Politics

This week at the COVID inquiry is about the advisers – the backroom officials now thrust into the spotlight. They reveal new details of the chaotic decision-making in Number 10 – and more widely across government – and extremely candid assessments of the key players, but particularly Boris Johnson. Today, Martin Reynolds, a close Johnson

The COVID public inquiry is set to become explosive this week, with former Boris Johnson aide Dominic Cummings expected to dish the dirt on the former prime minister. The maverick former No 10 adviser, once Mr Johnson‘s closest ally but now his sworn enemy, heads a list of top former Downing Street insiders giving evidence

The Met Police chief has said there is scope for “sharper” laws in dealing with extremism amid a surge of protests in the capital over the Israel-Hamas war. Sir Mark Rowley told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that his officers are working “ruthlessly” to arrest anyone who “steps over the line” by committing a hate

Matt Hancock has talked about the “injustice” he faced during the COVID pandemic in the latest episode of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. The former health secretary resigned from government in June 2021 after it emerged he had broken his own guidance by kissing and embracing his aide, Gina Coladangelo, in his office. In the

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has said he is “desperately worried” about whether his family who are trapped in Gaza are alive or dead after losing contact with them. The first minister said he last spoke to the parents of his wife Nadia El-Nakla at around 7.30am on Friday before communications were cut off as

Humza Yousaf has said he has lost contact with his family who are trapped in Gaza as Israel expands its ground operations overnight. Scotland’s first minister has previously spoken to Sky News about how his wife’s parents are “trapped” in Gaza. The Israeli Defence Forces said tonight that it had “significantly expanded” its ground operations,

There is no wider cultural problem among Conservative MPs, a minister insisted, after Crispin Blunt was arrested on suspicion of rape and the possession of controlled substances. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the allegation against the former minister related to an “individual incident” and was not a sign of a wider problem in the party.

The Labour Party has promised to set up a COBRA-style taskforce that would meet every winter to assess the flood risk to communities as parts of the UK continue to be battered by heavy rain after Storm Babet. The party said it would create a flood resilience taskforce that would co-ordinate preparation between the government, local

A Conservative MP has been arrested on suspicion of rape and the possession of controlled substances. Surrey Police said the man was detained on Wednesday morning in Horley. The Tory party has declined to comment on the arrest, first reported by The Sun. A police spokesman said: “We can confirm a man was arrested yesterday

Rishi Sunak has vowed to tackle fears around artificial intelligence (AI) “head-on” as the government prepares to host a world-first global safety summit. The prime minister has made taking advantage of the fast-improving technology, while also regulating against its potential dangers, a focus since taking office last year. Politics latest: Potential by-election headache for PM

Sir Keir Starmer mocked Rishi Sunak over the Conservatives’ two by-election defeats last week, as he pressed him on the cost of living crisis at Prime Minister’s Questions. Labour took both Tamworth and Mid Befordshire from the Conservatives after Thursday’s vote, overturning huge majorities in a double blow for the government. In the Commons today,

A mosque in South Wales that hosted Sir Keir Starmer has apologised for the “hurt and confusion” caused by the visit after a backlash from some within the Muslim community. The South Wales Islamic Centre issued a statement late on Tuesday evening in which it sought to “clarify our stance” following the Labour leader’s visit

A former Tory MP failed to declare where he received £39,000 in political donations from, a crown court jury has heard. David Mackintosh, who represented Northampton South between 2015 and 2017, is alleged to have accepted three donations of £10,000 and six of £1,500 that were made in an allegedly “underhand way”, Warwick Crown Court

The government will stop using 50 hotels for asylum seekers by January, Sky News understands. Ministers are expected to make the announcement as they continue attempts to reduce the amount of money being spent on accommodation that houses people waiting for a decision on their applications. But many hotels will still be in use –

The commissioner of the Metropolitan Police says laws for tackling extremism may need to be redrawn in light of pro-Palestinian protests around the Israel-Hamas war. Sir Mark Rowley said it was for politicians to decide on “the line of the law” and for the police to enforce it. However, he said recent events were “illustrating