Politics

The first round of voting in the Conservative leadership race will take place today – and Tory MPs will be able to choose from eight contenders. Those vying to become the party’s new leader, and the next prime minister, will need to secure at least 30 votes in order to advance to the next stage.

Rishi Sunak has stuck by Boris Johnson as he officially launched his leadership bid, saying he won’t “demonise” his former boss. The ex-chancellor defended the prime minister, calling him “one of the most remarkable people I have ever met”, despite resigning last week over Mr Johnson’s conduct in office. Fellow contenders Tom Tugendhat and Kemi

Labour will today push to hold a no confidence vote in the government to remove Boris Johnson from Number 10 and potentially trigger a general election. The party wants the vote to take place in the Commons tomorrow, rather than allowing the prime minister to stay in post while the Conservatives elect a new leader.

The number of Conservative MPs who can run to replace Boris Johnson could be narrowed down after changes to the party’s leadership contest rules. The new regulations mean MPs who put themselves forward to become leader of the Conservative Party will now need the backing of 20 other Tory MPs to get on to the

Nadhim Zahawi is a man on a mission – and he isn’t in the mood for taking any prisoners in his desire to become the next prime minister. In his first broadcast interview since entering the race, the new chancellor told Sky News exclusively how the boy from Baghdad has: nothing to hide with his

Nine Tories have now declared in the race to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister in an increasingly crowded field with pledges on tax cuts dominating. International trade minister Penny Mordant became the latest to announce she was standing to become the next Tory leader, just as other candidates were setting out their stalls on

Education minister Andrea Jenkyns has explained why she made a rude gesture while entering Downing Street this week. The Morley and Outwood MP made the sign with her hand on Thursday as she walked through the black gates, where she says a “baying mob” outside were insulting MPs on their way in. Ms Jenkyns, who

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has become the latest Conservative to announce a bid to become the next prime minister. Mr Shapps pledged to end “tactical government by an often distracted centre”. He joins a leadership race that includes the former chancellor Rishi Sunak, who announced his bid on Friday, vowing to “restore trust, rebuild

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner have been cleared of breaking lockdown rules on a visit to Durham last year, following a police investigation. Both had vowed to step down if they were found to have breached regulations during a trip to the city in April 2021, ahead of the Hartlepool

The resignation of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid could be the final blow for Boris Johnson’s premiership after the political heavyweights attacked the PM’s “lack of integrity”, competence and leadership. The prime minister narrowly survived a confidence vote in him last month. Tory MPs voted by 211 to 148 in support of

Boris Johnson’s resignation has effectively fired the starting gun on the Conservative Party leadership race to replace him. It comes as questions remain over whether his desperate attempts to cling on as prime minister mean he should not be allowed to remain in office while his successor is picked. Tom Tugendhat became the first Conservative

The possibility Boris Johnson could stay on as a “caretaker” prime minister until the autumn after he resigns today has caused concerns among government and opposition leaders. The cabinet is split over whether Mr Johnson should stay or not until a new Conservative leader is appointed in October, sources close to the government have told

It has been an almost unbelievable 24 hours of political drama, as the resignations of Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak triggered a run of events that look to have sealed Boris Johnson’s fate. Since that moment on Tuesday evening, the PM has endured dozens of government resignations, a delegation of cabinet ministers telling him to

More ministers have resigned today from government than have ever done before in a single day, higher than the previous record of 11 ministers quitting in September 1932. Twelve have left Boris Johnson’s government today, and since 6pm yesterday evening when then Chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid resigned, fifteen ministers have left

Boris Johnson can expect a torrid time today as he faces both Prime Minister’s Questions and the parliamentary Liaison Committee less than 24 hours after Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid dramatically resigned as members of his cabinet. On Tuesday evening, his chancellor Mr Sunak and health secretary Mr Javid quit the government, leading to a

Boris Johnson has apologised for appointing Chris Pincher deputy chief whip, saying it “was a mistake” and “in hindsight the wrong thing to do”. The prime minister said sorry to “everybody who has been badly affected” adding, “I just want to make absolutely clear that there is no place in this government for anybody who

Carrie Johnson openly questioned Chris Pincher’s suitability as a government whip as far back as 2017, Sky News understands. While communications director at CCHQ in 2017, Mrs Johnson (then Ms Symonds) questioned how Mr Pincher had ever ended up in the whips’ office in correspondence seen by Sky News. The exchanges followed Mr Pincher’s resignation

Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out rejoining the European Union as he laid out Labour’s plan to tackle issues caused by Brexit. Presenting a five-point plan to deal with Brexit, the Labour leader said his party has been “claiming the centre ground of British politics once again” while the Conservatives are “flailing around”. He said

Labour have called on Boris Johnson to set out what he knew about allegations of inappropriate behaviour by disgraced MP Chris Pincher before appointing him to the Tory whips’ office. The prime minister allegedly referred to the MP as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” before making him deputy chief whip in February. Mr Pincher

Bar closures in Parliament are not needed to prevent MP scandals, senior politicians agree, as it was argued the cause is “bigger than the hospitality arrangements”. Frontbenchers from both main parties pointed out few of the recent misconduct controversies had actually happened in hostelries at Westminster. Chris Pincher, MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire, quit as