UK Politics

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorA minister has claimed accepting freebies in opposition is “different” from doing so in government as she attempted to explain why Sir Keir Starmer has paid back the value of some Taylor Swift tickets, but not thousands of pounds worth of other gifts.Industry minister Sarah Jones suggested Sir Keir and other Labour frontbenchers were taking free tickets to concerts and festivals while in opposition to “build relationships” with businesses.It included Sir Keir’s £2,800 trip to see Taylor Swift and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who accepted Glastonbury tickets worth more than £3,000 from Google.But Ms Jones said: “There is a difference between government and opposition when you’re building relationships in opposition, it’s different for when you’re a government minister with real levers of power.”Ms Jones was sent out to defend Sir Keir’s decision to pay back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality. The move, which followed weeks of criticism of Labour ministers over freebies, was made as an updated register of MPs’ interests revealed thousands of pounds of additional freebies accepted by Sir Keir’s top team.Keir Starmer’s decision to pay back some freebies raised more questions than it answered More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe BBC has cancelled an interview with Boris Johnson after presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent the former prime minister her briefing notes.Ms Kuenssberg, presenter of the BBC’s flagship Sunday political interview show, said she sent Mr Johnson the notes “in a message meant for my team”.The BBC’s political editor between 2015 and 2022 said it was “embarrassing and disappointing”, adding the error meant it was “not right for the interview to go ahead”.Writing on X, she said: “While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team. That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead.“It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked. But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday.”Mr Johnson, prime minister between 2019 to 2022, has an upcoming memoir, Unleashed, that will be published next week.Ms Kuenssberg previously investigated his government in Panorama – Partygate: Inside the Storm, and looked back at the recent Conservative years in a three-part BBC Two series, Laura Kuenssberg: State of Chaos.A BBC spokesperson said: “Tomorrow’s interview with Boris Johnson won’t be going ahead. As Laura has explained, interview briefing notes meant for colleagues were inadvertently shared with him.“This makes an interview tomorrow untenable. Under the circumstances, both the BBC and Mr Johnson’s team have agreed this is the best way forward.”Snippets of Mr Johnson’s new book – set to release on 10 October – have already been shared, with the former politician discussing Covid, the Queen, and his Conservative colleagues in Parliament.Former prime minister Boris Johnson wearing a mask during Covid lockdowns (PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer has paid back £6,000 in gifts and hospitality as the so-called “freebies row” threatens to spiral out of control and plunge his government into chaos.The prime minister’s gesture came on a day when Tory leadership candidates described his government as “the most venal in history”.This was shortly followed by the announcement of an investigation launched into the probity of billionaire Labour donor Waheed Alli who was responsible for many of the gifts to Starmer, his wife Victoria and many members of the cabinet.And while Sir Keir was trying to end the criticism and get his government back on track, the row appeared to intensify as it was revealed that deputy prime minister Angela Rayner received £836 worth of hospitality while partying in Ibiza. Added to that, foreign secretary David Lammy headed a group of Labour MPs and senior figures receiving Taylor Swift concert tickets.Keir and Victoria Starmer at aTaylor Swift concert More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorKeir Starmer faced a reality check on his first trip to Brussels as he appeared to come away from the European capital with only an agreement to hold further meetings with EU leaders.The prime minister travelled to Belgium for talks with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, as well as European Council chief Charles Michel and the European parliament’s Roberta Metsola, with a promise to “put the Brexit years behind us” and form a closer relationship with the bloc.But speaking at a press conference following the discussions, Sir Keir revealed plans for further talks this autumn followed by a summit early next year while unable to answer journalists’ questions on how the “reset” agreement could look like.Earlier, after what amounted to a meeting about a meeting, Sir Keir and Ms Von der Leyen promised in a joint statement to take forward an “agenda of strengthened cooperation at pace over the coming months”.Starmer hailed ‘very productive’ talks on his first trip to Brussels as PM More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorAngela Rayner’s trip to an Ibiza nightclub where she was spotted partying in a DJ booth over the summer was a freebie worth hundreds of pounds, it has emerged.In the latest register of MPs’ financial interests revealed on Wednesday, the deputy prime minister declared she received £836 worth of hospitality for a “visit to (a) DJ booth” at nightclub Hi Ibiza.It was paid for by Ayita LLC, which is the agent of DJ Fisher, who she was filmed dancing with in footage of the event on 29 August that was shared on social media.The Telegraph reports that Ms Rayner did pay for flights and accomodation herself during the four-day visit.Angela Rayner is filmed dancing in Ibiza during parliament’s summer recess More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorKemi Badenoch put her faltering leadership campaign back on track with a powerful speech to end the Tory conference.The former business secretary has had a difficult Tory conference with a number of missteps on maternity pay and suggesting some civil servants should go to prison, but her speech to close a four-day trial of strength for the leadership contenders appeared to woo Tory members.The back-back speeches have also confirmed that former home secretary James Cleverly is a contender as MPs prepare to whittle down the number to two next week.His speech received the loudest cheers as he appeared to take on criticisms that his affable nature hides a man who stands for very little.Instead, Mr Cleverly addressed head on his philosophy as a Conservative and what he would do to win back power for the battered Tory party.Conservative Party leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch on stage in Birmingham (Jacob King/PA) More