68 m. ago Blame migrants, or blame the rich? That’s the populist divide in Britain’s politics now | Gaby Hinsliff

Taxing the ultra-rich may be a vote winner, but it’s just as important to shift the conversation away from Reform’s immigration doom loopThe long, hot summer of discontent is finally over. Parliament returned this week if not exactly with a rush of back to school energy, then at least with the sense that the government is now back to fill what was becoming an increasingly dangerous August vacuum.When exhausted ministers retreated to lick their wounds over the summer, Nigel Farage saw his chance and took it, filling the slow news days with encouragement of protesters over asylum seeker accommodation. He was rewarded by polling showing voters now see immigration – the terrain on which Reform UK is palpably desperate to fight an election, because it’s terrain on which Labour can never go far enough to please some supporters without horrifying half the rest – and not a broken economy as Britain’s biggest problem, an impression arguably only reinforced when the government’s first announc...

Politics

15 h. ago Report that rejects claim NI peace deal stops UK leaving ECHR sparks debate

Amnesty has said for the UK to repudiate the European Convention on Human Rights would be a ‘serious breach of international law’.

Economics

15 h. ago Keir Starmer’s legacy could be electoral reform – or Farage as prime minister | Polly Toynbee

MPs are voting to get rid of first past the post in mayoral elections. Doing the same at a national level would be an antidote to Reform UKWake up to the peril. As MPs return to parliament, they should abandon that self-deluding pretence that it could never happen here in our “moderate” and “tolerant” land. On the contrary, Britain is at more risk of a populist right takeover than many of our European neighbours. With Labour in an electoral slough of despond, and the Tories looking dead already, the reptilian grin of Nigel Farage haunts the political landscape after his satisfactory summer spent stoking division and cynicism.Our first past the post (FPTP) elections make us particularly vulnerable. As Rob Ford, professor of politics at Manchester University, notes: “This is now a Farage-friendly electoral system.” Reform UK has reached the tipping point where winning as little as 30% support in our corkscrewed lottery of a voting system could propel him into No 10, however much that ...

Politics

17 h. ago Retired Church of England vicar involved in ‘Eunuch maker’ extreme body mutilation group jailed

A retired Church of England vicar has been jailed for three years after admitting to carrying out an extreme body modification.

Events

18 h. ago Paying Taliban to take migrants ‘might be sensible transaction’, says Tice

Reform UK said it would set aside £2 billion to secure returns agreements with foreign governments.

Events

25 h. ago Voting for Brexit, stopping the small boats – none of it will ever appease those who wage war on immigration | Nesrine Malik

The facts and the numbers are irrelevant: Donald Trump and Nigel Farage just find new excuses and increase the toxicityA few weeks after the Brexit referendum, a leave-voting friend of mine told me what the biggest benefit would be. “We will never hear about immigration again,” he said. If you give the people the control over the border they want, the logic went, then Brexit will finally dissolve immigration as an issue that politicians can exploit, and the country can crack on with all the other important stuff that needs doing. And, well, let’s just say that this prediction did not pan out on such a colossal level that no follow-up conversation has been necessary.Because that’s just not how the whole immigration thing works. The goalposts always move. Nothing clarifies that more than Nigel Farage getting everything he has said he ever wanted, the country heaving itself out of the EU and ending free movement, only for another boil to fester around the issue of immigration – and gue...

Events

25 h. ago Vote Brexit, stop the boats – the goalposts on immigration keep moving, and those who oppose it will never be appeased | Nesrine Malik

The facts and the numbers are irrelevant: Donald Trump and Nigel Farage just find new excuses and increase the toxicityA few weeks after the Brexit referendum, a leave-voting friend of mine told me what the biggest benefit would be. “We will never hear about immigration again,” he said. If you give the people the control over the border they want, the logic went, then Brexit will finally dissolve immigration as an issue that politicians can exploit, and the country can crack on with all the other important stuff that needs doing. And, well, let’s just say that this prediction did not pan out on such a colossal level that no follow-up conversation has been necessary.Because that’s just not how the whole immigration thing works. The goalposts always move. Nothing clarifies that more than Nigel Farage getting everything he has said he ever wanted, the country heaving itself out of the EU and ending free movement, only for another boil to fester around the issue of immigration – and gue...

