16 h. ago Trump compares himself to Marine Le Pen as he tears into France for barring her from politics: 'This is a big deal'

President Donald Trump compared himself to convicted French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, calling her ban from elective office a 'very big deal.'

Politics

16 h. ago French justice minister urges prompt appeal hearing for Le Pen – Europe live

Gérald Darmanin stresses court timelines are outside government control as PM admits he has questions over immediate public office bansLe Pen ban is ‘political and partisan’, says French far-right party’s presidentIn Kyiv, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has offered an update on the talks with the United States over a new minerals deal.Sybiha told a press conference held with his Lithuanian counterpart, Kestutis Budrys, that one round of consultations had already taken place and that an agreement providing for a strong American business presence in Ukraine would contribute to his country’s security infrastructure, Reuters reported. Continue reading...

Politics

20 h. ago ‘We will not let French people have election stolen from them,’ says Le Pen – Europe live

Far-right leader says guilty verdict was ‘a nuclear bomb’ used against her as her party president calls for protestsLe Pen ban is ‘political and partisan’, says French far-right party’s presidentIn Kyiv, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has offered an update on the talks with the United States over a new minerals deal.Sybiha told a press conference held with his Lithuanian counterpart, Kestutis Budrys, that one round of consultations had already taken place and that an agreement providing for a strong American business presence in Ukraine would contribute to his country’s security infrastructure, Reuters reported. Continue reading...

Politics

27 h. ago Half of Scots opposed to 'reckless' scheme to allow prisoners out of jail early

MSPs passed a law meaning those sentenced to under four years in prison will now be released after serving 40 per cent of their time behind bars.

Events

31 h. ago Marine Le Pen vows to fight election ban in attack on court’s ‘politician decision’ over embezzlement conviction

Marine Le Pen says she will appeal against verdict and her five-year disqualification from public office ahead of presidential elections

Politics

33 h. ago Watch: Marine Le Pen slams guilty verdict as ‘political decision’ after election ban

Marine Le Pen claimed that a court's decision was "political" following its ruling on Monday, 31 March, which banned her from standing for election after she was found guilty of embezzling funds from the European parliament.

Politics

34 h. ago Marine Le Pen vows to fight election ban in scathing attack on court’s ‘politician decision’ after embezzlement conviction

Marine Le Pen says she will appeal against verdict and her five-year disqualification from public office ahead of presidential elections

Politics

35 h. ago Marine Le Pen attacks ban on French presidency run as a ‘political decision’

Far-right leader, who was found guilty of embezzlement of European funds, says conviction is a ‘denial of democracy’The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has railed against a Paris court’s “political decision” to bar her from competing for the presidency in 2027, attacking the move to ban her from running for public office as “a denial of democracy”.In a day of high political drama, Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement of European parliament funds on a vast scale, a conviction for which she was also handed a four-year prison sentence, with two of those years suspended and two to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet. She was also ordered to pay a €100,000 (£84,000) fine. Continue reading...

Politics

43 h. ago Marine Le Pen banned from running for French president after embezzling EU funds

Le Pen handed jail sentence and immediate five-year ban from political office, excluding her from running in the French presidential elections in 2027

Politics

43 h. ago Marine Le Pen jailed for four years and banned from running for French president after embezzling EU funds

Le Pen handed five-year ban from political office, excluding her from running in the French presidential elections in 2027

Events

44 h. ago Marine Le Pen barred from running for French presidency in 2027

Far-right leader found guilty of embezzlement of European funds and immediately barred from running for officeEurope live – latest updatesThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been barred from running for president in 2027 after a court found her guilty of a vast system of embezzlement of European parliament funds and banned her from running for public office with immediate effect.The decision was a political earthquake for Le Pen, the leader of the far-right anti-immigration National Rally (RN) party, who had hoped to mount a fourth campaign to become president. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago UK politics live: Badenoch pessimistic about local election chances as interest rates decision expected

Chancellor to lay out plans a week after Labour slashed welfare bill by £5bn

Politics

2 w. ago Michael Matheson and Stephen Flynn pass vetting decisions to stand in Scottish Parliament election

Decisions around the vetting process involving Stephen Flynn and other SNP MPs for the 2026 Holyrood election have been made

Politics

2 w. ago John Swinney’s decision to meet Donald Trump’s son slammed as ‘bad call’

Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said the sit-down with Eric Trump at the First Minister’s official residence sent a “bad message”.

Politics

2 w. ago Pete Buttigieg announces he won’t run for Senate or governor. Is a 2028 presidential bid coming?

‘The hardest decision in politics is to pass on a race you have a very good chance to win,’ political strategist David Axelrod says

Politics

2 w. ago Pete Buttigieg to announce he’s not running for Michigan’s open Senate seat. Is a 2028 presidential bid coming?

‘The hardest decision in politics is to pass on a race you have a very good chance to win,’ political strategist David Axelrod says

Politics

2 w. ago NHS England abolition shows ‘we have to take difficult decisions’, says Starmer – UK politics live

PM says he is ‘bringing management of the NHS back into democratic control by abolishing the arms length body NHS England’Starmer is now talking about regulatation, and giving examples of where he thinks it has gone too far.l give you an example. There’s a office conversion in Bingley, which, as you know, is in Yorkshire. That is an office conversion that will create 139 homes.But now the future of that is uncertain because the regulator was not properly consulted on the power of cricket balls. That’s 139 homes. Now just think of the people, the families, the individuals who want those homes to buy, those homes to make their life and now they’re held up. Why? You’ll decide whether this is a good reason because I’m going to quote this is the reason ‘because the ball strike assessment doesn’t appear to be undertaken by a specialist, qualified consultant’. So that’s what’s holding up these 139 homes.When we had those terrible riots what we saw then, in response, was dynamic. It was str...

Politics

2 w. ago PM signals he will take on ‘watchdog state’ of blocker bodies and agencies

The Prime Minister wants to reverse a sense among politicians ‘that we don’t trust ourselves’ to take decisions.

Events

3 w. ago Arrest of Palestinian student activist raises alarm about free speech – US politics live

American Civil Liberties Union decries attack on free speech after immigration authorities arrest Mahmoud KhalilGood morning, and welcome to our US politics blog.The Trump administration’s decision to have immigration authorities arrest Mahmoud Khalil – a vocal critic of Israel’s war on Gaza – for alleged support of Hamas is an attack on free speech, the American Civil Liberties Union has warned. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Trump administration briefing: Mahmoud Khalil’s detention, ‘Trumpcession’ fears and gutting USAid

From cries of ‘McCarthyism’ over Palestinian activist’s detention to fears over a ‘Trumpcession’ – key US politics stories from Monday at a glanceThe Trump administration’s decision to have immigration authorities arrest pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil for alleged support of Hamas is an attack on free speech, the American Civil Liberties Union warned on Monday.“This arrest is unprecedented, illegal, and un-American,” said Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. Continue reading...

Politics