Politics

The government is reviewing its contracts with P&O after the ferry company’s “wholly unacceptable” and “insensitive” sacking of 800 staff members, a minister has told MPs. Condemning the firm, maritime minister Robert Courts told the House of Commons he was “extremely concerned and frankly angry” at the treatment of workers by P&O. “These are hardworking,

Boris Johnson has vowed a further crackdown on oligarchs and the super-rich by promising to curb their abuse of the UK legal system to stifle public criticism. The prime minister has called for an end to the “chilling effect” of elites using the threat of legal action to silence critics. Ministers will take aim at

Boris Johnson has declined to say whether his trip to Saudi Arabia will result in a boost to the kingdom’s oil production – as he insisted his talks about its human rights record would be “kept private”. The prime minister visited both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as he continues his

Legal targets for air pollution and the abundance of wild species are among proposals being set out by the government. Ministers want legally-binding targets for air quality, wildlife, water, waste reduction and resource efficiency. The proposals include annual targets for average concentrations of fine particulate matter – air pollution that can affect lung function and

The Lord Speaker has called for a more “robust” appointment process for peers after the SNP called for Lord Lebedev’s parliamentary pass to be revoked. In a letter on Tuesday, Lord McFall said “there is a case for examination of the appointments process” to ensure that “new appointees are able to make a worthwhile contribution

The government-backed refugee scheme being unveiled today will build on lessons learned from the Afghanistan evacuation last summer, according to government sources. 15,000 Afghans were taken to the UK, but many are still stuck in hotels and unable to work or integrate. The hope in Whitehall is that the approach for Ukrainian refugees will go

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab is visiting the International Criminal Court (ICC) today to offer the UK’s help in gathering evidence to prosecute Vladimir Putin for possible war crimes in Ukraine. Mr Raab will meet the court’s prosecutor, British lawyer Karim AA Khan, in The Hague to offer “technical support in bringing those responsible for war

The UK has issued 4,000 visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme ahead of launching a further programme for Britons to house refugees. The Home Office said the latest number is as of 3pm on 13 March, after Communities Secretary Michael Gove told Sky News on Sunday “more than 3,000” visas had been issued. Under the

A government minister has defended the Saudi Arabian takeover of Newcastle United as MPs described the mass execution of 81 men as a “new low” for the kingdom and urged the prime minister to cancel a visit. Senior Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, a former chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, asked an

Boris Johnson has called on Western nations to “take back control” of their energy supplies and end an “addiction” to Russian oil and gas that has left them subject to “blackmail” by Vladimir Putin. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, the prime minister insisted the West “cannot go on like this” and remain “economically

There will be no limit to the number of Ukrainian refugees who can come to the UK as they face their “hour of greatest need”, Cabinet minister Michael Gove has told MPs. Announcing the details of a new sponsorship scheme for those fleeing Russia’s invasion, Mr Gove expressed his hope that many Britons would “open their

The UK has announced sanctions on 386 Russian politicians who supported Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Office has said. The sanctions mean bans on travel to the UK and the freezing of assets for those who voted for the independence of separatist regions Luhansk and Donetsk. Fears Putin’s forces could use chemical weapons

Downing Street put the brakes on Home Office initiatives to allow a bigger share of Ukrainians fleeing their homeland to settle in the United Kingdom, Sky News understands. Home Secretary Priti Patel faced significant criticism this week from colleagues for failing to provide more routes for Ukrainians to reach the UK, prompting anger among Conservative

When Boris Johnson was deep in the quagmire of the partygate scandal, his rival Sir Keir Starmer said the country needed “a serious leader for serious times” and called on the prime minister to go.  For weeks, Mr Johnson was hanging on by a thread, his future being openly discussed as the Metropolitan Police launched

Armed Forces minister James Heappey has warned serving British soldiers and veterans not to travel to fight in Ukraine. Mr Heappey told Sky News the government position is that if you are serving member of the armed forces and choose to join the conflict in Ukraine, you are considered to be breaking the law. “No

Liz Truss will warn the West must “never again” allow aggression like Vladimir Putin’s “to grow unchecked” – as the Ukraine invasion enters its third week. The foreign secretary will use a speech at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington DC on Thursday – the 15th day of the Ukraine invasion – to call