Minister urged to clarify who covered costs of event at grace-and-favour mansion days after fall of KabulDominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, held a party for Conservative activists at his grace-and-favour home, raising questions about the costs an…
Evidence of ‘vulgar and sexist’ WhatsApp texts ignored, says ex-Met detective
Paige Kimberley claims she wrote to Priti Patel and Cressida Dick about messages, but they did not respondA retired Metropolitan police detective has accused both Priti Patel and Cressida Dick of ignoring evidence of “vulgar and sexist” WhatsApp group …
Home Office, Foreign Office and MoJ worst for openness, finds report
Research into government transparency by leading thinktank shows some departments release far less information than they shouldThe Home Office, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Justice have been named as the worst-performing government department…
Dominic Raab ‘open-minded’ about allowing asylum seekers to work in UK
Justice secretary says move could help people waiting for claims to be processed to make a contributionDominic Raab, the new justice secretary, has said he would be “open-minded” about allowing asylum seekers to work to help tackle the UK’s labour shor…
MP accused of making acid threat to friend of her partner, court hears
Claudia Webbe, who has had the Labour whip withdrawn, denies harassment chargesAn MP has been accused of threatening to use acid against a woman she believed to be in a relationship with her partner, a court has heard.Claudia Webbe, 56, allegedly becam…
Ministers plan legal action to stop Insulate Britain disrupting motorways
Priti Patel and Grant Shapps want injunction this week, which could lead to protesters being jailedPriti Patel and Grant Shapps are seeking a court injunction to stop environmental protesters from targeting major motorways after five days of tailbacks …
‘Super-strict’ London headteacher in running to be social mobility champion
Right-leaning Katharine Birbalsingh criticised ‘chaotic’ state schools at Tory party conference in 2010 A headteacher who rose to public attention by addressing a Conservative conference about some “utterly chaotic” state schools is a frontrunner to be…
Ministers ‘asleep on watch’ over safety of Afghans, says ex-British army chief
Gen Lord Richard Dannatt says ‘unfathomable’ why issue of those who helped British forces was not addressed earlierAfghanistan – live updatesA former head of the British Army has said it is “unfathomable” that the UK government appeared to have been “a…
MPs who sit on parliamentary groups face scrutiny over lobbying
Commons standards committee to look at conflicts of interest for members with second jobs MPs serving on informal parliamentary groups while working in second jobs are facing scrutiny from a powerful parliamentary committee over concerns that they coul…