16 h. ago Musk hands out $1m checks to voters amid Wisconsin supreme court election race

Musk denied he was buying votes but said the court election outcome would be critical to Trump’s agenda and ‘the future of civilization’Elon Musk gave out $1m checks on Sunday to two Wisconsin voters, declaring them spokespeople for his political group, ahead of a Wisconsin supreme court election that the tech billionaire cast as critical to Donald Trump’s agenda and “the future of civilization”.“It’s a super big deal,” he told a roughly 2,000-person crowd in Green Bay on Sunday night, taking the stage in a yellow cheesehead hat. “I’m not phoning it in. I’m here in person.” Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago Elon Musk hands out $1m checks to voters amid Wisconsin supreme court election race

Musk denied he was buying votes but said the court election outcome would be critical to Trump’s agenda and ‘the future of civilization’Elon Musk gave out $1m checks on Sunday to two Wisconsin voters, declaring them spokespeople for his political group, ahead of a Wisconsin supreme court election that the tech billionaire cast as critical to Donald Trump’s agenda and “the future of civilization”.“It’s a super big deal,” he told a roughly 2,000-person crowd in Green Bay on Sunday night, taking the stage in a yellow cheesehead hat. “I’m not phoning it in. I’m here in person.” Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Lib Dems take aim at Tory place as ‘party of Middle England’ in local elections

The Liberal Democrats are hoping to erode the Conservative vote at the local elections in May.

Politics

34 h. ago DAN HODGES: Labour is set to suffer a tornado of rage from the voters it has betrayed... so why is Kemi Badenoch doing NOTHING to win them round?

Oh, how the clever boys in Tory HQ must have laughed. What a jolly jape. Mocking up a series of tweets to mimic US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's messages on bombing the Houthis.

Politics

44 h. ago 'We feel like we have to walk on egg shells': Tory MPs bemoan Kemi Badenoch's near ban on criticising Trump

Tory MPs are complaining about Kemi Badenoch 's 'controlling' approach and her effective ban on criticising the Trump team.

Politics

47 h. ago Minimum wage changes from this week get 'massive support' from voters

More than eight in ten (84%) Tory to Labour switchers at the 2024 General Election supported the change, as well as three in four (75%) Labour voters at the 2024 General Election who would now vote for Reform UK

Politics

53 h. ago Voices: Michael Gove’s advice to Kemi Badenoch reveals how far the Tories have fallen

The former cabinet minister’s insights into the Conservative's struggles highlight the party's deepening crisis and the challenges facing its future, writes John Rentoul

Politics

53 h. ago Voices: Michael Gove explains why he abandoned Boris Johnson twice

The former cabinet minister’s insights into the Conservatives’ struggles highlight the party’s deepening crisis and the challenges facing its future, writes John Rentoul

Politics

61 h. ago Justice Secretary warned against ‘megaphone diplomacy’ in sentencing row

Former Tory justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland also suggested he had no truck with accusations the Government was implementing ‘two-tier’ justice.

Events

2 d. ago Wisconsin AG moves in court to block Elon Musk’s $1m voter giveaway before state Supreme Court election

Attorney General Josh Kaul asked the Dane County Circuit Court to issue an emergency injunction to stop a giveaway event hosted by the world’s richest man over the weekend

Politics

3 d. ago Smartphone bans alone do not give children healthy tech relationship – academics

A group of experts has warned that blanket phone bans fail to prepare children for modern life in a digital world.

Society

4 d. ago Australian prime minister calls election amid shadow of Trump and cost

Anthony Albanese’s ruling Labor party faces a challenge by the centre-right Coalition led by Peter Dutton at the 3 May voteFollow all our Australian 2025 election coverageAustralia will go to the polls on 3 May, with Anthony Albanese’s first-term Labor government facing an uphill struggle to retain its narrow majority in parliament.Neither he nor the centre-right opposition leader, Peter Dutton, have sparked enthusiasm in the electorate, and polls suggest neither party may achieve an absolute majority in the 150-seat House of Representatives, meaning one or the other would need to negotiate with independents and minor parties to form government. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Nigel Farage rules out election deal with Tories branding them 'stuffy boring old b******s' and claiming Net Zero will be major vote battleground

The Reform leader said he would rather his party replaced the Tories as the home of rightwing voters and questioned counterpart Kemi Badenoch 's work ethic in a scathing attack.

