A new hard-right party, Restore Britain, led by Rupert Lowe and reportedly backed by Elon Musk, is challenging Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The party aims to attract anti-immigrant voters and is contesting a special election in Makerfield.
As the 10th anniversary of Brexit approaches, Britain debates rejoining the EU, focusing on economic benefits and political feasibility. However, the discussion largely ignores the perspectives of other European nations and the EU's own priorities, such as Ukraine and global economic challenges. While some UK politicians advocate for rejoining, the EU has other candidates and a minority who may not welcome Britain back.
UK PM Keir Starmer accuses Elon Musk of interfering in British politics by "whipping up division" over the murder of Henry Nowak, a case where police handling has sparked outrage and allegations of racial bias.
Senior Labour minister Peter Kyle warns the party hasn't learned from Conservatives about changing leaders, stating "entitlement is not a qualification." Wes Streeting calls for a "battle of ideas" over a "coronation" for potential leadership contenders.
Keir Starmer accused Elon Musk of interfering in British politics after the X owner posted extensively on the murder of Henry Nowak. Starmer stated Musk is "whipping up division" and contrasted this with Britain's "reasonable, tolerant" nature, while Kemi Badenoch promised a positive legacy for Nowak. Nigel Farage faced criticism for urging "pure, cold rage" following the incident, which led to riots and arrests.
Andy Burnham's potential victory in the Makerfield byelection could usher in significant political reform, including proportional representation and stricter campaign finance laws. The article argues this is crucial to counter the influence of figures like Nigel Farage and restore trust in British politics.
Andy Burnham officially launched his Labour campaign for the Makerfield by-election, urging a fresh approach to politics. The Green candidate withdrew hours after announcement due to past social media posts, and the Liberal Democrats selected their candidate. Defence secretary John Healey demanded transparency from Nigel Farage over a £5m gift amid Russia-linked concerns.
The article argues that bond markets exert undue influence on British politics, citing concerns about government borrowing costs and the power of "bond vigilantes." It suggests progressive politicians can counter this by understanding market dynamics, scrutinizing the Bank of England's policies, and repurposing pension funds for public investment.
The article critiques Britain's post-Brexit political stagnation and its diminished influence in Europe, contrasting it with the EU's growing push for "strategic autonomy" amid global geopolitical shifts and the war in Ukraine.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham will contest the Makerfield byelection for Labour against Reform UK's Robert Kenyon. The race is seen as a potential leadership stepping stone for Burnham, while Kenyon faces scrutiny over past social media posts.
Three senior Labour figures, Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, and Andy Burnham, made significant political moves within 12 hours, weakening Prime Minister Keir Starmer's position and signaling a potential leadership contest.
Ten years after the Brexit referendum, the UK remains divided, with both Labour and Conservatives struggling to convince voters of their plans. Brexit freedoms have mostly benefited financial services, while living standards stagnate, leading to punishment of traditional parties in elections.
In the coming days I will be setting out our path to break with the status quo once and for all by building a stronger and fairer UKThese were very tough election results. It hurts to lose brilliant local candidates and leaders – friends and colleagues who represent the best of the Labour party. I take responsibility for that and feel it very deeply. It is right we reflect and learn the right lessons.While the results will understandably lead to much debate about what’s changed in British politics, that should not overshadow the fact that for years voters have been deeply frustrated with the status quo – constantly hoping that things will get better and that politics will deliver real change in their lives.Keir Starmer is the UK prime ministerDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Senior Labour MPs urge prime minister to step down within year as party suffers loss of hundreds of English council seats and humbling in WalesElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesKeir Starmer is under pressure to set out a timeline for his departure after a crushing defeat in elections across Britain prompted senior Labour MPs to call for him to step down within a year.In a disastrous set of results, Labour lost hundreds of council seats in England, many to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which made big gains across the Midlands and the north as well as taking seats from the Tories in the South.Nigel Farage said a “truly historic shift in British politics” had occurred after Reform UK won hundreds of seats and control of more councils in England. The gains included Essex where the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, has her constituency and which the Conservatives held for 25 years.Plaid Cymru became the largest party in Wales, beating Reform into second place, after Labour admitted it was on course to lose control of the Senedd for the first time since devolution. Morgan, the first woman to lead the Welsh government, became the highest-profile casualty and called on Labour to “go back to being the party of the working class”.The SNP leader, John Swinney, declared victory in the Holyrood elections – though was expected to fall short of an outright majority. The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, conceded defeat saying his party had failed to counter “national dissatisfaction” with Starmer.The Greens gained their first two directly elected mayors – in Hackney and Lewisham – although they missed out on some more ambitious targets in London, as their leader, Zack Polanski, declared Britain’s two-party politics “dead and buried”. They also won three councils: Norwich, Hastings and Waltham Forest.The Tories were on course to lose hundreds of seats – both to Reform and the Liberal Democrats – across the south of England. However, they won back the flagship Westminster council in central London, with Badenoch announcing it meant the party was “coming back”.Labour appeared to be struggling in its London stronghold, despite early indications that its vote was holding up, unexpectedly losing control of Brent. Party insiders were closely watching councils including Lambeth, Lewisham and Haringey. Continue reading...
