UK rows back on claim Israelโs Gaza aid blockade is illegal
No 10 says only there is a “clear risk” of Israel breaching international law.
House of Commons
โNot why I joined the party:โ Keir Starmerโs MPs agonize about welfare cuts
A minority of MPs in the ruling Labour Party are feeling mutinous โ but there’s a sharp divide among its newest members.
Nigel Farage could smash open Britainโs electoral system
Heโs an unlikely pin-up for electoral reform campaigners โ but a 2029 surge thatโs not matched by House of Commons seats could see Farage turn up the heat on a “rigged” system.
This newbie UK minister faces a baptism of fire on a key Labour promise
Miatta Fahnbulleh, left-wing-economist-turned Labour minister, has been tasked with cutting Brits’ energy bills. But convincing the Treasury to budge makes it a mammoth task.
New Zealand fires high commissioner to UK over Trump comments
“President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?” Phil Goff asked the Finnish foreign minister.
PMQs: Badenoch wins by playing nice with Starmer on Ukraine
There was widespread agreement between the two leaders on supporting Ukraine โ but the Tory leader challenged the PM on what he’ll actually do to bridge Europe and Washington.
Keir Starmer, unlikely leader of the free world
The British prime minister has had a shaky start at home โ but is winning grudging praise for his response to Trumpโs Ukraine pivot.
PMQs: Starmer wins against Badenoch on defense spending before jetting to DC
The Tory leader probed prime minister on increased military funding โ but failed to land a decisive blow.
Meet the UK party that thinks Trump-bashing is a vote-winner
The centrist Lib Dems hope standing up to the U.S. president will shore up support from progressive Brits.
British MPs already want a vote on sending troops to Ukraine
Labour MPs โ and opposition lawmakers too โ are asking for a parliamentary say on any British escalation.
Tony Blair picks his Labour rising stars
The former U.K. prime minister has quietly been meeting Labour’s new MPs โ and he’s not the only Blairite who’s at it.
UKโs Starmer breaks with Trump on Gaza โRivieraโ plan
British prime minister said Palestinians “must be allowed home” to rebuild.
Global fury builds over Trumpโs plan to turn Gaza into the Middle East โRivieraโ
U.S. president faces outrage from Arab countries and key European capitals over his โdangerousโ proposal that Palestinians should be removed from the coastal enclave.ย
UK urged to probe spate of Chinese flights for forced labor
Three new routes connecting Chinaโs Xinjiang province to major U.K. airports have opened up since last summer.
UK politics: Philpโs โpatronisingโ comment about Britonsโ work ethic show Tories โout of touchโ, TUC says โ as it happened
General secretary highlights โlegacy of 14 years of falling living standards under the ToriesโIn an article for the Guardian, the Labour MP Clive Lewis said Rachel Reevesโ growth speech this week means the party has abandoned its pre-election green com…
Starmer and Badenoch clash over growth at PMQs after Reeves backs Heathrow expansion โ UK politics live
Prime minister faced MPs in Commons after chancellor backed runway expansion at HeathrowReeves says the supply side of the economy has been held back.Politicians have lacked the courage to confront the factors holding back growth.They have accepted the…
Minister dismisses Tory suggestion Home Office prioritises โpolicing manosphereโ over combating Islamist terrorism โ UK politics live
Dan Jarvis rules out expanding the definition of extremism following leak of internal Home Office documentYvette Cooper to reject calls to expand definition of extremismQ: Are doctors able to recognise depression? And can they decide if that affects so…
Britainโs response to Russian โspy shipโ is game of political messaging โย for now
Deteriorating security environment and incidents in Baltic have forced military reassessment in northern EuropeSubmarines normally operate in secret, lurking in the deep. So when the British defence secretary, John Healey, authorised a Royal Navy Astut…
UK parliament bar closed after drink โspikingโ incident
Strangers’ Bar โ at the center of a report of drink-spiking in UK parliament โ will close while ‘security and safety arrangements are reviewed.”
The fight to replace Justin Trudeau is on
Mark Carney has run two central banks and championed the green transition. Now he wants to lead Canadaโs Liberal Party.
Police probe โspikingโ incident in UK parliament
A parliamentary researcher alerted bar staff and security to her drink being tampered with.
PMQs: Badenoch misses an open goal as Starmer gets lucky
Strong, specific questions from the Tory leader soon gave way to a scatter-shot approach.
