Reform UK and Tories attack Burnham’s triple lock pension move Economics Reform UK and Tory leaders have hit out at Andy Burnham’s plans to drop the triple lock on pensions in a future Labour manifesto, setting up a clash on a policy which previously had the backing of all major political parties. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister said he would lead his party on a pledge [...]
Andrew Griffith tells Burnham to rule out Budget tax rises Business Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith will urge Labour to rule out further tax rises on businesses at next month’s Budget, as the Conservatives set out plans to cut the compliance burden facing small firms and the self-employed. In his first major speech since taking the role, Griffith will call on Andy Burnham and chancellor John Healey [...]
Badenoch bets on experience as Griffith and Tugendhat claim shadow cabinet top spots Politics Andrew Griffith has been announced as the new shadow chancellor, replacing Sir Mel Stride in a Conservative Party reshuffle carried out before parliament returns on Tuesday. Griffith, who was the shadow business secretary, will now lead on economic policy for the Tories heading up a new Conservative Economics Unit. Kemi Badenoch’s decision to sack Stride [...]
Cleverly announces bid to run for London mayor August 29, 2026 James Cleverly has quit from Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet in order to launch his bid to run for mayor of London. Cleverly, who was the shadow housing and local government secretary, said he would put himself forward for the Conservatives’ candidacy for London mayor. He said the capital needed someone who “is prepared to fight [...]
‘Social value’ procurement rules are an absurd waste of time and money August 6, 2026 Procurement is not a sexy topic, but stay with me here. The public sector spends around £400bn a year buying goods and services from the private sector. You can imagine the scale: NHS equipment and Ministry of Defence gear, police cars and IT infrastructure, immigration processing centres, security guards, construction projects and fax machines. It’s [...]
Former deputy PM Dominic Raab moves into PR with advisory role at Kreab May 21, 2026 Dominic Raab, the former deputy prime minister, is joining the City arm of communications consultancy Kreab as a senior adviser specialising in defence and intelligence. Raab’s new role will see him advising clients on defence and security challenges, including domestic politics, public policy and international geopolitics. Kreab, a leading global strategic communications and public affairs consultancy, [...]
Mel Stride: Markets have issued ‘damning verdict’ on Labour May 18, 2026 Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride is set to claim that markets have issued the Labour government a “damning verdict” after continual leadership speculation and tax rises, warning that taxpayers will be left on the hook. In a speech at the Centre for Policy Studies, Stride will argue that investors have taken an ill-view of the [...]
Local elections 2026: who will win in Hammersmith and Fulham Council? May 6, 2026 Labour won 40 of 50 seats in 2022 and remains favourite to hold Hammersmith and Fulham, but two councillor defections to the Greens signal growing pressure. Council tax has risen 4.99 per cent to £1,009 at Band D, the borough faces steep funding cuts by 2028/29, and Hammersmith Bridge remains closed to vehicles with a [...]
Tories target £1bn benefits loophole in welfare crackdown May 3, 2026 The Conservatives have pledged to close what they claim is a £1bn loophole in the welfare system, in a move aimed at tightening benefit rules and boosting incentives to work. Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said the party would overhaul the benefit cap so households cannot receive unlimited payments unless all adults who [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win? April 23, 2026 Political turmoil in Westminster and voter anxiety across a range of issues could see the political map of London redrawn after the upcoming local elections. Felix Armstrong, Mauricio Alencar, Matt Kenyon, Samuel Norman, Saskia Koopman and Simon Hunt preview how residents in each of the capital’s 32 boroughs could vote on May 7. The Greens [...]