Lord Hannan made IEA chief April 24, 2026 The Institute of Economic Affairs has announced Lord Daniel Hannan as its new director general. Hannan, a former Tory MEP who was one of the top Vote Leave figures in 2016, will take up the post on 1 June 2026. He has long been an avid critic of the EU and was one of the [...]
The UK is in a ‘toxic relationship’ with the government says Badenoch April 5, 2026 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed the UK is in a “toxic relationship” with big government, which is stagnating economic growth and holding people and businesses back. In an op-ed in The Times, Badenoch said the relationship is making people “miserable” while proving to some that “Britain is broken”. She wrote: “This isn’t a broken [...]
Tories brace for heavy losses as Badenoch outpolls rivals April 4, 2026 Five years ago, the Conservatives were polling at around 40 per cent, buoyed by the vaccine rollout and post-Brexit momentum, and went on to gain 235 seats in the 2021 local elections. But ahead of May’s vote, that position seems to have shifted. Political scientist Stephen Fisher has suggested the party could lose as many [...]
Badenoch: Starmer’s refusal to back US strikes a ‘pure political calculation’ March 2, 2026 Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of initially refusing to allow the US to use its military bases for strikes on Iran for “political” reasons rather than legal ones. In a speech at Policy Exchange, the centre-right think tank, Badenoch said the UK’s response to the conflict in the Middle East had [...]
Defence secretary defends UK stance on Iran as Starmer faces backlash March 1, 2026 Keir Starmer is facing mounting criticism from senior Conservatives over Britain’s response to the escalating conflict with Iran, as defence secretary John Healey confirmed UK forces are actively intercepting Iranian drones and reinforcing regional defences. Speaking on Sky News, Healey said “few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death”. He described the Iranian regime as a [...]
Tories pledge to cut ‘eyewatering’ interest on some student loans February 22, 2026 The Conservative party has pledged to slash some of the interest paid on student loans issued up until 2023 amid growing opposition around the crippling amount of student debt. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the Plan 2 loans system – which around 5.8 million took out loans under between 2012 and 2023 – “increasingly feels [...]
Robert Jenrick clinches Treasury brief as Reform reveals ‘shadow cabinet’ February 17, 2026 Robert Jenrick will spearhead Reform UK’s bid to woo the City and project fiscal responsibility after the recent-defector beat peers to the party’s ‘shadow’ Treasury brief. The Newark MP – who defected to the Nigel Farage’s turquoise tribe in January – was unveiled as the Reform party’s ‘shadow chancellor’ as Farage appointed a host of [...]
Starmer only cares about victims ‘to save his skin’, Badenoch blasts February 11, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer faced a brutal grilling at Prime Minister’s Questions on Monday where Kemi Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of only caring about victims of sexual abuse “to save his skin”. In a fiery exchange that was highly party-political but light on policy, the Labour leader said he had “accepted responsibility and apologised for [...]
Andy Street: Conservatives can beat Reform with centre-right policies January 26, 2026 The Conservatives can beat Reform UK if it leans into pro-business policies put forward by a new centre-right group, former Birmingham mayor Andy Street has said. Street said his new political group co-founded with former Scottish Conservatives leader Baroness Davidson – and backed by dozens of former Cabinet ministers and policy officials – can help [...]
Suella Braverman defects to Reform UK January 26, 2026 Former home secretary Suella Braverman has defected to Reform UK, the latest transfer from the Conservative benches to Nigel Farage’s party. Braverman, a former Tory leadership contender, had been a critic of policy positions held by the Tories. She was not a member of Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet. The total number of Reform MPs is [...]