30 m. ago Merz says he ‘deplores deeply’ UK’s decision to leave EU after signing UK

UK PM and German chancellor answered media questions after signing first treaty between two countries since second world warWhile Rushanara Ali is answering the urgent question in the Commons, Keir Starmer is speaking at the event where he is announcing a “civil society covenant”.There is a live feed here.Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket or an alcoholic drink, marry or go to war, or even stand in the elections they’re voting? It isn’t the government’s position on the age of maturity just hopelessly confused? Continue reading...

Politics

98 m. ago Starmer says coalition of willing plan for peacekeeping force for Ukraine includes troops on ground – UK politics live

UK PM and German chancellor answered media questions after signing first treaty between two countries since second world warWhile Rushanara Ali is answering the urgent question in the Commons, Keir Starmer is speaking at the event where he is announcing a “civil society covenant”.There is a live feed here.Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket or an alcoholic drink, marry or go to war, or even stand in the elections they’re voting? It isn’t the government’s position on the age of maturity just hopelessly confused? Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Starmer defends lowering voting age to 16, saying people old enough to pay tax should have a say – UK politics live

Plan to give 16 and 17-year-olds vote across UK means nearly 1.5 million more people will be to have say at general electionWhile Rushanara Ali is answering the urgent question in the Commons, Keir Starmer is speaking at the event where he is announcing a “civil society covenant”.There is a live feed here.Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket or an alcoholic drink, marry or go to war, or even stand in the elections they’re voting? It isn’t the government’s position on the age of maturity just hopelessly confused? Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago Jess Phillips says Labour rebels should not be surprised by the action taken against them – UK politics live

Home Office minister defends Keir Starmer’s decision to remove whip from four MPs and says Labour must ‘act as a team’Good morning. Chief whips tends to be quite secretive, and when four Labour MPs had the whip suspended yesterday, there was no detailed, public explanation as to why they were being punished for rebelling when so many other backbenchers, who have also voted against the party, have not been singled out. As Eleni Courea and Jessica Elgot report in our overnight story, we were just told they were regular rebels.But the best explanation came from the Labour party source who told Geri Scott from the Times that the four MPs – Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff – were being punished for “persistent knobheadery”.I don’t think that the discipline that has been meted out over the last 24 hours is linked to [the welfare bill] because many more people voted against the government than these four people.I actually don’t know because I’m not pa...

Politics

10 h. ago Monty Python's Eric Idle takes aim at 'appalling' Nigel Farage after Spamalot chaos

The legendary comedian, 82, has applied for a talent visa in France after Brexit issues meant he was unable to see the opening of his Spamalot musical in Paris last year

Events

10 h. ago Monty Python’s Eric Idle says Nigel Farage being ‘taken seriously is appalling’

The comedian will return to the UK in September for a solo tour.

Politics

19 h. ago Reform tells energy firms it would scrap their clean power subsidies

Richard Tice has written to firms giving them ‘formal notice’ that Reform would tear up contracts designed to boost green energy investment.

Events

25 h. ago Will Nigel Farage’s attempt to copy and paste Trump’s policies work in the UK? | Samuel Earle

The Reform leader is trying to import Doge’s cuts to spending and ‘DEI’. It’s clear what he gets out of it – not so much the British voterA popular maxim on the American right is that politics is downstream from culture. In the UK, it increasingly feels like politics is simply downstream from the US. With Reform UK ascendant in the polls, Nigel Farage – officially MP for Clacton, unofficially Donald Trump’s emissary to the UK – is setting the terms of the national conversation, and he is importing them directly from across the pond.Over the past few months, Reform has sought to launch “Doge” initiatives (referencing Elon Musk’s department of government efficiency), waged war on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) employment schemes, and called for the UK government to embrace crypto and create a bitcoin digital reserve at the Bank of England, following Trump’s lead. It seems the Brexiteers were right: Britain doesn’t make anything any more – not even its own bogeymen.Samuel Earle ...

Politics

40 h. ago NIGEL FARAGE: Britain can no longer be treated like a charity for the rest of the world

For years, the broadcast media have pushed the narrative that mass migration is a net benefit. What we've seen instead has been very different.

Politics

49 h. ago Voices: Is it time to give up on the NHS, our national religion?

The former health secretary Sajid Javid says we should charge £20 for GP appointments and replace the health service with a Dutch-style social insurance system – just as Wes Streeting warns the doctors that they are paving the way for Nigel Farage to do just that, writes John Rentoul

Politics

3 d. ago RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: The Labour morons are happy to damage Britain to support their half

For once, I'm with Peter Mandelson. Our Man In Washington says Donald Trump should be welcomed with open arms when he makes his State visit because 'he really does love Britain'.

Events

3 d. ago Nigel Farage demands Parliament sits in September so Trump can address both Houses during State Visit

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the US President and First Lady Melania will be in the UK from September 17 to 19.

Politics

4 d. ago Starmer accuses Farage of WANTING his 'migrant merry go round' Channel boats deal to fail

Keir Starmer insisted Nigel Farage would become 'irrelevant' if illegal immigration comes under control as he desperately defended the pact with France.

Events

4 d. ago PM makes Germany small boat demand as he takes another swipe at Nigel Farage

Keir Starmer will meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the UK this week, and will discuss ways to 'go further' on tackling illegal migration following the new returns agreement with France

Politics

4 d. ago Lord Mandelson says Nigel Farage is 'peaking too soon' to become PM despite admitting that Keir Starmer's election landslide was down to 'anger'

Lord Mandelson - the UK ambassador to the US - said Nigel Farage is a 'highly effective populist' as polls show Reform with a significant lead.

Politics

4 d. ago Crazy golf trips, circus tickets and countless Amazon parcels: How cash

The lavish spending, unearthed by Nigel Farage's new 'efficiency' audit, also included thousands of pounds spent on gift cards, Currys and Argos purchases, and takeaways.

Sport

4 d. ago Nigel Farage 'set to snub Liz Truss' if she tries to jump ship to Reform UK

Nigel Farage is set to snub any attempt by Liz 'The Lettuce' Truss if she tries to jump ship from the Tories and join the ranks of his Reform UK party, political sources say.

Politics

4 d. ago Nigel Farage makes the same startling omission in almost all of his Commons speeches

Parliamentary records show Farage has spoken 46 times in the Commons in the past year – less than once a week

Events

6 d. ago Rupert Lowe cleared of breaching MPs’ rules over grooming gang inquiry donations

Parliament’s standards commissioner found Mr Lowe had not breached the rules governing donations to MPs over a crowdfunder for his grooming inquiry.

Events

6 d. ago Parliament’s standards watchdog begins investigation into Rupert Lowe

The BBC said it was launched because Mr Lowe is yet to declare money from his private grooming gang inquiry on his register of interests.

Politics