UK

Stopping or preventing school inspections would not be in “children’s best interests”, Ofsted has said. It follows calls from teachers and school leaders to halt inspections following the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, who killed herself in January while awaiting an Ofsted report that downgraded her school, Caversham Primary in Reading, from outstanding to

Sir Keir Starmer paid £67,033 to HMRC in the last financial year, his tax returns show. The Labour leader published the details after Rishi Sunak released his on Wednesday, following months of political pressure. Sir Keir’s document shows he paid £67,033 in total tax for the 2021/22 financial year, and £51,547 the previous year. It

The government is cutting benefit payments to some of Britain’s poorest families or threatening them with debt collectors in a raid that is “plunging people into poverty”.  More than a million people have had their universal credit payments cut over the past year because they were overpaid tax credits in the past by HMRC. Some

Multiple people have been injured after a large ship became dislodged from the dry dock in Edinburgh, Sky News understands. A major rescue operation is ongoing at Imperial Dock in Leith after the vessel lurched towards its right-hand side. The Scottish Ambulance Service sent five ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams and other resources

“For a while, seeing a police officer in uniform, I’d have flashbacks,” says “Sally”, who is herself a serving police officer, left traumatised by sexual abuse from a fellow officer. Sally, not her real name, works for Humberside Police and her testimony perhaps indicates the need for a Louise Casey-style review in every force. She

The Metropolitan Police is institutionally racist, sexist, and homophobic and may have more officers like killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick, a damning report has found. A review by Baroness Louise Casey, who spent a year investigating the Met Police in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by Couzens, said Britain’s

Police are “extremely concerned” over the disappearance of a man who went missing during a camping trip in Perthshire. Reece Rodger, 28, was last seen in the Kinloch Rannoch area at around 11.30pm on Saturday night. He was camping on the north shore of Loch Rannoch with friends, who believed he had gone to bed.

Boris Johnson has said he accepts he misled parliament over partygate but insists his statements were “in good faith”. In his evidence to the privileges committee, published on Tuesday, the former prime minister accused it of having gone “significantly beyond its terms of reference”. He added that it was “unprecedented and absurd” to claim that

Boris Johnson’s defence against claims he lied to parliament about whether he knew about Downing Street lockdown parties could be published today. The former prime minister’s case was submitted to the privileges committee by barrister Lord Pannick KC, and allies believe his position – that he was unaware any gatherings broke the rules – will

Love him or hate him, everyone knows that Boris Johnson thrives on being the centre of attention. Next Wednesday afternoon from 2pm the former prime minister will be back in the spotlight at Westminster for a high stakes appearance, which is bound to be a popcorn moment for spectators. Live on television, members of the

A government source has confirmed to Sky News its new Illegal Migration Bill would “seal off all the loopholes” and that UK officials are “certainly working towards getting the flights off by summer”. It comes as the home secretary signed an update to the government’s migrants agreement with Rwanda, expanding its scope to “all categories

The chief executive of the Scottish National Party has resigned with immediate effect in the face of a no confidence vote. Peter Murrell, who is married to Nicola Sturgeon, said his future had become “a distraction” from the current contest to replace his wife as SNP leader and first minister following a damaging secrecy row.

Which rail services will be impacted? Avanti West Coast – One train per hour will run in both directions between London Euston and each of Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston. A limited service will operate to and from Glasgow. Chiltern Railways – No trains will run north of Banbury. There will be one train per

The government needs to find £4bn in spare cash to fund NHS pay rises, with some of it coming from “areas of underspend”. The one-off payment offered to frontline workers on Thursday will cost £2.7bn, Downing Street has said, while the 5% pay rise will cost £1.3bn. A 3.5% pay increase had already been factored

Fresh NHS strikes by several unions have been paused after the government put an extra £2.5 billion on the table to fund a pay rise for thousands of healthcare staff. The offer consists of lump sum payment for the current financial year 2022/23 and a 5% consolidated pay increase for 2023/24. Health Secretary Steve Barclay

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab repeatedly reduced staff to tears and “ruined people’s lives” through “coercive behaviour”, according to officials who worked with him. As an inquiry into the bullying claims against Mr Raab nears its conclusion, Sky News spoke to individuals across various government departments who raised concerns about his treatment of colleagues. Adam

Labour has said it will oppose plans to abolish the lifetime pensions allowance, calling it a “tax cut for the rich”. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the party will force a vote on the policy next week, predicting it could “unravel as quickly as it began”. Ms Reeves compared it to Liz Truss’s doomed attempt

Jeremy Hunt said the British economy is “proving the doubters wrong” and will avoid recession, as he delivered his first full budget speech to Parliament. The chancellor said the government’s plan for the economy was “working” as he announced what he called a “budget for growth”. He said forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility

The chancellor will promise to provide 30 hours of childcare a week to parents of one and two-year-olds, Sky News has learned. The multi-billion pound announcement is set to be made in today’s “back to work” budget. Families with children aged one and two do not currently receive support after parental leave ends and before

A 22-year-old woman, whose lies caused a storm of anger and protests after she falsely claimed she was the victim of an Asian grooming gang, has been jailed for eight and a half years. Eleanor Williams was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday for perverting the course of justice. She fabricated evidence to make