Labour’s holiday tax ‘will make staycations more expensive’ May 13, 2026 A leading trade body has attacked the government’s plans to push through a so-called holiday tax, which it says will make Brits’ staycations more expensive. Labour unveiled an Overnight Visitor Levy Bill as part of the King’s Speech, which provides the legislative framework for mayors to be handed the power to impose a tourism tax [...]
Changing the leader won’t save Labour – or the country May 12, 2026 The well-intentioned but hapless Labour backbencher, Catherine West, spent the weekend warning that if she didn’t like Keir Starmer’s speech she’d launch a leadership challenge in a bid to flush out more serious candidates. In the end, she backed down, but has called for a transition of power to a leader in September. She has [...]
Cabinet ministers urge Starmer to set path for succession May 11, 2026 Keir Starmer’s Downing Street operation was plunged into a full-blown crisis on Monday, after three cabinet ministers urged him to set a timeline for his resignation despite the robust defence of his premiership he launched in a make-or-break stump speech earlier in the day. Speculation over the future of his government reached fever pitch into [...]
Tony Travers: London local election result could trigger housebuilding slump May 7, 2026 The result of the forthcoming local elections could trigger a further slump in housebuilding in the capital as a shake-up in council composition obstructs development plans. Voters head to the polls in every London borough today, with polling suggesting Labour is on course to shed dozens of seats and lose its grip on the capital, [...]
London local election results 2026: Labour lose Westminster as Tories take control May 6, 2026 CLICK HERE to view all the latest London election results The Conservatives have gained Westminster City Council from Labour after losing in 2022. The Tories pinched nine seats from Labour, who slumped to 22. No surprise now that, as earlier reported, the atmosphere among Tory campaigners in Westminster was jubilant. CLICK HERE to view all the latest [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in Bromley? May 6, 2026 CLICK HERE to view all the latest London election results After years of watching their control fade in Bromley, the Conservatives will be fighting a battle on several fronts with Labour and Reform both chomping at the bit. The Conservatives have been slowly watching their grip on Bromley slip. The Tories have held onto the [...]
‘Politically toxic’ holiday tax could turn voters against Labour, hospitality leaders warn May 4, 2026 The “politically toxic” holiday tax could turn hordes of voters against Labour if it is pushed through, hospitality leaders have warned the government. The proposed tax could threaten the fragile majorities of a host of Labour big beasts including health secretary Wes Streeting and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, trade body UK Hospitality (UKH) has claimed. [...]
I’m a Tory – here’s why I’m voting Labour in the local elections April 30, 2026 In a time of messy, multi-party politics, tactical voting is likely to define contests in next week’s local elections. Alys Denby is not prepared to let the Green Party take control of her bin collection I’m about to do something against which all my instincts recoil, something so shameful I hesitate to admit in this [...]
What to look out for in London’s local elections April 30, 2026 With more parties and more candidates than ever before, next week’s local elections across London are the most unpredictable for a generation, argues James Ford On 7 May, Londoners go to the polls to elect the councillors that will run the capital’s 32 borough councils. More than 1,800 council seats are up for election, alongside [...]
Airport warning over ‘full’ Heathrow as transfer traffic takes off on Iran war April 29, 2026 London’s main gateway to the world and the UK’s busiest airport issued a forthright warning over its capacity on Wednesday, as war in the Middle East meant demand for flight transfers took off. “Heathrow is full”, said its chief financial officer, Sally Ding. She spoke out alongside the release of first-quarter numbers which revealed 18.9m [...]