News

UK sends more troops to Gulf amid Donald Trump jibes over British military involvement

John Healey says extra deployment is response to ‘expanding threat’ from Iran Middle East crisis – live updates UK politics live – latest updates The UK is sending more military support to the Gulf taking the total deployment to 1,000 troops, amid more jibes from Donald Trump about Britain’s refusal to get involved in offensive operations against Iran. Speaking from Qatar where he met UK troops, the defence secretary, John Healey, said the extra deployment was in response to an “expanding thr

How fox hunting ban could show path forward for assisted dying bill

Supporters of the assisted dying bill are planning to enlist some 200 MPs to attempt to bring it back into contention this summer.

Churning No10 Hires New Communications Staff to ‘Manage the Newsdesk’

Downing Street is out hiring for communications staff. There is still no Director of Communications following the departure of Tim Allan… Two job ads have appeared overnight for two roles: Chief Communications Officer for the Newsdesk, second to “a Deputy Official Spokesperson.” Chief Communications Officer for Home Affairs, second to “a Deputy Head of News…

BMA to ballot senior doctors in England over strikes as pay dispute escalates

Union says there has been ‘far too little progress’ in talks over pay and career development UK politics live – latest updates Senior doctors in England are to be balloted over the prospect of strikes, the British Medical Association has announced. The union said that simultaneous ballots of consultants and specialist, associate specialist, and speciality (SAS) doctors would run from 11 May to 6 July as both sets of medics escalate their disputes with the government. Continue reading...

<a href='https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-keir-starmer-labour-iran-war-12593360?postid=11440777#liveblog-body'>Labour jury trial rebel has whip suspended</a>

Karl Turner has Labour whip suspended after criticism of Starmer and No 10

MP for Hull East had recently given interview with Jody McIntyre, campaigner who stood against Jess Phillips in 2024 The MP Karl Turner has lost the Labour whip, after making a series of interventions criticising Keir Starmer and No 10, especially changes to jury trials. The decision is understood to have been prompted by an interview given by Turner, the MP for Hull East, to Jody McIntyre, a campaigner who had previously stood at the 2024 elections against Labour’s Jess Phillips. Continue read

King Charles’s state visit to US to go ahead, Buckingham Palace confirms

Visit with Camilla to take place in late April despite calls for it to be delayed because of US war against Iran UK politics live – latest updates The king’s state visit to the US is to go ahead next month as planned, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Charles and the queen’s long-expected trip to see Donald Trump will take place in late April, despite calls for it to be postponed because of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Continue reading...

King Charles and Queen Camilla's state visit to US to go ahead in April

Despite political tensions between the US and UK, the King will travel to Washington next month.

EXC: Caroline Wheeler Out as Sunday Times Political Editor

Guido can report that Caroline Wheeler is out of the pol ed job: ”Caroline Wheeler has decided to leave The Sunday Times to explore new opportunities. We are grateful for her hard work and contribution to the paper over the last nine years and wish her the best with her future endeavours.” Her husband Tom…

Nigel Farage to snub US conservative conference brought to UK by Liz Truss

Exclusive: Reform UK will be ‘steering well clear’ of CPAC event in July, says a source, as will senior Tories Nigel Farage will snub a major conference of US conservatives that is being brought to the UK by Liz Truss. The short-lived former prime minister, who was accused of crashing the economy, was chosen by the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to lead a version of the event in the UK in July. Continue reading...

Andrew Gilligan: Britain is in a mess, but not as much as you might think

Significant parts of the political debate, on left and right, are based on official statistics which are wrong. And the wrongness more often seems to be in one direction - towards the gloomy, the pessimistic and the negative. The post Andrew Gilligan: Britain is in a mess, but not as much as you might think appeared first on Conservative Home.

Palantir’s UK boss criticises ‘ideological’ groups as ministers move to scrap NHS contract

Louis Mosley says government should resist calls to trigger break clause in £330m deal with US analytics company UK politics live – latest updates Palantir’s UK boss has urged the government not to give in to “ideologically motivated campaigners” as government ministers explore a way out of a £330m NHS contract with the tech company. Ministers have sought advice on triggering a break clause in Palantir’s deal to deliver the Federated Data Platform (FDP), amid questions over the company’s prese