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The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

ChatGPT and other AI bots made huge errors before Scottish election, study finds

Exclusive: Electoral Commission calls for new controls, as Demos finds tools made up fake scandals, invented candidates or gave wrong date UK politics live – latest updates The Electoral Commission has called for new legal controls over misinformation from AI chatbots, after a thinktank found they had made serious mistakes during the recent Scottish election. The thinktank Demos said its investigation had found that AI services gave voters misinformation to 34% of the questions it posed, which

Politics
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

Labour must be bolder or it will lose, says Wes Streeting

In first speech since quitting cabinet, Streeting says party must deliver change or it will hand keys of No 10 to Reform UK politics live – latest updates Labour must be bolder and deliver real change, Wes Streeting has said in his first Commons speech since resigning as health secretary, saying that he quit the government because it was “currently losing” the fight against populist nationalism. Streeting reiterated his view that leaving the EU had been a damaging mistake for the UK, and argue

PoliticsReformHousing
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

Planned fuel duty rise to be scrapped, says Keir Starmer

PM tells Commons extending the temporary 5p cut is a necessary response to cost-of-living pressures UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer has announced an extension to the temporary 5p cut in fuel duty, as widely expected, telling the Commons it was a necessary response to cost-of-living pressures. Before a wider package of measures due to be announced by Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, on Thursday, Starmer used prime minister’s questions to announce the extended freeze and a vehicle t

Politics
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

Rachel Reeves to protect ‘critical’ clean energy projects from legal challenges

Chancellor’s planning shake-up would ‘reduce exposure from judicial review on all but human rights grounds’ Rachel Reeves is ​preparing to announce a planning shake-up ‌that would fast-track clean energy ​and infrastructure projects by curbing judicial reviews, the ​Treasury said. The chancellor will propose that parliament should be able to designate and approve the most important clean energy projects as of “critical national importance”, as part of a wider package seeking to blunt the impact

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

Starmer to face Commons grilling at PMQs as Streeting plans resignation speech – UK politics live

The former health secretary will give resignation speech after prime minister’s questions Good morning. PMQs is back, and there are at least two obvious issues for Kemi Badenoch to raise when she faces Keir Starmer. What Tories calls Starmer’s “Soviet-style” plan to curb supermarket prices This is more nuts than a squirrel convention! I warned Rachel Reeves prices would go up if she raised taxes and drowned employers in red tape. She didn’t listen and now she’s proposing Soviet style measures!

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

UK relaxes strict sanctions on Russian crude oil

Decision to allow import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries is criticised by Tories as ‘insane’ The UK government has relaxed strict sanctions on Russian crude oil, allowing for the import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries amid surging costs. A trade licence that came into effect on Wednesday permits the imports indefinitely and will be reviewed periodically. It comes at a time of growing concerns over the supply of certain fuels due to the de facto blockade of the

The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

Nothing sums up the death of accountability like the prospect of Nigel Farage in No 10 | George Monbiot

You’d expect the public face of Brexit to be punished by voters. But history shows that leaders often profit from the chaos they sow The biggest Brexit donor was the stockbroker Peter Hargreaves. He gave £3.2m to the leave campaign. He justified his enthusiasm as follows: “We will get out there and we will become incredibly successful because we will be insecure again. And insecurity is fantastic.” If you are wondering, “Fantastic for whom?”, the current television ad for the company he co-found

ReformHousing
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

‘Attainment at all costs’ approach could undermine Send changes, school leaders in England say

Union says emphasis on academic goals conflicts with proposed measures on special educational needs provision Changes to special educational needs provision in England could be thwarted by “academic attainment at all costs” policies that prioritise exam results and punish inclusive schools, headteachers have said in response to a government consultation. The Association of School and College Leaders said the government’s emphasis on academic goals conflicted with its measures designed to help ma

DefenceEducation
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

The balance of global power is shifting fast, but Britain is stuck in the same old Brexit rut | Rafael Behr

Without a reckoning about the epic strategic error of leaving the EU, there is no serious debate about the country’s future place in the world While the Labour party was in meltdown last week, Donald Trump was visiting China. By the time Wes Streeting had sent his resignation letter to Keir Starmer, the US president had completed a two-hour bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and moved on to sightseeing. The events unfolded in parallel, but in the competition for media an

Defence
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

Broadcasters too reliant on vox pop interviews and failing to challenge politicians, says study

Researchers also question whether UK’s impartiality rules allow for proper scrutiny in era of multiparty politics Broadcasters are letting down voters by relying on so-called vox pop interviews and failing to scrutinise political claims during election campaigns, according to researchers. The study by Cardiff University looked at how this year’s national elections in Wales and Scotland, alongside the local elections in England, were reported on UK-wide television news between 2 March and 6 May.

PoliticsEducation
The Guardian Politics20 May 2026

British diplomat James Roscoe leaves posting at Washington embassy

Abrupt exit for charge d’affaires who stood in after Peter Mandelson’s removal as US ambassador A diplomat in Washington who stood in as interim ambassador after the sacking of Peter Mandelson has abruptly left his post. In a brief statement, a Foreign Office spokesman said: “James Roscoe has left his post.” No further explanation was officially given on Tuesday night for the departure of Roscoe, who had served as deputy head of mission at the British embassy since 2022. Continue reading...

The Guardian Politics19 May 2026

Spending watchdog warns £38bn cost of Sizewell C nuclear plant is ‘risky’

National Audit Office says potential benefits are ‘considerable but uncertain’ while risks are ‘immediate and substantial’ The cost of the government’s £38bn nuclear plant in Suffolk is subject to “significant uncertainty” and may outweigh the benefits for UK households until at least 2064, according to the government’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned that although the potential benefits of the Sizewell C nuclear plant are considerable, they remain uncertain. The ri

Defence