Politics

A backbench Conservative MP has failed in an attempt to override international human rights rulings and get the Rwanda deportation scheme up and running again. Jonathan Gullis was said to have the backing of former prime minister Boris Johnson and former home secretary Priti Patel – but the bill he proposed was voted down by

Trade unions, Qatar and a little-known Hertfordshire business are among the biggest donors to individual MPs since the last general election. As part of the Westminster Accounts, Sky News and Tortoise Media have compiled a leaderboard showing how much money external organisations and individuals have donated to MPs since the end of 2019. These donations

Labour has asked the government whether disgraced former minister Chris Pincher made any attempts to stop American Anne Sacoolas going to the US after she killed Harry Dunn in a road accident. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has written to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly about the “series of failures” in the Foreign Office after Sacoolas

Boris Johnson and Priti Patel are among the senior Tory MPs backing a bid to ignore the European Court of Human Rights and start deportation flights to Rwanda immediately. Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis will present a bill to parliament on Wednesday aimed at circumventing the Strasbourg court, which has blocked the controversial scheme from taking

Kwasi Kwarteng brushed aside warnings his disastrous mini-budget could trigger a backlash on the financial markets, Treasury officials have told MPs. James Bowler, permanent secretary at the Treasury, insisted on Monday that Mr Kwarteng was told about the potential damaging impact of his £45bn package of unfunded tax cuts, but could not be persuaded to

The government’s top responsibility is to tackle inflation, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has told Sky News as thousands of public sector workers go on strike. Mr Hunt said the strikes, which are taking place every day until the end of the year, are a “symptom of the fact that people are very worried that their pay

If you think things are tight for health workers in England, Scotland and Wales, spare a thought for their colleagues in Northern Ireland. In England and Wales, NHS staff were given a £1,400 rise six months ago. In Scotland, unions are considering an offer averaging 7.5%. But health workers in Northern Ireland didn’t receive confirmation

The government is “dangerous, reprehensible and irresponsible” for failing to sit down with nurses to try and avert a strike, Labour has said. NHS nurses are due to strike next Thursday and on 20 December in a dispute over pay and patient safety. It is the first time the Royal College of Nursing has staged

The UK will look to form long-lasting partnerships with Latin American, Asian and African countries, the foreign secretary will say next week. James Cleverly will give his first major speech at the Foreign Office on Monday, and will call for alignment with increasingly influential countries in the three regions. This includes states that are not

A formal request for troops to drive ambulances during strike action could be made within days, Sky News understands. After a formal request known as a MACA – or Military Assistance to the Civil Authorities – is made to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), training to drive ambulances would begin. A decision from the Department

Troops have been training at Heathrow and Gatwick airports for passport checking roles ahead of Border Force staff going on strike over Christmas. The Ministry of Defence confirmed to Sky News armed forces personnel arrived at London’s two main airports earlier this week. The PCS union announced on Wednesday that Border Force officers will go

He’s done it! It was a low bar to jump over but at least Rishi Sunak has lasted longer as prime minister than Liz Truss. The nation can be reassured that there will not be a fourth prime minister this year, or even a general election before Christmas, as Boris Johnson subjected the country to

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has launched a major reform of the UK’s financial sector, with plans to rip up red tape and replace a number of EU regulations. Mr Hunt said the changes, announced in Edinburgh, will “turbocharge” growth as the country struggles with a sluggish economy and a cost of living crisis. He said: “This

A cabinet minister has admitted there will be “disruption and delays” over Christmas as the UK braces for a wave of strikes – but insisted the government’s approach is “sensible and balanced”. On Wednesday, Border Force staff became the latest workers to announce industrial action over the festive period, with rail workers, bus drivers, nurses,

People should “think carefully” about going on holiday over the Christmas period after Border Force workers became the latest to announce they would go on strike, the home secretary has said. Suella Braverman has urged people to rethink flying around the festive period as she warned of “undeniable, serious disruption for the many thousands who

Rishi Sunak has refused to rule out banning emergency services from going on strike, saying he will “do what I need to do in order to keep people safe”. A raft of public sector workers are set to take industrial action in the coming days and weeks, including nurses, ambulance workers and fire services, as

Ambulances will be dispatched to “life-threatening” Category 1 calls during the two days of industrial action this month but may not attend if an elderly person has a fall, Health Secretary Steve Barclay has suggested. Asked whether an elderly individual who has had a fall will receive help on two strike dates – 21 and

Stephen Flynn has been named as the new leader of the Scottish National Party in Westminster, replacing Ian Blackford. The MP for Aberdeen South defeated Alison Thewliss for the top job at the SNP’s AGM on Tuesday and will face Rishi Sunak at Prime Minister’s Questions less than 24 hours later. Mr Flynn’s deputy will

Officials are in discussion with MPs about onshore wind farms amid a growing Conservative rebellion to lift the ban, a minister has confirmed. Schools minister Nick Gibb told Sky News that while “the emphasis is still on offshore wind”, ministers “continue to talk to members of Parliament” about their views on whether or not new

Michael Gove has watered down the government’s target to build 300,000 homes every year following an angry backlash from his own party’s MPs. A Commons vote on the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill had to be dropped last month after 60 Conservatives signed an amendment calling for the mandatory target to be scrapped. But the