Politics

MPs are calling for the government to intervene in the upheaval currently gripping English rugby. England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) is currently subject to widespread dissatisfaction within the grassroots and parts of the professional game. A slew of factors, including increased executive pay, record financial losses, a struggling grassroots game and poor results from the

This is a tale of two ex-ministers: the first ministerial casualties of Sir Keir Starmer’s government, after just six months in power. Spot the difference. Louise Haigh, the crimson-haired left-wing former transport secretary, was thrown under the bus within hours of Sky News revealing a mobile phone fraud. Yet Tulip Siddiq, the anti-corruption minister accused

Tulip Siddiq has resigned from her role as a Treasury minister. It comes after allegations emerged about properties linked to her aunt, the ousted former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina. In a letter to the prime minister, the Labour MP said that while she had “not breached the ministerial code”, it is clear that continuing

The Labour MP for Rotherham has called for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal, adding more pressure on Sir Keir Starmer. Sarah Champion said child sexual abuse was “endemic” in Britain and “needs to be recognised as a national priority”. She is the latest Labour politician to call for a national inquiry into

MPs will today debate a change in the law proposed by a bereaved mother who believes social media may hold crucial clues to her son’s death. Jools Sweeney was 14 when he was found unconscious at home in April 2022. His parents and friends who saw him earlier that day say there were no signs

There comes a point in the arc of most political scandals after which a resignation risks prompting more questions than it answers. The danger for Tulip Siddiq – and by extension Sir Keir Starmer – is that threshold may about to be passed, if it hasn’t been already. In other words, if she goes now,

Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq could lose her job if the investigation into her properties finds she broke government rules, a cabinet member has suggested. Science Secretary Peter Kyle was asked about Ms Siddiq on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. She has referred herself to the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests, Sir Laurie Magnus,

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh. It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be

Nigel Farage has said 10 Reform councillors who quit in protest over his “autocratic” leadership were put forward by a “rogue branch” of the party. The Derbyshire group made the announcement after billionaire X owner Elon Musk said Mr Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead the party. The Clacton MP told Sky News

From Essex County Council chamber to Nigel Farage’s speech at Reform UK’s Surrey conference, two very different events today tell you everything you need to know about why the government’s devolution overhaul matters. Let’s start with the substance. Councils in Essex have today decided to apply to turn 15 local authorities into two to five

Harriet Harman has suggested a “mini inquiry” into issues raised by the grooming gangs scandal and called on Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch to discuss “terms of reference”. The Labour peer told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that there should “openness” to a future probe as long it does

An intervention by the chancellor to help shore up flagging financial market confidence in the UK economy has been ruled out by the government, amid further declines in the value of the pound. Sterling fell to its lowest level against the dollar since November 2023 early on Thursday, building on recent losses. A toxic cocktail

There are grooming gangs “in every single part of our country”, Jess Phillips has told Sky News. The safeguarding minister told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast she was issuing an “open invitation” to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to meet victims with her. Ms Badenoch’s spokesperson said she has not met

So can you stop people smugglers by lumbering them with sanctions? That is the government’s latest idea, and it is bold and innovative. It will certainly get attention, even if that doesn’t mean it will work. But it is another effort by this government to differentiate itself from the leaders who came before. In a

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has accused the Conservatives of being “bandwagon jumpers” who “don’t care about children” as they try to force a national grooming gangs inquiry. The Tories have tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, being debated on Wednesday, to require a statutory inquiry into grooming gangs after safeguarding minister

Jess Phillips has said she has “more important things to be thinking about” than Elon Musk after he accused her of being a “rape genocide apologist”. The safeguarding minister has hit back at the billionaire’s criticism of her for the first time, telling Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that his

For days, the attacks had been raining down from Elon Musk and his supporters on Keir Starmer, safeguarding minister Jess Philips and the wider government, over handling of the historical sex abuse cases.  The consensus in Number 10, as voiced by another leader subject to Mr Musk’s ire – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz – was

Professionals who work with children will face criminal sanctions if they fail to report claims of sexual abuse, the home secretary has announced. Yvette Cooper promised to implement the key recommendation from Professor Alexis Jay’s child sexual abuse inquiry after Sir Keir Starmer faced down calls from Elon Musk, the Tories and Reform UK for

For British politicians, the question of the moment is how do you handle Elon Musk? The billionaire owner of X and Tesla, soon to take up a role as efficiency tsar in the Trump administration, has been throwing grenades almost every hour about British politics on his social media platform and dominating the headlines. Much

Elon Musk has said Reform UK needs a “new leader” because Nigel Farage “doesn’t have what it takes”. The X owner posted the tweet on Sunday following days of headlines over his comments about the historic grooming scandal that took place across UK towns and cities more than a decade ago. Mr Musk, who has