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Yusuf suggests Braverman and Jenrick should ‘take responsibility’ for Tory record
Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf has suggested that Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, who both defected from the Conservatives, need to “take responsibility” for the last government’s record on immigration. Yusuf also said he disagreed with Braverman’s claim that people from ethnic minority backgrounds can be British but not English. Jenrick served as minister for immigration
‘We should be in the EU’: Labour MPs make case for rejoin in Brexit debate
A series of Labour MPs have made the case for the UK rejoining the EU, urging Andy Burnham’s government to consider full membership as it prepares to set out options for the UK’s long-term relationship with Europe. The calls came during a Westminster Hall debate on a petition, signed by more than 111,000 people, calling
Burnham says status quo ‘not good enough’ as he sets out plan for UK-EU summit
Andy Burnham has said that “sticking with the status quo is not good enough for Britain” as he set out his plans for the forthcoming UK-EU summit. The prime minister confirmed the summit will take place in Brussels on 20 November, describing it as “an opportunity to make progress on two crucial issues: boosting UK
New Labour MP Sagal Abdi-Wali sworn in after by-election win
Sagal Abdi-Wali has taken her seat in the House of Commons by formally swearing in as the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras. Abdi-Wali, who won last week’s Holborn and St Pancras by-election, took the parliamentary oath on Monday afternoon – the first item of business after the commons returned from conference recess. She was
Farage calls Burnham ‘a liar’ over claim Russia interfered in Brexit vote
Nigel Farage has called Andy Burnham “a liar” after the prime minister said he had been told Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. During a press conference in Dover on Monday morning, the Reform UK leader was asked whether Burnham’s claim tainted the referendum result, and how he felt about having “potentially benefited from
Burnham condemns Keir Starmer’s government as ‘too negative’ and ‘too factional’
Andy Burnham has said Labour was “too negative” and “too factional” under his predecessor Keir Starmer, arguing that the party cannot succeed unless every part of it has a voice. Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast, the prime minister said: “I don’t think you can run a successful Labour government without all parts of
Russian attempts to interfere in Brexit vote failed, Foreign Office minister says
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty has said Russia tried but failed to interfere in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU), after Andy Burnham said he had been told there was Russian interference in the vote. Speaking to Sky News, Doughty said the security minister, Dan Jarvis, had been “very clear
Green struggles expose the limits of ‘eco-populism’
The Green Party’s history has been marked by electoral frustration, political obscurity and sustained periods of internal conflict – punctuated by intermittent surges in support. Zack Polanski’s leadership has raised the prospect of breaking that pattern, but recent setbacks reflect a familiar story. Since Polanski was elected leader in a landslide vote in September 2025,
Full list: where Lib Dem MPs stand as bid to topple Ed Davey emerges
A series of Liberal Democrat MPs have issued public statements backing Ed Davey after a frontbencher, Charlie Maynard, resigned his post as part of a reported bid to oust him as leader. Maynard left his role as Treasury spokesman on Friday afternoon amid wider criticism of Davey among Liberal Democrat MPs. Alison Bennett left her
Lib Dem MP quits frontbench in protest at Ed Davey’s leadership
Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard has resigned from the party’s frontbench in protest at Ed Davey‘s leadership. The Witney MP left his role as a Treasury spokesman on Friday, as reported by the Financial Times. Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, moved quickly to back Davey in a statement. “The vast majority of our
Labour holds Holborn and St Pancras as Polanski finishes second
Labour has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, with Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali beating Green leader Zack Polanski into second place. Abdi-Wali won 12,292 (45.1%) votes to Polanski’s 8,928 (32.8%), a majority of 3,364. The by-election was triggered by Keir Starmer’s resignation as MP for the seat. Turnout was 38.8%. The Conservatives’ Ewan
Adrian Ramsay: ‘I have no intention’ of leaving Green Party over Zionism motion
Adrian Ramsay has said he has “no intention of leaving the Green Party” after the party’s conference passed a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism. Ramsay, who served as co-leader of the Greens from 2021 to 2025, publicly opposed the motion, which passed at the party’s conference in Brighton last week by 1,022 votes
Conservatives vow to end inheritance tax on the family home
Kemi Badenoch has pledged that a future Conservative government would end inheritance tax on the family home.
