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The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

Founder of Starmer’s legal chambers condemns Labour plans to cut jury trials

Geoffrey Robertson says proposals to reduce backlog are betrayal of party’s values and a ‘cure worse than the disease’ The founder of Keir Starmer’s barristers’ chambers has condemned the planned restriction of jury trials in England and Wales as “a betrayal of the values for which Labour purports to stand”. Geoffrey Robertson KC, founding head of Doughty Street Chambers, where the attorney general, Richard Hermer KC, and the justice secretary, David Lammy, also had their professional homes, has

ReformHousing
The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

Anas Sarwar asks voters in Scotland to give Labour five years to ‘fix SNP’s mess’

Scottish Labour leader pledges more homes and tax cuts as party tries to reverse slump in support before May elections UK politics live – latest updates Anas Sarwar has appealed to voters to give Labour five years “to fix the Scottish National party’s mess” as he pledged more homes, tax cuts and a smaller public sector. The Scottish Labour leader is fighting a last-ditch attempt to reverse a steep slump in support. Recent polls put Sarwar’s party third or fourth behind Reform and the Scottish

PoliticsEconomyDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

What is the new EU bill and could it give UK ministers Henry VIII-type powers?

Legislation would allow government to implement evolving single market rules without full parliamentary scrutiny UK politics live – latest updates Ministers in Britain are planning a new bill, which would bring into force a food and drink trade deal with the EU but also contain powers enabling the government to “dynamically align” with Europe. That will allow the UK to quickly implement evolving single market rules if it determines it is in the national interest, without having to face full p

Politics
The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

Hormuz, Hungary and the UK shifting closer to the EU – podcast

After 16 years in power in Hungary, Viktor Orbán has been defeated, marking a huge shift in the European Union. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has defended potential legislation that will align the UK with European rules – without a vote in parliament. Plus the government confirms the UK will not support Donald Trump’s planned blockade of the strait of Hormuz, but what will it offer instead? Guardian Live: Can Labour come back from the brink? With a difficult set of May elections approaching, Labour un

Politics
The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

Keir Starmer defends plan for closer alignment with EU rules

PM rejects claim plan is integration with EU ‘by stealth’, saying changes will happen only if parliament passes law UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer has defended plans for the UK to align more closely with some EU rules without parliamentary votes, saying a closer relationship with Europe “is in the UK’s best interest”, particularly given the international turmoil over the Iran war. Speaking to the BBC after the Guardian revealed that ministers were planning to use so-called Henr

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

Starmer confirms UK will not support US blockade of strait of Hormuz – UK politics live

PM says opening waterway is ‘vital’ as he rules out any UK involvement in US moves to blockade strait Good morning. The parliamentary recess is over, the Iran war disaster isn’t, campaigning is ramping up because the May elections are less than four weeks to go, and there will be plenty for MPs to discuss as they meet in the Commons this afternoon. The full timetable, as usual, is down below. Keir Starmer is in Greater Manchester this morning, on a visit linked to the English local elections. Bu

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

More than a fifth of UK’s ‘austerity children’ scarred by poverty, study says

Researchers say hardship is a direct legacy of welfare benefit cuts imposed by Tory governments in recent years More than a fifth of all “austerity generation” British children have been scarred by poverty for at least half their childhood, a direct legacy of the welfare benefit cuts imposed by Conservative governments in recent years, research reveals. The proportion of children born after 2013 who spent at least six of their first 11 years of life in hardship surged after ministers froze worki

The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

Private firms providing services to NHS made £1.6bn profit in two years, research finds

Exclusive: MPs say profit-making levels in England are ‘scandalous’ and call for cap on amount private companies can make from NHS Private firms providing services to the NHS including healthcare and consultancy have made £1.6bn in profits over the last two years, research reveals. The findings – on the basis of contracts worth £12bn – have prompted claims of “scandalous” profiteering, concern that the health service is being “taken for a ride” and calls for ministers to impose a cap on maximum

PoliticsHealthcare
The Guardian Politics13 Apr 2026

In the UK, Keir Starmer has few fans. I learned that in China it’s a very different story | Martin Rowson

The prime minister’s meal in a Yunnan restaurant in Beijing has spawned a national menu. The man has, bizarrely, become a phenomenon It’s always heartening when people agree with you. I had Keir Starmer down as a non-ideological technocratic centrist dad the moment I first clocked him, with a tin ear for both simple human interaction and the darker subtleties of the political arts. So despite carrying his famous “Ming vase” over the line in the 2024 election, I’ve been wholly unsurprised by him

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The Guardian Politics12 Apr 2026

Thousands of unpaid carers to face DWP repayment demands during overhaul

Ministers admit carer’s allowance penalties will continue while review of more than 200,000 cases is carried out Thousands of unpaid carers will continue to be hit with hefty and potentially unfair benefit repayment demands, it has emerged, as a government initiative gets under way to fix welfare injustices that have drawn comparison to the Post Office scandal. Ministers will on Monday launch an audit of more than 200,000 historical carer’s allowance benefit cases, with an estimated 25,000 carer

Reform
The Guardian Politics12 Apr 2026

Fried nuggets and steamed sponges off menu in school food overhaul in England

Campaigners welcome first update of school food standards in 13 years, which aims to help lower obesity rates The government is to announce an overhaul to school food standards in England that will lead to calorific classics such as fish and chips and steamed sponges being banned. The new rules of the first major update to school food standards in 13 years will apply from September. They are part of efforts to lower the rates of childhood obesity, with data for 2024 released by the NHS in Januar

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics12 Apr 2026

Mauritius vows to ‘decolonise’ Chagos Islands after Starmer shelves handover

Mauritian foreign minister pledges to ‘spare no effort’ to regain control of islands, as US fails to give approval of deal A senior official in Mauritius’ government has vowed that the Chagos Islands will be “decolonised” after Keir Starmer was forced to shelve legislation to hand the islands back to Mauritius. On Friday, UK government officials acknowledged that they had run out of time to pass legislation within the current parliamentary session, which ends in the coming weeks, after a lack o

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