Politics

Labour says it will introduce additional mental health counsellors to secondary schools as part of its plans to tackle rising pupil absences. The party says the UK is facing a “generational challenge”, as more than 88,000 secondary school students missed at least half of their education last year. Labour’s education pledge comes as a poll

Simon Case, the head of the civil service, has returned to work after more than two months on sick leave. The cabinet secretary, who has not publicly disclosed his illness, has been attending meetings in the last few days, the Politics At Jack And Sam’s Podcast revealed today. Mr Case was originally due to be

Sir Keir Starmer wants to have “a fight” with the Conservative Party on his target to spend £28bn a year on green projects by 2030. He told Wilfred Frost on Sky News: “It’s absolutely clear to me that the Tories are trying to weaponise this issue, the 28 billion, etc. “It’s a fight I want

Rishi Sunak had doubts the government’s Rwanda asylum scheme would stop small boat crossings while he was chancellor, according to documents seen by Sky News. The Number 10 papers, prepared in March 2022 shortly before the Rwanda plan was first announced, also suggest the prime minister wanted to scale back the plans. A government source

A former energy minister has said he will quit as a Conservative MP over new legislation “that promotes the production of new oil and gas”. Chris Skidmore has said he will resign when parliament returns next week over the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill. The senior Tory had already announced his intention to stand down at

It’s a question that’s plagued the healthcare sector and politics for many years, a source of contention at election after election – how do we fix the NHS? In 1948, when the service was launched, the UK’s health demands were very different to today’s, with the population growing, shifting, and changing. Waiting lists, staff burnout,

The NHS “doesn’t just belong” to striking junior doctors and can’t be “switched on and off on whim”, the health secretary said. Victoria Atkins turned up the heat in the government’s row with the British Medical Association (BMA) as their record-breaking walk-out continues. Junior doctors in England are in the middle of a six-day strike

It’s a sign of the times that the big political event to kick off 2024 was not an election-year framing speech by the current prime minister, but rather the address given by the man who, for now, is expected to be the next. Sir Keir Starmer, speaking from the marginal seat of Filton and Bradley

Sir Keir Starmer is launching his election campaign on Thursday – and will promise the “character of politics will change” if Labour enters power. The government has until December this year to call an election – although if it decides to go to the polls so late, the vote itself will not happen until January

Nigel Farage is still “assessing” what role he will play in the upcoming general election, the leader of Reform UK has said. Holding a news conference to kick off the long campaign for the general election expected this year, Reform UK leader Richard Tice revealed he had been talking to Mr Farage over the festive

The cost of living crisis is “no excuse” for a rise in shoplifting, the policing minister has told Sky News, because the UK’s benefits system is “very generous”. Chris Philp’s comments come amid escalating levels of retail thefts, with increases blamed on inflation, organised crime and a lack of focus from police. Asked if he

Downing Street has insisted that the prime minister has achieved his target of clearing the legacy backlog of asylum claims, despite the government’s own data showing that 4,537 remain. Rishi Sunak pledged in December 2022 that he would “abolish” the legacy backlog of asylum claims made before 28 June of that year, with the Home

The government is claiming victory in clearing the backlog of asylum claims – but that has been described as “misleading” as thousands are still waiting for a final decision. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged in December 2022 that he would “abolish” the legacy backlog of asylum claims made before 28 June of that year, with

The government’s new rules preventing most international students from bringing family to the UK are now in effect – but Rishi Sunak still faces a huge fight with his own party over reducing both legal and illegal migration. Any international students starting courses from this month will not be able to bring dependants to the

Britain is reportedly considering air strikes on Houthi rebels after the US Navy sank three boats that had been targeting a container ship in the Red Sea. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the government would not hesitate to take “direct action” to prevent further attacks on shipping. It comes after the US military said four

The Liberal Democrats have called for an inquiry into whether Rishi Sunak breached the ministerial code by holding secret meetings with Dominic Cummings. The Times reported on Sunday that the prime minister had held two sets of talks with the former chief adviser to Boris Johnson as he considered bringing the controversial figure back into

Dominic Cummings has claimed Rishi Sunak sought to strike a “secret deal” with him to help the Tories win the next election. The prime minister reportedly asked Boris Johnson’s ex-chief aide for advice on how to hold on to power when the country goes to the polls. Mr Cummings – The Sunday Times has reported

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has attacked critics of Liz Truss’ honours list, calling them “po-faced puritans”. The former prime minister was allowed to submit her so-called “resignation honours” after leaving office last year – a convention given to all departing leaders – and the final 11 names were announced on Friday. But the decision has been

Kwasi Kwarteng, Therese Coffey and the rest of Liz Truss’s cabinet have missed out on getting gongs or places in the House of Lords as part of her resignation honours list. There has been sizeable speculation about who the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister would choose to elevate to the upper house or make a knight

The home secretary’s date rape joke was “misogynistic” and “very ill-judged”, a senior Conservative MP has told Sky News. James Cleverly apologised after making an “ironic joke” about putting a date rape drug in his wife’s drink, hours after the Home Office announced plans to crack down on spiking. He has faced calls to resign,