Politics

Labour MP Jess Phillips is not racist, her front bench colleague Bridget Phillipson has said after she was accused of “extreme and unprompted hostility” by high-profile headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh. Ms Phillipson, Labour’s shadow education secretary, told Sky News there is a formal process available to those who wish to raise any concerns. Speaking to Sky’s

A minister has ordered a local council to end its experiment with a four-day week “immediately” over concerns about the “value for money” for local taxpayers. South Cambridgeshire District Council, the first local authority in the UK to undertake such a trial, had announced plans to extend it until April. Local government minister Lee Rowley

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

The latest clash between the Privileges Committee and some parliamentarians all flows back to one man: Boris Johnson. He may have now quit as an MP, but his disrupting presence lingers on – and it’s the last thing the current PM needs. Rishi Sunak had just waved his adversary off the premises only to find

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.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has indicated he too will not be following recommendations on public sector pay rises, saying his party are set to “inherit a real mess” if they win the next general election. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has faced a backlash from opposition parties and unions after hinting he will not adopt

The chancellor has told banks “in no uncertain terms” they must pass on higher interest rates to savers. Jeremy Hunt faced pressure from both Labour and his own Conservative backbenchers on the matter during a statement about support to mortgage holders agreed on Friday. Labour’s Dame Angela Eagle – a Treasury minister under Gordon Brown

Rishi Sunak has hinted he will ignore recommendations for public sector pay rises, saying workers “need to recognise the economic context we are in”. Reports surfaced over the weekend that the prime minister planned to block upcoming proposals from public sector pay bodies in an attempt to tackle soaring inflation in the country. And health

A Treasury minister has refused to commit to public sector pay rises, arguing it would be “irresponsible” not to take into account the impact on persistently high inflation. Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, John Glen signalled the government could reject recommendations by the independent review bodies in the face of concerns

Reports that Rishi Sunak could block 6% pay rises for public sector workers have been criticised by unions. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) accused the government of “blaming workers who can’t afford to put food on the table” after the Times reported that the prime minister could overrule recommendations from pay review bodies. Government sources

A snap Ofsted inspection should be conducted at a school where a pupil was reported to have identified as a cat, a senior minister has said. A teacher is said to have been recorded telling another classmate at Rye College secondary school in East Sussex that she was “despicable” for refusing to accept the pupil