Rishi Sunak has admitted he goes to bed “every night” knowing that he “can’t solve all the problems that people want me to” following criticism of his spring statement. Speaking on this week’s Beth Rigby Interviews programme, the chancellor said that “no matter how many hours” he works, he knows that “I can’t ever in
Politics
For all the eye-catching measures from Rishi Sunak in his mini-budget on Wednesday, what most stood out was the strength of the economic headwinds coming our way. For millions of families already feeling the cost of living squeeze, the news was unrelentingly grim. Inflation is set to hit a 40-year high of 8.7% later in
Boris Johnson is set to announce a new military support package for Ukraine on Thursday as he meets with NATO and G7 leaders and urges them to “step up” in response to Russian aggression. Calling on the UK’s allies to ensure Ukrainian’s have the means to continue to protect themselves against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
As he faces yet another mini budget on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak now suffers from having set expectations unsustainably high during his two years as chancellor. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, he pledged to do “whatever it takes” to support the economy. He subsequently received credit amongst the public and his colleagues for doing
The government must “get a grip” on the use of WhatsApp by ministers, special advisers and officials to help dispel the impression of “sleaze and corruption”, according to a think-tank. Up to 31% of officials in some departments have the app installed on their work phones, a report from the Institute for Government (IfG) said.
Government borrowing is now £26bn lower than expected for the financial year so far, putting the chancellor in a “better” position to ease the cost of living crisis. Borrowing for the first 11 months of the 2021-2022 fiscal year was £138.4bn, less than half of the record £290.9bn from the same period the previous year.
Detectives investigating allegations of breaches of COVID rules in Downing Street and Whitehall have sent questionnaires to more than 100 people as they begin to interview key witnesses. Police are asking the recipients about their participation in the alleged gatherings, with seven days being given for a response. No fixed penalties have been issued so
Labour will force an emergency vote in parliament to demand the government takes action to outlaw the so-called fire and rehire of staff after more than 800 P&O workers were sacked on the spot. The party said reports suggest the government was aware of the sackings before they were announced, as well as the plan
Rishi Sunak has said sanctions against Russia “are not cost free” for British people and he cannot completely protect them “from dififcult times ahead”. The chancellor acknowledged sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine will add to the cost of living crisis ahead of energy bills soaring on 1 April. He told Sky News’ Sophy
Boris Johnson was accused of being a “threat to national security” following reports he was at a Tory party fundraising event on the night Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine. According to The Sunday Times, the prime minister was at a Conservative Party fundraising dinner attended by at least one donor with links to
Vladimir Putin is in “a total panic” about a revolution in Moscow which is why he is trying “so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine”, Boris Johnson has said. Condemning the “vicious and a barbarian attack on innocent civilians”, the prime minister drew a direct comparison with the actions of the
Jacob Rees-Mogg has dismissed the row over parties held during lockdown in Downing Street and across Whitehall as trivial “fluff”. Speaking at the Conservative spring xonference in Blackpool, the Brexit minister said the current Ukraine crisis showed that partygate was not a fundamentally serious issue. “It is a reminder that the world is serious, that
As the chancellor prepares to deliver the Spring Statement next week, polling suggests confidence in the Conservative Party’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Labour’s rating has remained relatively static, with only a slight improvement since Jeremy Corbyn’s time as leader and no sign yet of a
The government is reviewing its contracts with P&O after the ferry company’s “wholly unacceptable” and “insensitive” sacking of 800 staff members, a minister has told MPs. Condemning the firm, maritime minister Robert Courts told the House of Commons he was “extremely concerned and frankly angry” at the treatment of workers by P&O. “These are hardworking,
This week, the pundit, coach and former player talks to Beth Rigby about what he says are big questions about football ownerships after sanctions were put on Roman Abramovich. Plus, why he’s signed up as a member of the Labour Party, what makes a good leader and who would he rather work for – Liverpool
Boris Johnson has vowed a further crackdown on oligarchs and the super-rich by promising to curb their abuse of the UK legal system to stifle public criticism. The prime minister has called for an end to the “chilling effect” of elites using the threat of legal action to silence critics. Ministers will take aim at
Boris Johnson has declined to say whether his trip to Saudi Arabia will result in a boost to the kingdom’s oil production – as he insisted his talks about its human rights record would be “kept private”. The prime minister visited both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as he continues his
Legal targets for air pollution and the abundance of wild species are among proposals being set out by the government. Ministers want legally-binding targets for air quality, wildlife, water, waste reduction and resource efficiency. The proposals include annual targets for average concentrations of fine particulate matter – air pollution that can affect lung function and
The Lord Speaker has called for a more “robust” appointment process for peers after the SNP called for Lord Lebedev’s parliamentary pass to be revoked. In a letter on Tuesday, Lord McFall said “there is a case for examination of the appointments process” to ensure that “new appointees are able to make a worthwhile contribution
Boris Johnson has called on Western nations to “take back control” of their energy supplies and end an “addiction” to Russian oil and gas that has left them subject to “blackmail” by Vladimir Putin. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, the prime minister insisted the West “cannot go on like this” and remain “economically