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The Guardian Politics19 May 2026

Wes Streeting’s Brexit play may be clever gamesmanship – but it has nothing to do with Europe | Anand Menon

Ten years after the referendum, its role as domestic football is still the order of day – and the ex-health secretary is happy to use it in his leadership bid Anand Menon is director of The UK in a Changing Europe Brexit, it seems, is back. Or at least back within the Labour party. Wes wants to be back in (at some point). Andy once said there’s a case, but seems to have changed his mind. Nigel, meanwhile, warns of betrayal. On one hand, this is all terribly predictable. Winning any Labour lead

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics19 May 2026

UK unemployment unexpectedly rises to 5% as firms squeezed by Iran war

Pay growth eases to 3.4% as businesses face pressure from soaring energy costs Unemployment in the UK has unexpectedly risen to 5% while wage growth has slowed, according to official figures, in the first snapshot of how companies are reacting to the impact of the Iran war. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate of unemployment was up in the three months to March, from 4.9% in February, a rate that City economists had expected to hold. Continue reading...

Defence
The Guardian Politics18 May 2026

Free up fertiliser supplies to avert global food crisis, Yvette Cooper urges

UK foreign secretary says urgent pressure needed to get strait of Hormuz reopened and fertiliser and fuel moving Global fertiliser supplies must be freed up within weeks to avoid disaster, with harvests suffering and food prices rising, the UK’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said. The war in Iran has frozen shipments of fertiliser through the strait of Hormuz, creating a supply crunch that has already damaged farming in the UK, Europe and the US and is having its worst impacts in the dev

Defence
The Guardian Politics18 May 2026

No ‘tailor-made’ deal for UK if it wants to rejoin bloc, say former EU Brexit officials

Britain likely to face ‘warm, welcoming stance’ if it seeks re-entry but also a ‘hard-headed one’ – with no special deals Britain would not be able to rejoin the EU on the special terms it enjoyed in the past, veterans of the Brexit negotiations have said. According to former officials from around Europe, the UK should not expect to achieve as beneficial a deal as it once had if it decided to begin negotiations on re-entry. Continue reading...

Defence
The Guardian Politics18 May 2026

Lammy dismisses Streeting’s call for UK to rejoin EU as ‘sixth form’ debating position – UK politics live

Deputy PM says the public will not forgive weeks of internal debate on the EU and Labour leadership, warning it will play into Reform’s hands Good morning. Harold Wilson was right; a week is a long time etc etc. Seven days ago, the biggest threat to Keir Starmer was a half-baked challenge from Catherine West. A week on, with Andy Burnham on a viable path back to Westminster within the next few weeks, it now seems more likely than not that Burnham will be prime minister by the autumn, perhaps ear

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics18 May 2026

National Conversation project launches as Britain risks ‘being torn apart by differences’

Commission led by Sajid Javid and Jon Cruddas asks public to share vision of community and country to help rebuild social cohesion Sajid Javid has warned the country risks “being torn apart by our differences” as figures from across public life launch a project that asks what it means to be British. The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, co-chaired by the former Conservative chancellor as well as the former Labour party policy chief Jon Cruddas, is urging the public to share their

Defence
The Guardian Politics18 May 2026

The result of normalising Reform’s ideas? Neighbour is turned against neighbour | Nesrine Malik

‘Concern’ about immigration has now morphed into policing how ethnic minorities exist in our communities Turn away, for a moment, from Westminster and the battle to be the next prime minister – and towards the lives of the ethnic minorities and immigrants who live in England and who just saw many parts of their country turn turquoise at the May local elections. How are these people to be treated by Reform representatives when that party thinks they are lesser humans – and a threat to the social

PoliticsImmigrationDefence
The Guardian Politics18 May 2026

UK’s next ambassador to Japan may be called to give evidence in Mandelson inquiry

MPs will decide whether Corin Robertson will face questions over decision to award security clearance against advice The UK’s next ambassador to Japan could be called to give evidence over the decision to award Peter Mandelson security clearance against the advice of vetting officials. Corin Robertson was the Foreign Office’s (FCDO) chief operating officer when she was involved in the decision in late January 2025 to grant Mandelson clearance, according to evidence given to MPs. Continue readin

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics17 May 2026

Andy Burnham faces perilous race to win Makerfield byelection, allies say

Reform, which won more than 50% of the local election vote, is likely to focus heavily on immigration and Brexit Andy Burnham faces a perilous race to win the Makerfield seat, his allies have warned, as he gears up to fight a byelection that could decide the long-term future of Labour and the country. The Greater Manchester mayor is likely to be confirmed as Labour’s candidate for the north-west constituency later this week, but those close to him say he faces an uphill battle to beat Reform UK.

PoliticsImmigrationDefenceReform
The Guardian Politics17 May 2026

Whatever happens with the leadership, Labour must tackle the issue of social care head-on | Heather Stewart

The challenge of how to look after an ageing population has been ducked by politicians for too long If a new Labour leader wants to underline their determination to wrestle with Britain’s political challenges, it is hard to think of a better place to start than with the creaking social care settlement. A new collection of essays, to be published by the Fabian Society this week, urges the government – whoever leads it – to crack on with creating a “national care service” more closely aligned to t

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics15 May 2026

Starmer, Burnham, Farage Polanski: they make a week in politics feel like an eternity in Hades | Marina Hyde

It’s your life in their hands, but what kind of life is that? No wonder a wearied, confused public has mobilised into tribes – or just tuned out On the basis that you’re never too cooked to get a new catchphrase, Keir Starmer has repeatedly warned this week that we are in a “battle for the soul of our nation”. I wish he’d stop saying it. The thought of your very soul being fought over by Nigel Farage, Keir Starmer, Zack Polanski, Kemi Badenoch and the others is like something out of a sealed sec

PoliticsDefenceReform
The Guardian Politics15 May 2026

Digested week: Starmer’s day of reckoning was foreseen – just not the level of drama | John Crace

While Tories are quite ruthless about removing a leader, Labour MPs can’t decide whether their regicide is a tragedy or comedy No one can say they weren’t warned. Last week’s elections had always been marked out as a time of maximum danger for Keir Starmer if the results were as bad as feared. And so it proved. Only no one had anticipated quite the level of drama that would go with it. While the Tories have always been quite ruthless about getting rid of a leader they deem surplus to requirement

PoliticsDefence