Politics

Only a quarter of people think immigration is an important issue locally – and concern about it is “a manufactured panic,” it has been claimed. A YouGov poll found only 26% of people said immigration and asylum was one of the three most important issues facing their community. This was half the 52% who said…

Sir Keir Starmer has said Rachel Reeves will face no further action over her “inadvertent failure” to obtain a rental licence for her south London home. It follows a turbulent 24 hours for the chancellor, in which she was accused of breaking the law and the Conservatives called for her to resign or be sacked….

Kemi Badenoch has said hacking into Harriet Harman’s website when she was younger is “not the same” as Rachel Reeves failing to get a £900 rental licence for her home. The Tory leader, who has called for the chancellor to go for breaking the law, told Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates she was…

Boris Johnson has warned the Conservatives will not win the next election by “bashing the green agenda”. Under Kemi Badenoch, the Tories have vowed to repeal the Climate Change Act – and scrap an “impossible” commitment to reach net zero by 2050 because it risks “bankrupting” the UK. Politics Hub: Latest updates from Westminster But…

The Conservatives have called for an investigation after Rachel Reeves put her family home up for rent without obtaining the necessary licence. The Daily Mail reported that the chancellor rented her family home in Dulwich when she moved into Number 11 Downing Street, but was unaware she had to obtain a licence to do so….

Here are my rolling assumptions for the shape of the budget on 26 November, which I will update as the date draws closer. It sets out why there is a black hole – and what might fill it, with greater confidence about the former. Note the Treasury has not yet received the final forecasts. Some…

Rachel Reeves has said she is determined to “defy” forecasts that suggest she will face a multibillion-pound black hole in next month’s budget, but has indicated there are some tough choices on the way. Writing in The Guardian, the chancellor argued the “foundations of Britain’s economy remain strong” – and rejected claims the country is…

Sky News has exclusively challenged Lord Peter Mandelson over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. It is the first time the Labour peer has been seen in the UK since he was fired as the ambassador to the US in September. Mandelson was sacked due to his links to the late sex offender. It emerged over…

David Lammy has confirmed there will be an independent investigation into the accidental release of a migrant jailed for sex offences, as he blamed “human error” for the incident. The deputy prime minister and justice secretary told MPs he was “livid” on behalf of Hadush Kebatu’s victims and he would be deported back to Ethiopia…

A key witness in the failed prosecution of two men accused of spying for China said he was “surprised” the case had collapsed, given he had said Beijing posed a range of threats. Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, also told a parliamentary hearing on Monday that he had been “disappointed” at the decision…