Politics

32 h. ago Keir Starmer slams Nigel Farage's 'scaremongering' as he makes pledge to British families

Keir Starmer has slammed the 'scaremongering' tactics of Reform UK and the Tories and said he is rolling up his sleeves to make a genuine difference to British families’ lives

Politics

33 h. ago Claims NI peace deal stops UK leaving ECHR ‘entirely groundless’ – think tank

The Policy Exchange claims public debate on human rights law reform had been ‘distorted’.

Economics

43 h. ago Even Reform voters now want to unpick this one Brexit measure, shock poll reveals

Exclusive: A YouGov poll has revealed attitudes to Brexit may be changing – even among Nigel Farage’s supporters

Politics

43 h. ago Nigel Farage skipping Parliament 'to help Donald Trump meddle with UK politics'

Nigel Farage has been accused of swerving the return of Parliament - and the first PMQs back after the summer - to "help Trump and JD Vance meddle in UK politics".

Politics

43 h. ago Richard Tice hits back at C of E criticism of Reform immigration policy

Deputy leader says archbishop should stay out of matter after Stephen Cottrell calls policy isolationist and kneejerkReform UK has engaged in a war of words with the Church of England over the party’s plans to deport all asylum seekers who arrive in small boats, after the church’s most senior bishop called the proposal “isolationist, short-term [and] kneejerk”.Richard Tice, the party’s deputy leader, hit back against the archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, on Sunday, accusing him of interfering in domestic politics. Continue reading...

Events

46 h. ago More woe for Starmer as plan for votes aged 16 'will benefit Corbyn's party and Nigel Farage'

A poll has found the as-yet unnamed left-wing outfit launched by Jeremy Corbyn could suck up more than a fifth of support among 16 and 17-year olds.

Politics

55 h. ago Time for a major reshuffle, Sir Keir Starmer urged... as PM looks to combat the rise of Reform UK

The Prime Minister is said to be planning to ring the changes in his front bench team in a bid to combat the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform over the summer recess.

Politics

56 h. ago Angela Rayner accused of plotting 'chicken run' to safer seat in the south amid Reform's surge

Recent polling suggests the Deputy Prime Minister's seat of Ashton, which she has held since 2015, could fall to Nigel Farage 's party in the next election.

Politics

60 h. ago Church of England’s most senior bishop accuses Nigel Farage of ‘kneejerk’ response to migrant crisis

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell says Reform UK leader is not offering a solution to the ‘big issues’ which lead to the small boat crossings

Events

61 h. ago Church of England's most senior bishop attacks Nigel Farage again over small boats crisis as he blasts Reform leader's 'isolationist, short

Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, branded the Reform UK leader's proposals for mass deportations as being 'isolationist, short-term' and 'kneejerk'.

Events

61 h. ago Nigel Farage criticised by senior Church of England bishop after chaotic Scotland visit

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said the Reform UK leader, who has promised mass deportations, was not offering a solution to the “big issues” driving people to risk the English Channel crossing.

Politics

62 h. ago Nigel Farage 'is a hypocrite' for lecturing on free speech while banning journalists

The silencing of journalists who could be critical comes shortly before the Reform leader flies to the US while parliament is sitting to testify before congress on the subject of "free speech"

Events

63 h. ago Nigel Farage skipping Parliament for two days 'to help Donald Trump meddle with UK'

'Patriot' Nigel Farage has been accused of swerving the return of Parliament - and the first PMQs back after the summer - to help Trump and JD Vance meddle in our politics

Politics