Politics

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is doing “the responsible thing” as she pursues a second referendum on Scottish independence – and has contested whether the right to call a vote lies with the UK’s Supreme Court. Scotland’s first minister has also accused Boris Johnson of disrespecting democracy and not following the rule of law. She

Nicola Sturgeon has set the date for a proposed “consultative referendum” next year on Scottish independence. To cheers and applause in the devolved parliament in Holyrood, the first minister said legislation will lay out plans for a vote to take place on 19 October 2023. It will ask the question: “Should Scotland be an independent

Mandatory life sentences for those who kill emergency workers are among criminal justice reforms designed to “make our streets safer” coming into force today. The changes also toughen sentences for those guilty of pre-meditated child murder. In such cases a whole-life tariff – where offenders are told they will never be released – will be

Boris Johnson’s legislation to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol has cleared its first Commons hurdle. The bill passed by 295 votes to 221 despite attracting fierce criticism from a number of MPs on the Tory benches as well as the opposition. Critics, who include former prime minister Theresa May, say the plan is

Boris Johnson has said he is not worried Conservative MPs could be plotting to remove him while he is out of the UK at the G7 summit. Speaking to broadcasters from Germany where the world leaders are convening, the prime minister said doubts over his premiership were “settled” after he survived a confidence vote “a

A move by the British government to rip up post-Brexit trade arrangements in Northern Ireland is “illegal and unrealistic”, the European Union’s ambassador to the UK has warned. Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Joao Vale de Almeida argued steps being taken by Boris Johnson’s administration over the Northern Ireland Protocol were

Boris Johnson is capable of winning the next general election, a cabinet colleague has insisted, as he said the ability to look forward is a good thing after the prime minister said he was eyeing a third term. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis threw his support behind the Tory leader, amid fresh criticism and plots

Boris Johnson wants to serve a third term as prime minister despite a bruising week in which the Conservatives suffered two by-election defeats. Speaking to reporters on the final day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, Mr Johnson said the government was “embarked on a colossal project to unite and level

Boris Johnson has said voters are fed up of hearing about things he had “stuffed up” as he played down a bruising double by-election defeat as a “safety valve”. The prime minister, who has faced a barrage of criticism over lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street and over his own conduct, argued people had not been

Boris Johnson has acknowledged that the government’s defeat in two by-elections were not “brilliant results” – but insisted he was not worried about Conservative MPs plotting to replace him while he’s abroad. The prime minister was speaking at a press conference in Rwanda hours after the Liberal Democrats overturned the Tories’ 24,000 majority to win

Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden has resigned after the party slumped to two by-election defeats. Mr Dowden said in a letter to Boris Johnson that the defeats were “the latest in a run of very poor results” and added: “We cannot carry on with business as usual.” He is the first Cabinet minister to fall

Polls have closed in the by-elections being held in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton. Both seats were held by the Conservatives before their previous MPs resigned in disgrace, triggering the by-elections. Results are expected to be announced overnight. The polls are regarded as a key test for Prime Minister Boris Johnson‘s leadership after 148 of

Voters will head to the polls this morning in two crucial by-elections that are seen as a key test for Boris Johnson’s leadership. In Wakefield, a former industrial area in West Yorkshire, the election was triggered by the resignation of Imran Ahmad Khan. Wakefield was one of the so-called Red Wall seats won by the

The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford is facing fresh calls to step down amid mounting criticism over his reaction to one of his MPs sexually harassing a staff member. The victim, who was inappropriately touched by SNP MP Patrick Grady at a party in 2016, told Sky News: “Ian’s position right now is untenable, and

The deputy prime minister wants to introduce a Bill of Rights to ignore European Court of Human Rights judgments blocking removal flights to Rwanda. Dominic Raab is introducing the proposed legislation, which would also increase deportations of foreign criminals, to parliament on Wednesday after the court in Strasbourg disputed the government’s heavily-criticised policy of sending

The sun is blazing in Taunton and Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has his shirt sleeves rolled up as he leaflets in the Blue Wall town of Somerset. He’s here with local Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Gideon Amos and they are enthusiastically knocking on doors pushing pamphlets through letterboxes. And they are right to be

Ministers will change the law to ensure that the impact of “militant” union action is less damaging in future, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said as the biggest rail walk-out in three decades began. Mr Shapps told Sky News’ Kay Burley that nothing could be done to “change the reality” of the strikes that are taking

Downing Street has confirmed it was in conversation with The Times around the time the newspaper dropped a report claiming Boris Johnson tried to appoint his now wife to a government role when he was foreign secretary. In a story published on Saturday morning, the paper reported that Mr Johnson attempted to hire Carrie Johnson,

A Cabinet minister has told Sky News he fears rail strikes will go ahead this week – and warned that workers must make sacrifices as the UK battles inflation. Simon Clarke, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said that while the government was not the legal employer of union members due to walk out, they could

Britain is facing a summer of discontent with more workers set to be balloted on strike action, a union chief has warned, as a series of walkouts is set to cripple the rail network. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has predicted industrial action could spread to other services, arguing that “people can’t take it anymore”.