Politics

The education secretary has said “we all need to do more” to improve attendance and behaviour in schools. Bridget Phillipson said the government had already made progress with five million more days in school this year, “but we all need to do more, and when it comes to getting kids in and behaving – this…

The Archbishop of York has told Sky News the UK should resist Reform’s “kneejerk” plan for the mass deportation of migrants, telling Nigel Farage he is not offering any “long-term solution”. Stephen Cottrell said in an interview with Trevor Phillips he has “every sympathy” with people who are concerned about asylum seekers coming to the…

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner should face an ethics inquiry over her tax affairs, the Conservatives have said. It comes after The Daily Telegraph claimed Ms Rayner, who is also housing secretary, avoided £40,000 in stamp duty on a second home in East Sussex by removing her name from the deeds of another property in…

A suspended Labour MSP has denied allegations he placed a secret camera in toilets in the Scottish parliament. Colin Smyth has been charged by police in relation to the allegation, according to the PA news agency. The South Scotland MSP was arrested on 5 August and charged with a separate offence of possession of indecent…

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈 With MPs returning to parliament in a few days, Sam and Anne look ahead to a packed autumn schedule. In the last episode of the Summer Box Set, both spill the beans on the latest news and gossip around Westminster, Whitehall and beyond. They’ll…

Former prime minister David Cameron once described himself as a “modern, compassionate Conservative”. That was in 2011, in an interview during the party’s annual conference in Manchester, the early years of the coalition. “Cameronism” – or “Cameroonism”, you take your pick – became the self-defined lens of conservatism that Cameron used during his six years…

Sir Ed Davey has written to King Charles to explain why he believes he has to refuse his invite to a state banquet for Donald Trump. The Lib Dem leader said on Wednesday he will be boycotting the dinner next month during the US president’s second state visit to the UK because of the situation…

Sir Keir Starmer’s principal private secretary, Ninjeri Pandit, is leaving her role, Sky News understands. She has been in post less than a year and is the third senior aide to Sir Keir to leave their role in 12 months, after chief of staff Sue Gray and director of communications Matt Doyle. It is worth…

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has refused an invitation from King Charles to a state dinner with Donald Trump in protest over Gaza. Sir Ed, who has been vocal in his disapproval of the US president, said he “thought and prayed long and hard” about whether to accept the invitation to the state banquet…

Nigel Farage has appeared to row back on his claim that women and children would be detained and deported if they arrived in the UK on small boats, saying it was not Reform’s “priority”. The Reform UK leader gave a news conference on Tuesday in which he outlined plans to deport around 600,000 illegal migrants…