, despite the government’s efforts to crackdown on illegal migration. The Home Office confirmed 437 migrants arrived in the UK on Wednesday – the highest number on a single day so far this year, bringing the total number of crossings in 2023

Nicola Sturgeon has pulled out of a climate change event due to take place on Thursday as police continue to investigate the SNP’s funding and finances. The former first minister had been due to take part in a conversation with Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa, former chair of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change