Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigns over Mandelson appointment Politics The chief of staff to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has resigned following mounting criticism over the appointment of Peter Mandelson to the US ambassadorship. Morgan McSweeney – who succeeded Sue Gray to the post in October 2024 – said the decision to nominate Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US was “wrong” and he [...]
Conference season has made one thing clear: Labour has already failed Opinion Polling in the aftermath of Labour conference tells a brutal story of a party that has already failed, writes Brandon Lewis.
What should Labour supporters make of a conference dominated by Reform? Opinion Keir Starmer wants to frame the choice facing Britain as one between decency and division, but will a restless electorate anxious to see results let him? Asks Douglas Beattie There are three types of party conference – the dreary, the victorious and the tense. The first of these often emerges after a long period in [...]
Rachel Reeves was overshadowed by her future self September 30, 2025 The Chancellor’s speech yesterday was overshadowed by one she hasn’t yet delivered; that’ll be the Budget, on 26 November. The whole country knows that the November Budget is going to be painful, one way or another, and its inevitable constraints (in fact, just the timing of it) meant that Reeves wasn’t able to say much [...]
Could Andy Burnham actually unseat Keir Starmer? September 29, 2025 Andy Burnham has made a bold threat to Keir Starmer, but could he actually unseat the Prime Minister? Eliot Wilson takes a look.
Starmer refuses to rule out VAT rise September 28, 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to rule out any potential rises to VAT as he reinforced his commitment to Labour’s manifesto pledges in a new interview. In an interview with BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, after being pressed on potential changes to VAT, Starmer said: “The manifesto stands. We made commitment in that manifesto and the [...]
Will the Labour party survive its conference? September 25, 2025 The left, just like the right, is a broad but unhappy church – will its internal rifts reach breaking point at Labour’s upcoming conference in Liverpool? Asks Helen Thomas This Sunday, Liverpool plays host to the Labour Party conference, where the party’s competing wings will jostle under the harsh glare of the government spotlight. Just [...]
Rachel Reeves ‘has no interest in hospitality’ after ‘reckless’ taxes September 23, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves “has no interest in hospitality”, according to nighttime adviser Sacha Lord, who also branded her National Insurance increases in last year’s Autumn Budget “both reckless and short sighted”. Lord, who is a member of the Labour Party, said the 2024 Budget was a “disaster for hospitality” which resulted “in many closures and [...]
Cabinet reshuffle: Lucy Rigby replaces Emma Reynolds as City minister September 6, 2025 Former solicitor general Lucy Rigby has been made Economic Secretary to the Treasury, a role often called the City minister, in the latest development in Starmer’s reshuffle. Rigby replaces Emma Reynolds, a former City lobbyist who had held the role since last July but who has now become environment secretary. In a post on X, Rigby said she was [...]
The Capitalist: Labour’s no-Party Conference; Rightmove’s drama Down Under; R.I.P. our dots September 26, 2024 Dispatches from Labour Party Conference, Rightmove's hopping executives, and more: catch up on the latest City gossip in The Capitalist.