Politics

Boris Johnson considered sending Rishi Sunak a foul-mouthed video after he resigned and triggered his downfall, the former PM’s former director of communications has claimed. Guto Harri, who advised Mr Johnson from February to September last year, said Mr Johnson believed Mr Sunak’s decision to resign last summer was “the great betrayal of all time”,

The BBC “had no concerns” about Richard Sharp’s integrity while he was employed as its chairman, a report from the broadcaster has said. Mr Sharp resigned from his role last month after he failed to reveal his involvement in securing a £800,000 loan for Boris Johnson just weeks before the PM appointed him. A report

Nurses will vote on whether to hold England-wide strike action later this month after rejecting the government’s 5% pay rise. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members have held a series of strikes over the past six months and while 14 health unions last week agreed to a 5% pay rise, the nurses union rejected the

Lawyers in Aberdeen will join a boycott of plans to pilot juryless rape trials in Scotland. Aberdeen Bar Association branded the proposals “a danger” and accused the Scottish government of “political meddling”. Lawyers in Glasgow and Edinburgh have already confirmed they will refuse to take part in the pilot, which was proposed last month as

Nurses could keep holding strikes “up until Christmas” if the current dispute is not resolved, the leader of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has told Sky News. Pat Cullen, the head of the RCN union, was speaking as her members picket today – although the period of action is truncated after judges ruled the

National exemptions are in place to provide critical care during strike action by nurses, a union leader has insisted, telling Sky News staff would never leave patients unsafe or create more risk. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen was speaking to Sophy Ridge On Sunday ahead of a 28-hour walkout by members

Richard Sharp has resigned as chairman of the BBC in the wake of a report into his appointment following a cronyism row. Mr Sharp said the report found he had breached the government’s code for the public appointments but said it was “inadvertent”. The matter has been a “distraction” for the BBC and he has

The home secretary will be able to exercise her “discretion” when weighing up whether to follow European court orders on deportations, a government minister has confirmed. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said amendments to the government’s Illegal Migration Bill would give Suella Braverman the ability to consider the “timeliness” of interventions from the European Court

Second homeowners could require planning permission if they want to use their property as a holiday let in a tourist hotspot in England, under new government proposals intended to prioritise “desperate” local families looking for a home. A consultation has been launched on the plan, along with the suggestion of a registration scheme for holiday

So many different versions of what might have been in Belfast were considered in the planning for today’s visit by the US president.  If Stormont had been up and running, President Joe Biden would have gone there with Rishi Sunak. With power sharing still deadlocked, at one point they considered making a pointed trip to

Joe Biden said he hoped the Northern Ireland Assembly would be restored as he praised the Good Friday Agreement during a speech in Belfast. In a carefully worded segment of his speech, the US president urged a return to power sharing at Stormont. “As a friend, I hope it’s not too presumptuous for me to

Emergency and urgent care will be prioritised over routine appointments and treatment during this week’s junior doctors’ strike, NHS England says. The strike will begin early on Tuesday and run through until the early hours of Saturday, bringing “immense pressures” to staff and services, according to national medical director of NHS England Professor Sir Stephen

Plans to house 500 asylum seekers in a giant vessel in Portland, Dorset, are to be announced by the government today, Sky News understands. The Home Office has been “exploring” the idea of using vessels to house asylum seekers to reduce the £6m daily bill of using hotels. The government is expected to confirm today

A leaked government report has revealed some teachers are working 60 hours or more a week, with a quarter considering leaving the profession altogether because of the “unacceptable” high workload. The findings from a survey conducted by the Department for Education (DfE), and seen by Sky News, said eight in ten were working upwards of

Whisper it, but could the Brexit and Boris bandwagons be gradually trundling off into the distance? Let’s start with Brexit. The most politically important development of a packed Westminster Wednesday was arguably what didn’t happen. Boris Johnson, the European Research Group of Brexiteers and the DUP all objected to the government’s EU deal and yet

Boris Johnson’s defence against claims he lied to parliament about whether he knew about Downing Street lockdown parties could be published today. The former prime minister’s case was submitted to the privileges committee by barrister Lord Pannick KC, and allies believe his position – that he was unaware any gatherings broke the rules – will

Teacher strikes will be paused for two weeks while education unions and the government hold “intensive” talks over pay, workload and conditions. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will meet with representatives today – with discussions to continue over the weekend until Sunday. The National Education Union (NEU), National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), NASUWT The Teachers’ Union,

An estimated 200,000 teachers in England and Wales will take part in three days of industrial action as their dispute over pay continues. Today, members of the National Education Union (NEU) in the north of England will walk out, with most schools expected to restrict access to pupils or fully close. On Wednesday, union members

Scotland’s largest teaching union has rejected the latest pay offer, with strikes set to continue across the country. The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union has been embroiled in a wage dispute with the Scottish government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) over the past year. Under the plans announced by Education Secretary Shirley-Anne

The Chinese governor of Xinjiang has pulled out of a trip to London after senior MPs protested over the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in his province. Downing Street confirmed on Monday that Erkin Tuniyaz was set to meet officials in the Foreign Office, saying they would “make clear the UK’s abhorrence to Uyghur people’s treatment”.