Politics

The Metropolitan Police has closed its investigation into whether COVID rules were broken during a gathering in parliament on 8 December 2020. The event was reportedly hosted by the deputy speaker of the Commons, Eleanor Laing, to mark the birthdays of Conservative MP Virginia Crosby and peer Baroness Jenkin – the wife of fellow Tory

Rishi Sunak is facing fresh pressure over his Rwanda policy after it emerged the scheme has already cost £240m, despite never being used. The government spent a further £100m in the 2023-24 financial year while flights remained grounded amid a series of legal setbacks – on top of the £140m previously paid out. According to

Rishi Sunak has dodged questions over whether he will call a general election if he loses a crunch vote on his Rwanda bill – which he insisted was not a vote of confidence in his leadership. The prime minister repeatedly defended the bill from its critics at a press conference on Thursday as questions mount

Robert Jenrick has resigned from his post as immigration minister over the government’s Rwanda plan. Home Secretary James Cleverly confirmed his colleague’s departure after repeated questioning in the Commons. Speculation mounted after Mr Jenrick was missing from the frontbench as Mr Cleverly gave a statement on the government’s bid to rescue the deal to fly

Boris Johnson was interrupted as he apologised for the “suffering” caused by the COVID pandemic. Four people were subsequently removed from the hearing, where they had been in the public gallery holding up pictures. Mr Johnson had told the inquiry: “I am deeply sorry for the pain and loss and suffering.” One protester held up

Rishi Sunak will aim for a middle ground in the emergency legislation to get the Rwanda scheme off the ground as he remains under severe pressure to stop small boat crossings. A senior government source has told Sky News that the prime minister is not planning to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

Rwanda has not received any additional funding for the new treaty it has signed to revive the UK government’s asylum plan, the home secretary has said. James Cleverly told a press conference in the Rwandan capital of Kigali: “Let me make it clear. The Rwandan government has not asked for and we have not provided

James Cleverly is travelling to Rwanda to sign a new treaty for the government’s asylum plan. It is part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s mission to make the deal to send migrants there legally watertight following the Supreme Court’s ruling against the scheme. In the wake of the judgement on 15 November the government insisted

Sir Keir Starmer will promise a “better bargain” for the British public in a major speech that will focus on the need for economic growth over spending. The Labour leader will warn that his government would not be able to “turn on the spending taps” and will instead have to be “ruthless” when it comes

Rishi Sunak has suggested more tax cuts are on the way because the economy has “turned a corner”. The prime minister told reporters that while he would not comment on specifics, trimming taxes was “the direction of travel from this government”. But it came as he refused to say if the pensions triple lock would

The new health secretary has promised the NHS will remain free at the point of use as long as she is “alive” as the service gears up for another difficult winter. Victoria Atkins, who replaced Steve Barclay in Rishi Sunak’s most recent reshuffle, made the commitment while discussing the “unique” pressures the NHS faces every

Boris Johnson will reportedly tell the COVID inquiry that he “unquestionably made mistakes” during the pandemic, but his decisions helped save tens of thousands of lives. The former prime minister is due to give evidence next week – and according to The Times, he will issue an “unreserved apology” and admit his government was “initially

The Greek prime minister’s party got the call that Rishi Sunak was cancelling his meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis when they were on the way to talks with Sir Keir Starmer in parliament. It did not feel like a coincidence. With the Conservatives trailing a disastrous average of 19 points behind Labour in the opinion polls,

People who make the rules must abide by them, Matt Hancock has said, as he acknowledged his own infamous lockdown-breaking clinch undermined public confidence in efforts to tackle coronavirus. Giving evidence to the COVID-19 inquiry, the MP said he had taken accountability by resigning as health secretary in June 2021 after leaked footage emerged of

Rishi Sunak has said his “patience is worn thin” by stumbling blocks to his Rwanda asylum plan as he said the government was “finalising” legislation to push through the controversial deal. The prime minister aims to salvage the scheme by signing a new treaty with the African country and introduce an emergency law to ensure

Rishi Sunak will call for “pragmatic” climate action at COP28, as he seeks to reassure international partners following his climate U-turns earlier this year. Mr Sunak changed a number of plans put in place by his predecessors over the summer – including the phasing out of the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

Alistair Darling, who served as chancellor under then prime minister Gordon Brown, has died at the age of 70. His family confirmed the news about the Labour peer on Thursday. Lord Darling became a household name when Gordon Brown appointed him chancellor after taking the keys to Number 10 back in 2007. He ran the

Rwanda may be getting more than the £140m it has already been paid under the controversial deportation deal, despite no flights taking off, MPs have been told. Sir Matthew Rycroft, the top civil servant at the Home Office, hinted more money would be spent but repeatedly refused to disclose the sum – saying ministers had

Rishi Sunak has accused the Greek prime minister of “grandstanding” over the deepening row surrounding the Elgin Marbles. During a fiery clash with Sir Keir Starmer at PMQS, Mr Sunak said he cancelled a meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis because it was “clear” the purpose of it “was not to discuss substantive issues for the future,

The UK’s largest nursing union is calling for the government to reopen pay negotiations after an offer was made to consultant doctors, in a move that has angered other health unions. The Royal College of Nursing – RCN – has suggested new strikes are “more likely in the future” as a result of yesterday’s announcement.