Politics

From deadly bacteria to bedbugs, rotten food to fire concerns – the Bibby’s 18-month stay in Portland has been both dramatic and tragic. I remember tracking the tugboats as the barge first arrived in Falmouth for a refit in the summer of 2023, before broadcasting live alongside the huge grey rectangle at sea, as it…

Nigel Farage has said 10 Reform councillors who quit in protest over his “autocratic” leadership were put forward by a “rogue branch” of the party. The Derbyshire group made the announcement after billionaire X owner Elon Musk said Mr Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead the party. The Clacton MP told Sky News…

The government contract for the controversial asylum barge in Dorset has ended. The last asylum seekers are believed to have left Bibby Stockholm at the end of November after Labour said it would have cost more than £20m to run in 2025. Its closure this month was expected, and on Friday the management firm and…

A Sikh group has been left “disappointed” after Labour failed to open an inquiry into potential links between the UK and deaths of hundreds of Sikhs at the Golden Temple in India in 1984. In a letter seen by Sky News, the Sikh Federation told Foreign Secretary David Lammy they had written to him five…

Teachers have been told it is “not the right time to strike” after the largest education union said it will ask its members to reject the government’s pay rise offer. The National Education Union (NEU) will launch an indicative ballot of its members from 1 March until 11 April over the government recommendation of a…

The public should not be “worried” about the cost of government borrowing going up, a cabinet minister has said. Lisa Nandy said the current situation in the financial markets – which has seen the pound fall to to its lowest level in over a year – was something the government took “very seriously”. But she…

Harriet Harman has suggested a “mini inquiry” into issues raised by the grooming gangs scandal and called on Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch to discuss “terms of reference”. The Labour peer told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that there should “openness” to a future probe as long it does…

The first minister of Wales has revealed she is expecting more money from the prime minister for rail infrastructure in the country. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Eluned Morgan hailed HS2 as “unfair” and said she is “expecting to see some uplift in terms of rail infrastructure and financing”. A UK government source said the…

The price of resale tickets could be capped under plans to stop the public being “fleeced” by professional touts, the government has announced. The limit could range from the cost of the original ticket to a 30% uplift, with a consultation to be launched on the specifics of the measure. Some in No 10 ‘a…

Bosses of leading high street businesses are set to lead a new drive to cut crime and get ex-offenders into stable jobs. It’s part of a government initiative creating 11 new regional employment councils across England and Wales. Leaders from firms including the Co-Op, Iceland, Greggs, and Oliver Bonas will provide voluntary advisory roles in…