The Latest Breaking News from Whitehall

Labour has hit out at the 'warped' decision to spend an estimated £1.5 million on state-of-the-art phones for Department of Health staff last year, while just £1 million was set aside for new life-saving defibrillators

The Partygate and pandemic inquiries could end his political career. But his band of dedicated supporters hope he can still return as leader to save the Tories

A post-Budget analysis by the Resolution Foundation says household disposable incomes will still be lower in 2027-28 than before the Covid crisis while some Whitehall ministries face cuts of 10%

What does the new ‘Trailblazer’ deal mean for Greater Manchester? PLUS Mayor to face greater scrutiny over funding

The latest delays offer a golden opportunity to cry halt – and use railway money where it’s really needed, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

The matter needs urgent attention, not just to reduce the toll on civil servants, but also for the sake of effective government, says Moazzam Malik, a former director general at the Foreign Office

The last few years of drama at Westminster have set the bar pretty high for shock and surprise, but the sudden departure from government of Sue Gray, second permanent secretary to the Cabinet Office, and her proposed appointment as chief of staff to the leader of the Labour Party really…

The retained EU law bill is an outrageously undemocratic attempt to transfer law-making powers from parliament to Whitehall, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

The UK’s most senior civil servant, 44, has denied that anyone gave Johnson reassurances that the Covid rules were followed during Partygate — so what does this mean for his career? Katie Strick reports

His WhatsApp messages look embarrassing and chaotic, but such leaks could do genuine harm to political debate, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

Prime minister’s proposed legislation aimed at stopping Channel crossings branded ‘a joke’ by a former minister