Musk or no Musk, Farage has a plan to capture Britain
The Reform UK leader has broken with Musk over a far-right activist. But it’s his plan to win big that’ll keep Keir Starmer up at night.
From low blows to Obama โbromanceโ: 11 moments in political life of Justin Trudeau
Canadaโs prime minister prides himself as a fighter, but he just announced he wonโt lead the Liberalsโ next battle.
Westminsterโs top books of 2024
POLITICO asked politicians and chroniclers of SW1 to tell us the book they most enjoyed reading this year โ here are the results, in their own words.
Westminsterโs tips for a perfect Christmas lunch
Before you face the biggest feast of the year, check out how U.K. politicians prepare for the big day.
Ex-Starmer aide Sue Gray gets House of Lords consolation prize
Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff โ a Whitehall power-player โ caps list of political peerages.
Waspi campaign accuses Starmer of misinformation over claim 90% of women knew pension age to rise โ politics live
Activists say ombudsmanโs findings โbased on rigorous evidence 60% had no ideaโ of changesScottish ministers are to set up a pilot project to test the automatic enrolment of young people on the electoral register, as part of a modernisation of Holyrood…
UK still finalizing Chagos deal thatโs spooked Trumpworld
Deal over site of secretive U.S. airbase is under threat โ from Mauritius’ new government and Donald Trump.
Britainโs Winston Churchill shortage
Westminster is becoming a local place for local people โ and that means fewer star politicians.
How the British establishment got sucked into a Chinese spy scandal
The prince, the prime ministers and the spy: what we know about the scandal gripping the U.K.
Chinese โspyโ linked to Prince Andrew is โtip of the icebergโ
China is conducting “massive operations” targeting government and royal family, Tory MPs warn.
UK Cabinet row erupts over crucial 2013 Syria vote
Ed Miliband helped block military action as Labour leader, dealing a blow to Barack Obama’s plan to intervene against Bashar Assad.
Why Nigel Farageโs path to power runs through a rainswept seaside town
The Reform leader has aspirations to enter 10 Downing Street as prime minister in a few years hence โ but will his globetrotting ways and love of the camera cause disillusion among his new constituents?
UKโs aristocrat lawmakers slam Labourโs โclass warfareโ
Hereditary peers will be booted out of parliament under plans introduced by Keir Starmer’s government.
Labour MP leaves committee amid fresh concerns over his conduct
Neil Coyle was elected to a seat on the Work and Pensions Committee in October.
Elon Musk and Nigel Farage get flirty
Westminster is abuzz with talk of closer ties between the Trump adviser and chief Brexiteer.
UK MPs back assisted dying law at first hurdle in historic vote
LONDON โ MPs have voted by 330 to 275 in favor of a bill to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales for the first time. MPs backed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced by backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, at second reading, meaning it will now continue through parliament for further [โฆ]
UK will allay Trump concerns over Chagos Islands, says minister, as Priti Patel says Tories opposed to dealโ as it happened
Stephen Doughty, foreign office minister, says if UK had not negotiated a deal with Mauritius, โa legally binding decision against UK seemed inevitableโWes Streeting has now delivered his speech to the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool, and it is b…
Trump victory could torpedo UKโs Chagos Islands deal
Britain’s government is being warned deal over home of U.S. military base will only rile the president-elect.
Ed Davey urges Starmer to โTrump-proofโ UK with closer European ties
Lib Dem leader says government should work with Trump but be prepared for him to act on security and trade threatsEd Davey has urged Keir Starmer to โTrump-proofโ the UK by urgently seeking closer European cooperation over military aid for Ukraine and …
17 wild facts about Kemi Badenochโs new Tory team
From spilling wine on Queen Elizabeth’s carpets to branding colleagues “lazy,” the new Conservative leader has an eclectic shadow Cabinet.
Kemi Badenoch is new leader of Britainโs Conservative Party
Former business secretary now heads up the main opposition.
How Brexit helped Britain lose the Chagos Islands
After more than half a century, the U.K. is passing sovereignty of the disputed territory back to Mauritius. Why now?
UK budget: 7 things to watch for as Labour hikes taxes
From splashing the cash to going for growth, here’s how Britain’s first female chancellor wants to run the economy.
Visas for under-30s โessentialโ to Brexit reset, leaked EU document says
Itโs the latest sign the idea is still very much in Brussels’ sights โ despite British pushback.
