Politics

Sir Keir Starmer says he hopes to bring state school standards up to those of their private counterparts within his first term if Labour wins the next general election – though he warned of funding issues due to the state of the economy. Speaking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, the Labour leader said

Chris Pincher MP is facing a suspension from the House of Commons for eight weeks after a report into groping claims against him. Mr Pincher, who no longer sits as a Conservative, quit as deputy chief whip last summer after being accused of assaulting two fellow guests at the exclusive Carlton Club in London. The

Short-term policy making and a decade of underinvestment has left the NHS in a “critical condition” as it turns 75, health experts have warned. Three leading thinktanks said the service may not reach its 100th birthday without more resources being pumped into it and fundamental reforms. Separately, NHS Providers – which represents hospital trusts –

Two investigations into partygate gatherings involving senior Tories have been announced by the Met Police. One is a re-investigation into claims of a Covid rule breaching party by staff of former Conservative London mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, in December 2020. In a press release, the force said: “The Met is now re-opening an investigation into

The health secretary has refused to accept Conservative spending cuts have played a role in problems faced by the health service – blaming an ageing population, rising costs and the pandemic instead. In an exclusive interview with Sky News’ Beth Rigby, Steve Barclay rejected the findings of a King’s Fund report from April, which said

Members of the Armed Force are using food banks because of “personal decisions around how people are budgeting”, according to the UK veterans minister. Sky News’ defence editor, Deborah Haynes, reported last month that some military personnel and their families had been forced to use the centres as high inflation and rising costs tipped them

Ofcom has launched an investigation into an episode of Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg’s GB News show in which he covered a breaking news story about a court case involving Donald Trump. The media watchdog said it received 40 complaints objecting to the MP for North East Somerset acting as a newsreader during his State Of The

Sue Gray broke the Civil Service code by discussing a job with Labour, a Cabinet Office investigation has concluded. In a written ministerial statement, Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quinn said the “undeclared contact” between her and the party constituted a breach. “The rules and guidance that govern the conduct of civil servants are clear and

Host Sophy Ridge interviews Health Secretary Steve Barclay, who has criticised junior doctors, accusing them of “walking away” from talks over pay and conditions. For teachers, Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson tells Sophy that giving teachers a pay rise is a “complicated issue”. Joined by Claire Ellicott, deputy political editor of the Mail On

Right-wing Tory MPs have urged Rishi Sunak to take action to reduce immigration, saying the system is “too lenient”. The New Conservatives group, made up of 25 MPs on the right of the party, will put forward a number of proposals to the prime minister in a report released on Monday, including ending the temporary

In a barbed resignation letter, Lord Goldsmith has accused the government of withdrawing leadership on climate change and the prime minister of being “uninterested” in the environment. Rishi Sunak was quick to reject the claims, pointing to the UK’s recent involvement in the successful Montreal biodiversity summit, and highlighting that the UK continues to maintain

A Tory minister named in a Privileges Committee report for interfering in Boris Johnson’s partygate probe has resigned from government. Lord Zac Goldsmith, a former MP, has quit his environmental role, claiming Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was “simply uninterested” in the issue. ‘Hugely important day for NHS’, minister says – politics latest On Thursday, the

The government will be in court today as it fights an order from the COVID inquiry to handover unredacted messages from Boris Johnson. The probe was set up by the former prime minister to look into the handling of the pandemic, and hearings have already begun. But its chair, Baroness Hallet, became frustrated with the

Thames Water customers have been assured that “absolutely nothing” will happen to their bills or supply, as the heavily indebted firm scrambles to raise cash from investors to prevent its collapse. Ministers have continued efforts to reassure the public as Britain’s biggest water firm struggles under a £14bn debt pile, with the government said to

Defeats in the House of Lords mean the government will need to make the case about why it should not be legally bound by international refugee conventions. The government suffered a series of setbacks on its Illegal Migration Bill in the House of Lords on Wednesday, amid fierce opposition from peers. One of the amendments

Thames Water has appointed industry veteran Sir Adrian Montague as chairman as the troubled utility provider seeks to shore up public and investor confidence. The former chairman of Anglian Water and insurance giant Aviva, Sir Adrian will replace current chairman Ian Marchant, who announced in April that he would stand down at the end of

A formal complaint has been made against London Conservative mayoral hopeful Daniel Korski following a groping allegation. TV producer and screenwriter Daisy Goodwin has made a formal complaint against the Tory London mayoral hopeful. Mr Korski has strenuously denied the claim against him. Ms Goodwin alleged in an article for The Times that she was

Shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy is expected to criticise opposition from within her own party following complaints about Labour’s plans to increase homeownership if they enter government. Ms Nandy – who will be speaking to Sky News on Wednesday morning – will unveil more of her party’s ideas at the Housing 23 summit in Manchester.