Politics

At a press conference on Monday in which Reform UK announced the Tory police and crime commissioner for Leicestershire and Rutland was joining their ranks, as well as former prison governor Vanessa Frake, I asked Nigel Farage a simple question. But his answer wasn’t what I expected. I asked the Reform UK leader if the…

The prime minister’s spokesman has refused eight times to confirm whether recognition of Palestine could go ahead if Hamas remain in power and the hostages are not released.  Keir Starmer’s spokesman was questioned by journalists for the first time since the announcement last week that the UK will formally recognise the state in September – unless…

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has announced she will stand down at next year’s Holyrood election. In a letter to First Minister John Swinney, the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP said she did not “wish to seek re-election and miss any more of the precious early years of family life”. Ms Forbes is expected…

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈   Sir Keir Starmer is a prime minister who is arguably more comfortable abroad – and has spent his first year in office putting Britain front and centre on the world stage. So, in this episode, Sam and Anne are joined by Politico’s editor-in-chief John…

The government has vowed to push for a “major new crackdown” on people smuggling gangs with a £100m cash boost for border security. The investment will support the pilot of the new “one in, one out” returns agreement between the UK and France, and other efforts to crack down on small boat crossings. Home Secretary…

Efforts to bring Gazan children to the UK for urgent medical treatment are set to be accelerated under new government plans. Under the scheme, reportedly set to be announced within weeks, more injured and sick children will be treated by specialists in the NHS “where that is the best option for their care”. It has…

Anyone who advertises Channel crossings or fake passports on social media could face up to five years in prison under new government plans. Research suggests about 80% of migrants arriving to the UK by small boat used internet platforms during their journey – including to contact agents linked to smuggling gangs. While it is already…

Kemi Badenoch has said she does not see herself as Nigerian and no longer has a passport for the country she grew up in. The leader of the Conservative Party was born in the London suburb of Wimbledon but was raised in Lagos, Nigeria. When Nigeria’s economy collapsed in the 1990s, Ms Badenoch, then aged…

Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn may be the figureheads of a new left-wing party, but already there is a battle over leadership. The confusion behind the initial launch speaks to a wider debate happening behind closed doors as to who should steer the party – now and in the future. Already, in the true spirit…

The Online Safety Act is putting free speech at risk and needs significant adjustments, Elon Musk’s social network X has warned. New rules that came into force last week require platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X – as well as sites hosting pornography – to bring in measures to prove that someone using…