People faced “challenges” in casting their vote and some were turned away due to a lack of accepted ID, the elections watchdog said. John Pullinger, who chairs the Electoral Commission, promised a “full report” into the impact of a new rule requiring voters to show photo identification at the ballot box, following calls for it
The Conservatives have lost a third of their council seats so far – a hammering by any standard. If that trend continues, the party is likely to post a final tally that rivals the debacle of 1995 that left them limping towards a massacre at the general election two years later. These results are terrible
Councils representing seven in 10 people in England have been up for grabs in what is the biggest electoral test for Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer before a general election. With just under a third of the results in, we’re starting to see a picture forming as to how the country’s political preferences have
Polling stations have now closed and votes are being counted in this year’s local elections in England. The results will come in waves throughout the night and into the morning – with all councils expected to declare by 8pm on Friday. Elections were held in 230 of England’s 317 councils, within district, borough, county borough
In 1997, as he celebrated Labour’s landslide, Tony Blair famously declared: “A new dawn has broken, has it not?” In 2023, as they head towards a set of dismal local election results, the Tories will fear this is the darkest hour before another new Labour dawn next year. From Plymouth to Stoke-on-Trent, from the South
The Conservatives have lost control of three councils, while Labour gained two in early local election results. Labour candidate Chris Cooke also won the race to become mayor of Middlesbrough – taking the role from an independent incumbent. Sir Keir Starmer’s party has taken Plymouth and Stoke-on-Trent from no overall control, and the Tories have
Another US regional lender has revealed talks to shore up its finances after its share price was clobbered amid the crisis of confidence to hit the country’s banking sector. Three lenders – Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic – have failed this year on the back of balance sheet pressure caused by rising
Members of the biggest rail workers union have voted to renew their mandate to strike during the next six months in the long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said staff across 14 train companies overwhelming backed taking more industrial action. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the result
First time buyers are paying an average of nearly £200 extra a month compared to a year ago, according to research from a UK property website. As a result of higher asking prices and interest rates Rightmove has said first-time buyers with a 15% deposit now pay £1,056 a month compared to £865 a year
One of Britain’s leading independent precision engineering firms has been saved from collapse after a pre-pack administration deal led by its previous owner. Sky News understands Nasmyth Group is to remain under the control of Rcapital, the specialist turnaround investor, following a transaction that is expected to salvage more than 450 jobs. City sources said
BP is exploring a sale of two of the companies owned by its early-stage ventures arm in a move which could raise tens of millions of pounds. Sky News has learnt that the FTSE 100 company’s Launchpad division has begun contacting prospective buyers of Lytt and Onyx Insight in recent weeks. Lytt transforms large amounts
Adidas has reported a drop in sales but better than expected profits in the wake of its high-profile split from shamed rapper and fashion designer Kanye West. The sportwear company said the loss of his Yeezy trainers brand was “hurting” the business but it pointed to some of the pain being eliminated by a recovery
The parent company of British Airways has raised its forecast for annual operating profits due to stronger bookings, saying it expects capacity to be at 97% of the 2019 pre-pandemic year. International Airlines Group (IAG), which also counts Iberia and Aer Lingus among its stable of brands, said its focus on restoring earnings on key
The crisis-hit CBI has drafted in a business ethics consultancy to aid a review of its culture four weeks before a meeting of its membership that will determine its future. Sky News can reveal that Rain Newton-Smith, the new CBI director-general, has signed off the appointment of Principia following an exodus of corporate backers two
Six people, including four teachers and two other members of staff, have been killed in a shooting at a school in Pakistan. A group of gunmen stormed the government school where students were taking exams. The atrocity could have been in retaliation for an earlier attack in which another teacher was shot dead on a
Grenada is showing increasing interest in becoming a republic, with the country’s prime minister hoping it will be under his leadership. In an interview with Sky News, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell spoke about republicanism, the Commonwealth, and the relationship the island nation has with the UK ahead of the King’s coronation. When asked if