News

Original reporting and the latest political headlines from across the UK.

Our Articles

Mainstream Headlines

Filtering by:Source: The Guardian Politics×Clear all

3103 headlines found — Page 253 of 259

The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Welsh elections a choice between culture or ignorance, Plaid leader says

Rhun ap Iorwerth tells party conference Labour and Tories ‘slipping away’ and Reform UK is main threat The leader of Plaid Cymru has claimed the Welsh parliament elections in May will be a straight fight between his party and Reform UK, which he billed as a choice between “culture or ignorance, humanity or indifference”. Speaking at the party’s biggest ever conference, Rhun ap Iorwerth, the clear favourite to be the next Welsh first minister, said the Gorton and Denton byelection showed Labour a

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Reform and Tories report ‘family voting’ allegations to watchdog

Nigel Farage says his party was victim of ‘cheating’ in Gorton and Denton byelection, although Manchester council says no issues were reported Reform UK and the Conservatives have asked the elections watchdog to investigate allegations of corrupt voting in the Gorton and Denton byelection as Nigel Farage claimed there had been “cheating”, despite limited evidence of wrongdoing. The reports to the Electoral Commission come after an election observers group, Democracy Volunteers, said they had wit

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Making a statement, Hannah Spencer’s ‘gross green’ is a political and TikTok winner

Green party’s victorious Gorton and Denton byelection candidate taps into the colour meme of the moment with her chartreuse waistcoat UK politics live – latest updates Of course the Green candidate wore green, though the correct term – the 2026 TikTok one – is “gross green”. Coined by New York magazine, and seen all over the high street as well as on the cover of Caro Claire Burke’s forthcoming satirical novel Yesteryear, it’s actually chartreuse. But where’s the fun in calling it that? And it

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Having romped into third place in Gorton and Denton, Labour is celebrating its success with a word salad | Marina Hyde

Got battered at the polls? No problem. Just act like voters want more of what you’re selling – not considerably less As David Lammy put it on Thursday in a dispatch from Gorton and Denton: “Only Labour can stop Reform.” And listen, stopping them by taking third place and haemorrhaging half your support from a general election that took place 19 months ago in an area where you haven’t lost an election for almost 100 years is definitely an intriguing way to do it. Only the Tories sound more furnit

Politics
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Appeal court rejects latest challenge to adding VAT to UK private school fees

Parents opposing plans told they can home school their children if they object to sending them to state schools The court of appeal has rejected the latest challenge to the addition of VAT to private school fees, telling parents they have the option to home school their children if they object to sending them to state schools. The appeal was launched by families and leaders of four independent Christian faith schools, aiming to overturn a high court ruling last year by arguing that the decision

EducationHousingCrime
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Legal challenge over plan to use East Sussex army camp as asylum housing dismissed

Judge rules that Crowborough residents cannot challenge a decision before it has been formally made A residents’ group has lost its high court challenge against a Home Office decision to use an army training camp to house asylum seekers. Crowborough Shield, a group of concerned residents, launched a legal challenge after securing more than £100,000 for legal fees with crowdfunding, after a government announcement to use Crowborough army training camp as accommodation for asylum seekers. Continu

ImmigrationDefenceHousingCrime
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Five key takeaways from the Gorton and Denton byelection

The night saw a big win for the Greens, disappointment for Reform and landmark losses for Labour and the Tories The Greens have pulled off a landmark victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection in a significant blow to Labour and the leadership of Keir Starmer. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green party councillor, was elected as the party’s first MP in northern England after overturning Labour’s 13,000-vote majority, while Reform UK finished second and Labour came third in the tightly cont

PoliticsEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

‘We defeated the parties of billionaire donors’: Hannah Spencer’s victory speech

‘We don’t have to fight dirty to fight for change,’ said Green party’s new MP after Gorton and Denton byelection win UK politics live – latest updates Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green party councillor, has been elected as the party’s first MP in northern England after overturning Labour’s 13,000-vote majority in the Gorton and Denton byelection. Here is her victory speech: I didn’t grow up wanting to be a politician. I’m a plumber. And two weeks ago, during all this, I also qualified

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

I saw how the Greens channelled voters’ anger – and fused it with hope. That’s why they won in Gorton and Denton | Owen Jones

Starmer called the byelection a battle for the nation’s soul. This result shows Labour has lost that – and I think it will lose much more It wasn’t even close. The scale of victory of the Green party’s Hannah Spencer in Gorton and Denton changes everything. For years, British politics has oscillated between snuffing out hope and stoking fear. The main parties converged around an economic model that irretrievably broke in the crash of 2008, then encouraged understandably furious voters to blame f

PoliticsEconomyEnvironment
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Green win shows progressive voters are now voting against Labour as well as Reform

Gorton and Denton byelection shatters Labour strategy of neglecting its core base while focusing on Reform defectors UK politics live – latest updates The Gorton and Denton byelection produced Labour’s most feared outcome – the Greens winning and potential displacing Labour as the choice of anti-Reform voters. This risk was signposted for months. It is just the latest of the unintended consequences produced by this government: first, a manifesto commitment to not raise taxes that has led to co

PoliticsEconomyEnvironment
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

Hannah Spencer: the Green MP speaking to everyday people’s frustrations

Winner of Gorton and Denton byelection was driven into politics by growing gap between super-rich and ‘rest of us’ UK politics live – latest updates Above the college workbench where Hannah Spencer has been training to be a plasterer, her fellow students recently added a sign: “Ministry of Plastering and Plumbing – Hannah Spencer MP”. Four weeks ago, the title might have felt faintly ridiculous to a 34-year-old plumber who only entered politics in 2023. Now, it is very real after Spencer was e

PoliticsEducationEnvironment
The Guardian Politics27 Feb 2026

What does the Greens’ victory in Gorton and Denton mean for the future of British politics? Our panel responds

Greens first, Reform second, Labour trailing – and the Tories losing their deposit. This felt like a rejection of the status quo Continue reading...

PoliticsEnvironment