COMMENT

Al-Fayed simply lived in the wrong era of British politics

— Mohamed Al-Fayed was deemed ‘not a fit and proper person to be given (British) citizenship’. Today, the Egyptian businessman would probably be in the House of Lords.

UK Politics

Labour and Google: A curious connection

— Labour politicians received lavish gifts from Google just before backtracking on a plan to increase taxes on digital companies. The timing raises questions about whether these gifts influenced policy decisions, with critics calling for more transparency.

Climate Change

Don’t look there: How politicians divert our attention from climate protesters’ claims

— By focusing on the disruption caused by Just Stop Oil, politicians avoid having to talk about the substance of their argument.

UK Politics

Is Rishi Sunak a lame duck? With MPs divided and rebelling, a sense of decline hangs heavy in the air

— With his own MPs blocking his every policy, Rishi Sunak doesn’t appear to be able to get much done.

Refugees

Bibby Stockholm: Legionella is not the only health threat on the asylum barge

— Asylum seekers were evacuated from the Bibby Stockholm barge due to legionella bacteria. The barge, which has been controversial for its cramped conditions and impact on the local community, is feared to increase the risk of mental health issues and infectious diseases among residents.

OPINION

The looming catastrophe for the Tories

— A new poll suggesting a landslide victory for Labour over the Tories at the next General Election discourages an early election for Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives and contradicts Keir Starmer’s claim about needing Scottish votes to win.

UK Politics

UK political landscape faces seismic shift in next election with Tories projected to secure only 90 seats

— In a new poll, the Tories face a potential major setback in the upcoming election. With predictions favouring Labour and highlighting shifts in public sentiment, the political landscape of the UK may be on the brink of significant change.

Immigration

Sending UK asylum seekers to Ascension Island is a legal non-starter – if the government really is planning to do it

— The UK government is briefing that a remote patch of land in the South Atlantic, Ascension Island, could become a processing hub for people crossing the Channel in small boats.

Analysis

The EU is making overtures for a post-Brexit defence collaboration with the UK – but London isn’t listening

— The UK government is reluctant to sign a treaty or cooperate formally with the EU, despite the latter’s interest and the urgent need due to the Ukraine crisis.

Long-Read

UKCA: A symbol of the folly of Brexit

— The UK government has announced an indefinite extension to the use of CE marking for British businesses, which shows that products meet EU standards. This is a major U-turn from the previous plan to introduce a UKCA system, which would have created costly duplication and reduced consumer choice.

Immigration

Tory MP tells asylum seekers to “f*** off back to France” if they don’t like barges

— Amidst the ongoing debate about asylum seekers being housed on barges, Tory MP Lee Anderson’s populist views have stirred controversy.

Meet Your MP

Meet your MP — Lee Anderson

— Is there no end to MPs’ bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, unaccountability or misbehaviour in general? How much do you actually even know about your local MPs? This is Lee Anderson, Conservative MP for Ashfield.

UK Politics

Britain’s next election could be a climate change culture war

— An argument over London’s ultra-low emissions zone threatens to engulf UK politics and the next general election.

UK Politics

Rishi Sunak’s green backtracking contrasts strongly with previous prime ministers’ efforts

— Past prime ministers could afford to talk big on climate change – but now the impact of the environmental crisis is manifestly real, Rishi Sunak can’t afford to appease those who oppose green policies.

Climate Change

We asked the British public what they really think about net zero – here’s what we found

— Research found people were not confident about the government’s leadership in meeting net zero.

UK Politics

The UK’s top financial influencers skew Conservative – which helps explain why Keir Starmer’s Labour is so anxious about uncosted spending pledges

— Labour is divided over whether it will win over voters by promising more public investment or by proving it is economically restrained.