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Angela Rayner has criticised what she calls a “toxic culture of cronyism” in a 1000-word statement issued after this week’s local elections. Rayner, who resigned as deputy prime minister in September 2025, has called on the Labour Party to “live up to our name: we must be the party of working people.” She further warned... Read more » The post Angela Rayner says Starmer must ‘meet the moment’ – statement in full appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

A prime minister under not inconsiderable political pressure faces a leadership challenge from an obscure backbench MP posing as a proxy for more prominent pretenders.  These words accurately describe the political landscape Keir Starmer, Britain’s incumbent embattled premier, faces after Catherine West announced her plan to launch a leadership bid. West’s plan, hastily organised in... Read more » The post The stalking horse returns: what Thatcher’s 1989 challenge tells us about Starmer’s test appeared first on

Catherine West has threatened to launch a leadership bid that could topple the prime minister.  The Labour MP issued a momentous intervention after her party’s drubbing in the elections this week. On Saturday afternoon, West called on the cabinet to “reorganise themselves” and put forward their “best communicator” to replace Starmer. Speaking to BBC News... Read more » The post Starmer’s ‘stalking horse’: who is Labour challenger Catherine West?  appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

A Labour MP once considered to be close ally of Keir Starmer has called for him to resign as prime minister.  Josh Simons, the Labour MP for Makerfield, has written an article for the Times newspaper expressing his view that Starmer should oversee an “orderly transition to a new prime minister”.  Simons was director of... Read more » The post Starmer ally calls for prime minister to resign appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Keir Starmer has insisted that he will not “walk away” as prime minister after Labour suffered significant losses in the 2026 local elections.  The comments came as it was confirmed that Labour had lost control of eight councils, namely those in Westminster, Southampton, Exeter, Redditch, Wandsworth, Hartlepool, Tamworth and Tameside. Starmer maintained that “tough days”... Read more » The post Starmer vows to stay on as PM after Labour suffers major local election losses appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of sponsoring a Dogs Trust event in parliament highlighting an important and overlooked issue concerning animal rehoming organisations. It is frankly shocking that rehoming organisations, rescues and shelters across England, Wales and Northern Ireland remain unlicensed and not subject to inspections, even when they are registered charities. Whilst... Read more » The post Danny Beales MP: ‘The case for regulation of animal rehoming organisations’ appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

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