Politics

5 d. ago South Dakota makes it tougher for recreational vehicle voters to participate in elections

A new law in South Dakota revises the residency requirements for voter registration

Politics

5 d. ago Ofsted chief backs headteachers taking ‘tough’ decision to ban phones in schools

Sir Martyn Oliver told parents at a Q&A in London that he had walked into schools in ‘utter chaos’ where phones were rife.

Politics

5 d. ago 250,000 more people will face relative poverty after Rachel Reeves’ benefits cuts, DWP says – spring statement live

Department for work and pensions says thousands, including children, will be hit by chancellor’s reforms, as OBR forecasts UK growth to halve in 2025Spring statement 2025: key points at a glanceRachel Reeves will not be raising taxes in the spring statement today, even though there are many people on the left who would prefer taxes to rise as an alternative to public spending being cut. Reeves came into office promising only one budget-type event a year, and that is one reason why she is not hiking taxes today. But mainly it’s because she thinks Britons are relatively highly taxed already, because Labour was elected on a manifesto ruling out most of the obvious possible tax rises and because she’s not convinced a sweeping wealth tax would work.But that has not stopped campaigners calling for a wealth tax, and yesterday about 300 people attended a ‘Tax the Super-Rich’ rally outside the Treasury. It was organised by charities and social justice campaign groups, but one of the speakers...

Politics

5 d. ago Reeves announces welfare changes, increased defence spending and new growth forecasts – spring statement live

Chancellor OBR forecasts for UK growth halved in 2025 but up in the remaining years of this parliamentSpring statement 2025: key points at a glanceRachel Reeves will not be raising taxes in the spring statement today, even though there are many people on the left who would prefer taxes to rise as an alternative to public spending being cut. Reeves came into office promising only one budget-type event a year, and that is one reason why she is not hiking taxes today. But mainly it’s because she thinks Britons are relatively highly taxed already, because Labour was elected on a manifesto ruling out most of the obvious possible tax rises and because she’s not convinced a sweeping wealth tax would work.But that has not stopped campaigners calling for a wealth tax, and yesterday about 300 people attended a ‘Tax the Super-Rich’ rally outside the Treasury. It was organised by charities and social justice campaign groups, but one of the speakers was Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green party...

Economics

5 d. ago Keir Starmer says a mandatory ban on phones in schools is 'completely unnecessary' in fiery PMQs clash over Labour block on law change

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch took aim after Labour blocked a proposal to bar the use of smartphones in educational settings.

Politics

5 d. ago Keir Starmer faces PMQs before Rachel Reeves delivers spring statement – UK politics live

Chancellor is expected to announce further welfare cuts when she outlines departmental spending plansRachel Reeves will not be raising taxes in the spring statement today, even though there are many people on the left who would prefer taxes to rise as an alternative to public spending being cut. Reeves came into office promising only one budget-type event a year, and that is one reason why she is not hiking taxes today. But mainly it’s because she thinks Britons are relatively highly taxed already, because Labour was elected on a manifesto ruling out most of the obvious possible tax rises and because she’s not convinced a sweeping wealth tax would work.But that has not stopped campaigners calling for a wealth tax, and yesterday about 300 people attended a ‘Tax the Super-Rich’ rally outside the Treasury. It was organised by charities and social justice campaign groups, but one of the speakers was Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green party, which is in favour of a wealth tax.Across th...

Politics

5 d. ago DAN HODGES: We're being ruled by idiots. And here's exactly why today's political elite are so out of touch... as revealed by the utterly damning thing a top MP told me

Pete Hegseth's almost treasonous blunder has finally torn the curtain away. Trump and his acolytes aren't masters of the deal. They are incompetent, reckless, crazy men.

Politics