13 h. ago No way back to government role for Mandelson after Epstein scandal, Starmer says

Labour peer sacked as amabassor to Washington over continued links to Jeffrey Epstein

Politics

13 h. ago Keir Starmer says top Labour figure won't return to government after Epstein scandal

The PM dismissed the ambassador from his post after Peter Mandelson suggested the notorious billionaire "fight for early release" shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison

Politics

25 h. ago Labour deputy leader battle turns nasty as Bridget Phillipson allies warn Corbynites want win for 'anti

Supporters of Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary and Starmerite candidate, have warned that the remaining rump of Corbynistas in the party are lining up behind her rival Lucy Powell.

Events

45 h. ago Tory plan to abolish stamp duty ‘will benefit London and the wealthiest the most’ – UK politics live

The Social Market Foundation thinktank says council tax reform and a property-based tax would be more sustainable and fairerVoting in the Labour deputy leadership election opens today. Lucy Powell, the former Commons leader, is seen as the favourite and, as Jessica Elgot reports, Powell told supporters yesterday that, if she is elected, she will use the post to argue for changes in the way the government is operating. “We can’t sugarcoat the fact that things aren’t going well,” she said.Powell is no longer a government minister and, if she is elected deputy leader, she will do the job from the backbenches. In an interview on Newsnight last night, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary standing against Powell, said a Powell victory would be “destabilising” for the party. She said:[Electing Powell] risks destabilising the party we best achieve what we need to do together when we have those fierce conversations, including disagreements, behind closed doors.Members need to understa...

Politics

47 h. ago Kemi Badenoch accuses Keir Starmer of deliberately collapsing 'China spy' trial so Labour can 'suck up' to Beijing

The Tory leader lashed out amid claims that the Prime Minister's light touch with the Communist regime had handed it a free pass to commit espionage in the UK.

Politics

47 h. ago Tories would abolish stamp duty, Badenoch tells party conference – UK politics live

Party leader says measure is a ‘bad tax’ and scrapping it would free up the housing market and improve social mobilityVoting in the Labour deputy leadership election opens today. Lucy Powell, the former Commons leader, is seen as the favourite and, as Jessica Elgot reports, Powell told supporters yesterday that, if she is elected, she will use the post to argue for changes in the way the government is operating. “We can’t sugarcoat the fact that things aren’t going well,” she said.Powell is no longer a government minister and, if she is elected deputy leader, she will do the job from the backbenches. In an interview on Newsnight last night, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary standing against Powell, said a Powell victory would be “destabilising” for the party. She said:[Electing Powell] risks destabilising the party we best achieve what we need to do together when we have those fierce conversations, including disagreements, behind closed doors.Members need to understand tha...

Politics

50 h. ago Labour minister REFUSES to label China 'an enemy' as Keir Starmer is accused of giving Beijing a 'free pass' to spy in Britain in wake of trial collapse

Emma Hardy admitted dealing with the communist regime was 'a challenge', the day after the director of public prosecutions launched an astonishing attack on the government.

Politics

51 h. ago Starmer faces further pressure to ‘come clean’ over China ‘spy’ case

The director of public prosecutions said the Government had not provided the evidence needed to proceed with the case.

Events

3 d. ago Kemi Badenoch faces call to sack Tory shadow minister after he suggests Conservative–Reform election pact

Andrew Rosindell admitted his Romford seat would ‘almost certainly’ fall to Reform UK at an election

Politics

3 d. ago Tories should work with Reform to defeat Labour, says shadow minister

Andrew Rosindell urged right-of-centre parties to ‘unite together’.

Politics

3 d. ago Sarah Ferguson 'lying low' at Royal Lodge with 'no sign of her' since Epstein scandal

The Duchess of York has been keeping a low profile since her email to Jeffrey Epstein was leaked, with some experts saying she has been 'lying low' in Royal Lodge

Politics

3 d. ago Labour has ruined lives of farming communities with tax policy, Tories claim

Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins pledged to scrap the ‘family farm tax’ at the Conservative party conference in Manchester.

Events

4 d. ago Labour is ‘complicit’ in abuse towards Jewish community, says Priti Patel

The shadow foreign secretary told Conservative Party members on Sunday evening that Labour has lost ‘any moral purpose’.

Events

4 d. ago Princess Eugenie takes on new role following Sarah Ferguson's leaked Jeffrey Epstein email scandal

Princess Eugenie, 35, revealed that she had stepped into a new role as patron for Arts Work on Friday.

Politics

5 d. ago The country that inspired Keir Starmer's digital ID card fiasco: Labour's blueprint for Britain is a 'goldmine for hackers and scammers to steal your money'

The digital ID system used by 1.4million people in the Baltic state country is said to be the blueprint for Keir Starmer 's so-called Brit Card.

Events

5 d. ago After Starmer claimed his party has finally woken up to concerns over the impact of mass migration, how I know Labour has never wanted to tackle the migrant crisis... and never will

As Keir Starmer twists and turns over Labour's record on immigration, remember it is in the party's DNA to throw open the borders, lie about the impact and then smear their critics as bigots.

Events

6 d. ago There are plenty of ways to humanely control British borders. So why isn’t Keir Starmer using them? | Enver Solomon

Labour’s incoherent asylum policies are vilifying refugees. A better and more compassionate route is possibleJust 24 hours after he described providing asylum as the “mark of a decent, compassionate country”, Keir Starmer said the UK had been too “generous” towards refugees, and announced a plan to end what he described as the asylum “golden ticket,” which allows people to resettle their families in Britain. For a refugee who has pulled the body of their child from the rubble of their bombed-out home, or made a perilous journey alone as a young adult having lost their family, it certainly doesn’t feel this way.The government believes that to deter refugees from crossing the Channel in small boats, it must restrict their ability to reunite in Britain with their immediate family. It must also make it impossible for them to achieve settled status if they have ever claimed benefits or received a criminal record.Enver Solomon is chief executive of the Refugee Council Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago ANDREW NEIL: The headwinds Starmer and Reeves should worry about are the ones likely to have blown them both away by this time next year

Keir Starmer left the Labour conference in Liverpool this week in better shape than he arrived. But his troubles are far from over.

Politics

7 d. ago Fresh blow for Keir Starmer as major firm rules out helping Labour introduce digital ID cards because 'they don't have public support'

Louis Mosley, the UK boss of Palantir Technologies, noted how Labour 's manifesto prior to last year's general election made no mention of such a scheme.

Politics

7 d. ago Baroness Mone accuses Chancellor of ‘inflammatory’ language in letter to PM

Rachel Reeves is reported to have joked that the Government had a vendetta against peer Lady Mone during a fringe event at Labour’s party conference.

Politics