Politics

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈 The chancellor is being accused of “lying” over what she knew and when ahead of her budget – so did Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer actually mislead the public? Beth walks us through a detailed timeline of the OBR forecasts, the…

A new long-awaited child poverty strategy is promising to lift half a million children out of poverty by the end of this parliament – but critics have branded it unambitious.  The headline announcement in the government’s plan is the pledge to lift the two-child benefit cap, announced in Rachel Reeves’s budget last week. It also…

Who is the man behind the record-breaking multi-million pound donation to Reform UK? Christopher Harborne gave Nigel Farage‘s party £9m in August, according to new data published by the Electoral Commission. The contribution ranks as the largest ever single donation from a living person in UK political history. Born in Britain, Mr Harborne is a…

Four mayoral elections due to take place in May 2026 are set to be postponed by two years, Sky News understands. Elections for the new mayoralties of Essex, Hampshire and the Solent, Sussex and Brighton, and Norfolk and Suffolk will be pushed back until 2028. The decision, first revealed by The Sun, is due to…

The Scottish government has announced a national review of the evidence on the operation of grooming gangs in the country. It will be carried out by an independent expert, and the results will inform a future decision on whether or not there should be a judge-led public inquiry. Details of the independent review were unveiled…

The health secretary has accused the British Medical Association of “juvenile delinquency” and behaving like “moaning minnies” after the union announced that resident doctors will go on strike in the run-up to Christmas. Wes Streeting told Mornings with Ridge and Frost he is fed up with the BMA after resident doctors – previously called junior…

Reform UK and the Conservatives have rejected reports they could merge or form a pact before the next general election. The Financial Times (FT) quoted unnamed sources who said Nigel Farage had told donors he believes an agreement between both parties is inevitable. The newspaper said this indicates “he does not believe he can sweep…

The UK government has again delayed its decision over whether to approve a Chinese “super embassy” in London until January. A decision over the controversial plan close to the Tower of London will now take place on 20 January, instead of 10 December, a letter from the planning inspectorate seen by Sky News says. Despite…

Twelve more prisoners have been mistakenly released from prison over the past month, David Lammy has confirmed – and two remain at large. Speaking to Mornings with Ridge and Frost, the justice secretary admitted that there have been further prisoners accidentally freed since he made a statement on the issue last month. Pushed on how…

Sir Keir Starmer has warned China poses “real national security threats to the United Kingdom” – and hit out at Brexit. During a speech at the Guildhall in London, the prime minister said “wild promises” made to the British people ahead of the referendum have been unfulfilled. “How it was sold and delivered was simply…