20 h. ago Voices: Starmer’s Mandelson nightmare gives Badenoch her first good PMQs

Keir Starmer was on the defensive over Peter Mandelson and the Conservative leader drove home her advantage, writes John Rentoul

Politics

21 h. ago Voices: Starmer is risking becoming mired in sleaze as he backs Mandelson over ‘best pal’ Epstein

Amid all the fallout from the Epstein ‘Birthday Book’, could the revelation that the US ambassador helped the late paedophile broker a $1bn deal, when he was Labour’s business secretary, be the point of no return, asks Sean O’Grady

Events

22 h. ago Voices: Starmer must ask Mandelson some serious questions about his ‘best pal’ Epstein

Amid the fallout from the Epstein ‘Birthday Book’, could the revelation that Peter Mandelson helped broker a $1bn deal for Epstein be the point of no return, asks Sean O’Grady

Politics

22 h. ago Voices: Starmer must ask serious questions of Mandelson and ‘best pal’ Epstein

Amid the fallout from the Epstein ‘Birthday Book’, could the revelation that Lord Mandelson helped broker a $1bn deal for Epstein, be the point of no return, asks Sean O’Grady

Politics

23 h. ago PMQs live: Badenoch calls Starmer ‘embarrassing’ for backing Mandelson after Epstein revelations

Sir Keir Starmer refuses to say whether he was aware of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein before appointment

Politics

23 h. ago Starmer says he has confidence in Peter Mandelson despite resurfaced ties to Jeffrey Epstein – UK politics live

PM was grilled by Kemi Badenoch on suitability of Mandelson for job as US ambassador Helena Horton is a Guardian environment reporter.Emma Reynolds, the new environment secretary, had a difficult job this morning: meeting a group of farmers after Labour caused fury in the rural community by introducing a new inheritance tax.The Treasury reserve, designed to be used for “genuinely unforeseen, unaffordable and unavoidable pressures” has recently been used to fund higher public sector pay and compensation payouts.In a letter to ministers, the chancellor said Treasury would only consider providing reserve funds to departments that have already maximised their savings Continue reading...

Politics

26 h. ago Keir Starmer will meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog as MPs express ‘grave concern’ at the visit – UK politics live

The visit is seen as highly contentious amid the war in Gaza and Israel’s bombing of Qatar in a targeted strike aimed at Hamas officialsPeter Mandelson, the British ambassador to the US, has spoken at length about how he regrets “very, very deeply indeed” his past friendship with the billionaire paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.After new evidence about the extent of that friendship came to light yesterday, Mandelson gave an interview to the Sun’s editor-at-large in the US, Harry Cole, accepting that the disclosures were “very embarrassing to see and to read”.I just feel two things now – one, I feel a tremendous sense, a profound sense of sympathy for those people, those women, who suffered as a result of his behaviour and his illegal criminal activities.Secondly, I regret very, very deeply indeed carrying on that association with him for far longer than I should have done I just would say this during all the time I was an associate of his, I never saw the wrongdoing. I neve...

Politics

65 h. ago Voices: ‘Reshuffles are farcical’: Readers question scale of changes to Starmer’s cabinet

Our community was largely unimpressed with the PM’s reshuffle, arguing that the changes did not leave the government better positioned to challenge Farage. Others felts that the departure of Angela Rayner left the cabinet – and politics – worse off

Politics

69 h. ago Voices: Will Labour choose Starmer’s nightmare candidate as his deputy leader?

The race to be the party’s deputy is likely to bring out a host of disgruntled candidates – none more politically damaging, or more popular with the grass-roots, than Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary that Starmer sacked, says former Labour adviser Patrick Diamond

Politics

3 d. ago Blow for Keir Starmer as two Labour heavyweights publicly hit out at his leadership

Andy Burnham and Dame Emily Thornberry - who is considering running for Labour deputy leader - both publicly voiced alarm over Keir Starmer's leadership

Politics

4 d. ago Sweeping changes were needed for Labour to be serious about a fresh start

Editorial: Moving so many ministers after such a short time may not seem ideal, but the end result is a team better matched to the challenges ahead

Politics

5 d. ago Voices: As Angela Rayner falls on her sword, Keir Starmer will also take a hit

The prime minister is not just losing someone he has learned to value, says John Rentoul – his holier-than-thou pitch has been destroyed and the deputy leadership election will tip Labour into a civil war

Events

7 d. ago Tory anger as Kemi Badenoch 'misses open goal' and fails to make under

Mrs Badenoch urged Sir Keir Starmer to show 'backbone' and sack his deputy at the start of Prime Minister's Questions. But she used the rest of her questions on the economy.

Events

7 d. ago PMQs live: Starmer and Badenoch clash over Angela Rayner stamp duty controversy and economy

The Prime Minister is facing questions on his deputy’s conduct

Politics

8 d. ago PMQs live: Keir Starmer to face Kemi Badenoch after confirming exact Budget date

One man who won't be asking questions to Keir Starmer today is Nigel Farage, who has skipped Westminster yet again, this time for a right-wing conference in America

Economics

8 d. ago Streeting says hate speech laws are having ‘unintended consequences’ after arrest of Father Ted writer – UK politics live

Health secretary says government needs to balance legislation so police are ‘not just policing tweets’ following detention of Graham Linehan over posts on transgender issuesAt the Downing Street lobby briefing yesterday the PM’s spokesperson was reluctant to comment directly on the arrest of Graham Linehan. But he did say that Keir Starmer thought the police should be focusing on “antisocial behaviour, shoplifting, street crime, as well as reducing serious violent crimes like knife crime and violence against women”. The Daily Telegraph has interepreted that as an attack on the Met.Wes Streeting, the health secretary, was on the media round this morning and in some respects he adopted the same line. Asked about the arrest, he told Times Radio:I think the prime minister and the home secretary have been very clear that with the law and order challenges we’ve got in our country, we want to see people being kept safe by policing streets, not just policing tweets.One thing I would say, be...

Politics

8 d. ago Farage condemns UK’s ‘authoritarian censorship regime’ ahead of giving evidence at US congress

Reform UK leader to speak about Online Safety Act at House judiciary committee; government set to announce date of budget at PMQs later Good morning. It is the first PMQs, and with the government set to announce the date of the budget today (Wednesday 26 November, if HuffPost UK is right), you would expect Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch to get stuck into a debate about the economy, and taxation.But it might end up as a free speech day at Westminster, as a result of the conflation of two related issues.On the question of civil liberties, Britain has, unfortunately, now lost her way.I will do my part, as a participant in UK democracy, to help our country find its way back to the traditional freedoms which have long bound together our two countries in friendship. In the meantime, Congress should draw bright lines: British free speech rules, applicable to Britons, are made in Britain, and American speech rules, applicable to Americans, are made in America. Continue reading...

Culture

9 d. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves risks becoming the ‘Chino Chancellor’ – chancellor in name only

By hiring Treasury second-in-command Darren Jones to work with him in No 10, with a new high-powered team of economic aides, Keir Starmer has effectively downgraded his chancellor, says Simon Walters

Events

9 d. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves risks becoming the ‘Cino’ Chancellor – chancellor in name only

By hiring Treasury second-in-command Darren Jones to work with him in No 10 – and with a new high-powered team of economic aides – Keir Starmer has effectively downgraded his chancellor, says Simon Walters

Events

1 week ago Voices: I am surprised by the cries of ‘Keir must go’: a change of prime minister won’t solve Labour’s problems

As the Conservatives showed so clearly during the later years of their government, if you only change the prime minister without finding solutions to the issues the public cares about, you haven’t solved anything at all, writes John Rentoul

Politics