Badenoch hits out at Suella Braverman and Reform for ‘questioning people’s identity’
Kemi Badenoch has accused Reform UK and Suella Braverman of “openly questioning people’s identity”. In her keynote conference speech in Birmingham, the Conservative leader said she did not want to live in “a country run by people who threaten journalists, who call veterans traitors and debate whether my mixed-race children are English”. She said: “I
Badenoch to warn of ‘battle for the soul of this nation’ in conference speech
Kemi Badenoch will tell Conservative conference that British politics faces “a battle for the soul of this nation”, as she accuses the government of wanting to “wind back the clock to failed ideas of the past”. In her speech in Birmingham on Wednesday afternoon, the Conservative leader is expected to say: “Conference, there is a
Kemi Badenoch: general election now would result in hung parliament
Kemi Badenoch has admitted that the Conservatives would not win a general election outright if one were held now, saying it would produce a hung parliament. Asked by Sky News about her party’s polling, Badenoch said: “If there’s an election now, there’d be a hung parliament.” It was put to Badenoch that the Conservatives were
Racism is a ‘made-up word’, says Restore Britain co-founder
Charlie Downes, a co-founder of Restore Britain, has argued that “racism” is “a made-up word used by the enemies of Western civilisation”. In a post on X on Tuesday, Downes wrote that the word is used “to pathologise preference for one’s own nation”, which he said was “an instinct as natural, normal, and Christian as
Badenoch rows back on ‘Iron Dome’ comparison for £10bn missile pledge
Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservative Party’s proposed £10 billion “Britannia Shield” missile and drone defence system would not be a British version of Israel’s Iron Dome. The Conservatives announced on Tuesday that they would invest up to £10 billion over 10 years in an integrated air and missile defence system. The party’s press release
European Greens to ‘demand clarity’ from Zack Polanski over ‘Zionism is racism’ motion
The European Green Party (EGP) has said it “unequivocally” distances itself from the Green Party of England and Wales’s (GPEW) motion declaring Zionism a form of racism, and will “demand clarity” from the party’s leadership. The controversial motion was passed by members at the GPEW’s conference in Brighton on Sunday by 1,022 votes to 813.
Conservatives ‘not where we need to be’ for an election ‘right now’, says party chair
Conservative chair Kevin Hollinrake has said the party is “not where we need to be right now”, and would ideally prefer the next general election to come “some way down the track”. Speaking at a More in Common fringe event at Conservative conference in Birmingham, Hollinrake said: “Of course, we are not where we need
Sir John Curtice: Conservative Party still polling below 2024 election result
Sir John Curtice has told Conservative activists that their party is still polling below its 2024 general election result, the worst in its history, more than two years after its defeat. Speaking at a Demos fringe event at Conservative conference in Birmingham, the polling expert said the party was averaging 20% in the polls. He
Lib Dem MPs urge Greens to defect after ‘Zionism is racism’ vote
Liberal Democrat MPs have invited Green members to defect after the party’s conference voted for a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism.
Conservative ex-mayor urges party to embrace electoral reform
Andy Street has urged the Conservatives to embrace electoral reform, arguing that a proportional system would encourage the party to be a “broad church”. The former West Midlands mayor made the case for the single transferable vote (STV), saying it would push the party towards a wider policy offer. “It will encourage us to think
Kemi Badenoch publishes 95-page booklet setting out Conservative principles
Kemi Badenoch has published The Right Way, a 95-page statement of Conservative principles modelled on the party’s 1976 document The Right Approach. Launched at Conservative conference in Birmingham, the booklet is billed as the intellectual foundation for the party’s next programme for government. Like Margaret Thatcher’s Right Approach, published three years before the 1979 general […] The post Kemi Badenoch publishes 95-page booklet setting out Conservative principles appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Andy Burnham has changed the game
Andy Burnham escaped Labour’s defensive crouch and confronted his rivals with a choice: get on board or defend the status quo.
Labour says Badenoch should back care service as it points to Tory triple lock doubts
Labour has called on Kemi Badenoch to support Andy Burnham‘s plan for a national care service, saying the Conservatives should “do better than just opposing for the sake of opposing”. In a statement issued on the eve of the Conservative conference, Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson said it was “not too late for the Conservatives
Andrew Mitchell on aid, rebellion and not telling the Treasury
Sir Andrew Mitchell’s office, like his politics, is arranged around his long-standing commitment to international development. Barely have I stepped into the expansive room, once occupied by the leader of the opposition, before Mitchell steers me towards a framed list of names on the wall. The mounted “Roll of Honour” catalogues the Conservative MPs who,
‘For the birds’: Lib Dem MP tells Ed Davey to ‘think again’ on triple lock defence
A Liberal Democrat MP has criticised Ed Davey over the party’s position on the pension triple lock, saying the argument that it should be kept to help millennials is “at best for the birds, and at worst downright insulting”. In a post on X, Tom Gordon said he had listened to Davey on BBC Radio
Conservatives and Reform reiterate support for pensions triple lock
The Conservative Party and Reform UK have both restated their support for the pension triple lock after Burnham’s conference speech.
