Sebastian Whale

From building more houses to doing right by the families of Grenfell, Dominic Raab is ‘restless’ to achieve results. And as the country prepares to leave the European Union, the Brexiteer wants to see a unity of purpose, not just in his own party but across the country. He talks to Sebastian Whale

A Cabinet minister has said the Government “stands ready to help” as a huge blaze rips through Glasgow’s School of Art.

Theresa May has expressed her disappointment after a backbench Conservative MP blocked moves to make upskirting a criminal offence.

Ministers privately fear that the UK could crash out of the EU empty handed if a Brexit deal is not secured by October, according to reports.

The Home Office has said it will “carefully consider” allowing a young boy in a life threatening condition to be prescribed cannabis oil as he battles severe epilepsy in hospital.

Nearly two-thirds of Conservative voters support increasing income tax to boost funding for the NHS, according to a new poll.

Pro-Remain Cabinet minister David Lidington has said the prospect of re-joining the European Union will not come up in his political lifetime.

Starter for 10: How do you deliver a credible domestic policy agenda while dealing with the demands of Brexit? Minister for the Cabinet Office and two-time University Challenge champion David Lidington takes the questions. Quizmaster: Sebastian Whale

After a year marked by the injustices of Windrush and Grenfell, David Lammy does not see the Prime Minister’s promised vision of One Nation – rather an administration lacking in humanity and guilty of incompetence. He tells Kevin Schofield why it’s time to call out the ‘pernicious’ attitudes which contributed to catastrophe

The failure to ban combustible cladding means the Grenfell tragedy “could happen again tomorrow”, the MP for the area where the disaster happened has claimed.

Labour frontbencher Sarah Jones counts former Tory minister Peter Lilley as her “biggest inspiration” for entering politics. But her journey to Westminster included working for Labour stalwarts Tessa Jowell and Mo Mowlam, two “steely” politicians who had the human touch. Now in the shadow housing team, Jones hopes to take this empathetic approach as she helps shape the party’s response to the Grenfell disaster. She speaks to Sebastian Whale

Emma Dent Coad had been an MP for four days before the fire at Grenfell Tower which took the lives of 72 people, many of whom she knew personally. A lifelong resident of Kensington, the disaster and its aftermath has taken a deep personal toll on the 63-year-old. One year on, she tells Sebastian Whale why she will never stop fighting for justice for the victims and their families

Former Cabinet minister Priti Patel has lashed out at Theresa May’s Conservatives, saying they are no longer the party of meritocracy.

Priti Patel fears her party’s leadership is abandoning traditional Conservative values and retreating from the battle of ideas. Out of government and with the freedom to speak from the backbenches, the Witham MP tells Sebastian Whale why it’s time to stop “moaning” about Brexit and start delivering for the country

Parts of the Metropolitan Police are still "institutionally racist" and young black people continue to be victimised by officers, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence has said.

Doreen Lawrence’s life changed forever on the evening of 22 April 1993. Twenty-five years on from the murder of her son, Stephen, the Labour peer has ensured that Britain will never forget his name. But is society in a better place now than it was more than two decades ago? She talks to Sebastian Whale about the police, race relations and the Windrush scandal

When pressed for time or constrained by resources, we are forced to make choices. This filtering process reveals your ultimate priorities; what you can and cannot live without, what you’re prepared to sacrifice and what must always remain in place.

Luciana Berger has hit out at the head of Unite over a “grossly offensive” article in which he accused Labour MPs of using the row over anti-Semitism to undermine Jeremy Corbyn.

While she has been in the spotlight in recent times for speaking out against anti-Semitism, Luciana Berger has become renowned in the Commons for her campaigning on mental health. And though she is no longer in a front bench role, the Liverpool Wavertree MP is still managing to influence the debate. She talks to Sebastian Whale about why every government department must take action

Britain's enemies are "perilously close" to testing the strength of the country's Armed Forces because the Government is not spending enough money on defence, a former military chief has warned.

Before his appointment as Secretary of State for Defence last autumn, Gavin Williamson built a reputation as an effective, and ruthless, backroom operator. His rise from PPS to David Cameron to government Chief Whip to the MoD has been shrouded in intrigue, and there is speculation that he is being lined up as Theresa May’s favoured successor. Is the 41-year-old MP for South Staffordshire really the modern-day Machiavelli some claim? Sebastian Whale talks to Williamson, and those who know him, to find out

Gavin Williamson has called on journalists and people with IT and cyber skills to join the UK’s reserve forces to help tackle the “age of disinformation” being propagated by Russia.

Commons Speakers should stand down from the job midway through a parliament, Betty Boothroyd has said.

Betty Boothroyd was one more election defeat away from giving up hope of becoming an MP. But at the fifth time of asking, the Yorkshire-born Labour activist realised her dream. With typical determination, she seized the opportunity with both hands – and went on to make history. Sebastian Whale talks to the former Speaker, and those who know her, about her landmark career

A top Labour MP is urging ministers to stamp special sexual assault protections for emergency workers into UK law in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Theresa May has called for the Commonwealth to be at the forefront of tackling Russia's "despicable" behaviour in Salisbury and Syria.

I had never been much of a fan of Dennis Skinner. 

Harriet Harman has called on male MPs to sit out the next Labour leadership contest so that the party can finally elect a female boss.

Harriet Harman entered Westminster as an outsider on the ‘margin of the margins’. Nearly 36 graft-filled years later, the Mother of the House still finds herself at the epicentre of the women’s movement, respected across the House. Though she insists her frontbench days are over, does she have one more big job in politics left? Sebastian Whale speaks to the Labour grandee, and those who know her, to find out

"Who would be happy if we left?" David Cameron asked rhetorically at the World Economic Forum in June 2016. "Putin might be happy. I suspect [ISIL leader Abu Bakr] al-Baghdadi might be happy."

Sam Gyimah has wasted no time in engaging with students since being appointed Universities Minister. But with Jeremy Corbyn the ‘only game on campus’ at the election, is it too little, too late for the Conservative party? He talks to Sebastian Whale

A Conservative minister has warned Theresa May that the Government must secure a “workable” Brexit or leave the door open for Jeremy Corbyn to become Prime Minister.

A senior Conservative MP has called for a "debate" on whether it is time to lower the 24-week time limit for abortions.

Maria Caulfield’s appointment as Conservative vice chair for women raised eyebrows when it was announced by No10 in January. The Lewes MP wants to set the record straight, and outline how politics is about more than just parliament. She talks to Sebastian Whale

With the DfT facing questions over the failures on the East Coast Mainline and the decision to scrap rail electrification upgrades, Transport Select Committee chair Lilian Greenwood is determined to find answers. She talks to Sebastian Whale

As his play, This House, embarks on a national tour, James Graham talks to Sebastian Whale about the surprising mainstream success of his political drama – and how after recent events life has indeed begun to imitate art