Britainโs new MPs rage at parliamentโs old traditions
Newly elected lawmakers set their sights on archaic customs like “bobbing” to win the Commons speakerโs attention.
Votes with that? How the politics of McDonaldโs went global
From Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to the U.K.โs Kemi Badenoch, politicians are embracing the burger.
Trump allies rage at UK Labour help for Kamala Harris. Thereโs more to come.
Some U.S. progressives see Britain’s Keir Starmer as a lone center-left warrior if Donald Trump wins.
100 days of Starmer: How Labourโs big win went off the rails
After just a few months in office, the new British government is finding life tough.
Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will be next leader of Britainโs Tories
Party members will now cast their ballots after centrist James Cleverly’s surprise elimination.
Keir Starmer now more unpopular than Nigel Farage โ poll
Only 27 percent of Brits now have a positive view of the UK prime minister, his lowest rating since 2021.
Tories rail against UK move to hand back Chagos Islands
Britain’s opposition party argued China could take advantage of Mauritius controlling the archipelago.
The Labour-linked lobbying firm boasting invite-only access to the UK Treasury
Arden Strategies have gained a reputation as a power player in the new U.K. regime.
BBC cancels primetime Boris Johnson interview after journalist gaffe
Corporation said the error made the program promoting Johnson’s book “untenable.”
Liz Truss isnโt ruling out a comeback
She’s probably not backing a candidate in the Tory leadership race, but Britain’s brief prime minister has some thoughts on the state of the country.
Meat is murder (if you accidentally mention it in a speech)
Keir Starmer’s sausages/hostages mix-up was a gaffe for the ages.
UK energy policy: 20 people to lobby at Conservative conference
LONDON โ The Conservative Party โgot trounced in the polls,โ ex-Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho admitted earlier this month. After 14 years controlling Westminsterโs levers of power, voters dumped the Tories unceremoniously from office overnight in July. And yet โ the party is already regrouping, jumping on energy bills and cost-of-living as one basis for a [โฆ]
Ed Miliband is Britainโs minister for good vibes
Amid much Labour doom and gloom, the energy secretary appeared to be having the time of his life.
When UK party conferences go wrong
Despite the best efforts of party bigwigs, Britainโs annual gatherings of political animals frequently descend into chaos.
Nigel Farage is right: Britainโs Remainers are back
For the first time since the 2016 Brexit referendum, Britain’s pro-Europeans have the upper hand.
UK energy policy: 20 people to lobby at Labour conference
Who to look out for in Liverpool this weekend.
Liz Truss lettuce songs and jet ski stunts: Britainโs third party is living its best life
Jubilant Liberal Democrats are celebrating after years in the political wilderness โ but can it last?
Trudeau digs in as his party ponders his ability to win
Whatever the prime minister is selling after almost nine years in power, Canadians are no longer buying.
The brave four who think they can save Britainโs terminal Tory party
Meet the leadership hopefuls vying to bring the U.K’s Conservatives back from the brink.
Grenfell Tower report: UK government was โcomplacent and dismissiveโ before deadly blaze
Report slams ‘decades of failure’ in the run-up to the 2017 blaze that killed 72 people.
UK braces for damning report into 2017 Grenfell Tower blaze
Keir Starmer will address parliament as report on 2017 blaze that killed 72 โ and exposed deep divisions in the U.K. capital โ is published.
Cheer up, Keir! UKโs Starmer told to lighten up
Elected on a landslide two months ago, the new British PM ought to be on top of the world. Instead his glumness is beginning to grate.
UK suspends some arms sales to Israel
British review finds real risk weapons could be used in violation of international humanitarian law โ but stops short of calling for blanket ban.
7 times UK politiciansโ holidays were totally ruined
Keir Starmer’s just the latest prime minister to kill off his vacation plans.
Nigel Farage tries to have it both ways as Britain burns
The Reform UK leader has sought to distance himself from Tommy Robinson while also blaming the left for the unrest.
British MPs want to haul Elon Musk before parliament over riots
Musk has spent days beefing with politicians over the far-right unrest sweeping the UK.
Humiliated, Scotlandโs independence warriors lick their wounds
The Tories may have been kicked out of government, but for the Scottish National Party, July’s U.K. election may prove terminal.
