Politics latest: Rishi Sunak questioned about family visa changes after Home Office climbdown (2024)

Thank you for joining us on the Politics Hub this year.

Although there has been just the one prime minister in 2023, it has certainly not been a quiet year in Westminster, with many important issues facing the country.

The Politics Hub will return on 3 January 2024 at 6am, and we hope you'll join us for a crucial year as politics gears up towards a general election.

But until then, all of us on the Politics Hub and across Sky News wish you and yours a wonderful festive season.

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

It may seem pretty standard nowadays for chaos to follow wherever politics goes.

But there were a number of unexpected political moments this year that left even the most seasoned Westminster watcher open-mouthed.

We take a look at some of the most surprising incidents from the past 12 months...

There are reports this evening that Sir Keir Starmer is potentially looking at scaling back his pledge that a Labour government would invest up to £28bn a year in green energy in the UK.

Asked about that report, shadow international development secretary Lisa Nandy did not deny it.

She told broadcasters: "We're absolutely committed to turning Britain into a clean energy superpower, to cut people's bills, to create good jobs across the country, and to ensure that we safeguard our own energy security, which couldn't be more important, especially right now with the actions of Putin over in Russia.

"But what we've also always committed to is that we'll look at the economic situation, we'll spend as that situation allows."

Ms Nandy noted that should Labour win power, it's "likely" that they will"inherit the worst economic situation since the Second World War".

As a result, she said Labour will be "careful with every penny", and said: "We'll set out our precise plans before the general election so people can take a view at the general election."

"But we are absolutely committed to being a green government and one that puts British people first," she added.

Labour's Lisa Nandy was also asked about Rishi Sunak backtracking on plans to hike the minimum salary requirement for family visas.

It emerged last night that the government has quietly watered down the heavily criticised measure.

The threshold will now be increased to £29,000 in the spring, and then upped in "incremental stages" to the full amount of £38,700 in "early 2025".

If Labour wins the next general election, they would be in power in early 2025, and the shadow cabinet minister is asked if the party would allow the rise to go ahead.

She told broadcasters that Labour has been "clear all along that immigration policy has to be aligned with skills" to address shortages here in the UK.

"That's why we've said that all of these plans that the prime minister has announced and unannounced and announced again and re-announced - we will [go to] the Migration Advisory Committee for expert view before we take a decision, should we be fortunate enough to win power next year."

But she described Mr Sunak's backtracking as "just another example of the tail wagging the dog, the chaos that ensues when the government is running scared of its own back benches and doesn't have a coherent immigration policy, or even one settled view within cabinet".

We've just been hearing from Labour's shadow international development minister following the vote in the United Nations Security Council on a resolution to create "conditions for sustainable cessation of hostilities,” and on speeding up the delivery of aid to Gaza (see our dedicated live coverage here).

Speaking to broadcasters, Lisa Nandy described it as a "welcome and significant moment in the search for peace in the Middle East".

She noted that today is "the first time the international community has spoken with one voice about the need to work towards a sustained ceasefire and to flood Gaza with aid".

"It's urgent now that the international community steps up and ensures that hostages are released, that settler violence in the West Bank ends, and there's no return to the horrors of recent months."

Asked if there should have been a call for an immediate ceasefire, Ms Nandy replied: "Everybody wants to see a ceasefire in which the violence ends and aid can be delivered to Gaza and peace talks can begin.

"The difficulty is that with hostages still being held and with rockets still flying into Israel at the hands of Hamas, that is a very difficult thing to achieve."

But she said the UN resolution calls for no return to "the horrors of recent months" and a move towards a "sustainable ceasefire".

The Labour shadow cabinet minister also rejected Israel's assertion that the aid conversation is unnecessary, saying there is "no question" that a "humanitarian catastrophe" is unfolding in Gaza.

ByAlexandra Rogers, political reporter

Rishi Sunak has said the higher threshold for a family visa will rise in 2025 after he came under fire from Tory MPs for rowing back on plans to introduce it next spring.

