Politics

Tory MPs have stepped up calls for the government to cut taxes after pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca overlooked Britain for a new £320m drug factory. Sir Pascal Soriot, the firm’s chief executive, said it wanted to build a new plant close to its existing sites in northwest England but “because the tax rate was discouraging” chose

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has not ruled out increasing pay offers to public sector workers, but warned that giving more money to teachers and nurses could entrench high inflation. Speaking as it was revealed the UK economy narrowly avoided recession in 2022, Mr Hunt also indicated he would resist pressure to cancel a planned cut to

Dominic Raab has insisted he “behaved professionally at all times” despite facing an official inquiry into his conduct. The deputy prime minister is being investigated by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC over numerous bullying allegations. But, denying the allegations, Mr Raab told The Telegraph newspaper he is “confident” he has behaved appropriately. “I’m confident I

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries has announced she is standing down as an MP at the next general election, blaming the “sheer stupidity” of her colleagues who “got rid of Boris Johnson”. The Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire fought back tears as she delivered the news on her TalkTV show, saying the decision had followed

Rishi Sunak’s controversial new deputy party chairman said he would support the return of the death penalty because “nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed”. Outspoken Ashfield MP Lee Anderson was handed the senior government position during the prime minister’s reshuffle on Tuesday. The move raised eyebrows given his history of controversial comments,

Rishi Sunak has said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to assisting the war effort in Ukraine and fighter jets “are part of the conversation”. It comes after Volodymyr Zelenskyy used a speech at Westminster Hall to urge the UK and Western allies to provide “wings for freedom” by supplying his air force

Just last week Lee Anderson compared the government to the “band on the Titanic” in a heated WhatsApp exchange about small boat crossings. Now, the outspoken Tory MP for Ashfield in Nottingham has been handed the senior position of deputy party chairman – and the appointment has raised eyebrows. The 56-year-old former miner has a

Reshuffle day, and as we watched familiar names slot into slightly less familiar job titles with, let’s be honest, limited short-term real-world consequences, we did learn one big and important thing: That Rishi Sunak has yet more personal priorities. Just to recap for those not quite across the full list: The prime minister regularly tells

Greg Hands has replaced Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative Party chairman as Rishi Sunak begins the first reshuffle of his cabinet. Former trade policy minister Mr Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, takes over the role that will involve leading the Tories through the next election, which they are currently set to lose to Labour. His

Liz Truss has said she would never want to be prime minister again but “doesn’t regret” her time in Downing Street. In an interview with The Spectator, the former PM ruled out a future bid at the top job after her tumultuous 44 days in the position last year. Asked whether she would want to

A nursing union leader is calling on the prime minister to intervene on the evening of the biggest NHS walkout in history. Royal College of Nursing’s director for England, Patricia Marquis, has told Sky News that so far there has been no “direct contact” with Rishi Sunak despite four previous strike days. “It’s a cry

The Treasury has signalled there is no new money for defence despite recognising the urgent need to rearm in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine, defence sources have said. At the same time, the sources said a “refresh” of UK defence policy – that was meant to inform the spending plans of Chancellor Jeremy

Grant Shapps has said Liz Truss had the right priorities but failed as she did not try to deal with the “big structural issues” first. The business secretary said he agreed the UK should have a low-tax economy, as the short-lived prime minister advocated, but inflation and debt needed to be dealt with first. He

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab should be suspended while he is investigated over bullying allegations, a former Conservative chairman has said. Mr Raab, who is also the justice secretary, is the subject of an inquiry after several civil servants made complaints, which Jake Berry believes is enough for him to step aside from his ministerial

The prime minister is looking to ban people arriving in the UK via small boats from appealing against deportation, Sky News understands. The potential plans have been described as “wrong, unworkable and costly” by the Refugee Council. Rishi Sunak has made stopping Channel migrant crossings one of his five priorities in office, promising to introduce

MPs have launched an inquiry into “designer dogs” and other types of animal abuse following an increased demand for pets during the pandemic. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will look into a variety of abuses committed against pets and is calling for experts to submit written evidence now. Puppy farms – high volume