Good evening. Rishi Sunak is under investigation by Parliament’s sleaze watchdog over a possible failure to declare his wife’s interest in a childcare agency. We have the latest updates from Westminster below.
Standards watchdog launches investigation into Sunak
Labour has accused Rishi Sunak of "dodging proper scrutiny" after Parliament's standards watchdog opened an investigation into his possible failure to declare an interest.
The investigation relates to shares Mr Sunak's wife, Akshata Murty, holds in the childcare agency Koru Kids, which could benefit from new childcare measures announced in Jeremy Hunt's Budget last month.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards said on its website that the investigation was opened on April 13.
Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, said a delay in publishing the register of ministers' interests had "left a transparency black hole".
Jack Maidment has all today's developments in Westminster on our politics live blog.
Meanwhile, Mr Sunak has warned that votes by a “minority” of nurses backing strike action will put patients at risk. The Prime Minister said the decision by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to stage walkouts in A&E departments, critical care units and intensive care facilities had left everyone “concerned about the impact on patient care.”
Mr Sunak highlighted the narrowness of the vote by the RCN, on a low turnout - our Health Editor Laura Donnelly explains how this meant only a minority of eligible nurses rejected the Government’s offer.
Sturgeon did 'nothing untoward', SNP ally claims
Nicola Sturgeon did “nothing untoward” by privately trying to shut down scrutiny of the SNP’s finances, a close ally has claimed, as she battles to save her political career.
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s former Westminster leader and a Sturgeon loyalist, insisted that the former leader had done nothing wrong after a leaked video showed her aggressively denying there was any problem with the party’s accounts.
Our Scottish Correspondent Daniel Sanderson reports that sources within the SNP believe that Ms Sturgeon could be forced to quit as an MSP “sooner rather than later” - read the full story to find out why.
Scottish trans murderer wants gender surgery on NHS
A transgender murderer being held at a women’s jail unit in Scotland wants to become the first prisoner in Britain to have gender reassignment surgery on the NHS.
Paris Green, who was born Peter Laing, claimed having the major operation would help them “feel comfortable in the shower” and become “fully the person I should have been”.
The convict is being held at the women’s unit at HMP Edinburgh, where the 30-year-old is serving a life sentence for the murder of Robert Shankland, 45, in 2013.
Evening Briefing: Today's essential headlines
Plymouth | A police officer has been charged with the rape of a woman while on duty. Sergeant David Stansbury, 42, is due before Plymouth Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with three counts of rape in Plymouth from 2009.
- Donald Trump | ‘Mugshot’ fuels campaign fundraising boom
- 2009 plane crash | Air France and Airbus acquitted of involuntary manslaughter after 228 people were killed in crash
- Indonesia | Six dead in attack on kidnapped pilot rescue mission
- Coronation | The King and Queen personally choose ‘coronation quiche’ as Big Lunch recipe
- Gillian Keegan | Education Secretary insists it’s ‘absolutely fine’ for teachers to say ‘good morning, girls’
Comment and analysis
- Ross Clark | Now is the moment of real danger for the NHS
- Andrew Lilico | Sorry Rishi, but your maths plan doesn’t add up
- William Sitwell | Spare me from restaurant QR codes and online bookings – I'd rather dine at my local
- Brian Moore | Steve Borthwick must avoid the mistake that ruined Eddie Jones
- Telegraph readers | 'Smart motorways are just another example of the continuing degradation of our nation'
World news: Cambridge-educated Putin critic jailed for 25 years
Britain has demanded the immediate release of a Cambridge-educated dual national sentenced to 25-years in a Russian prison for criticising the war. The sentence was passed down to Vladimir Kara-Murza at a Moscow court on Monday with only a handful of state media outlets permitted in the courtroom. Nataliya Vasilyeva has more on the story.
Interview of the day
‘After fracturing my skull, I knew if I fell asleep in the ambulance, I would not wake up’
Alex Fletcher's family were warned that if he did awaken, he might not be the same, but the Bath City player has made a remarkable recovery
Business news: Musk aborts rocket mission at last minute
Elon Musk halted the launch of the world's largest rocket, Starship, after a technical issue forced the billionaire to push back the mission by 48 hours. Engineers for SpaceX's super heavy rocket called a halt to the countdown clock 40 seconds before the launch. Matthew Field details what caused the delay.
Editor's choice
Pronatalism | Meet the ‘elite’ couples breeding to save mankind
Dear Richard Madeley | Should we display my husband's family tree that doesn't include me or my children?
Property | How to build a buy-to-let empire, by the landlords who did it
Sport news: Todd Boehly gave rallying dressing-room team talk about Chelsea’s ‘embarrassing’ position
Todd Boehly delivered a pre-Real Madrid pep talk to Chelsea’s players in the Stamford Bridge dressing-room after their latest demoralising defeat. Co-owners Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Hansjorg Wyss are understood to have all entered the home dressing room in the aftermath of the 2-1 loss to Brighton on Saturday. Matt Law reveals what Mr Boehly said to the players.
Three things for you
- TV | Succession, Sky Atlantic, 2am & 9pm
- Helen Lederer | ‘To be the fat one at school was... interesting’
- Fashion | How to find the perfect everyday handbag
And finally... for this evening's downtime
The treasures of England’s lost (but now revived) county | With a row brewing in Penrith after it was omitted from the new Cumberland Council, Gavin Bell goes in search of the county’s soul.
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