Politics

A minister has said it is “not immediately obvious” an investigation is needed into allegations that Carrie Johnson held a lockdown party that was not part of the Sue Gray inquiry. Chris Philp, the technology and digital economy minister, told Sky News’ Kay Burley that there has been an “unbelievably comprehensive set of investigations” over

Boris Johnson is facing twin allegations of a partygate cover-up, with opposition leaders accusing him of “behaving like a tinpot despot”. The Liberal Democrats claim reports that Downing Street put pressure on Sue Gray to dilute her report reveal an attempt to cover up “lies and law-breaking”. And Labour is to force a Commons vote

Boris Johnson is poised to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a post-Brexit pledge to bring back pounds and ounces in Britain’s shops. Whitehall sources have told Sky News he will announce on Friday that imperial measurements are to be revived as part of a bonfire of EU regulations. His promise of legislation will be

A drip feed of no confidence letters in Boris Johnson has continued as pressure grows following the Sue Gray report into partygate. There has been a steady trickle of Conservative MPs publicly calling for the PM to go after senior civil servant Ms Gray published her findings into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said he will not be silenced by the far right after a “vile racist” was found guilty of sending the MP a death threat. Glenn Broadbent sent the Labour Tottenham MP a Twitter message that said: “Are you hanging off a tree monkey boy? You will hang from a

Ministers who are found to have breached the ministerial code will no longer have to resign or face the sack. Revisions to the ministerial code, which sets out standards of conduct for government ministers, were published on Friday. The changes come following recommendations by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, as well as discussions

Sky’s Beth Rigby speaks to Conservative minister Jacob Rees-Mogg about the cost of living crisis, partygate, and not being able to cook. Plus, Beth’s analysis of the week’s big stories and more of your emails with producer Mollie Malone. Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts,  Google Podcasts,  Spotify, Spreaker Advertisement

Rishi Sunak, a devotee of Nigel Lawson, believes in a smaller state, curbing borrowing, lower taxes and combating inflation.  Yet again, he delivered a major fiscal announcement where he did the opposite. Today’s £15 billion spending splurge expanded the role of the state with the advent of one-off financial transfers, could stoke inflation, add to

Boris Johnson’s chief of staff has brushed off the suggestion that a new package of cost of living help is timed to deflect attention from Sue Gray’s partygate report. Steve Barclay said that the government did not control when the report – laying bare drunkenness and partying in Downing Street – was published and that

The senior leadership at Downing Street – both political and official – must “bear responsibility” for the culture of partying during COVID lockdowns, according to a report from senior civil servant Sue Gray. The report added that “while there is no excuse for some of the behaviour set out here it is important to acknowledge

MPs should be banned from giving paid parliamentary advice or consultancy services, a long-awaited report into MP standards has recommended. It is understood up to 35 MPs would be impacted by a crackdown on second jobs. MPs must now have a written contract for any outside work, which makes explicit that their duties cannot include

London mayor Sadiq Khan has written to the Met Police asking for a “detailed explanation” of its partygate probe – after claiming photos showed the PM was “caught red-handed” at an event for which he was not fined. Mr Khan said he had written to the Metropolitan Police’s acting commissioner Sir Stephen House to ask

Tory MPs have criticised photos of Boris Johnson drinking with colleagues during lockdown ahead of the Sue Gray report into parties being published. New pictures emerged on Monday of the prime minister appearing to toast colleagues allegedly during the second national lockdown when people were not allowed to mix with other households inside. The photos,

Boris Johnson has conceded that the cost of living crisis “is going to go on” but said people asking what more the government will do to help will “just have to wait a little bit longer”. The prime minister faces a growing clamour – including from a number of Tories – to adopt Labour’s idea

The long-awaited Sue Gray partygate report is finally set to be published this week – with the deadline for Downing Street officials to object to being named in it passed. Reports have suggested the document, expected to be published in the coming days, will feature photographs of illegal gatherings. It was also reported that top

Civil Service job cuts of up to 40% are being examined as part of cost-saving plans at the Department for Education, Nadhim Zahawi has confirmed. The education secretary told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme that modelling across a range of scenarios was being carried out with a view to rein in spending, while

The education secretary says an alleged bullying incident in which an 11-year-old boy lost a finger is “sickening” – as he spoke of his own bullying ordeal as a child. Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News he was determined to “stamp out” racism in schools after youngster Raheem Bailey had his finger amputated following an alleged

Suggestions a meeting with the prime minister had been initiated by Sue Gray to discuss her long-awaited report into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street has been rejected by her spokesman. It comes after Sky News revealed Boris Johnson had met the senior civil servant to discuss the findings of her inquiry. Sources had suggested this

Top civil servants across Whitehall are to be asked to draw up plans for how they would deliver personnel cuts of up to 40% in each of their departments, Sky News understands. Two senior government sources have said the Cabinet Office is poised to write to all permanent secretaries asking them to model what would

The US has warned a trade deal with the UK is at risk if Westminster implements legislation to change the Northern Ireland Protocol. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it could damage the Good Friday Agreement, which aims to help maintain peace between Northern Ireland‘s communities. Her comments have been met with consternation by the