Politics

Rishi Sunak is poised to launch a major crackdown on the asylum seeker backlog in the coming days by invalidating applications if they fail to return a new questionnaire within 20 working days, Sky News can reveal. A leaked Home Office letter shows that asylum seekers, who often speak little or no English and have

Enemies are circling, Brexiteers are already pronouncing it dead, and the DUP are warning it undermines the Union. But as opponents line up to try and assassinate Rishi Sunak’s forthcoming deal with Brussels to rework Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit future, Sky News can reveal that Number 10 is yet to play its trump card. Despite weeks

A senior Tory MP has dampened down the prospect of a Brexit deal on Northern Ireland, telling Sky News the powersharing crisis will not be resolved because the negotiations are “too narrow”. Sir Bernard Jenkin, a veteran Eurosceptic, also suggested there should be a “customs frontier” between the north and south of Ireland to fix

Ministers have recommended NHS workers, police officers, teachers and judges are all given a 3.5% pay rise for the next financial year. Government departments have written to the independent pay review bodies of each sector to submit their evidence and say what figure is deemed affordable by them and the Treasury. But a number of

A deal to resolve post-Brexit trading issues in Northern Ireland is not likely this week, a minister has suggested. Maria Caulfield told Sky News Rishi Sunak is “working really hard” to fix problems with the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol, amid signs of a possible Tory rebellion. Asked about the prospect of a breakthrough this week

Iran’s most senior diplomat has again been summoned by the Foreign Office after a UK-based Iranian broadcaster was forced to move out of the UK due to assassination threats from Tehran. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires in the UK, Mehdi Hosseini Matin, “to make clear we will not tolerate

The breakup of the UK is “at stake” if a new deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland is not reached, a senior DUP politician warned. Sammy Wilson MP said his party will continue to refuse to let Stormont sit if EU rules aren’t removed in the region – saying this threatens Northern Ireland’s

Penny Mordaunt said Boris Johnson’s Brexit intervention is “helpful” as there is “there’s still a lot to be done” to secure a deal over the Northern Ireland Protocol. In a move that could trigger a new Tory civil war on Brexit, a source close to the former prime minister told Sky News: “His general thinking

Boris Johnson is on collision course with Rishi Sunak over the prime minister’s attempts to reach a deal with Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol. The former PM is bitterly opposed to Mr Sunak‘s plans to abandon the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which gives ministers power to rip up parts of the protocol and ignore

Britain and the EU have an understanding on what needs to be done to resolve issues surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol but a deal is “by no means done”, Rishi Sunak has said. Speaking during a question and answer session after his speech at the Munich Security Conference, the prime minister said Britain wanted to

“Significant progress has been made” to resolve the row over the Northern Ireland protocol and a deal is “very much game on”, Sinn Fein’s leader said.  Speaking after talks with Rishi Sunak, Mary Lou McDonald told reporters: “We have always believed that a deal on the protocol was possible and we’ve always known it was

Candidates are expected to formally enter the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the SNP and first minister today – after the timeline for the contest was unveiled last night. No individual has officially announced their bid to become Ms Sturgeon’s successor at present. But on Thursday, numerous candidates ruled themselves out of

The SNP’s national executive committee has agreed a timetable for members to elect a new leader following Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation. Nominations to become Ms Sturgeon‘s successor opened at 11.59pm yesterday evening and will close at midday on Friday 24 February. Once nominations have closed, the ballot will then open at midday on 13 March

The race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s first minister is now under way – with the party meeting to set out the succession timetable later. Sky News’ political correspondent Joe Pike understands the meeting will take place over Zoom at 6.30pm tonight. Ms Sturgeon announced her resignation during a press conference in Edinburgh at

Jeremy Corbyn has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “a flagrant attack on the democratic rights of Islington North Labour Party members” after he ruled out allowing the former party leader to stand as a Labour candidate in the next general election. Earlier today, marking a watchdog’s decision to no longer monitor the party over antisemitism,

Brexit and the ensuing political turmoil under the Conservative Party has hindered efforts to attract investment to the UK, a minister has admitted. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride conceded that creating “frictions” between Britain and the European Union will have had an impact. His comments came after Paul Drechsler, the chairman of the International