Politics

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken with the Iranian president as part of international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, Sky News understands. The 30-minute phone conversation with Masoud Pezeshkian followed a joint statement on Monday issued with France, the US and Germany calling on Iran and its allies not to “jeopardise the opportunity

Elon Musk has branded Sir Keir Starmer a “hypocrite” over his approach to policing – while also goading the prime minister over a Labour MP’s historical tweets. Musk has been sparring with Sir Keir since last week after the prime minister blamed social media companies for allowing the spread of false claims that the Southport

Sir Keir Starmer has told police chiefs to remain “on high alert” after anticipation of more disorder largely failing to materialise on Wednesday. The prime minister is understood to have told an emergency COBRA meeting that the levels of policing and swift justice in response to the past week’s unrest has “undoubtedly” worked as a

A sharp rise in families living in temporary accommodation has prompted calls from English councils for the government to deal with the homelessness crisis. The total number of people living in temporary accommodation across England rose by 12.3% to a record 117,450 households in the year up to March 2024, the latest government data shows.

Billionaire media baron Elon Musk is engaged in a war of words with Sir Keir Starmer over the role social media has played in riots around the UK. The X owner began to retweet posts a few days after the Southport stabbings and after the prime minister fired a warning shot to social media companies

The home secretary has said prison places “are ready” for the “thuggish minority of criminals” rioting across the UK, ahead of an emergency COBRA meeting today. Yvette Cooper will hold the emergency meeting this morning following nearly a week of rioting in cities and towns across the UK. More than 140 people have been arrested

An emergency ban on puberty blockers introduced by the Conservative government was lawful, the High Court has ruled. Campaign group TransActual, and a young person who cannot be named, had challenged then health secretary Victoria Atkins’s decision to impose “banning orders” on puberty blockers, which delay puberty by suppressing the natural production of sex hormones.

A Scottish government minister’s father remains under police investigation for posting an image of the Star of David linked with a swastika. Tom Arthur snr resigned from the SNP after the Facebook post was reported to Police Scotland in April, with the force initially investigating it as a “communications offence”. The post was shared on

A new era of government, and a distinctly more upbeat mood: on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer cut the figure of a prime minister enthralled with the job, rather than weighed down by it. And so he should be. He is one of the most powerful post-war prime ministers this country has seen. Having won a

King Charles has delivered the new Labour government’s first King’s Speech setting out its priorities for the months ahead.   On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson looks at what the government has promised with Sky’s deputy political editor Sam Coates and economics editor Ed Conway. Plus, Niall speaks to people and politics correspondent Nick

Boris Johnson has met Donald Trump to discuss the situation in Ukraine “at length”. Mr Johnson became the latest former British prime minister to head to the US for the Republican National Convention this week, after Liz Truss arrived in Milwaukee on Monday. But unlike his successor, he confirmed he had held a face-to-face meeting

Donald Trump’s running mate suggested the UK is the “first truly Islamist country” to obtain nuclear weapons after Labour won the election. Mr Trump selected JD Vance, a 39-year-old former venture capitalist and senator from Ohio, as his candidate for vice president just days after he was targeted in an assassination attempt on Saturday. Mr

Imagine being Sir Keir Starmer. In less than seven days, he has not only become the most successful politician at the ballot box since Tony Blair thanks to his landslide victory, but then jetted off to Washington for a huge international summit and his first audience with the US president in the Oval Office. Politics

A news website in Wales has claimed the minister sacked over allegedly a leaking text from the first minister was not the source for their story. Nation Cymru posted an article in May claiming that in 2020 then-health secretary Vaughan Gething had told a ministerial chat he would delete all their messages so they could

The special relationship between the US and UK is forged on shared history, common values, and diplomatic ties that are far deeper and enduring that any one president or prime minister. But there was no doubt that President Joe Biden seemed particularly pleased to welcome the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the Oval

A trip to Ukraine by the UK’s new defence secretary within 48 hours of taking office underlines the importance attached by the new government to helping Ukrainian forces in their war with Russia. But, despite positive-sounding statements about new military assistance, John Healey does not have a magic tap that he can instantly turn on

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is going to be busy from the get-go. From the cost of living crisis and small boats crossings to the drive for green energy and a war in Ukraine, the new Labour government has its work cut out for it. To get a sense of the challenge facing Sir Keir,

Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard are back with their guide to the election day ahead. This is day 40 of the campaign. Jack and Sam look at where the parties are now as the election approaches, with Labour’s attack ads and the Conservatives pushing back against Reform UK. Plus,

Rishi Sunak has spoken of his hurt and anger at his daughters having to hear Reform activists using a racial slur about him. Responding to the slurs made by supporters of the party led by Nigel Farage, the prime minister said: “Well, my two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris has said a hoax bomb threat made to his home on Wednesday night is “utterly unacceptable”.  “I have young children. I have a wife,” said Mr Harris. He added the intimidation of politicians and their families cannot be allowed to continue. Three men were arrested last week over the alleged