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The Guardian Politics23 Aug 2026

The Guardian view on Andy Burnham’s foreign policy: work in progress | Editorial

The prime minister has focused on domestic affairs since coming to office. But at a time of global disruption, he will need to define Britain’s place in the world A run of volatility in domestic British politics in recent years has tracked a period of global turbulence, and yet foreign policy over the same period has been an area of relative stability. What little is known about Andy Burnham’s approach to international relations expresses more continuity with Sir Keir Starmer’s administration th

Politics
The Guardian Politics23 Aug 2026

The PM is promising to fix our everyday annoyances – and I have a list to get him started | Emma Beddington

Andy Burnham hopes we’ll forget the big stuff if he sorts out our minor frustrations and low-level gripes. Pothole politics hasn’t won me over yet, but I know some changes that could This is a vulnerable confession, but I spend way too much time on the social media of the New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Whether he is seemingly effortlessly speaking Mandarin, hanging out with kids or charmingly accepting that he should wear a cycle helmet, the man with the million-watt smile is my antidepres

Politics
The Guardian Politics23 Aug 2026

Drill, Burnham, drill? The oil basin that is a totem for Trump - and a headache for Britain’s new PM

North Sea oil, once the driving force of the UK economy, may be dwindling but it remains a symbol of prestige and a rich resource for political debate When oil was first discovered off the north-east coast of Scotland in September 1969, industry folklore has it that the duty superintendent on the rig carefully poured it into a pickle jar commandeered from the canteen and took it back to Amoco’s Great Yarmouth office in Norfolk. There, it was emptied into an ash tray, sniffed and then set alight.

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics22 Aug 2026

Badenoch says Reform defectors ‘some of the most dishonest people I have met’

Tory leader rules out coalition with Farage’s party and says ‘drama queens’ who left will not be welcomed back Kemi Badenoch has called defectors who left for Reform “some of the most dishonest people” she has ever met, as she ruled out allowing “drama queens” to return to the party. Speaking at the Edinburgh festival fringe, the Conservative party leader again ruled out any prospect of an election deal with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, insisting there would be no coalition between the parties. Co

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics21 Aug 2026

Deselected candidate claims Lib Dems’ religious discrimination cost him £790,000

David Campanale seeks damages after what he says was organised campaign against his faith in Sutton and Cheam How much is a career in politics worth? The Liberal Democrats, despite admitting claims of religious discrimination, say about £22,800. A former Lib Dem candidate claims £790,000. It is a question before the Central London county court after David Campanale argued that discrimination against his Christianity cost him his political career in a civil case against the party. Continue read

PoliticsCrime
The Guardian Politics21 Aug 2026

MPs ‘failing to learn lesson’ over freebies after accepting £400,000 of hospitality

Cost of tickets included £858 to a Harry Styles concert at Wembley; £1,839 to the Chelsea flower show and £3,432 of hospitality at the Brit Awards MPs have been accused of failing to learn their lesson over freebies after taking almost £400,000 of hospitality to concerts, sport matches and other events this year, with Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Wes Streeting among those accepting tickets. Despite the previous outcry in 2024 over Keir Starmer accepting football tickets and gifts of clothing, M

PoliticsDefenceHealthcare
The Guardian Politics21 Aug 2026

‘We’re not remotely prepared’: Labour MPs fear party has gone soft on climate crisis

Polls suggest growing skepticism around net zero, with politicians left feeling uncertain on how to proceed UK politics live – latest updates Britain has seen a summer of record-breaking wildfires, deadly heat and drought with almost 2, 900 heat associated deaths recorded in England during May and June alone. Homes have been destroyed more recently by the fires in the West Midlands and deadly wildfires have swept across Europe. Despite the ever more visible impacts of the climate crisis, there

PoliticsEnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics21 Aug 2026

Burnham to dispatch 100 Whitehall officials to help regional mayors

Civil service scheme announced after PM convened local leaders to ‘situation room’ meeting from No 10 North UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham is to send more than 100 Whitehall officials to bolster the teams of regional mayors, after convening leaders from across England from his base at No 10 North to discuss how to spread growth. The government described the meeting as a “situation room” to bring local and regional leaders into national decision-making. Continue reading...

Politics
The Guardian Politics21 Aug 2026

Nigel Farage called us ‘nobodies’ in the Clacton byelection. He seems to treat the town in much the same way | Attieh Fard

I had few resources as a candidate, but the contest allowed me to speak to local people about their lives and their MP. They deserve so much better In the early hours of last Friday morning, a video was posted. It showed Nigel Farage among his team of volunteers, before the votes had been counted, celebrating his victory and saying that he was not going to humiliate himself by sharing a platform at the count next to “nobodies”. He was referring to the 33 other candidates who had taken part in wh

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics21 Aug 2026

Burnham to chair growth meeting call at No 10 North – UK politics live

The PM will be working alongside chancellor John Healey, Lou Haigh, Angela Rayner and Sally Jameson with regional mayors expected to be involved Hello and welcome to the UK politics live blog. Prime minister Andy Burnham will be working from No 10 North in Manchester today, where he will chair what some in government are referring to as the “growth situation room”. Burnham said yesterday that fly-tippers will be forced to pay for the clean-up when they dump waste illegally. The prime minister la

Politics
The Guardian Politics21 Aug 2026

I put myself in the prime minister’s shoes – and learned some uncomfortable lessons | Zoe Williams

On the political survival game everyone in Westminster’s playing, I discovered an unnerving reflection of our country’s atmosphere of mistrust No 10: Full Confidence is the game all the lobby journalists and backbenchers are playing on their phones. Westminster hasn’t been so united by an app since the early 2010s, when everyone was trying to figure out what David Cameron saw in Angry Birds. The game is quite engrossing: you are the prime minister, taking office, and your name is Yusuf Dunmore.

Politics
The Guardian Politics20 Aug 2026

Reform UK hates ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – apprenticeships in dodgy crypto, anyone?

Dicky Tice recalls digging trenches with a JCB as a young man, omitting to say the firm he went on to run was founded by his grandfather You have to hand it to them. Most political parties would have chosen to go quiet, what with it being the middle of August and having next to nothing to say. But Reform are made of stronger stuff. They aren’t bothered that the only interesting thing about them at the moment is that they are fighting like rats in a sack. They seem to wear that as a badge of hono

PoliticsReformHousing