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The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

It’s amazing how much damage Kemi can do to herself in five minutes on local radio | John Crace

Echoes of Liz Truss as Badenoch blusters and blunders through series of short interviews, saving the worst for almost last It was the sort of day that every politician dreads. One where you can’t not say and do something. The pressure to come up with the right words. The knowledge that even if you do find the right words, they still won’t be enough. Nothing anyone can say can mitigate the horror of the latest antisemitic attacks in north London on Wednesday. You can promise more money for securi

The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

Labour calls on Jenrick to give £37,500 campaign donation to charity amid electoral law investigation

Electoral Commission is investigating claims money given to MP came from US businessman now convicted of wire fraud UK politics live – latest updates Labour has called on Robert Jenrick to give up almost £40,000 donated to his campaign to be Conservative leader in 2024 following allegations that the sum came from an impermissible foreign donor now convicted of fraud. The party called for Jenrick to make a donation to charity after the Guardian revealed the Electoral Commission has been investi

Politics
The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

Why Bank kept interest rates on hold despite message for UK to brace itself for Trumpflation

The reasons are hardly comforting, pointing to the weakness of a battered economy in the face of this latest crisis Business live – latest updates Bank warns ‘higher inflation unavoidable’ after leaving interest rates on hold The message to the UK’s crisis-weary households from the Bank of England is: brace yourself for Trumpflation – and the higher interest rates it may yet take to rein it in. Reading the Bank’s quarterly monetary policy report, it is not difficult to understand the fury Rac

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

Could Lib Dems become the biggest party in English local government?

With voter loyalty a distant memory, the Lib Dems’ cost of living policies and criticism of Trump could gain them ground It has been an election buildup dominated by the rise of Reform UK and the Greens, and the contrasting woes of Labour and the Tories. But there is a chance that on 8 May the Liberal Democrats, largely ignored in recent weeks, could wake up as the biggest party in English local government. This is just one of several paradoxes for the party’s leader, Ed Davey, and his team. T

PoliticsEconomyEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

Local election campaigning enters final week as forecaster warns Labour could lose 1,850 English seats –UK politics live

Robert Hayward predicts Reform will be big winner, taking seats from both Labour and the Conservatives Good morning. We are now into the final week of campaigning for the Scottish parliament, Welsh Senedd and English local elections. Keir Starmer had been planning a big speech today, but he, and other political leaders, are today focusing on their response to the Golders Green stabbing and the antisemitism threat facing Britain’s Jewish community – described as a “national security emergency” by

PoliticsDefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

Could Starmer bring back Rayner to steady ship – and would she get onboard?

Former deputy PM has walked a line between loyalty and interventionism since resigning last September It is nearly eight months since Angela Rayner quit the cabinet because of her tax arrangements, but some might argue her influence on the government has not gone away. And soon she might return, whether as Keir Starmer’s saviour or, perhaps, his usurper. There is increasing speculation that the prime minister could carry out a small-scale reshuffle, primarily to bring back Rayner, his former dep

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

Why is Britain’s economy so stuck? It’s the tension between what voters want and what the bond markets allow | Larry Elliott

There is no such thing as the Bond Dealers party, but there might as well be – the people who trade in UK debt exert a stranglehold over our politics The days of two-party politics are over. When voters go to the polls in England next week, they will have five main contenders to choose from. In Scotland and Wales, the nationalists make it a six-strong race. This fragmentation reflects the deep discontent with Labour and the Conservatives. One thing in common between the Greens and Reform UK is t

PoliticsEconomyEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

Labour is facing wipeout in its final stronghold. Why? It’s housing, housing, housing | Aditya Chakrabortty

In the 1980s, Labour-controlled London built 52,000 council homes. During the Tony Blair decade, just 280. It’s brought this local-election catastrophe on itself Over the week to come, journalists will repeat three things until they, and you, are sick: that local elections fall next Thursday; that the results will decide the fate of Keir Starmer; and that he is set to do badly. But just how badly, and where? Last week, Starmer’s own party dropped a big clue. The most popular politician in Britai

PoliticsHousing
The Guardian Politics29 Apr 2026

Senior UK ministers deride Rachel Reeves’s reported plan of year-long rent freeze

Housing secretary and housing minister latest to criticise idea, which has also been ruled out by No 10 Senior ministers have poured scorn on the idea of freezing private sector rents for a year, less than 48 hours after the Guardian revealed Rachel Reeves was considering it. Steve Reed, the housing secretary, and Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, became the latest government figures to criticise the idea, which has since been ruled out by No 10. Continue reading...

Housing
The Guardian Politics29 Apr 2026

The Guardian view on assisted dying reform: now try a citizens’ assembly | Editorial

Parliament’s failure to change the law on a difficult issue should be the spur to democratic innovation The prorogation of parliament on Wednesday signals the end of the road for the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill. The proposal to allow some patients in England and Wales, under very specific circumstances, to have medical assistance in ending their own lives was still at committee stage in the Lords when the house rose. Since it was introduced as a private member’s bill, it cannot be c

Politics
The Guardian Politics29 Apr 2026

Rachel Reeves’s plan to mandate how pension funds invest was always a mistake | Nils Pratley

You can understand the motivation – more UK investment by UK funds means faster UK growth – but fiduciary duty trumps all A simple principle lies at the heart of pension investment: the pension manager must invest in the best interest of the client. UK ministers have often wished UK funds would show more home bias by channelling more pensioners’ cash towards domestic assets in the interests of economic growth, but the fundamental rule of the game has always been understood. You don’t mess with t

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics29 Apr 2026

Leasehold ban in England and Wales unlikely before next general election, minister says

Matthew Pennycook says ending system must be done slowly to avoid hitting housing supply and legal pitfalls A ban on new leasehold properties in England and Wales is unlikely to come into force until after the next election, the housing minister has said, as he defended the government’s piecemeal attempts to dismantle the system. The long-promised end would take years to “switch on”, Matthew Pennycook said, even though the ban of leaseholds on new houses was passed in 2024 and the government int

PoliticsHousing