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Oliver Dowden says challenges in the courts are the reason why the policy has yet to proceed The UK Government has said it wants to “get cracking” on sending migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda, with plans being made for summer deportations. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden cited challenges in the courts as the reason for why the policy has yet to proceed. But he expressed confidence the plans

Boris Johnson will give a “robust defence” of his actions but ultimately his fate will be in the hands of MPs, a Cabinet minister has said. The former prime minister will submit a written dossier of evidence to MPs ahead of a public hearing on Wednesday as he attempts to clear his name over allegations he misled Parliament about the partygate scandal. He will provide the statement to the Privileges

A toxic “lads culture” exists in Britain’s biggest police force and the job is attractive to bullies chasing power, a former Met officer has said. Alice Vinten, who served with the force for 10 years, believes the police service can only change if bosses admit it attracts more “wrong-uns” than other professions. A damning report is expected this week to accuse the Metropolitan Police of racism, sexism and homophobia, and

A siren-like emergency warning message will be sent by the Government to mobile phone users across the UK next month to test a new public alert system. Phone users will be unable to use other features on their devices unless they acknowledge the alert, due to be sent on Sunday April 23. The system – modelled after similar schemes in the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan – is intended

Labour has stepped up pressure on Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt to drop changes to pension allowances that fail to benefit the “vast majority” of Britons. The Opposition has said it will reverse the Chancellor’s Budget pensions tax break for high earners if it gains power at the next general election. Mr Hunt believes the abolition of the lifetime allowance, forecast to cost £2.75 billion over the next five years,

Members of Scotland’s largest NHS union, Unison, have voted to accept the Scottish Government’s pay offer. In a digital ballot where 54.0% of eligible members voted, 78.5% accepted the offer. Another union, GMB Scotland, accepted the pay offer earlier in the week. The pay offer – which was made to 160,000 NHS staff, including nurses, midwives and paramedics – equates to an average 6.5% increase in 2023/24. It also includes

The bible of the priest who smuggled King Charles II out of England during the Civil War is set to fetch thousands at auction. Father John Huddleston’s bible was bought for the modern equivalent of two and a half pence in the 1950s – but it now has an estimated sale price of at least £2,000. Auctioneer John Crane said the bible is a “very rare” item, and when he

An indefinite strike by thousands of bus drivers will go ahead from Monday after they voted in favour of industrial action in a dispute over pay. More than 3,000 members of Unite employed by National Express in the West Midlands backed walkouts by 71%. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “National Express is an extremely wealthy company and makes considerable profits from the hard work of our members, who are