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The European Council’s latest conclusions on Cyprus warrant close attention in Westminster. In signalling its readiness to support Cyprus in discussions with the United Kingdom over the Sovereign Base Areas, the European Union has moved beyond observation into active involvement. That is not a neutral step. It is an attempt by an external bloc to... Read more » The post Britain must draw a firm line on Cyprus sovereignty appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Keir Starmer has said it “beggars belief” that he was not told the full story about Peter Mandelson’s vetting by Foreign Office officials.  The prime minister acknowledged that many MPs would find his remarks about the latest Mandelson revelations “to be incredible”. The comments came as Starmer delivered a statement to the House of Commons... Read more » The post Mandelson process ‘beggars belief’: Keir Starmer’s statement to parliament in full appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Keir Starmer did not mislead parliament when asked about the vetting of former UK ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson, a senior minister has stated.  Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, rejected suggestions that Starmer should resign over the scandal, telling Sky News that Mandelson’s vetting debacle amounted to a “failing... Read more » The post Senior minister: Starmer did not mislead parliament over Mandelson scandal appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

There has been a conspiracy of silence from successive British governments on the true cost of biodiversity collapse. The foreign secretary’s recent announcement, cutting the international climate aid budget by some 14% has only made matters worse. The response to the climate and nature threats we face has too often amounted to little more than hand-wringing as the ecosystems... Read more » The post Chris Hinchliff MP: ‘You cannot buy national security while burning the house down’  appeared first on Politics.co

We don’t talk enough about the power of the disabled workforce to kickstart the nation’s ailing economy. Barely a week goes by that we don’t lament our flatlining productivity, with pundits and politicians often portraying disabled people as a contributing factor. And yet we fail to notice the unused levers that can help to stimulate... Read more » The post Steve Darling MP: ‘The government has a proven lever for growth in its hands – it’s called Access to Work’ app

The NHS is one of Britain’s most cherished institutions, providing care to millions of patients each year. Yet questions remain about whether every resource is directed towards its core purpose of treating patients. One example is a law predating the NHS that requires it to pay out vast sums each year for private treatment that... Read more » The post A legal anomaly is costing the NHS billions appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

The Gorton and Denton By-election has rightly prompted much soul searching for the Labour Party. One particular piece of analysis arising from the catastrophic defeat is that “Blue Labour”, the party’s socially conservative tradition, should be repudiated. A return to “True Labour, not Blue Labour” goes the cry. But what is “True Labour” and how... Read more » The post Connor Naismith MP: ‘Why Blue Labour is a key component of True Labour’ appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

This year marks 25 years since the devastating 2001 foot and mouth outbreak. For many, it is a distant memory. For our farmers, it is not. It is a reminder of how quickly disease can bring rural Britain to its knees and how fragile our biosecurity truly is. The scale of that crisis remains staggering.... Read more » The post Ben Goldsborough MP: ‘Biosecurity must be placed at the heart of our national security strategy’ appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

It’s fair to say that British democracy is in ill health. Labour has inherited rock bottom public trust in politics and a state wracked by austerity. We are working to show that government can deliver again, and this Labour government has rightly set to the task of addressing the myriad problems left us by fourteen... Read more » The post Labour must not bind Britain’s fate to the failing electoral system appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

The Gorton and Denton by-election is historic by any measure. The result marks the first time that the Green Party of England and Wales, which has existed in one form or another since 1973, has won a parliamentary by-election. In fact, the Green vote share (40.7%) was four times larger than their previous best by-election... Read more » The post The Green surge is coming for Keir Starmer appeared first on Politics.co.uk.