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The Guardian Politics25 May 2026

NHS spends record £241m outsourcing scan analysis to private firms

Radiologists say ‘ballooning’ costs reflect staffing failures, forcing a reliance on lower-quality private scan reports The NHS is paying private firms record sums to analyse diagnostic scans because hospitals are too busy and understaffed to do the work themselves, research has revealed. The amount being spent on outsourced the interpretation of CT and MRI scans is “spiralling out of control” and reflects a short-sighted failure to train enough doctors, ministers are being told. Continue readi

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics25 May 2026

A year after nationalisation, is South Western Railway delivering?

Rail minister Peter Hendy says fast rollout shows reforms are working as questions over reliability remain South Western Railway’s newest train, wrapped in union jack-inspired Great British Railways livery, may divide opinion on aesthetics, but the interior is certainly an upgrade: air-conditioned carriages, more space and greater passenger capacity. For ministers, the fact that it is the 45th Arterio model brought into service since the SWR network was nationalised is vindication of the GBR app

The Guardian Politics25 May 2026

Ministers urged to act as households in Great Britain face energy bill ‘anxiety’

Under government’s price cap typical gas and electricity bills are forecast to rise by £209 from this summer Ministers face growing calls to cut utility bills as millions of households in Great Britain face energy cost “anxiety,” with gas and electricity costs forecast to rise to almost £1,900 from this summer. The typical dual-fuel bill is expected to climb by nearly 13% under the government’s energy price cap, adding £209 a year to household costs, in a blow to families already hit by rising p

The Guardian Politics25 May 2026

HMRC made us wait a year for £150,000 tax rebate

The tax office is quick to demand money owed and threatens fines, but is slow when giving refunds When my mother died, there was a four-year delay in achieving probate owing to financial complexities. During this time my father paid inheritance tax (IHT) on the advice of his solicitor, to prevent interest accruing. It turned out that the solicitor’s estimate of the amount was wildly out. Continue reading...

Economy
The Guardian Politics25 May 2026

To understand Britain’s new politics, look no further than this Shakespearean saga in Worcestershire | Jason Okundaye

What should be a story of Reform incompetence instead speaks to the broader refusal of Westminster to adapt to multiparty democracy If you want a window into how a fragmented nation and a splintered party system are reshaping British politics, look no further than the drama at Worcestershire county council. It shows the consequences of Britain governing like a two-party state, when it now votes like a multiparty democracy. Last week, opposition councillors from the Conservatives, Greens, Liberal

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics25 May 2026

The byelection, Wes Streeting and Europe: your questions answered – podcast

Can Andy Burnham do a better job than Keir Starmer? Is Makerfield more important for Reform than Labour? Can the UK rejoin the EU? Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey answer your messages and emails Continue reading...

Politics
The Guardian Politics24 May 2026

Labour to expand youth work experience and training schemes

Announcement comes after Alan Milburn says Britain has neglected generation of young people struggling to access work and training opportunities Ministers are expanding youth work experience and training schemes, after Alan Milburn warned Britain is spending £25 keeping young people on benefits for every £1 spent helping them into work. Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary will announce plans for 300,000 extra work experience placements over the next three years as Labour attempts to ta

Defence
The Guardian Politics24 May 2026

Bridget Phillipson orders review of hidden childcare charges hitting parents

Education secretary asks UK watchdog to look into nursery practices, including non-refundable deposits Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is ordering a competition review of hidden childcare charges amid concerns parents are being hit with extra charges, despite the government’s flagship expansion of funded childcare hours. Phillipson has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) asking it to examine practices including non-refundable deposits, compulsory add-ons and restr

EducationReformHousing
The Guardian Politics24 May 2026

Nicola Jennings on Andy Burnham and the forthcoming Labour leadership battle – cartoon

Continue reading...

The Guardian Politics24 May 2026

Farage under mounting pressure to prove Russian hack claim

Reform UK leader claims ‘counter-espionage experts’ suggest state-sponsored hackers are behind the disclosure of £5m gift Nigel Farage is under mounting pressure to provide evidence for his claim that a state-sponsored Russian hack was behind the disclosure of the £5m gift he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Reform UK claimed over the weekend that analysis of Farage’s phone by “counter-espionage experts” suggested that “Farage’s phone, email and bank accounts were compr

Reform
The Guardian Politics24 May 2026

Europe and US need ‘separate bedrooms’ but not divorce, says David Miliband

Speaking at Hay literary festival, former Labour minister says complete disengagement has potential ‘for us to end up in a very, very difficult position’ Former foreign secretary David Miliband has said Europe should have “separate bedrooms” from the US, but not seek a “divorce” from its traditional alliance, despite the Trump administration’s impact on the relationship. Speaking at the Hay literary festival on Sunday, the former Labour minister, who has served as the president of the Internati

The Guardian Politics24 May 2026

Andy Burnham seeks advice from Sue Gray on forming future Labour government

The discussions highlight how seriously senior Labour figures are treating Burnham’s path back to Westminster Andy Burnham has sought advice from Baroness Sue Gray, Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, on how to manage a potential transition into Downing Street if he returns to Westminster and succeeds the prime minister. Gray is understood to have advised Burnham on how a future government could be formed as Labour’s internal succession chatter intensifies before the Makerfield byelection. Co

Politics