Burnham says rejoining EU among options for Britain: ‘We could go all the way’
Andy Burnham has said rejoining the European Union is among the options on the table for Britain’s future relationship with Europe, confirming he would like to see the UK rejoin in his lifetime. Asked whether he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU, the prime minister said: “I want to look at the options, and
Andy Burnham announces national commission on electoral reform
Andy Burnham has announced a new national commission on electoral reform, and pledged to put a commitment to change the voting system in Labour‘s next manifesto. Speaking to Labour conference, the prime minister said: “Today, I am announcing a new national commission on electoral reform. I invite all the political parties to be part of
Burnham to change pension triple lock from 2030 to fund National Care Service
Andy Burnham has confirmed he will keep the pension triple lock unchanged for the rest of this parliament, but will alter it from April 2030, using the savings to help fund a new National Care Service. Speaking to Labour conference, the prime minister said: “We promised in our manifesto to keep the triple lock unchanged
‘We will believe again’: Andy Burnham’s Labour conference speech in full
Andy Burnham has delivered his first Labour conference speech as prime minister, setting out what he called “a more serious and thought-through prospectus for the future of Britain than people have been offered in a generation.” Speaking in Liverpool, Burnham announced the government would repeal Margaret Thatcher’s “ideological” ban on public ownership of water companies,
Chris Bryant: Labour will ‘stand by’ ECHR, unlike Farage and Badenoch
Sir Chris Bryant has vowed that Labour will “stand by” the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Good Friday Agreement, accusing Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch of having “clearly never read” the latter. Speaking at Labour conference, the Northern Ireland secretary said: “Conference, I promise you this, we will not dump the European
Burnham vows action on social care, youth unemployment and public control of utilities
Andy Burnham will use his first Labour Party conference speech as prime minister to commit to action on social care and youth unemployment, as well as greater public control of energy, water and housing. Burnham is due to tell Labour delegates in Liverpool that this means having an “honest conversation” with the public, stating that
Emily Thornberry warns Labour risk being seen as ‘nasty’ over immigration rules
Dame Emily Thornberry has warned that Labour must be careful about being seen as “nasty” over proposed changes to immigration settlement rules. Under plans the government is finalising following a consultation, the established five-year pathway to permanent residency (also known as indefinite leave to remain or settlement) could be replaced by a 10-year baseline under
Labour MPs tell Burnham to show ‘ambition’ and move closer to EU
Labour MPs Anneliese Dodds and Andrew Lewin have urged the prime minister to take steps towards a bolder relationship with the European Union. Speaking at a British Future fringe event at Labour conference, the pair were asked what the prime minister should say and do with regard to progressing UK-EU relations. Dodds, a former cabinet
Left must ‘reclaim free speech’, says Labour MP Jonathan Hinder
Labour MP Jonathan Hinder has urged the left to “reclaim” free speech. Speaking at a Labour fringe event organised by More in Common and Liberty, Hinder said many working-class voters did not feel able to raise concerns about immigration for fear of being labelled racist. He referred to a story Keir Starmer, the former prime minister, told in his 2025 conference speech about a voter who began a sentence with “I’m not racist, but”. Hinder, the chair of the Blue Labour group, said the vast majority of people in the UK were “not at all racist”,
Farage ‘seems to hate foreigners’ but ‘loves their money’, says Lucy Powell
Lucy Powell has accused Nigel Farage of hypocrisy over immigration, telling Labour conference that he “seems to hate foreigners so much” but “really does love their money”. In her first conference speech as deputy leader, Powell described the Reform UK leader as “a modern-day love child of Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher”. The education secretary
John Healey to vow ‘new age of industrialisation’ in Labour conference speech
John Healey will pledge a “new age of industrialisation” for Britain in his speech to Labour conference. The chancellor is expected to confirm that three new floating docks for the Royal Navy’s submarine service at HM Naval Base Clyde will be built through a UK-only competition. The project, known as Programme Euston, will provide maintenance
Wes Streeting says he has abandoned leadership ambitions
Speaking at Labour conference, Wes Streeting claimed he was, for the first time in his political life, not angling for the top job.
Burnham has ‘ghosted’ the Labour left, says Clive Lewis
Clive Lewis has accused prime minister Andy Burnham of “ghosting” the Labour Party’s left flank. Speaking on the Labour Left Podcast, the Norwich South MP did say the culture at the top of the party had improved since Starmer’s departure. “Andy Burnham feels more tolerant”, Lewis said. “But I don’t want to be in a party where I’m tolerated. I want to be in a party where I’m an integral part of it, and our views are an integral part of it, and our values are an integral part of it. And I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Andy Burnham moves to rule out snap election: ‘I can knock that dead’
Andy Burnham has moved to shut down speculation of an early general election, telling broadcasters during a round of pre-conference regional interviews that he has no intention of calling a snap poll. “All of this speculation on an early election, I can knock that dead”, Burnham told ITV Calendar. He said voters wanted him “getting
Steff Aquarone: dispatches from a Liberal Democrat fighting Reform
Steff Aquarone’s North Norfolk seat has a strong Liberal Democrat pedigree. His predecessor, Norman Lamb, represented the constituency for almost two decades before standing down in 2019, having defied the party’s collapse four years earlier at the 2015 general election. In many ways then, Aquarone’s own electoral story is a familiar one. He unseated a
Kemi Badenoch predicts Burnham will call election in December
Kemi Badenoch was asked whether she would prefer a coalition with the Liberal Democrats or Reform UK after an election with no clear winner.
