Politics

The government is “not contemplating” an early general election because ministers are “confident” the Rwanda bill will be approved by MPs, Michael Gove has told Sky News. Speaking to the Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme, the cabinet minister said the emergency legislation was “a tough but also proportionate measure”. The levelling up secretary also

Rishi Sunak has attacked Labour’s illegal migration policy as Sir Keir Starmer accused the Conservatives of “fighting like rats in a sack” over the Rwanda bill. The prime minister called on Labour to “rise above political games” and back the emergency legislation when it comes before the Commons on Tuesday, despite battling to convince his

Since taking over the Home Office brief, James Cleverly’s popularity has plummeted among the party membership.  In a recent opinion poll by the website Conservative Home he has slid down the ministerial leaderboard – from first place to 11th. The membership is one thing, but how is he faring on his home turf in Braintree,

The Home Office’s most senior civil servant has been summoned to give evidence to a committee of MPs on Monday after he revealed the cost of the government’s Rwanda plan had risen by £100m – despite no planes having taken off. Ministers signed the deal with the African nation in 2022, with the aim of

Two people have been arrested after Sir Keir Starmer was confronted by pro-Palestine activists in Glasgow. The Labour leader was met by activists holding Palestinian flags as he arrived at Glasgow Central Station on Thursday evening. Sir Keir has faced criticism over his stance on the Israel-Hamas war since voting against a ceasefire in Gaza

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

Suella Braverman has said she “very much hopes the prime minister changes course” with his efforts to tackle illegal migration after his plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was dealt a blow with the resignation of Robert Jenrick. The former home secretary, who was sacked by Rishi Sunak last month, said she wanted the

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

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 has indicated he does not want to cut spending if Labour forms the next government – although he did not explicitly rule it out. The Labour leader said that while he was “not in the business of cutting funding”, his party would inherit a “very difficult situation” if it wins the next

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

Sir Keir Starmer has launched an impassioned pitch to woo Conservative voters – urging those who feel abandoned by their party “to take a look at Labour again”. In a comment piece for The Sunday Telegraph, the Labour leader said he is extending a hand of friendship to all Britons – irrespective of who they

You can’t write him off. Boris Johnson has found his way back into the public’s good books before and if his hopes of a political comeback are still alive, the coming week could be a decisive moment. The preparations are under way. The former prime minister has spent many hours with barristers, studying 6,000 pages

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

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 insisted the UK can “stand tall” at the COP28 summit – despite a former minister claiming the country is no longer seen as a “serious partner” in the fight against climate change. Lord Zac Goldsmith, who resigned as an environment minister in June, told Sky News that delays to green targets meant

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