Politics

Getty Images By Alex Forsyth Political correspondent, BBC News More councils in England are at risk of going bust after the government set out its tax and spending plans last month, local government leaders have warned. Local authorities say a lack of funding in the Autumn Statement has left many facing effective bankruptcy. Leaders of

By Alison Holt Social affairs editor It’s less than two years since skilled worker visas were opened up to overseas care workers to tackle record staff shortages in the UK. In the minds of many working in social care, staff recruited from abroad “saved” the system from collapse. That’s important context when you look at

PA Media By Peter Saull, political correspondent, and Christy Cooney BBC News British lawyers could be stationed in courts in Rwanda as part of a treaty to allow the UK government to send asylum seekers to the country. It comes after the Supreme Court ruled the plans unlawful amid concerns about the Rwandan justice system.

BBC/PA Media If you’re feeling charitable, you might say things are not going well for the government. But if you’re feeling grumpy – perhaps because every morning you’re leaving the warmth of your duvet to shiver in the freezing morning cold – then you might suggest No 10 is bouncing from bungle to bungle. The

Getty Images By Chris Mason Political editor, BBC News It felt at times like the trial of Matt Hancock. And, up to a point, it was. I am spending rather a lot of time at the moment on the press bench in the hearing room of the Covid Inquiry. And I have found there are

By Joshua Nevett Political reporter, BBC News Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has told the BBC that any political briefings against the late Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling were “completely unfair”. Mr Brown hailed the “integrity” and “wise judgement” of Lord Darling following his death aged 70 this week. Lord Darling is best known for steering

UK Covid-19 Inquiry/PA Media By Chas Geiger BBC Politics Dominic Raab has rejected a claim by a former cabinet colleague that many of the key government decisions at the start of the Covid pandemic were taken by Dominic Cummings. Sajid Javid told the Covid inquiry that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson was content for his chief

PA Media By Jack Fenwick & Adam Smith BBC Politics Sir Elton John is heading to Parliament to urge ministers to do more to hit a 2030 target of eliminating new HIV cases in England, the BBC has learned. The rock legend will address MPs at a meeting on Wednesday evening. It comes as more

Getty Images By Henry Zeffman, chief political correspondent & Harrison Jones & Chris Mason, political editor BBC News Downing Street believed it had assurances from the Greek government that their prime minister would not raise the subject of the Parthenon Sculptures on his visit to the UK. Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the BBC on

Getty Images Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson claims he was offered a financial incentive to defect to another party. Mr Anderson alleges he was offered a job worth the equivalent of five years of an MP’s salary in the event he switched but failed to win re-election. Senior Conservative sources say Mr Anderson told

EPA By Laura Kuenssberg Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg It’s a “betrayal”. It’s a “slap in the face”. The numbers are “shockingly high” and it’s simply “unsustainable”. Politicians all seem very cross about the numbers of people from around the world making the UK their home. And they nearly all seem to agree that old

EPA By Peter Saull BBC political correspondent It is unlikely a Labour government will be able to meet its ambition to spend £28bn a year on green initiatives, a source close to Sir Keir Starmer has told the BBC. Labour announced the flagship policy at its annual conference in 2021. But in June shadow chancellor

Getty Images By Becky Morton Political reporter Suella Braverman has said the pressure on public services from migration is “unsustainable”, after figures estimated record levels last year. The former home secretary said the government must “act now” to cut the numbers coming to the UK. Net migration – the difference between the number of people

Getty Images Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the contents of his Autumn Statement in the House of Commons. It sets out the government’s tax and spending plans for the year ahead, affecting the take-home pay and household budgets of millions of people, as well as setting out how much will be spent on key public

HM Treasury By Chris Mason & Sam Francis Political editor and political reporter, BBC News The chancellor is expected to announce a cut in National Insurance for millions of workers in his Autumn Statement later on Wednesday. Jeremy Hunt’s mini-budget will also feature a cut to business taxes and tough new benefit sanctions. He will

Crown Copyright By Nick Triggle and Jim Reed BBC News Scientists were not aware of Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme until it was announced, Sir Patrick Vallance has said. Sir Patrick – then the government’s chief scientific adviser – was giving evidence to the Covid inquiry about major decisions taken in the