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1225 headlines found — Page 40 of 103

The Guardian Politics13 May 2026

Easy as ABC: voters in England tend to pick names nearer top of ballot, data suggests

Exclusive: Where parties fielded multiple candidates in last week’s vote, those at top of list were more likely to be picked Fancy your chances in politics? Then perhaps you should change your name to Aaron Aaronson or Aaliyah Aardvark, figures from last week’s local elections in England suggest. A Guardian analysis of election results compiled by the website Democracy Club points to a striking alphabet effect. In wards where a party fielded three candidates, those listed nearer the top of the b

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics13 May 2026

Wes Streeting arrives at No 10 for talks with Keir Starmer ahead of King’s speech - UK politics live

A number of the health secretary’s allies called for the prime minister’s resignation but Streeting has yet to call for a formal leadership challenge Report: Starmer given a lifeline after Streeting challenge fails to materialise Good morning. There are two main events in the diary today. At this point, it is not entirely clear which will turn out to be more consequential. At 11.15am the king will arrive at parliament for the state opening. The king’s speech sets out the legislative programme

Politics
The Guardian Politics13 May 2026

Labour-supporting unions predict Starmer will not lead party into next election

Exclusive: Leaked draft statement says party ‘cannot continue on its current path’ under PM Keir Starmer will not lead his party into the next general election, Labour-supporting unions have predicted, in an intervention that threatens to further destabilise the prime minister after a damaging few days. The 11 Labour-affiliated unions – which include Unite, Unison and the GMB – are expected to issue a joint statement on Wednesday saying “at some stage” the party will have to put a plan in place

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The Guardian Politics13 May 2026

Labour needs a battle of ideas now, not a scramble to snatch the keys to No 10 | Rafael Behr

Removing Starmer solves the problem of an unpopular leader, but without a coherent alternative agenda his successor won’t fare much better Labour has spent much of the past year paralysed by competing fears. MPs’ dread of facing voters with Keir Starmer as prime minister has been kept in check by their recoil from the process of replacing him. They know the prime minister is an electoral liability; they know that the electorate takes a dim view of chaotic, regicidal parties that showcase disunit

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The Guardian Politics12 May 2026

Labour must fulfil promise to introduce clean air act, charities urge

Party held out prospect of act while in opposition but plan did not make it into election manifesto Ministers should bring forward a new clean air act that would ban wood burning, clear diesel vehicles from the roads and force councils to cut pollution, a group of more than 60 charities have urged before the king’s speech on Wednesday. Labour held out the prospect of a clean air act while in opposition in 2023, but this was dropped from the final election manifesto, and the government has made n

PoliticsDefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics12 May 2026

Starmer hopes to regain momentum with unveiling of dozens of bills in king’s speech

Planned legislation includes housing, immigration and energy measures, and comes amid awkwardness with the palace over Charles’s role Keir Starmer will attempt to regain the political initiative on Wednesday as his government announces a package of 35 bills for the next parliamentary session, covering everything from housing to immigration. The embattled prime minister will release details of dozens of bills that he intends to pass over the next 12 months, even as his own MPs line up to demand h

PoliticsImmigrationDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics12 May 2026

Despite calls to step down, Keir Starmer is still the UK’s prime minister – for now

How Labour party leader lost authority over two days of confusion and drama before state opening of parliament As the afternoon faded in Westminster, final preparations were being made for Wednesday’s state opening of parliament, where King Charles will set out a year-long legislative programme for a government that even its most ardent allies fear might not last the week. Once again, here we are. Keir Starmer is still the UK’s prime minister. It is even possible he might be in a few months from

Politics
The Guardian Politics12 May 2026

Starmer given a lifeline after Streeting challenge fails to materialise

Downing Street insiders suggest health secretary does not yet have the support for a leadership push UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer was increasingly confident that he had seen off the immediate threat to his job on Tuesday after a challenge from Wes Streeting failed to materialise despite several of the prime minister’s allies quitting the government. Downing Street insiders suggested that the health secretary did not yet have the required support from the 81 MPs he needed to f

Politics
The Guardian Politics12 May 2026

The Guardian view on Keir Starmer’s premiership: he may survive, but his manoeuvres themselves signal decline | Editorial

Each ploy required to shore up the prime minister’s position exposes how fragile his authority has become It was said of John Major, the Tory prime minister fatally damaged by party infighting, that he was “in office but not in power”. Sir Keir Starmer finds himself in a similar spot. His government is planning a king’s speech that contains ambitious proposals. But after Wednesday’s pomp and circumstance will come the real test: six days of Commons debate, then a vote that governments almost nev

Politics
The Guardian Politics12 May 2026

Starmer needs sharper survival strategy if he is to stay on

Tepid cabinet support and a blunted No 10 operation are making it harder for the prime minister to face down critics UK politics: live updates The last time Keir Starmer faced a threat to his leadership, his core team assembled in the cabinet room and persuaded ministers to fire off a succession of supportive tweets in an attempt to keep him in office. This time has been different. As the number of MPs calling for the prime minister to resign has grown over the last 48 hours, much of the cabin

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The Guardian Politics12 May 2026

What are the agendas of Labour MPs calling for Starmer to step down?

Several tendencies visible amid growing opposition to the prime minister from within parliamentary Labour party UK politics live – latest updates For months, MPs expected the results of the May local elections across the UK to be a tipping point in Keir Starmer’s premiership. But in the aftermath of the results, and as the number of Labour MPs publicly calling for Starmer to leave has gone past 80, it has become clear that his opponents are serving a variety of agendas. Here are some of the ke

Politics
The Guardian Politics12 May 2026

Labour MPs channel Tory psychodrama as Starmer keeps hiding in plain sight

While some are working out how to get rid of the prime minister, others are already plotting against his rival UK politics live – latest updates It used to be football managers who measured their time at a club in months. Or even days at Spurs. Anything over two years qualifies you for a long service medal. Now it’s prime ministers. In fact it’s worse than that. Because it’s also people who might one day be prime minister. While some Labour MPs are working out how to get rid of Keir Starmer, o

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