The Latest Breaking News from Philip Hammond

The Conservatives will likely “take a pasting” at the general election, former Tory chancellor Philip Hammond conceded on Thursday.

In today’s newsletter: A new investigation into the murky relationship between the UK Ministry of Defence, middle men, and the Saudi royal family

Exclusive: Transaction involving Mikhail Klyukin could have attracted scrutiny from US sanctions enforcers, experts say

New UK foreign secretary’s promotion of China-backed development in Sri Lanka has increased concern he could be a pawn for Xi Jinping

Critics raise concerns that PM during ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations has maintained ties with Beijing

Exclusive: Levelling up secretary Michael Gove and transport secretary Mark Harper ‘very unhappy’ over plan to axe northern leg – first revealed by this newspaper – as George Osborne attacks ‘economic self-harm’

PM in crisis as top Conservative revolt over plan to scrap northern leg grows

The knives are out as Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Hilary Benn and more dish out startling high-end gossip about Brexit and beyond. A gruesome look at the UK’s political perma-crisis

Have you heard the one about Private Pike and the MoD? It was the nickname given to Gavin Williamson when he was defence secretary in the Theresa May government. Allies of the then-chancellor Philip Hammond briefed the Dad’s Army jibe to the press in return for the young Williamson allegedly…