Lead News

The rise in Britain’s youth unemployment rate to a 10-year high is posing tough questions for the country’s centre-left government about its policy of phasing out a lower minimum wage for younger workers. Official figures this week showed Britain’s jobless rate for people aged 16-24 rose to 16.1% in the final quarter of last year, up from 13.8% in the ...

King Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was released from police custody on Thursday evening after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 on Thursday, had been questioned all day by detectives from Thames Valley Police. Earlier this month, the police force said it was ...

Britain’s former prince Andrew was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct during his time as a trade envoy, as UK police investigations into allegations emerging from the Jeffrey Epstein files gathered pace. The arrest of a royal family member is unprecedented in Britain’s modern era, as police said they were also searching two properties — in eastern England and west ...

British dual nationals may be able to use expired UK passports to prove to airlines they are British when controversial new immigration rules come into force, the Home Office has said. The new rules, coming into force next Wednesday, require anyone coming into the UK with British dual nationality to present a British passport when boarding a plane, ferry or ...

Keir Starmer is facing calls by MPs for an inquiry into the commissioning of a report that made “baseless claims” about journalists who were investigating a thinktank linked to the prime minister. The calls add to pressure on the Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons, who commissioned a report in 2023 on journalists investigating Labour Together, the thinktank that would help ...

Sir Keir Starmer is set to appoint Dame Antonia Romeo as his most senior civil servant, making her Britain’s first female Cabinet Secretary. The Home Office permanent secretary will replace Sir Chris Wormald, who quit on Monday, as part of a shake-up in the Prime Minister’s top team, which was triggered by the resignation of Morgan McSweeney, the former chief ...

Sir Chris Wormald has been forced out as the head of the Civil Service and cabinet secretary. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who only appointed Sir Chris to the role in December 2024, said he was grateful “for the support he has given me over the past year”. The Cabinet Office said the move was “by mutual agreement” but it ...

King Charles has made his first intervention in the Epstein scandal, saying Buckingham Palace is ready to support the police as they consider allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. “The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” a Palace spokesman said. “While ...

Cabinet ministers have rallied around Sir Keir Starmer after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on the prime minister to quit. In a dramatic press conference, Sarwar said the situation in Downing Street was “not good enough” and that “too many mistakes” had been made at the top of government. However, just as Sarwar began to speak, a flurry of ...

Keir Starmer was facing renewed calls to sack his most senior adviser on Friday as Downing Street braced itself for another round of leadership speculation when the files relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador are published. The Labour MP for Stroud, Simon Opher, added his voice to those calling for the departure of Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan ...