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The Guardian Politics28 Apr 2026

Welsh Labour faces ‘existential’ change as party braces for May election defeat

‘Critical debate’ about party’s identity and direction looms if it loses control of Senedd next month after 27 years in power Welsh Labour is the democratic world’s most successful election-winning machine, coming first in Wales in every general election since 1922 and every devolved election since 1999. Come next month’s Senedd election, however, this history-making run is expected to end. Labour’s collapse has left a vacuum, and former Labour voters are going to opposite ends of the political

Politics
The Guardian Politics28 Apr 2026

Rachel Reeves’s fiscal rules buffer should be ‘significantly larger’, say peers

Lord committee says chancellor and recent predecessors have allowed themselves too little room for manoeuvre Business live – latest updates Rachel Reeves should aim to run a “significantly larger” buffer against her fiscal rules, according to a report from a House of Lords committee that says the UK’s public debt is on an unsustainable trajectory. The chancellor raised taxes at last year’s budget in order to more than double the “headroom”, or buffer, against her fiscal rules to £22bn – some o

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics28 Apr 2026

The secretive billionaire bankrolling Nigel Farage – podcast

The crypto tycoon has given millions to Farage’s political parties. But who is Christopher Harborne and what does he want in return? One balmy evening last year at the Kamalaya wellness sanctuary in Thailand, the resort manager welcomed guests to a talk on longevity and anti-ageing medicine. The first speaker was a Thai doctor with impeccable credentials. The second was the resort’s owner, Chakrit Sakunkrit, who is better known as Christopher Harborne. And Harborne doesn’t only own a resort – he

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Half of England’s schools unfit due to leaks, mould and faulty toilets, poll finds

NAHT survey says widespread disrepair forcing closure of playgrounds and classrooms, with Send facilities also hit Half of headteachers say parts of their school are either out of use or unfit for purpose due to leaks, damp, mould, asbestos, ageing boilers and malfunctioning fire doors, according to a new survey by the National Association of Head Teachers(NAHT). Among those who say their schools are suffering, almost three-quarters (73%) say they have toilet blocks that are either closed (8%) o

Education
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Top Foreign Office official ‘felt pressure’ for ‘rapid outcome’ on Mandelson vetting

Ian Collard tells MPs he had not seen UKSV assessment summary before briefing Olly Robbins on clearance A top Foreign Office security official who played a key role in the granting of Peter Mandelson’s vetting clearance “felt pressure to deliver a rapid outcome” because of contacts from Downing Street, MPs have been told. In testimony relayed to parliament via the Foreign Office (FCDO), Ian Collard said he had not seen the assessment summary produced by the vetting agency when he gave an oral b

Politics
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Mandelson and McSweeney: a partnership forged on winning and crushing the Labour left

Former chief of staff who helped bring Mandelson out of Labour shadows for Washington post to be questioned by MPs on vetting process Like many Labour stories, Peter Mandelson’s and Morgan McSweeney’s both start at Lambeth council. Mandelson was in his mid-20s. It was 1979, and he was a new councillor under the leadership of “Red” Ted Knight. He came to despise the local party, describing the Lambeth Labour party’s leadership as “contributing very little to the economic development of south Lond

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Starmer tells MPs to ‘fight together’ before critical day for his premiership

The prime minister faces a standards investigation over Mandelson affair and testimony from Morgan McSweeney Keir Starmer has told Labour MPs to “stick together and fight together” as ministers launched a massive operation to shore up his fragile position before a critical day for his premiership. The prime minister faces the double threat of a standards investigation into his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US and a potentially damaging testimony from Morgan McSweeney,

Politics
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Lights. Camera. Lindsay! Speaker’s show lands Starmer with yet another headache | John Crace

It seemed like a fait accompli that Hoyle would deny the application for a Commons vote – but he had other ideas What the hell has Keir Starmer done to upset the speaker? Was it that row they had after prime minister’s questions a few weeks back, when Keir appeared to have taken objection to Lindsay Hoyle’s ad libbed remarks about not being responsible for Starmer not answering any of the questions? Has Hoyle finally had enough of the government announcing policy decisions in press conferences a

Politics
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Rachel Reeves considering rent freeze to limit Iran war fallout

Exclusive: Sources say chancellor is examining exceptional measures to protect household budgets Rachel Reeves is considering imposing a one-year rent freeze on private sector homes amid growing alarm in government about the impact of the Iran war on voters’ budgets. Landlords in England would be banned from raising rents for a limited period of time under the proposals, which are being debated within government as part of a major cost of living package to be launched in the coming weeks. Conti

PoliticsEconomyDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

What might McSweeney and Barton reveal about Mandelson vetting scandal?

MPs likely to question Starmer’s ex-chief of staff and former top official in Foreign Office on pressure, process and access The evidence of two ex-officials on Tuesday morning will be a key moment in the growing crisis around Peter Mandelson’s vetting for US ambassador which threatens to bring down Keir Starmer’s premiership. The prime minister will later face a crucial vote on a parliamentary inquiry into whether he misled MPs when claiming “full due process” had been followed. Continue readi

Politics
The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

US ad for ‘eyes and ears’ abroad featuring Big Ben stirs diplomatic unease

UK diplomat says implication of foreign service ad could be that US is ‘watching carefully’ over Britain A US state department post recruiting Americans to be its “eyes and ears” abroad – and featuring a picture of London – suggests “unease” in ties, say US and UK diplomats. In an advertisement for the foreign service over the weekend, the state department invited Americans to “navigate great-power rivalries, defuse global crises, and protect Americans and their interests across the globe”. Con

The Guardian Politics27 Apr 2026

Hannah Spencer riles fellow MPs with attack on parliament’s drinking culture

Green party byelection winner says ‘you can smell the alcohol when people are in between votes’ UK politics live – latest updates When Hannah Spencer spoke of her shock that in Westminster “you can smell the alcohol when people are in between votes”, she may not have expected such a lively response. The Green party MP, who won the Gorton and Denton byelection in February, made the comments in an interview with the Joe website, saying she was “really uneasy” about the drinking culture in parlia

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