Politics

There was one clear, united message from today’s virtual meeting of leaders – that they rejected Vladimir Putin’s “yes, but” approach to a ceasefire. The “coalition of the willing” – the 27 leaders, plus NATO and the EU led by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron – want the Russian …

Sir Keir Starmer will host a virtual meeting of world leaders today to discuss peacekeeping in Ukraine, and he will use the call to say that now is the time for “concrete commitments”, Downing Street has said. Around 25 leaders are expected to join the call this morning, in which …

Military chiefs from around the world will meet next week to discuss the “operational phase” of protecting Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The prime minister hosted a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” on Saturday, which involved leaders of 26 nations, …

BBC Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is set to unveil details of how the government plans to cut billions of pounds from the working-age welfare bill. The focus will be on reducing spending on health-related and disability benefits. That bill is rising rapidly and many argue it needs to …

Conservation charities have accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of making “misleading” claims that rare spiders had stopped a new town from being built. Sir Keir has spoken about what he believes is unnecessary “blocking” by regulators and other bodies which he says is holding back housebuilding. The government has …

👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈 Sir Keir Starmer appointed Jonathan Powell to be his national security adviser at one of the most critical points in European security since the Cold War. He has spent years at the heart of government, helping to broker the …

A decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners complied with the Equality Act 2010, the Attorney General has told a court. Pensioners Peter and Florence Fanning are taking legal action against the decision to remove the universal element of the benefit. The change was announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves …

Foreign criminals who cannot be deported could be electronically tagged and placed under a night-time curfew by the Home Office, under a new government measure. Ministers have put forward an amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill now in the Commons, giving them the right to impose tagging. …

The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has indicated he will deny charges of making favourable statements about Russia in the European Parliament in exchange for bribes. Nathan Gill, 51, had been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery under the Criminal Law Act 1977, and with …

PA Media Chancellor Rachel Reeves told journalists the government needs to get a grip on welfare spending, on a visit to Rosyth Rachel Reeves has doubled down on the need to reform the welfare system, insisting the government needs to “get a grip” on it. The chancellor’s comments come amid …

The UK government was “blinded” by financial imperatives when it cut the winter fuel payment without due consideration of the impact on vulnerable people, a court has heard. Pensioners Peter and Florence Fanning are taking legal action against the decision to remove the universal element of the benefit. The change …

Since the turn of the year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has had a single priority, repeated loud and clear at every opportunity; growth. It was a battle cry repeated from Beijing to Cape Town via Davos and repeatedly at home but, judging by figures for January, the economy is not yet …

Labour has announced that a Cheshire councillor will be its candidate in the forthcoming Runcorn and Helsby by-election. It follows the recent decision by Mike Amesbury to quit the House of Commons after he was convicted and given a suspended prison sentence for repeatedly punching a constituent in the street. …

The UK economy shrank at the start of 2025, according to official figures which had been expected to show further meagre growth. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that output declined by 0.1% during the month following the 0.4% growth seen in December. A growth figure of 0.1% had …

Labour MPs and officials briefing against work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall should “shut up”, Harriet Harman has said. The Labour peer told Beth Rigby on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast Labour needed to “pull together” rather than descend into infighting. Ms Kendall said on Thursday she was “determined to …

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈 Sir Keir Starmer is doubling down on his bid to reduce government waste, but is his plan a fix or just more spending spin? Beth is in Hull after hearing what the Labour leader is promising, including …

Reform UK’s most senior woman has told Sky News the Rupert Lowe row “doesn’t look great” and she doesn’t “want to see it in the news any more days”.  Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who defected to Reform last year, accepted it was “clearly a big falling out” but suggested these spats …

The Sentencing Council will look again at arguments against its new guidelines after critics said they would create a “two-tier” justice system. The council was criticised by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood after saying it would advise judges in England and Wales to increase their focus on the lives of offenders …

Wes Streeting has admitted he did not anticipate scrapping NHS England when he became health secretary but said it is a “necessary step”. Before Labour won last summer’s election, Mr Streeting said he had “absolutely no intention of wasting time with a big costly reorganisation” of the NHS. However, hours …

When Sir Keir Starmer landed in Hull on Thursday as the latest prime minister proposing to reshape the state, he wanted to show he meant it, announcing he was abolishing the world’s largest quango – NHS England (and with it 9,000 jobs). Significant, decisive and designed to make the point …