News

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

Our Articles

Mainstream Headlines

Filtering by:Tag: politics×Source: The Guardian Politics×Clear all

1219 headlines found — Page 28 of 102

The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Teenage boys’ non-custodial sentences for rape ‘unduly lenient’, says Jess Phillips

MP says judge’s decision sends a ‘bad message’, while Hampshire police commissioner also joins criticism The MP Jess Phillips has condemned the non-custodial sentences given to three teenage boys for the rape of two girls as “unduly lenient”. Phillips, who was the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls before resigning this month, said that giving the boys youth rehabilitation orders sent a “bad message”. The government said it had received multiple requests for the sente

PoliticsCrime
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Burnham starts byelection campaign with thinly veiled pitch for No 10

‘This is a change byelection,’ says Labour mayor as he launches bid for Makerfield seat and lays out policy views UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham has formally launched his campaign for the Makerfield byelection with a barely coded pitch for Downing Street, saying a vote for him to become the MP there was “a vote to change Labour”. While not explicitly saying that he would seek to replace Keir Starmer, the Greater Manchester mayor used a speech to Labour MPs and activists in the

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Palantir hits back at Sadiq Khan after £50m contract with Met police blocked

London mayor accused of ‘putting politics above public safety’ for rejecting deal to use AI in intelligence analysis UK politics live – latest updates Palantir has accused Sadiq Khan of “putting politics above public safety” after the London mayor blocked its £50m contract with the Metropolitan police in a move that has also led to tensions inside Labour over its involvement with the US tech company. Louis Mosley, who heads Palantir in the UK and Europe, accused Khan of politicising procuremen

PoliticsCrime
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

‘He’s a natural’: Andy Burnham’s allies give his social media style a thumbs up

Labour MPs and PR experts praise his refreshingly forthright approach that is a marked contrast to Keir Starmer UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham’s fingers must be aching. Between pitching to become the MP for Makerfield, continuing in his day job as the mayor of Greater Manchester and going for his regular runs, Keir Starmer’s would-be challenger has also found enough time to reply to dozens of posts on social media. Since it became clear that Burnham planned to stand as a candid

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Electoral reform and reversing Brexit: they’re more connected than you might think | Tom Baldwin

Labour’s emerging leadership contest is reopening the EU debate. But if we want to rejoin, Britain needs a more European voting system first Nowhere is an anniversary more relished than in newspapers. As we approach the 10-year mark since Britain voted for Brexit, countless column inches would no doubt have been reserved for this purpose anyway. Yet the prospect of a Labour leadership contest, at a time when polls are showing four-fifths of the party’s voters at the last election and an even hig

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Healey asks Farage if any of £5m gift may have come from Russia-linked profits

Defence secretary also asks if billionaire’s company may have benefited from Iran war, which Reform leader initially supported UK politics live – latest updates Business live – latest updates The defence secretary, John Healey, has urged Nigel Farage to provide transparency about the £5m gift he received from a billionaire businessman, in particular over whether any of the sum could have been linked to Russia-connected profits. In a letter to the Reform UK leader, Healey also asked him to add

PoliticsDefenceReform
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Burnham to launch byelection campaign as Green candidate quits after just nine hours – UK politics live

Andy Burnham expected to address supporters in the morning as he officially launches campaign to be Labour candidate for Makerfield Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. Andy Burnham is set to officially launch his campaign as the Labour candidate in the Makerfield byelection this morning, as he seeks a return to parliament after nine years. Continue reading...

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Green party candidate for Makerfield byelection quits after less than 12 hours

Party apologises for posts by Chris Kennedy about attack on Jewish ambulances and says he has withdrawn for personal reasons The Green party’s candidate for the Makerfield byelection has withdrawn from the ballot less than 12 hours after being announced. Chris Kennedy was announced to be running in the seat for the Greens on Thursday morning, but nine hours later the party said he had dropped out, citing “personal and family reasons”. Continue reading...

PoliticsEnvironment
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Andy Burnham’s Manchester has a defining spirit – and Britain could do with a lot more of it | John Harris

Call it a mix of collectivism and entrepreneurialism or just an overarching vibe, but the mayor’s philosophy could be on the way to Westminster Among the underrated later work of those revered sons of Manchester the Smiths, there is a completely jaw-dropping song simply titled London. Full of fury and excitement, it depicts a Mancunian as he boards a train, travelling to the capital full of ambition and hope, but also gripped by a gnawing ambivalence. Andy Burnham, whose love of the band is hard

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 May 2026

Ditched government projects lost taxpayer £6.6bn last year, watchdog says

Spending committee finds MoD most wasteful and also points to cancelled schemes such as Rwanda and Stonehenge Cancelled government projects such as the Rwanda deportation scheme and the road tunnel under Stonehenge are wasting billions of pounds of taxpayer money a year, parliament’s spending watchdog has found. About £6.6bn was written off by government departments last year alone – state spending that did not achieve its intended objectives or create any value for the taxpayer, the public acco

PoliticsEconomyImmigrationRemigration
The Guardian Politics21 May 2026

Domestic abuse law fails to recognise danger of tech abuse, Lords committee told

Policy adviser Jen Reed says tech-facilitated abuse has become ‘increasingly prevalent’ and calls for its inclusion in Domestic Abuse Act The Domestic Abuse Act fails to fully recognise the danger of technology-facilitated abuse, such as location tracking or hidden stalkerware, a Lords select committee has heard. Tech abuse has become “increasingly prevalent” and “very commonplace now within a domestic abuse context,” said Jen Reed, the head of policy at University College London’s Gender and Te

PoliticsDefenceEducation
The Guardian Politics21 May 2026

Senior civil servants to get bonuses for first time to reward ‘doers, not talkers’

Senior staff will get 2.5% pay rise with bonuses for highest performers in plan to ‘rewire’ civil service Senior civil servants will get bonuses for exceptional performance for the first time under a new system that Darren Jones, the Cabinet Office minister, said would reward the “doers, not the talkers”. Jones, who is also chief secretary to the prime minister, said most civil servants would get a 3.5% pay rise, but senior staff would have a base increase of 2.5%, with 1% held back for bonuses

PoliticsDefence