Politics

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pulled out of a keynote speech he is due to give today – as pressure mounts on him over so-called ‘beergate’ claims. After being a hugely vocal critic of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the ‘partygate’ Downing Street gatherings during COVID lockdown, Sir Keir is now facing allegations that

Fixing the Northern Ireland Protocol “cannot be put off”, the deputy prime minister has said amid fears that progress on power sharing will remain stalled after last Thursday’s elections. Dominic Raab told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday that stability was being “imperilled” by problems with the protocol, which governs Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Boris Johnson will reshuffle his cabinet before the summer recess, according to allies of the prime minister. Following dismal local election results for the Conservatives allies of the prime minister have indicated a reshuffle is not imminent. However, they told Sky News Mr Johnson is expected to change his top team before the summer recess,

It has been a “tough night” for the Conservative party, after the loss of some key local councils in London to Labour – but the opposition party has seen mixed results outside the capital. The Tories have lost Wandsworth, Margaret Thatcher’s “favourite council”, Westminster and Barnet to Labour. Boris Johnson faces losing his Commons majority

This is not an easy election to analyse: the picture is mixed and messy. As dawn breaks on Friday, nobody – perhaps with the exception of the Lib Dems – should be overly happy with the results. Tories suffered losses – perhaps not as many as they might. Two losing council leaders, one in the

Wandsworth, the site of Labour’s sensational overnight win, was one of few councils to change hands. Overall, the fortunes of the parties varied geographically as votes from the first English councils were counted. Although the Conservatives lost more than 100 seats, and control of some key councils, this didn’t translate into a completely triumphant night

Northern Ireland’s new first minister-elect, Michelle O’Neill, says being a teenage mother made her the person she is. The Sinn Fein deputy leader has spoken candidly about becoming pregnant with her daughter Saoirse at the age of 16. She said: “Being a young mum, well it’s my life experience, it made me what I am,

Labour is likely to advance in key battlegrounds in the local elections but may struggle to win significant numbers of new councils outright, according to a major new results projection by YouGov for Sky News. Labour looks set to make slower progress tomorrow in the north of England than elsewhere in the local council elections,

The UK and Japan are set to agree a new defence agreement when Boris Johnson hosts the Japanese prime minister in London on Thursday. Downing Street said the prime minister’s meeting with Fumio Kishida is expected to conclude with a “landmark” reciprocal access agreement being signed. The agreement would allow British and Japanese forces to

Britain’s cost of living squeeze and the future of the prime minister have taken centre stage as party leaders delivered their final messages to voters on the eve of local elections. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Thursday’s local elections, in which thousands of seats across England, Scotland and Wales will be up for grabs,

At the City of Wolverhampton Market business is brisk, but it’s a hard time for the traders and their customers. Richard Dollar, a fishmonger who has run his popular stall for 20 years, says he’s never known it this tough, as he talks about trying to stay afloat amid rising costs and price. “Some of

Durham Police should reopen an investigation into whether Sir Keir Starmer broke coronavirus laws, a minister has said. The Labour leader has come under pressure since footage emerged of him drinking a beer with colleagues at a time when restrictions were in place. Speaking on Sky News, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said officers should

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Conservative MPs of “mudslinging” over footage of him drinking a beer with colleagues at a time when COVID restrictions were in place. The Labour leader told broadcasters those pictured were working and paused for some food and that “no rules were broken”. At the time, people in England were banned

A growing divide is predicted at this week’s local elections, with Labour on course to make gains in cities in England but struggling to breakthrough in former industrial heartlands. Experts say there are “two elections” at play, predicting big urban areas could swing to Labour due to the cost of living squeeze and the partygate

Angela Rayner has written to Boris Johnson demanding answers over reports that a ‘Sexist of the Year’ award was handed out at a lockdown-busting Christmas party in Number 10. Labour’s deputy leader has called on the prime minister to confirm whether or not the award was presented at a gathering in Downing Street in December

Many voters in England, Wales and Scotland will head to the polls on 5 May to elect their new local representatives. More than 4,350 seats will be contested in England on over 140 councils, with all of Scotland’s 32 councils and all 22 councils in Wales also holding elections. While these elections will directly decide

“Radical” reform is needed to working practices in the Commons, the Speaker of the House has urged, following a series of bullying and sexual misconduct claims against MPs. Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s call for urgent action comes as Conservative MP Neil Parish resigned from his post after admitting to watching pornography in a “moment of madness”

A former MP who was jailed for sexually assaulting two women told a court he is looking at supermarket shelf stacking and building site work to pay back his prosecution costs. Charlie Elphicke, the former Conservative Dover MP, presented Universal Credit and bank statements during an appearance at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday to prove

An MP under investigation for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons said he opened a file by mistake but would step down if he is found guilty. Conservative MP Neil Parish referred himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on Friday, days after two female Tory MPs said they witnessed him watching pornography on his

All women in parliament have been subjected to “wandering hands”, a female cabinet minister has said as she told male MPs “to keep your hands in your pockets”. International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan made her comments to Sky News, amid renewed accusations of misogyny and sexual misconduct in parliament, including claims a Tory MP watched