Politics

Prisoners who have served 40% of their sentence will be released to help alleviate overcrowding, the government has announced. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said failing to act now risks “the collapse of the criminal justice system and a total breakdown of law and order”, including looting and rioting in the streets. Prisoners in England and

Sir Keir Starmer has said Joe Biden was “on good form” after a meeting with the US president at the White House during the NATO summit. The prime minister dismissed concerns the US president’s cognitive ability is not up to scratch as Mr Biden faces calls to step down as the Democratic candidate ahead of

The special relationship between the US and UK is forged on shared history, common values, and diplomatic ties that are far deeper and enduring that any one president or prime minister. But there was no doubt that President Joe Biden seemed particularly pleased to welcome the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the Oval

Sir Keir Starmer has met Joe Biden at the White House for formal talks after the prime minister’s debut on the world stage. The pair were pictured sitting together, and at one point laughing, as the prime minister said the “special relationship with the US is so important and stronger than ever”. To cement the

Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard are here with their guide to the day ahead in politics.  They discuss what’s on the table at the prime minister’s first NATO meeting and dinner with Joe Biden, whether the rumours are true that Labour could introduce digital ID cards, and what is really

Kemi Badenoch has twice as much support among Conservative members to be the next party leader as the next candidate, new polling suggest. A survey from the Party Members Project run out of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Sussex University, carried out by YouGov, asked 725 members for their views. Once the “none”

Suella Braverman has attacked Rishi Sunak as she appealed to grassroots Tory members ahead of a Conservative leadership campaign. The former home secretary, who was re-elected to her Fareham and Waterlooville seat, hit out at her own party for letting MPs, not members, oust Boris Johnson and replace him with Mr Sunak. “It was members

Just days into his premiership, Sir Keir Starmer is heading to the US for a meeting with NATO leaders. We take a look at why he is taking the trip and what might happen when he is there. Why is the prime minister going to Washington? NATO – or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation –

Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard are here with their guide to the day ahead in politics. They discuss how the prime minister is tackling his first full week, with the problems facing the new government reportedly outlined in a dossier drawn up by his chief of staff Sue Gray –

Relations between London and Edinburgh have been severely strained for years. The messy relationship soured dramatically in the Boris Johnson era, with public spats and name-calling. Scottish officials have long held the view that some Tory prime ministers felt it was beneath them to meaningfully engage with the first ministers of the devolved nations. UK

The new Labour government has ruled out the introduction of digital ID cards after former prime minister Sir Tony Blair called for the measure to help control migration. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds initially told Sky News that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper would look at “all sources of advice” on the issue. But sources close to

So it’s “Call me Keir”, is it? Sounds very informal. But we shouldn’t be fooled. “I’m very happy to be called Keir or prime minister,” he said at his first Downing Street news conference. “Perfectly happy to be called Keir.” How very Sir Tony Blair. At his first cabinet meeting in 1997, Sir Tony famously

Sir Keir Starmer is chairing his first cabinet meeting following Labour’s landslide win that ended 14 years of Tory rule. It comes after the new prime minister appointed his top team on Friday afternoon – making few changes to the shadow cabinet that existed before the election. Follow general election fallout live Please use Chrome

Boris Johnson says Nigel Farage played a “significant” role in the “destruction” of the Tories – while taking a swipe at those who ousted him from Number 10 back in 2022. The Conservatives endured a crushing defeat in the general election with numerous big name casualties, as Labour secured a landslide victory. Reform UK have

The general election delivered a dramatic shift across the country. The Conservative vote has fallen by around 20 points, having lost out to Labour almost everywhere across the nation. That was enough for Labour to gain more than 200 seats. But it wasn’t all positives. They lost in big cities to the Greens and independents

Labour have secured their first wins of the night as early election results begin to come in. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson held on to Houghton and Sunderland South with an increased majority, while her colleague Ian Lavery kept Blyth and Ashington. But in the first blows for the Conservative Party, Reform UK came second

Ex-DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will face a trial over allegations of historical sex offences. Donaldson, 61, was charged with seven more offences on Tuesday, bringing the total to 18, after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) reviewed the police evidence, as is the normal practice. He was originally charged with 11 sex offences in April.

A Conservative minister has said Labour will get “the largest majority this country has ever seen” if recent polls are correct. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride not only appeared to concede the election to Labour a day before voting begins but said they would gain a record number of seats. He told Sky News:

Boris Johnson has made his first public appearance in the Conservative election campaign to warn voters against electing a Labour government on 4 July. The former prime minister told an audience in central London that a potential Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer would “destroy so much of what we have achieved”. Mr Johnson,

The Conservative Party will on Wednesday unveil a letter signed by scores of small business-owners in a last-ditch bid to convince undecided voters that they can be trusted as the stewards of Britain’s economy. Sky News understands that the Tories are planning to publish a letter signed by between 100 and 150 SME bosses that