5 h. ago Fury as millions of voters face elections being delayed for another year as government plans hit setback

Ministers have written to 63 councils scheduled to hold elections in May 2026

Politics

8 h. ago Fury as millions of voters could see elections delayed for another year as government plans hit setback

Ministers have written to 63 councils scheduled to hold elections in May 2026

Politics

18 h. ago Local elections face further delays as councils struggle to reorganise in time

Opposition parties say Labour is ‘scared of voters’ but government says merging authorities have voiced concernsLocal elections could be delayed again as merging councils lack the capacity for reorganisation, the government has announced, triggering claims from opposition parties that Labour is “scared of the voters”.Sixty-three council areas could opt to postpone elections until 2027 after some were already delayed until May 2026 as two-tier authorities are being combined into single unitary councils. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago Tories and Reform accuse Labour of 'running scared' of voters after Keir Starmer's ministers open door for 63 councils to scrap next May's elections

Labour's move would rob more than 10million people of a vote in May. And with half the councils involved run by Labour, it could limit the party's losses and boost Sir Keir's chances of survival.

Politics

28 h. ago US consumer prices decelerated unexpectedly in November, rising 2.7% from a year earlier

U.S. inflation decelerated unexpectedly last month according to new data that had been delayed by the government shutdown

Politics

3 d. ago Employers likely added 40,000 jobs in November as government releases report delayed by shutdown

The U.S. job market is sluggish and confusing this fall

Politics

4 d. ago Why the doctors’ strike is taking place as NHS hit by rising flu cases

Health secretary Wes Streeting has hit out against the planned action

Events

4 d. ago Photos of voters taking part in Chile's runoff presidential election

Chileans took to the polls to vote in their country's runoff presidential election between candidates Jeannette Jara of the ruling Unity for Chile coalition and Jose Antonio Kast of the Republican Party.

Politics

5 d. ago From pear juice to patches – I test three products designed to help you survive festive hangovers

PARTY season is in full swing, but it can take a toll on your health.    It’s a good idea to stick to the guidelines on limits – and plan alcohol-free days. Also, eat before you hit the booze, to slow the absorption of alcohol in to your bloodstream.   Here, in the name of research, I’ve tried out some health products that may...

Events

8 d. ago The Guardian view on Labour’s new peerages: another boost for the ermine arms race | Editorial

Sir Keir Starmer promised to bring meaningful reform to the House of Lords. He is failing to introduce itIn opposition, Sir Keir Starmer called the unelected House of Lords “indefensible”. This week, barely 18 months into his prime ministership, Sir Keir took the total of unelected peers he has appointed since July 2024 to 96. Remarkably, Wednesday’s 34 new life peerages, mainly Labour supporters, take his appointment total above those of each of his four most recent Conservative predecessors. You must go back to David Cameron to find a prime minister who did more to stuff the Lords than Sir Keir.At the last election, Labour presented itself to the voters as a party of Lords reform. The party manifesto promised to remove the remaining hereditary peers, to reform the appointments process, to impose a peers’ retirement age, and to consult on proposals for replacing the Lords with an alternative second chamber. The House of Lords, the manifesto flatly declared, was “too big”....

Politics

8 d. ago ‘Censorship pure and simple’: critics hit out at Trump plan to vet visitors’ social media

Some warn proposal will decimate US tourism industry as free speech advocates say it will lead to people self-censoringFree speech advocates have accused Donald Trump of “shredding civil liberties” and “censorship pure and simple” after the White House said it planned to require visa applicants from dozens of countries to provide social media, phone and email histories for vetting before being allowed into the US.In a move that some commentators compared to China and others warned would decimate tourism to the US, including the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the Department for Homeland Security said it was planning to apply the rules to visitors from 42 countries, including the UK, Ireland, Australia, France, Germany and Japan, if they want to enter the US on the commonly used Esta visa waiver. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Stirling councillors give thumbs up to 'tourist tax' plans despite delay call

The visitor levy will come into force from June 2027, despite opposition and business calls for a delay to consider possible Scottish Government changes.

Politics

9 d. ago Wrong voters, wrong message: progressives’ autopsy lays bare Kamala Harris failures

RootsAction report finds Harris courted moderates instead of working-class Democrats – and Gaza stance did not helpKamala Harris lost last year’s US presidential election because she chased the wrong voters with the wrong message, ultimately demobilising the very base that she needed to win, according to an autopsy by a progressive grassroots advocacy group.The vice-president focused on courting moderate Republicans over motivating core Democratic working-class, young and progressive voters, a misstep compounded by her failure to break from Joe Biden on Gaza, says the report by RootsAction. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Peter Kay reveals more details on Phoenix Nights movie reboot as he reunites with co

PETER Kay has revealed more details on the Phoenix Nights movie reboot as he reunited with a co-star and revealed his AI de-ageing plan. The Bolton-born comedian, 52, launched the smash hit series which made him a star back in 2001 and now he's talking about bringing it to the big screen. Over two decades...

Politics

1 week ago 'I know the pain of losing my daughter through extreme violence' says campaigning mum

Bereaved families are demanding action on Jade's Law saying Government delays mean children orphaned by domestic homicide remain exposed and without vital legal protection

Events

1 week ago Protesters hit Crowborough over plan to house 600 migrants in army camp

Up to 600 male asylum seekers are set to be housed at the camp on the outskirts of Crowborough, East Sussex, as Britain continues to be gripped by a small boat crisis.

Events

1 week ago Chernobyl leak fears as nuclear radiation shield BROKEN by Russian strikes

A drone strike hit the protective outer shell of Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear plant in February - and while Ukraine blamed Russia, the Kremlin denied it was responsible

Events

1 week ago Nigel Farage launches legal action over Government decision to delay elections

Lord Malcolm Offord (left), the until-now Treasurer of the Conservative Party in Scotland, was announced by Nigel Farage as the latest politician to join the party during a rally in Falkirk on Saturday.

Politics

1 week ago Why 'blindsided' Ed Sheeran regrets exposing marital secrets on his new album: After break

When Ed Sheeran wanted to portray moments from his romance with wife Cherry Seaborn for the video to accompany his hit Camera, he planned to use the couple's own private footage.

Politics

2 w. ago Why workers earning £52,000 will be the hardest hit by tax raids

Analysis shows that those on middle incomes are set to be worst hit by Rachel Reeves' plan to charge National Insurance on pension contributions over £2,000 per year.

Economics