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 ThomasEditorKeir Starmer’s lead in the polls has barely been dented after another week of criticism for the prime minister and his government over free gifts and blanket coverage of the Tory leadership contest.The latest weekly Techne UK tracker poll has revealed that Labour’s share of the vote dropped just one point to 31 per cent while the Tories gained one to 23 per cent.It suggests that the four Conservative leadership candidates hoping to replace Rishi Sunak, who made their pitches over four days in Birmingham, failed to inspire the wider public outside the confines of party activists.The four Tory leadership candidates take the stage More

Minister says accepting freebies is different in governmentYour support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseMy recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyondEric GarciaWashington Bureau ChiefBritain should hold a referendum on its membership of the European Convention on Human Rights, Boris Johnson has said.The ex-prime minister told The Daily Telegraph there was a strong case to give voters a say on the ECHR, which critics say prevents Britain from having full control of immigration.Mr Johnson suggested the ECHR did not “provide people with protections that they wouldn’t otherwise have”. The UK’s membership is a key Tory leadership issue with Robert Jenrick saying the party must back an exit to survive. Earlier this week he also said he was open to Mr Johnson being in his shadow cabinet.Mr Johnson’s comments come ahead of the publication of his memoir, Unleashed, in which he brands Rishi Sunak’s ideas in government as “zany” and laid the blame for the drubbing suffered by the Tories at this year’s general election at his feet.He also writes that he regrets not sacking then-political adviser Dominic Cummings over the Barnard Castle row, dismissing the furore as “lefty journalists angry over Brexit”.Mr Johnson will be questioned about the revelations in his memoir during an appearance on ITV set to air on Friday evening.The BBC was forced to cancel its interview with him after presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent the former prime minister her briefing notes.Show latest update 1727988255UK should hold vote on ECHR membership, says JohnsonBritain should hold a referendum on its membership of the European Convention on Human Rights, Boris Johnson has said.The former prime minister told The Daily Telegraph there is a “strong case” to give the public a say on the ECHR, which critics say prevents Britain from having full control of its immigration policy.Mr Johnson suggested the ECHR did not “provide people with protections that they wouldn’t otherwise have”.Tory leadership candidates Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat have both backed the idea of leaving the ECHR.Jane Dalton3 October 2024 21:441728009000We want UK to increase ties with Ireland, says Lammy Foreign secretary David Lammy has said he wanted the UK and Ireland to increase co-operation on “growth, climate and global issues” as he met the deputy prime minister.Following the Chagos deal, some critics mocked him by asking whether he would be giving away Northern Ireland. Jane Dalton4 October 2024 03:301728004500Watch: Who will be the next Tory leader?Who will be the next leader of the Conservatives?Following on from their election defeat and Rishi Sunak departing, the Conservatives have been locked in a leadership campaign to pick the next party leader. Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat are the final four vying to win the leadership and return a fractious party to power, wresting it away from Keir Starmer’s Labour. But who will win and who’s most likely to succeed? Kate Devlin and John Rentoul cast an eye over the field of candidates and pick who they think is next to face Kier Starmer at the dispatch box in Westminster.Jane Dalton4 October 2024 02:151728000900Review: Unleashed – A memoir that’s twisted, sour and full of more lies“Shameless, sour, predictable, self-exculpatory stuff”: Enjoy Sean O’Grady’s review of Boris Johnson’s memoir:Jane Dalton4 October 2024 01:151727998500Leader: Johnson’s low moral standards are a warning to StarmerJane Dalton4 October 2024 00:351727994600Half Tory members want party to merge with Reform, poll for Liz Truss’s thinktank revealsA new survey commissioned by a rightwing thinktank has suggested that 53 per cent of Conservative Party members would support a merger with Reform UK.A huge 70 per cent said they would want a closer relationship with Nigel Farage’s party, the survey showed.The poll, which was conducted between September 23 and 27, spoke to 470 Tory members by the rightwing Popular Conservatism (PopCon) organisation, which founded by disgraced former prime minister Liz Truss.Read the full article here: Jane Dalton3 October 2024 23:301727990454Blame Sunak for Tory election drubbing, not me, says JohnsonJane Dalton3 October 2024 22:201727986554US hails Chacos deal as ‘win for diplomacy’US State Department spokesman Matt Miller said of the Chacos deal: “It’s a win for a diplomacy to see a successful, successful outcome of this effort between two US partners after more than a dozen rounds of talks. “The agreement will secure the future of our joint US-UK military facility on Diego Garcia, which plays a vital role in US efforts to establish regional and global security, respond to crises and counter some of the most challenging security threats of our time.”Jane Dalton3 October 2024 21:151727985558Bugging device found in my bathroom after Netanyahu visit, Johnson claimsA bugging device was found in Boris Johnson’s bathroom after a visit by Benjamin Netanyahu when he was foreign secretary, the former prime minister has claimed.Mr Johnson alleged that his security team made the discovery when they did a sweep of the toilets after the Israeli premier had used them during a meeting in 2017.Writing in his memoir Unleashed, the former Tory MP said Mr Netanyahu had excused himself during talks at his old office to use the washroom, described as “a secret annex… a bit like the gents’ in a posh London club”.“Thither Bibi repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox,” Mr Johnson said.It is unclear whether the Israeli government was confronted about the incident.The Israeli embassy in London has been contacted for comment.Jane Dalton3 October 2024 20:591727983854ITV interviews Boris Johnson after BBC cancelsITV has announced it will broadcast an interview with Boris Johnson, after the BBC cancelled an interview with the ex-prime minister because presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent him her briefing notes.Boris Johnson: The Interview will go out on ITV1 at 7pm tomorrow. The interviewer is Tom Bradby.Jane Dalton3 October 2024 20:30 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 will promise to create 4,000 jobs by ploughing £22bn into projects to capture and store carbon emissions from energy, industry and hydrogen production.On a visit to Liverpool, the prime minister will unveil two “carbon capture clusters” in Merseyside and Teesside to be developed in the next 25 years.As well as creating thousands of jobs directly, Labour said the investment will support 50,000 jobs in the long-term.Announcing the investment, Sir Keir said his government is “reigniting our industrial heartlands by investing in the industry of the future”.Sir Keir Starmer said the investment will create thousands of jobs and support tens of thousands more 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 ThomasEditorBoris Johnson has branded Rishi Sunak ideas in government as “zany” and laid the blame for the drubbing suffered by the Tories at this year’s general election at his feet.In his new autobiography Unleashed Mr Johnson claimed that the defeat, which left the Tories with a mere 121 seats, had nothing to do with the scandals and his lies about Partygate and lockdown breaking. He also did not attack his immediate successor Liz Truss for her mini Budget – she only merits three brief mentions in 738 pages in the book.Instead, Mr Johnson hits out at Mr Sunak for a perceived betrayal which eventually saw him ejected from Downing Street after Partygate and the Chris Pincher scandal.“Why did we do so badly in 2024?” he asked before answering himself: “It was pretty obvious. We junked the agenda on which we were elected, and turned our back on many of the people who put us in power.”Conservative party leader Rishi Sunak during the Conservative Party Conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More