Wes Streeting: Chagos Islands deal is not good enough
Wes Streeting has said the government’s deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is not good enough unless it wins the backing of the United States. Streeting, who sat in the cabinet that signed off on the agreement, said he stood by the decision but acknowledged that the United States had withdrawn
Sam Rushworth MP: ‘Fathers and positive male role models shape a child’s future – policy must reflect that’
Last week, I led a Westminster Hall debate to draw attention to the vital contribution of fathers and positive male role models to families and society and how better policy can support them in this role. Our national conversation is dominated by talk of a “NEET Crisis”, a “youth mental health crisis”, and so-called “toxic masculinity” – challenges which,
Dan Carden on being Blue and feeling hopeful
Dan Carden, the Labour MP for Liverpool Walton, was never a natural figure to front a political faction. That may be why, as he tells me walking from Westminster to escape the estate, Carden has relinquished control of the Blue Labour Group to his colleague Jonathan Hinder. Carden and his successor were first introduced by
The numbers aren’t enough: polling needs transparency
A poll can tell us a great deal about public opinion. It can also tell us a great deal about the person paying for it. When polling makes the news, the first question should not be what it says, but who commissioned it. Earlier this month we saw just how easily that rule bends. Three
Josh Babarinde on how the Liberal Democrats can find their voice
It was a busy summer for Josh Babarinde, the Liberal Democrat president and MP. Soon after parliament rose for recess, he and his husband tied the knot in Scotland before throwing a party in his constituency of Eastbourne. The other part of Babarinde’s summer was spent reckoning with his party’s current course. As the elected
AI is Britain’s next opportunity for reindustrialisation – here’s how we get there
Britain has an AI deployment problem. This should not be muddled with an innovation problem. While policymakers debate how to make the UK a global AI leader, the more urgent question is how quickly businesses and public services can put the technology to work. The government has made its ambitions clear. We have heard prime
Our democracy is not for sale – it’s time to cap political donations
The fundamental question of any democracy is “who gets a say?”. How is power distributed, shared – and in whose interests does our democratic system work? Increasingly, voters sense the answer is not in theirs. There is a strong public perception that power is exercised ‘elsewhere’ in the interests of “others”, and not in service
Britain’s science facilities are facing cuts we cannot afford to make
The first time I encountered the idea of dark matter, it felt more like science fiction than science itself. Long before entering parliament, I created a children’s television series called The Sparticle Mystery, inspired by particle physics and the biggest questions humanity can ask. Researching the programme took me into the world of CERN, particle
Hollie Ridley, Labour’s youngest and most successful general secretary, will be missed
During the very difficult years of the Corbyn era, Hollie Ridley still managed to pull off impossibly difficult by-election wins as in Peterborough, for which she was publicly thanked by the leader on Sky News. That’s how good a campaigner she is. It all feels like a long time ago. Fast forward to September 2026
Hollie Ridley, Labour’s Youngest and Most Successful General Secretary will be missed
She built the ground campaign that took Labour from 202 seats to 411 and she ran the party with care for the people in it. By Kevin Craig, Founder and CEO of PLMR and former Labour Party Councillor and Parliamentary candidate During the very difficult years of the Corbyn era, Hollie Ridley still managed to... Read more » The post Hollie Ridley, Labour’s Youngest and Most Successful General Secretary will be missed appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Alistair Strathern MP: ‘The power of play can transform children’s healthcare’
For so many children, going into hospital carries connotations of fear and a lack of autonomy, and even trauma that can carry through to adulthood. It can mean unfamiliar rooms, scary equipment, painful procedures, and adults using words that they neither understand nor are explained to them. With the right support, we can help make this experience less frightening, and play is one of the most effective and efficient ways to make that happen.
Britain needs to talk about Europe, again. Both sides of the debate will need a new script
Prime minister Andy Burnham has called Brexit one of the “wrong turns” taken in recent decades. His government will seek closer links between Britain and the European Union – rescheduling this November’s summit. New research from British Future finds public support for that direction of travel, but uncertainty about quite how far that should go.