Politics

Boris Johnson on Friday warned that “team world” was “5-1” down at half-time in the fight to tackle global warming, as he implored world leaders to act now on the eve of two global gatherings of world leaders. Speaking to journalists en route to the G20 in Rome, the prime minister acknowledged the scale of

COVID measures in Wales are to be strengthened in an attempt to reduce high levels of the virus. Infection rates in Wales are currently higher than any other part of the UK. First Minister Mark Drakeford said COVID-19 cases have “risen sharply to the highest rates we have seen since the pandemic began and more

Britain has begun preparations for a major clash with the EU by activating a key government committee to look at the fallout from suspending cooperation over Northern Ireland, Sky News has learnt. Ministers are holding discussions inside the key cabinet committee, which oversaw Brexit fallout preparations, about the repercussions of triggering Article 16, which allows

Rishi Sunak will hit the airwaves to sell his budget later, after it was warned that the chancellor’s economic set piece will leave the poorest families “far worse off”. Having vowed to build “a stronger economy for the British people” after the coronavirus crisis in his address on Wednesday, Mr Sunak will face questions about

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out a budget for a “new economy” after the COVID crisis with a £150bn increase in government spending – but he also warned of “challenging” months ahead due to the continuing pandemic and rising inflation. In his statement to the House of Commons, Mr Sunak promised “the largest increase this

Rishi Sunak will deliver his Autumn Budget and Spending Review to MPs in the Commons today, setting out the government’s spending and financial strategy. It should take place at around 12:30pm, just after the conclusion of Prime Minister’s Questions. The chancellor’s address usually lasts around an hour – although in 1853 William Gladstone spoke for

Campaigners have expressed their anger after the government voted down an amendment to a bill that would put a legal duty on water companies to stop raw sewage from being dumped into waterways. They are calling for water companies to pay to restore England’s coastlines after pouring sewage into rivers and the sea. Last week,

Millions of nurses, teachers and members of the armed forces will receive a pay rise next April as Rishi Sunak unfreezes public sector pay in the budget. In his second pay giveaway in 24 hours, after announcing a rise in the national living wage, the chancellor confirmed he is ending a one-year COVID freeze imposed

The chancellor is set to increase the national living wage to £9.50 in Wednesday’s budget, Sky News has been told. It will rise from the current living wage of £8.91 per hour for those aged 23 and over, which the government says will give full-time workers an extra £1,000 a year. The national living wage

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has snubbed a call from footballer Marcus Rashford to continue the free school holiday meals policy. Writing a joint letter with supermarket bosses and food industry leaders, which was first reported in the Sunday Times, the England and Manchester United forward urged the government to extend the programme for for the next

The removal of dangerous cladding from high-risk buildings is unlikely to be complete until seven-and-a-half years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, government data suggests. The timeframe has been projected from analysis of the latest monthly figures released by the recently renamed Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLHC). If work continues at the current

England’s regional mayors have welcomed a £6.9bn spending boost for local transport – but they are also being warned of a “massive sting in the tail” to come from Chancellor Rishi Sunak. At next week’s budget and spending review, Mr Sunak is expected to announce £5.7bn will be put into transport settlements for city regions,

A former British spy who wrote a dossier on Donald Trump said he once spent hours with then home secretary Theresa May, briefing her on the Russia threat. Christopher Steele also revealed he had been asked by a UK official to review sensitive government documents on Russia just days before his dossier, which alleged collusion

The government will not change the six-month gap between second doses of the coronavirus vaccine and the booster jab unless the UK’s vaccine advisory body recommends it, a health minister has said. Care minister Gillian Keegan told Kay Burley on Sky News that ministers will “do whatever” the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)

Anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown protesters are organising themselves online to confront MPs in person, Sky News has found. One online group is going after politicians because of their “evil actions” – and shares tips on how to find constituency offices and MP’s homes. Photos and videos of members and other like-minded protesters approaching politicians or their

A health minister has denied there is a “plan C” to control COVID-19 by restricting household gatherings in England at Christmas if hospital admissions get worse. Edward Argar told Sky News it is “not something I’m aware of” after reports claimed Whitehall officials are considering not allowing members of different households to meet in each

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has hailed two possible new additions to the UK’s “armoury of life-saving measures” to tackle COVID-19. The government’s antivirals taskforce has struck deals for two new coronavirus treatments, which – if they are approved by the medicines regulator – are expected to be given to those most vulnerable to COVID-19. The

“Plan B” coronavirus restrictions must be enforced immediately to prevent the UK “stumbling to a winter crisis”, an NHS leader has warned. NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has urged the government to bring back certain measures, including mandatory face coverings in public places. His remarks came as the UK recorded 223 COVID-related deaths on

The government has announced its strategy to meet its promise to cut emissions to net zero by 2050. In the 368-page document, Boris Johnson said the aim is to “meet the global climate emergency but not with panicked, short-term or self-destructive measures”. The prime minister added the plan will be driven forward by the “unique

Households will be able to apply for a £5,000 grant to swap their gas boiler for a low-carbon heat pump, as part of government plans to cut emissions. The government announced that the £450m Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which is part of the more than £3.9bn funding to cut carbon from heating and buildings, will be