The prime minister said the government was "increasing the salary threshold significantly" to £38,700 in "early 2025" - a change from the original plan laid out by Home Secretary James Cleverly earlier this month.

The threshold for a family visa - which applies to Britons who wish to bring family members to the UK - was due to rise from £18,600 to £38,700 next spring in a bid to reduce legal net migration, which hit a record high last year.

But on Thursday night the Home Office quietly watered down the measure, saying the threshold would first be raised to £29,000 from the spring, and then increased in "incremental stages" - though no timetable was set for when the top figure would be introduced.

Tory MPs on the right of the party immediately criticised the change, with David Jones, deputy chairman of the right-wing European Research Group, telling the PA news agency it was a "regrettable sign of weakness" while Jonathan Gullis, a Conservative former minister wrote on X that it was "deeply disappointing and undermines our efforts".

Read the full story here:

By Alexandra Rogers, political reporter

Simon Case is set to return to his role leading the civil service in January following weeks of medical leave, the Cabinet Office has confirmed.

Mr Case, who as cabinet secretary is the UK's most senior civil servant, took a leave of absence for medical reasons in October.

It was reported at the time that he was likely to be off for a number of weeks and that he would be returning in 2024.

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office told Sky News: "The cabinet secretary will return to work in the New Year."

It is understood that when he returns to the civil service, he will resume the same responsibilities in his capacity as cabinet secretary.

The Cabinet Office would not comment on the medical advice he has received as it is a private matter.

Mr Case is expected to give evidence to the COVID inquiry at some stage, with inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett saying last month that it "very much remains my intention that Mr Case should give oral evidence to the inquiry" and that she will convene a special hearing for module 2 to receive his evidence.

Read the full story here:

The Christmas recess has begun, with MPs heading back to their constituencies for the holiday period.

But while the latest opinion polls will likely be a source of festive cheer for Labour, Conservative MPs will be feeling a distinct lack of goodwill.

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to give an indication of how voters feel about different political parties.

Labour is sitting on an average of 42.7%, with the Tories on 25.7% - a roughly 17-point lead.

In third are the Lib Dems on 10.8%, followed by Reform on around 8.9% and the Greens on 5.8% - with the SNP on 3.0%.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the trackerhere.

Sir Keir Starmer has just issued a statement on the vote in the United Nations Security Council on a resolution to create "conditions for sustainable cessation of hostilities,” and on speeding up the delivery of aid to Gaza(see our dedicated live coverage here).

The Labour leader welcomed the resolution's passage, saying: "The horrors of recent months have been intolerable. This resolution describes how we must work for a sustained ceasefire.

"The next humanitarian truce is urgent, and in the space it brings, intense diplomacy should begin to set new terms under which fighting does not restart and the risk of escalation is reduced."

Sir Keir continued: "Hamas must release all the remaining hostages, end all attacks on Israel and have no role in the future governance of Gaza.

"Israel must agree to end its bombing campaign, allow a humanitarian surge into Gaza, and end settler violence and displacement in the West Bank."

More broadly, Sir Keir argued that a sustained ceasefire is "not sufficient" for the implementation of long-term peace, noting that there have been "no serious peace talks in more than a decade".

He called for "a new political process that has the capacity, conviction and commitment to turn a rhetoric around two states living side by side in peace into reality".

He concluded: "The next Labour government will be dedicated to working towards this. The international community must be spurred into action rather than shy away from the challenge. The future of Israelis and Palestinians depends on it."

In January this year, Rishi Sunak made five pledges for voters to judge him on.

The prime minister has met one of these so far - halving inflation by the end of the year.

And when it comes to the NHS, while both waiting lists and waiting times are shrinking, the waiting list is still longer than in January.

With the end of the year fast approaching, how is the prime minister doing on delivering his other promises?

You can see the progress for yourself below.