Party has success in Labour and Tory heartland areas but one pollster says results suggest Reform may have peakedElections 2026 – live updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesNigel Farage hailed sweeping election wins for Reform UK as a “historic shift in British politics” on a day when the populist party made gains at the expense of Labour and the Conservatives.Reform made advances in heartland areas of both parties, clocking up substantial early results in the English local elections by taking control of Essex county council, Havering, its first London local authority, and Sunderland city council. Continue reading...
Labour and the Conservatives suffer losses at the expense of Reform across England.
Labour and the Conservatives suffer losses at the expense of Reform across England.
The Reform UK leader said Labour is being ‘wiped out by Reform in many of their traditional areas’ as results paint a bleak picture for the prime minister2026 election results: latest from local, Scottish and Welsh votesWe’re getting statements from some of the political parties now as we wait for results.For the Conservatives, party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said:We have run an energetic and positive campaign, showcasing that we have a clear plan to get Britain working again and that we have the team to deliver it... We know that so soon after a historic general election defeat and contesting wards won during the Party’s polling highs, that this will be a difficult set of elections for us. But we will continue to rebuild and to show the public that we have changed, to demonstrate that only this new Conservative party is a credible alternative.People are deeply disappointed with a Labour government that has been too timid to fix the country, but they are also appalled by the rise of Reform and Nigel Farage’s Trump-style politics. While those on the extremes of the right and the left want to burn everything down, Liberal Democrats want to fix what’s broken. Every Liberal Democrat local champion elected today will fight tirelessly for the communities they serve.I’ve travelled across England and Wales and I’m hearing the same everywhere I go – confidence that we will win more councillors than ever before. The news from the doorstep is that we will be taking seats from not just Labour but the Tories and Lib Dems too, from all across the country. Voters are responding to the fact that Greens are the only party taking the cost-of-living crisis seriously, with real plans to cut bills, reduce rents and provide genuinely affordable homes, as well as tackling the climate and nature crisis.Throughout this election, we have heard a clear appetite for change. People want a government that will stand up for Wales and focus relentlessly on the key issues affecting their lives. People have told us they have been inspired by Rhun ap Iorwerth’s leadership and driven by a desire for a positive alternative to Reform UK’s chaos and division. Continue reading...
The Reform UK leader said Labour is being ‘wiped out by Reform in many of their traditional areas’ as results paint a bleak picture for the prime minister2026 election results: latest from local, Scottish and Welsh votesWe’re getting statements from some of the political parties now as we wait for results.For the Conservatives, party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said:We have run an energetic and positive campaign, showcasing that we have a clear plan to get Britain working again and that we have the team to deliver it... We know that so soon after a historic general election defeat and contesting wards won during the Party’s polling highs, that this will be a difficult set of elections for us. But we will continue to rebuild and to show the public that we have changed, to demonstrate that only this new Conservative party is a credible alternative.People are deeply disappointed with a Labour government that has been too timid to fix the country, but they are also appalled by the rise of Reform and Nigel Farage’s Trump-style politics. While those on the extremes of the right and the left want to burn everything down, Liberal Democrats want to fix what’s broken. Every Liberal Democrat local champion elected today will fight tirelessly for the communities they serve.I’ve travelled across England and Wales and I’m hearing the same everywhere I go – confidence that we will win more councillors than ever before. The news from the doorstep is that we will be taking seats from not just Labour but the Tories and Lib Dems too, from all across the country. Voters are responding to the fact that Greens are the only party taking the cost-of-living crisis seriously, with real plans to cut bills, reduce rents and provide genuinely affordable homes, as well as tackling the climate and nature crisis.Throughout this election, we have heard a clear appetite for change. People want a government that will stand up for Wales and focus relentlessly on the key issues affecting their lives. People have told us they have been inspired by Rhun ap Iorwerth’s leadership and driven by a desire for a positive alternative to Reform UK’s chaos and division. Continue reading...
With days until the local and national elections – amid some grim polling projections – are Labour facing a double-edged threat from both the left and right of British politics? As instability in the Middle East intensifies, Keir Starmer is preparing to host a summit to tackle antisemitism, but will Labour’s punchy attack on the […]
Reform UK is ‘doing something right when it comes to visibility’ on multiple AI systems, say researchersAI platforms are more likely to reference Nigel Farage than any other UK leader when prompted about British politics, according to an AI search analytics firm.“We are confident in saying that Reform are showing up significantly more than you would expect,” said Malte Landwehr, an expert at Peec AI, the firm that did the research. “So they’re doing something right when it comes to LLM [large language model] visibility.” Continue reading...
Upcoming local elections across Britain highlight a significant shift in the political landscape, with traditional Labour and Conservative dominance waning as voters increasingly support smaller parties and independent candidates.
London offers an insight into the dilemma Labour faces about which direction to take.
Labour faces potential losses in next week's London council elections, with YouGov predicting the party's worst result in the capital for almost 50 years. The governing party is squeezed from both sides: the Greens target innerboroughs like Hackney while Reform UK eyes outer boroughs such as Barking and Dagenham. The losses could fuel calls for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation and signal Labour's vulnerability ahead of the next general election.
