32 m. ago Disability benefit cuts impossible to support, 42 Labour MPs tell Starmer

Exclusive: backbenchers sign letter calling for change in direction on plans expected to be put to vote next month UK politics live – latest updatesMore than 40 Labour MPs have warned the prime minister that planned disability cuts are “impossible to support” and have called for a pause and change in direction.The letter from parliamentarians spanning the new intake and veterans, and from the left and right of the party, sets Keir Starmer up for the biggest rebellion of his premiership when the House of Commons votes on the measures next month. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago UK strikes trade deal with US as Trump touts ‘big announcement’: Live updates

The announcement comes after lengthy negotiations between both countries amid Trump’s global tariff war

Politics

21 h. ago UK politics live: Kemi Badenoch talking ‘rubbish’ over trade deal criticisms, say Indian officials

New Delhi officials say Tories previously agreed to a two-year national insurance exemption which Kemi Badenoch now claims amounts to ‘two-tier’ tax

Politics

22 h. ago Pakistan gives green light for military to hit back after night of India airstrikes and starts transporting tanks near Kashmir as deadly clashes risk spiralling into all

Pakistan deemed India's assault an 'act of war' that it claims deliberately targeted civilian areas - an allegation roundly denied by India.

Events

23 h. ago Tory extinction ‘can’t be ruled out’, says Jeremy Hunt – UK politics live

Former chancellor says he does not expect the Conservatives to die out as a party but he says it is a possibilityKeir Starmer starts by saying rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain. The government is enouraging de-escalation, he says.He says tomorrow the nation will fall silent to commemorate VE Day. The armed forces protect our freedom, he says. Continue reading...

Politics

23 h. ago UK politics live: Hunt admits Tories ‘can’t rule out’ party extinction after disastrous local elections

Comes as Starmer and Badenoch clash over government’s newly-struck UK-India trade deal and Labour’s winter fuel payment cuts

Politics

26 h. ago PMQs live: Starmer and Badenoch clash on winter fuel and India trade deal in first debate post local elections

Tory leader piles pressure on prime minister to restore winter fuel payments to all pensioners

Politics

27 h. ago UK politics live: Labour insists India trade deal does not undercut British workers after ‘two

Starmer to soon face grilling at PMQs over newly-struck agreenment and local election losses

Economics

28 h. ago UK politics live: Labour denies claims India trade deal undercuts British workers ahead of PMQs

Badenoch claims she previously ‘refused to sign this deal’ over national insurance tax break for some Indian and British workers

Economics

28 h. ago Scrambling ministers insist £5billion India trade deal will NOT 'undercut' British workers amid row over 'two

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, the architect of the agreement, came out swinging this morning as Labour faced a major backlash to the £5bn agreement announced yesterday.

Economics

48 h. ago Welsh Labour first minister says she is ‘losing patience’ with Starmer’s policies

Eluned Morgan says her government will move ‘to the left’ and urges UK Labour to reconsider budget cutsUK politics live – latest updatesThe Welsh first minister and leader of the Welsh Labour party has said she is “losing patience” with UK Labour and made it clear she is “tacking to the left” as she tries to counter a growing threat from Reform UK and Plaid Cymru.Eluned Morgan told the Guardian she wanted Keir Starmer to rethink policy changes on welfare and the winter fuel allowance and described the Labour party as a “messy family”. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Streeting admits Reform could be main opposition by next election – UK politics live

Health secretary tells Sky News that the party are ‘definitely a threat’ following byelection and council resultsLabour targets international students claiming asylumThe Conservatives will come back from their poor results in the local elections but it will have to be a “slow and steady” effort, party leader Kemi Badenoch has said, PA reports.She told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I am sorry to all of those councillors who’ve lost their seat”. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Badenoch apologises for local election results as Reform warned there are ‘no simple answers’ – UK politics live

Shadow chief treasury secretary Richard Fuller says Nigel Farage’s party must do more than just ‘point at problems’‘We can’t just talk to the right’: what will Labour do now?Headteachers are taking legal action against Ofsted, England’s schools watchdog, over fears that its new inspection regime is “even worse than before” and likely to harm the mental health of school leaders.The National Association of Head Teachers said it had lodged a claim for a judicial review against Ofsted “over the potential impact of their inspection proposals” and for inadequate consultation over its new system of grading schools.Somehow the focus on school leader mental health and wellbeing has got lost along the way during Ofsted’s consultation process.We must not forget that the catalyst for these changes was the tragic death of Ruth Perry and widespread acceptance that the inspection regime was placing school leaders under intolerable pressure. However, there appears to have been very little thought g...

Events

5 d. ago Local election results live: Badenoch sorry for Tory ‘bloodbath’ as Farage gloats Conservatives are finished

Reform takes control of 10 councils, snatches dramatic victory in Runcorn by-election and wins two mayoral contests

Politics

5 d. ago ‘No simple answers’ for Reform after local election success, senior Tory warns – UK politics live

Shadow chief treasury secretary Richard Fuller says Nigel Farage’s party must do more than just ‘point at problems’‘We can’t just talk to the right’: what will Labour do now?Labour MP Rachael Maskell has urged her party to scrap winter fuel and welfare policies that she said are pushing voters away, reports the PA news agency.The York Central MP told BBC Breakfast that Labour has “special responsibilities” to serve the needs of people.We’re not any other political party, we were created to serve the needs of people across working areas of our country so that people had a real voice of the kind of change that they wanted to see.I think it’s now time, if Labour are going to go further faster, to pick up that voice, to put our fingers on the pulse and to understand that that responsibility that the 1945 government set out putting that safety net in place at the welfare state is on our watch and is our responsibility.People went cold last winter and that’s not what a Labour government s...

Events

5 d. ago Local election results live: Reform wins spate of councils as Farage gloats that Tories are ‘finished’

Reform snatched a dramatic victory in the Runcorn by-election, beating Labour by six votes

Politics

5 d. ago Local elections 2025: Live results map for every council and mayoral race

The local election results are being declared as councils tally up votes

Politics

5 d. ago English local elections live: Farage says ‘it’s the beginning of the end of the Conservative party’ after sweeping Reform triumphs

Starmer acknowledges ‘disappointing’ results as Badenoch says it was ‘always going to be a very difficult set of elections’Local elections: full mayoral and council resultsStarmer under fire from Labour MPs after Runcorn lossIs Farage’s quest to rid Reform of ‘amateurism’ paying off?Reform UK has won three of the first five wards declared at Northumberland County Council, with Labour and the Conservatives picking up one each, PA reports.There are 67 seats on the council, with the Conservatives defending 33, Labour 18, the Liberal Democrats four and Greens two, while there were 10 independent councillors. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Local election results live: Reform wins spate of councils as Farage declares ‘beginning of the end’ for Tories

Farage declares Reform ‘main opposition party’ after taking seven councils after by-election and mayoral wins

Politics

5 d. ago English local elections live: Starmer and Badenoch downbeat as Reform continues success with council victories

PM acknowledges ‘disappointing’ results as Tory leader says it was ‘always going to be a very difficult set of elections’Local elections: full mayoral and council resultsStarmer under fire from Labour MPs after Runcorn lossIs Farage’s quest to rid Reform of ‘amateurism’ paying off?Reform UK has won three of the first five wards declared at Northumberland County Council, with Labour and the Conservatives picking up one each, PA reports.There are 67 seats on the council, with the Conservatives defending 33, Labour 18, the Liberal Democrats four and Greens two, while there were 10 independent councillors. Continue reading...

Politics