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The Guardian Politics11 May 2026

Who are the main threats to Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership?

PM is determined to fight on in No 10 but various contenders to replace him have been organising for some time Keir Starmer has long been dogged by leadership rivals – despite only having won a huge majority two years ago. He insists there is no vacancy, and that he will fight on in No 10, seeking a second five-year term and a decade in the job. However, the various contenders to replace him have been organising for some time. Many others may consider throwing their hats into the ring if the con

The Guardian Politics11 May 2026

Wales has been hit by a political earthquake – and the UK government is in a very tricky position | Will Hayward

If Starmer’s Labour refuses to concede more powers to Plaid Cymru, the triumphant independence party, it will only accelerate its own decline On Saturday, I stood on the steps outside the Senedd, listening to the leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, take questions from the media. It was one of those rare moments of almost feeling history being made. As one of the other journalists said to me: “I have never seen a political event like this in Wales.” A crowd of Plaid supporters had gathered t

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics11 May 2026

Minority groups brace for surge in racism after Reform UK election gains

Members of minority communities in Birmingham and elsewhere fear results could lead to rise in hostile rhetoric Conceding defeat at the election count at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena on Friday, the outgoing Labour leader of the city council, John Cotton, made a plea. “What I would encourage the next administration in this city to do, whatever form that administration takes, is that it ensures it champions the diversity of this city,” he said. Labour’s 14-year rule of the local authority had come t

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics11 May 2026

‘London is a case study in hope’: Sadiq Khan on 10 years as mayor

London mayor talks up coalition-building, highlights his environmental record, and worries national Labour party is on the wrong track When Sadiq Khan was first elected as mayor of London 10 years ago, Barack Obama was US president, the UK was still in the European Union and Leicester City had just been crowned the unlikely champions of the English Premier League. In the intervening decade, Donald Trump has gone from reality TV star to two-time US president, the UK has had six different prime mi

EnvironmentHousing
The Guardian Politics10 May 2026

The Tories are still on life support – so why is Badenoch in celebratory mood?

Party leader has been vocal about its gains in London and there is a feeling that its losses could have been worse By any sane person’s reckoning, the Conservative party had a night to forget in Thursday’s local, mayoral and devolved elections. It lost about 500 councillors in England and ceded control of three local authorities to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK – losing to the rightwing upstarts in England, Wales and Scotland. Why then is Kemi Badenoch hailing these results as proof that “the Conserv

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics10 May 2026

Full nationalisation of British Steel expected in King’s speech

Officials reportedly drafting legislation likely to safeguard Britain’s last blast furnaces and save thousands of jobs The full nationalisation of British Steel is expected to be announced in the King’s speech this week, a year after the government took over the daily running of the loss-making business from its Chinese owner. The steelmaker, which employs 3,500 people at its plant in Scunthorpe, came under government control last April amid fears that its owner Jingye was planning to shut down

Defence
The Guardian Politics10 May 2026

Plaid Cymru leader plans minority Welsh government built on cooperation

Rhun ap Iorwerth says he hopes to work with other parties and press the UK government for extra powers UK politics live – latest updates The leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has vowed to form a stable minority government in the Senedd and said he would seek out mature cooperation from all opposition parties. Ap Iorwerth said his administration would press the UK government for extra powers over policy areas such as policing and justice and focus on results rather than engaging in polit

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics10 May 2026

The Guardian view on the Welsh and Scottish elections: Plaid’s triumph heralds a new era in devolved politics | Editorial

Progressive nationalist parties now hold power in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. That will be a challenge for the United Kingdom’s overcentralised state When the Scottish and Welsh assemblies were created on the eve of the millennium, the then Labour government in Westminster believed that it had engineered a win-win situation. Devolution, it was hoped, would see off any nationalist threat in Scotland and Wales. Meanwhile, the Labour party’s longstanding political dominance in both nations woul

Politics
The Guardian Politics10 May 2026

Nicola Jennings on Keir Starmer’s reaction to the election results – cartoon

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Politics
The Guardian Politics10 May 2026

Starmer faces perilous 24 hours as Streeting preparing for leadership bid

Chances of Starmer remaining in No 10 appear to be diminishing as about 40 Labour MPs call for him to quit UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer is facing a perilous 24 hours as allies of Wes Streeting said he was prepared to bid for the leadership if the prime minister’s premiership falls apart this week. Starmer was hoping to save his job with a speech that sets out his vision for turning the country around on Monday, after a disastrous set of local election results in which the par

Politics
The Guardian Politics10 May 2026

Thousands attend rally against antisemitism outside Downing Street

Conservative and Reform leaders cheered as they address crowd, while Labour’s Pat McFadden met with boos and shouts of ‘where is Starmer?’ Thousands of people gathered outside Downing Street on Sunday to protest an increase in antisemitic hate crimes and violence, as senior politicians and interfaith leaders called for unity. The Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism rally, backed by more than 30 Jewish groups, drew thousands of people to Whitehall, as Conservative and Liberal Democrat party

PoliticsCrime
The Guardian Politics10 May 2026

Britain’s visceral dislike of Keir Starmer illuminates a problem for his successor | Samuel Earle

There are many good reasons to not like the prime minister. But ours is an age in which hatred is a remarkably popular currency – leaders need a strategy for countering it It might be that Keir Starmer, not known for his rhetorical skills, expresses himself most clearly through his furrowed brow. It has a way of telling the public that none of this is easy and that difficult decisions must be made. It says that although Starmer wishes it were otherwise, things will get worse before they get bett