Politics

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged £700m for a new nuclear power plant on the Suffolk coast, with a call to “go nuclear and go large and go with Sizewell C”. In a speech at Sizewell, he

EPA The cost-of-living crisis is likely to be high on the agenda at the final Conservative leadership hustings on Wednesday evening. But as the pollsters’ favourite to be crowned party leader and prime minister next week, Liz Truss is under particular pressure to spell out her plans in detail – especially after cancelling her interview

Reuters The UK Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has arrived in the United States for talks on how to tackle the spiralling cost of living. During what could be his final week in the job, Mr Zahawi is meeting US banks and officials to seek “international solutions” to soaring costs. Labour has criticised the trip, saying he

PA Media Liz Truss has pulled out of a BBC One interview with Nick Robinson that was due to air on Tuesday evening. Ms Truss’ team said she could no longer spare the time for the one-on-one programme, the BBC said in a statement. Rishi Sunak, Ms Truss’ rival for the Conservative leadership, was interviewed

Getty Images Liz Truss has “ruled out” further direct support for everyone to help cover the cost of surging energy bills, sources close to her have told the BBC. Rishi Sunak, who is vying with her to become the next prime minister, has said the government “must provide some direct support to everyone”. But Ms

Getty Images Emmanuel Macron has warned of “serious problems” for France-UK relations after the favourite to be the next British prime minister refused to say if the French president was “friend or foe”. Mr Macron reacted to remarks made by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who said the jury was out on the French leader. Mr

Reuters Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have been urged to specify what further help they would offer to households struggling with energy bills if they became PM. Labour have accused the Tory leadership candidates of having “almost nothing to say” about the huge spike in energy costs. Typical household energy bills are set to hit

Reuters Rishi Sunak has said the government gave too much power to scientists during Covid lockdowns – and was not honest about the potential downsides. The Tory leadership contender and former chancellor told the Spectator said ministers were banned from talking about the “trade-offs” involved. He also said it was “wrong to scare people” with

Downing Street Outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said households across Europe have to endure the cost-of-living crisis to counter Russian aggression during a visit to Ukraine. Mr Johnson said the West must “stay the course” on Ukraine despite rising living costs, driven by the war. He said while energy bills were high “the

Getty Images A regular energy industry exercise aimed at preparing the UK for the possibility of a gas supply emergency has been scaled up despite the government downplaying the threat of shortages this winter. The annual drill will see potential scenarios – including rationing electricity – simulated over four days, rather than the usual two,

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Water companies have been accused of failing to monitor sewage discharges at popular British seaside resorts. Data analysed by the Liberal Democrats found that many monitoring devices had either not been installed or do not work “90%

Getty Images Michael Gove has said he will back Rishi Sunak to be the next Conservative Party leader, saying he has what the job requires. The ex-levelling up secretary wrote in The Times rival Liz Truss’s tax policies would put business executives before the poorest in society, calling the plans a “holiday from reality”. He

BBC/Reuters Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has come under fire for being apparently unaware of how many Manchester-to-London trains are currently running. Avanti West Coast is running a reduced timetable of one direct train an hour because of “severe staff shortages”. On BBC Breakfast, presenter Charlie Stayt and Mr Shapps clashed, with Mr Shapps insisting there

PA Media The government has said it will expand its role in running Liverpool City Council to cover financial decisions, governance and recruitment, after expensive errors by the authority. The council’s past failure to renew some contracts could lead to losses of millions of pounds, a report revealed. In 2021, the government appointed four commissioners

ITV Studios Rishi Sunak has insisted he still has a “shot” at Downing Street despite polls suggesting Liz Truss has a strong lead in the Conservative leadership contest. He told ITV’s This Morning he “definitely” had a chance of victory, while warning his rival’s tax-cutting plans risked fuelling inflation. The former chancellor said his economic

Reuters Ministers have partially lost an attempt to keep secret a series of comments about Rwanda from an adviser. The High Court said on Wednesday some of what the adviser had told ministers must be disclosed in a major court case over the Rwandan refugee policy. Lawyers for the government had argued disclosing the comments