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The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

Officials too slow to act on falling pupil numbers in England, says watchdog

Demographic changes will cause a glut of school places, according to National Audit Office report A failure to account for England’s falling birthrate is leading to a glut of school places and a potential £1bn fall in pupil funding over the next three years, according to a National Audit Office report. The government’s spending watchdog said the Department for Education started to specifically track the risks around changing demographics only in 2024, long after primary enrolments began falling

Education
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

UK could face ‘hacktivist attacks at scale’, says head of security agency

Officials warn a conflict situation could cause disruption similar to recent major ransomware incidents The UK could face “hacktivist attacks at scale” if it becomes embroiled in a conflict and the impact could be similar to recent high-profile ransomware incidents, according to the head of the country’s online security agency. Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will warn today that nation states now account for the most significant incidents the NCSC de

Defence
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

The rush to appease Trump led Keir Starmer into this ethical void | Rafael Behr

Peter Mandelson’s flaws were mistaken for credentials to represent Britain in the court of a rogue president You can’t kill something that is already dead. New details about Peter Mandelson’s disastrous appointment as Britain’s ambassador to Washington can trigger more paroxysms of outrage in Westminster. They can sharpen the pitch of opposition calls for the prime minister to resign. They can reinforce the view among Labour MPs that Keir Starmer shouldn’t lead them into a general election. But

PoliticsDefenceCrime
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

Robbins says officials considered withholding Mandelson vetting files from parliament

Sacked civil servant acknowledges ‘debate’ about release of documents after question about alleged ‘cover-up’ Olly Robbins responded to a question about an alleged “cover-up” on Tuesday by confirming that government officials had considered withholding Peter Mandelson’s secretive vetting documents from parliament. Robbins, who was sacked by Keir Starmer as the Foreign Office’s top civil servant last week, appeared to confirm a report in the Guardian that senior officials were debating whether to

Politics
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

The security report the UK government doesn’t want you to see – podcast

Fiona Harvey tells Nosheen Iqbal why the climate crisis is a threat to national security “Last October, I and other journalists got quite excited because we thought that we were going to be attending a great event at the Natural History Museum,” the Guardian’s environment editor Fiona Harvey tells Nosheen Iqbal. “We had been told that there was a major report being launched at this event. And this report was going to come not just from where you’d expect – from the government’s environment depar

Environment
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Olly Robbins’ account of Mandelson vetting piles pressure on Starmer

Sacked civil servant tells select committee of ‘pressure’ to give clearance and ‘dismissive’ attitude to vetting The civil servant sacked by Keir Starmer has given a devastating account of his government, saying Downing Street put huge pressure on the civil service to approve the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Washington ambassador despite the concerns of vetting officials. Olly Robbins, the former top official at the Foreign Office, said No 10 took a “dismissive” attitude to vetting, and Man

Politics
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

As the PM’s fate lay in doubt, Labour MPs plotted the party’s future direction

Former ministers round on government’s fiscal rules and call for new policies on tax and the economy Less than a mile from the select committee room in Portcullis House where Olly Robbins held the prime minister’s future in his hands, Labour MPs were publicly workshopping how the party might look under new leadership. It came in the guise of the Good Growth Foundation’s conference, but felt like a Labour leadership beauty parade on Pall Mall. The former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner was a

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

The Guardian view on Starmer and Mandelson: when process follows power | Editorial

Olly Robbins exposed a deeper failure: when the prime minister’s decision came first, security vetting was left to catch up after the fact It was a classic Whitehall performance: understated and explosive. Sir Olly Robbins did not bluster in front of MPs. The sacked Foreign Office chief calmly stuck to the language of process. He admitted clearing Peter Mandelson to be US ambassador despite UK Security Vetting (UKSV) – in his own words – “leaning against” approval. But the context was key: Downi

Politics
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

‘Self-serving stuff’: anger remains high in Whitehall over Olly Robbins sacking

Keir Starmer’s decision to oust senior official may have knock-on effect for No 10’s relationship with civil service Fury within Whitehall about the treatment of Olly Robbins remains white hot several days on from Keir Starmer’s decision to sack the senior Foreign Office civil servant. “It’s just total self-serving, narrow, selfish, political-endgame stuff,” said one supporter of Robbins, who was dismissed for failing to tell the prime minister that the now disgraced former US ambassador Peter M

Politics
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Airlines demand UK relax noise rules and cut flight tax as fuel shortage looms

Ministers also asked to alter compensation rights and suspend emissions trading scheme amid Middle East war Airlines are lobbying the UK government to relax environmental and noise rules, modify passenger rights and cut taxes on flying, as they prepare for higher costs and a possible shortage of jet fuel because of the war in the Middle East. A list of policy requests submitted to ministers and the aviation regulator includes suspending the emissions trading scheme and relaxing limits on night f

EconomyDefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Victims of sexual violence distressed by MPs’ ‘pugnacious’ questioning

Exclusive: Victims’ commissioner makes formal complaint after committee session left one attender ‘shocked, upset and extremely distressed’ Victims of rape and sexual violence have told parliamentarians they felt anxious and distressed during a Westminster evidence session, with one stating that witnessing “pugnacious” questioning had resulted in her “breaking down, sobbing and struggling to breathe”. The victims’ commissioner has made a formal complaint to the chair of an influential group of M

Politics
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Albanians in UK scapegoated by rightwing media and politicians, says ambassador

In a letter to the Guardian, Uran Ferizi criticises ‘obsession’ with demonising Albanians Albanians in Britain are paying the price in schools and workplaces of being scapegoated by rightwing media and politicians, the Albanian ambassador has said. Uran Ferizi also criticised Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, for comments in parliament where she singled out Albanians when discussing problems with immigration. Continue reading...

PoliticsImmigrationEducation