Tory leader race: The 6 hopefuls trying to save their party from the abyss
With just 121 Conservative MPs left, it’ll be an uphill struggle for these contenders to turn around the once-mighty British party’s fortunes.
Labour steals Tory playbook for financial blame game
Labour, with an eye on the next election, wants voters to hear that the public finances are worse than they thought โ so blame the Tories for higher taxes.
The great Tory beauty pageant
The race to succeed Rishi Sunak as UK Conservative leader is heating up.
PMQs scorecard: Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak play nice
Keir Starmer faced awkward questions at PMQs โ but not from Rishi Sunak.
Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron: New allies heading in different directions
A U.K. Foreign Office aide said the French president was pleased by how the Brits handled his brainchild summit.
Attack on Donald Trump strikes fear into European hearts
Fears of political violence are simmering just beneath the surface in Europe, too.
โA massive relief and a change of moodโ: how did Keir Starmerโs first week in power go?
Britainโs new PM and his team are genuinely excited to have seized the reins of power in Westminster โ but are under no illusion about the size of the task aheadWhen the new British prime minister, Keir Starmer, invited Wes Streeting into Downing Stree…
Nigel Farage will not be allowed to repeat his EU parliament rudeness as an MP
Reform UK leader made his reputation in 2010 speech calling former Belgian PM Herman Van Rompuy a โdamp ragโIt was the speech that made Nigel Farageโs reputation: inflammatory, insulting and riddled with distortions. Speaking on the floor of the Europe…
Starmer praises Abbott and hails diverse Commons in first speech to parliament as PM โ UK politics live
Parliament the most diverse by race and gender the country has ever seen, says Starmer, with the largest cohort of LGBT+ MPs in the worldDowning Street has released a full version of what Keir Starmer said in his opening remarks to the metro mayors at…
Nigel Farage claims in first Commons speech that John Bercow tried to ‘overturn’ Brexit โ video
Nigel Farage was met with jeers as he delivered his first speech in the House of Commons. The Reform UK leader told the re-elected speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, that he was better than ‘the little man that was there before you’, referring to John Bercow. He …
6 things UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to fix in his first month
Britain’s new leader already has an overflowing in-tray.
How Britain voted: Charts and maps
We analyze the results which radically changed the UKโs electoral map.
Why a disillusioned, angry Britain voted for change
A tour of Britain’s provincial towns reveals a restless nation with no love for its political class.
Sinn Fรฉin dominates Northern Ireland with unionists in post-Brexit shambles
Irish republican party completes hat trick of first-place elections finishes.
UK general election: Labour’s historic victory over the Conservatives reshapes political landscape
Labour won over 400 seats in the House of Commons, ending 14 years of Conservative government. Labour leader Keir Starmer is set to succeed Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street. In a surprise move, Nigel Farage’s far-right Reform UK party entered Westminster.
Labourโs election victory is weaker than you think
Conservative annihilation may not be the most consequential outcome of the 2024 U.K. general election.
Nigel Farage elected to UK parliament โย on his eighth attempt
The Reform UK leader said he was now gunning for Labour.
Labour obliterate Tories with historic election win โ exit poll
Keir Starmer on course to be most powerful British prime minister since Tony Blair.
Watch the UK election like a pro
It’s set to be the most consequential British general election for a generation. POLITICO takes you through what to watch out for and exactly when to tune in.
UK election: Tories set to suffer total annihilation, final mega polls predict
Keir Starmer’s Labour will romp to victory, according to pollster YouGov.
UK election: Top 5 biggest landslides since 1900
History and polling suggest Labour Leader Keir Starmer could set a new record on July 4.
Gaza is still the hottest election issue in these parts of Britain
Labour Leader Keir Starmer faces intense pressure in heartland constituencies over his equivocation about war in the Middle East.
Farewell Rishi Sunak
Britain’s prime minister is destined to failure. Does he even know why?
An Americanโs guide to the 2024 UK election
We can’t give you a felon and an old guy on July 4 โ but we do have a gambling scandal. And Nigel Farage.
Calaisโ Jungle is gone, but the migrants keep coming
French and British efforts to stop small boats have done little to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel.
The next king of Scotland
Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar is following in the footsteps of his legendary political father.
Boris Johnson says Farage โparroting Putinโs liesโ on Ukraine
Two leading Brexiteers throw around words like ‘liar’ and ‘nauseating’ after Farage says EU provoked Ukraine war.