Politics

One in five councillors in England and Wales have received death threats or threats of violence, according to a new survey. The findings from the Local Government Association (LGA) come as the group calls for the UK government to take more action to protect councillors and other local political figures. Almost three-quarters of those who

The world “will not tolerate any more excuses on humanitarian assistance” from Israel on the situation in Gaza, the prime minister has said. Speaking following a meeting with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer sought to make the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar a

The son of Jimmy Lai, the tycoon and pro-democracy activist jailed in China, has called for “urgent” intervention from the UK as his father’s health deteriorates in solitary confinement. British citizen Mr Lai, one of the most prominent critics of the Chinese Communist Party, has been in prison in Hong Kong since December 2020. He

Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Germany on Friday for talks with Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron on the situation in the Middle East. The leaders of the UK, the US, Germany and France will discuss the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza, where the UN has warned essential supplies for survival are

Several government departments failed to agree their spending settlement by yesterday’s deadline in a sign of ongoing turbulence over the budget, Sky News can reveal.  A number of departments have still been unable to agree with the Treasury on the scale of cuts they will be expected to deliver in the next two years, despite

Cabinet ministers are writing to the prime minister in an urgent attempt to soften some of the spending cuts being demanded ahead of the budget.  The main measures for the budget have to be decided by the end of Wednesday and sent to the Office for Budget Responsibility before the Treasury shuts up for the

Labour’s first budget in 14 years will be delivered on 30 October, and as per the warnings of Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer, it will not be one the public is likely to welcome. The chancellor and prime minister have spent months preparing the stage for a “painful” budget, where tax rises are likely

Sir Keir Starmer met Taylor Swift when he attended her concert in Wembley, Sky News understands. It has emerged the prime minister and his family spoke to the pop star and her mum for 10 minutes and discussed the Southport stabbings. It had not been clear previously if the two had met. Sir Keir’s attendance

New weight-loss jabs could get people “back into work” to boost the economy, the prime minister has said. Sir Keir Starmer said injections could also help reduce pressure on the NHS. “I think these drugs could be very important for our economy and for health,” the prime minister told BBC Breakfast. “This drug will be

Weight loss jabs like Ozempic and Wegovy should not be used to get the “Instagram perfect body”, Wes Streeting said amid a surge in demand for the treatment. The health secretary told the Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge that his view on the injections “is pretty nuanced”, as while the results can be “game changing”

Google’s former boss has warned Sir Keir Starmer that he would fail to meet his 2030 clean energy goal unless he fixes UK regulations. Eric Schmidt, Google’s former chief executive officer, said he believes Sir Keir can speed up regulation bureaucracy to ensure the government reaches its goal of decarbonising electricity by 2030. But he

Alex Salmond was the undisputed figurehead of the independence movement for decades.  He was the instantly recognisable, colourful, controversial, and complicated face of a movement that Salmond dragged from the fringes to the forefront of political discourse in the Scotland we know today. Although Salmond has been on the sidelines of the show in recent

The business secretary has suggested the government could put up national insurance for employers in the budget without breaking its election pledges. Jonathan Reynolds told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that Labour’s promise not to increase national insurance “was specifically in the manifesto, a reference to employees”. National insurance is paid by both employees and

This shock of Alex Salmond’s death is reverberating around every corner of UK politics. There was not a soul involved in the political life of the past three decades who did not know his name and his achievements. A Marmite figure, Salmond divided opinion. But, he was respected as the giant who was instrumental in

Once again, the government’s narrative on the economy is shifting.  After a summer warning of tax rises and cuts to deal with the “dire” inheritance allegedly left by the Tories, Rachel Reeves made a conscious “pivot” in her conference speech last month to something more optimistic. For the first time in Liverpool, there was a

It is “for the public to judge” whether Labour’s first 100 days of government has gone well, Downing Street said amid Sir Keir Starmer’s sinking poll ratings. The prime minister’s official spokesperson declined to say if his first three months in office have been a success, ahead of the milestone being hit tomorrow. Politics latest:PM’s

Sue Gray will not attend the prime minister’s council of nations and regions on Friday despite her new title as a special envoy. Sir Keir Starmer will meet with leaders of the devolved nations for a summit that will focus on spreading investment and growth across all parts of the UK. Ms Gray, who resigned

The chancellor will need to raise taxes by £25bn if she wants to keep spending rising with national income, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). In its annual ‘Green Budget’ analysis, the IFS warned that the government would have to dramatically increase the £9bn of tax rises outlined in its manifesto to meet

Major employment reforms promised by Labour will not become law for at least two years, as the government seeks compromise between unions and businesses on measures intended to strengthen workers rights without hindering economic growth. The Employment Rights Bill, introduced into parliament on Thursday, includes 28 measures, many of which will be subject to extended

Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch will battle it out to be the next leader of the Conservative Party after James Cleverly was eliminated from the race. Tory MPs held a final vote on Wednesday to reduce the field to a final two, who will then go to a ballot of Conservative members. After picking up