Investigation

COVID ‘VIP Lane’: A WhatsApp tango between Matt Hancock and Tory donors

— WhatsApp messages reveal VIP COVID testing contracts awarded to Tory donors. Conversations expose lobbying efforts and raise concerns about political donations influencing government decisions during the pandemic.

OPINION

Starmer’s transforming Labour into the Tories’ Mini-Me

— Wee Ginger Dug argues that Labour leader Keir Starmer aims to adopt conservative policies and move the party further right, targeting English nationalist Brexit voters and that Scotland’s interests aren’t his priority as he focuses on winning in England to secure power.

UK Politics

Rees-Mogg changes tune on voter ID: It was gerrymandering all along

— Former Tory minister Rees-Mogg calls voter ID law “gerrymandering”, saying it hurt elderly Conservative voters in the recent local elections. Government ministers have denied partisan motives.

UK Politics

A painful picture for the Tories: Forecasting the general election from the local results

— Electoral forecasting is a difficult science that relies on past data. Different techniques produce different outcomes for the next UK general election. Looking back at the relationship between local elections and subsequent general elections puts Labour on course for a House of Commons majority.

UK Politics

Helicopter rides and electoral annihilation: Rishi Sunak’s expensive commute

— Rishi Sunak’s use of a taxpayer-funded helicopter to Southampton on Tuesday, costing around £6,000 to the taxpayers, has been criticised as wasteful and environmentally damaging. Number 10 defends it as necessary for effective time management.

OPINION

From crown to clowns: King Charles III’s coronation and the Tory distraction parade

— The lavish crowning of King Charles III has triggered backlash over privilege, police response against peaceful demonstrators, and assault on civil rights by a Tory Government that gained much from the distraction from their defeat at the local polls.

UK Local Elections

Labour gains in local elections suggest the tide has turned in many marginal constituencies

— Labour has gained control of crucial areas during the local elections but still has work to do to win outright. It's not yet clear if the swing from the Conservatives would be enough for Labour to win outright in a general election.

OPINION

The English local elections and the Tories’ voter suppression tactics

— England’s local elections are expected to cause heavy losses for the Conservative Party on Thursday, potentially pushing backbench Tory unrest. Meanwhile, voter ID requirements will affect non-Conservative supporters, with up to two million voters lacking the necessary ID.

UK Politics

Can Rishi Sunak save the Tories? Voting behaviour over time suggests it will take more than personal appeal to win the next election

— The prime minister is popular, his party is not. Which is more important as we head towards the next election?

UK Local Elections

What does a good night look like for Keir Starmer’s Labour or Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives?

— There’s a lot to play for in the final big electoral test before the next national vote, especially in northern regions where Labour hopes to make a comeback.

UK Politics

Revealed: Government to legalise ‘hazardous’ accommodation for asylum seekers

— Housing and migrants charities blast ‘shameful’ plan to relax licensing rules around HMOs for people fleeing danger.

Voting Rights

The Good Law Project takes on the Government’s ID requirements

— The Good Law Project has expressed concern over the new voting rules, which they fear may lead to the disenfranchisement of certain groups, especially young people.

Illegal Migration Bill

Illegal migration bill: Can the government ignore the European Court of Human Rights?

— The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that interim measures are legally binding under international law.

Brexit

Britain’s Brexit degradation

— The British government is becoming more realistic about Brexit, evident in the Windsor Framework and Integrated Review. Brexit remains central yet marginal, adversely impacting the UK but no longer a major political issue.

UK Politics

Behind the mess: A tragicomedy of power struggles in Downing Street

— A new book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the chaos and downfall of Boris Johnson’s premiership, including how the former PM’s indecisiveness and knack for pointing fingers led to his downfall, and how Dominic Cummings and Carrie Johnson influenced decision-making in Downing Street.

UK Politics

Dominic Raab is right that the government has set a ‘dangerous precedent’ – but not for the reasons he thinks

— A report found the deputy PM to have been abrasive and intimidating to civil servants who have waited months for action to be taken. Dominic Raab’s case leaves current and future victims of ministerial bullying unsure if their grievances will be taken seriously.