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The Guardian Politics12 Apr 2026

Shoplifting rife, police overwhelmed, an angry public … the trail leads back to one person: Theresa May | Dal Babu

I have seen up close the fallout of the disastrous policing decisions May made as home secretary. We urgently need to restore the force to what it once was Dal Babu is a former chief superintendent in the Metropolitan police No, the world isn’t going to hell in a handcart. But yes, a good many items are being stolen – in plain view, with apparent impunity – from the shelves at Tesco, M&S and all the major high-street stores. It’s a huge loss for the shops, and as political types discuss whethe

PoliticsHousingCrime
The Guardian Politics11 Apr 2026

Tories would reinstate two-child benefit cap to fund defence, says Badenoch

Conservative leader promises biggest peacetime rearmament effort in UK history if her party is re-elected The Conservatives would reinstate the two-child benefit cap and use the savings for a wide-ranging spending splurge on defence in what Kemi Badenoch said would be “the biggest peacetime programme of rearmament in our country’s history”. Speaking at a defence conference in London, the Tory leader criticised the government for Britain’s “lack of readiness” for war, which has been exposed by re

Defence
The Guardian Politics11 Apr 2026

UK forced to shelve legislation to return Chagos Islands to Mauritius

Officials accept that time has run out to pass law after US dropped its support for plan The UK government has been forced to shelve its legislation to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius, after the US dropped its support for the agreement. On Friday, UK government officials acknowledged that they had run out of time to pass legislation within the current parliamentary session, which ends in the coming weeks. Continue reading...

PoliticsHousing
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Reform UK local election candidate was twice disciplined by Tories over ‘racist comments’

Conservatives disowned Derek Bullock in 2023 after he allegedly used racial slur to call for people of Pakistani heritage to be shot A Reform UK candidate for next month’s council elections was twice disciplined by the Conservatives over allegedly offensive or racist comments, while another shared conspiracy theories about Covid, it has emerged, as the full slate of candidates was confirmed. More than 5,000 council places in England are being contested on 7 May, along with several mayoralties, a

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Remaining in Nato is in best interests of US, says Keir Starmer

PM pushes back after Trump’s threats to leave alliance and says European members must do more in light of Iran war Keir Starmer has said it is in the best interests of the US to stay in Nato and that Europe must do more to support the alliance in light of the war in Iran. The British prime minister, speaking at the end of a multi-stop trip around the Gulf to discuss the tentative ceasefire and options to fully reopen the commercially vital strait of Hormuz, pushed back against Donald Trump’s thr

Defence
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Doctors’ leader claims new reduced pay offer killed chances of ending strikes in England

Exclusive: Deal for resident doctors was in sight when sudden change by ministers forced latest action, says Jack Fletcher Ministers killed the chance to end strikes by resident doctors when they suddenly reduced the amount of money they were offering to secure the peace deal, the doctors’ leader claims. Dr Jack Fletcher accused the government of “playing games” and forcing resident doctors to embark on their 15th strike over pay and jobs, which is disrupting the NHS this week. Continue reading

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Reform’s temper tantrum about slavery reparations shows it doesn’t understand Britain’s place in the modern world | Kojo Koram

The party’s talk of visa bans for countries seeking reparative justice is not just undemocratic – it displays staggering ignorance about geopolitics On 29 November 1781, Capt Luke Collingwood faced a decision. He was in command of a ship called the Zong, which departed Accra with 442 Africans to be sold into slavery. However, the crew of the Zong kept getting lost on the way to Jamaica. Now their overcrowded “cargo” was ridden with disease and dehydration. Closing in on their destination, they r

PoliticsImmigrationReform
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Porngraphy depicting sex acts between stepfamily members banned in UK

Amendment calling for step-incest to be included in ban on harmful content tabled by Conservative peer Gabby Bertin The government has agreed to ban the production of porngraphy depicting sex acts between stepfamily members following a vote in the House of Lords. An amendment calling for step-incest to be included in a ban on harmful content was tabled by Conservative peer Lady Gabby Bertin, who led a review into pornography regulation that was published last year. Continue reading...

Politics
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Met police accused of favouring Tommy Robinson far-right rally over Palestine march

Celebrities including Annie Lennox and Miriam Margolyes sign letter to force after pro-Palestine march route rejected Annie Lennox and Miriam Margolyes are among artists who have accused the Metropolitan police of giving preferential treatment to a far-right demonstration led by Tommy Robinson over a pro-Palestine protest in London on the same day. The pro-Palestine movement has had its preferred route through central London for its annual commemoration of Nakba – the mass expulsion of Palestini

HousingCrime
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Labour MPs propose specialist sexual offences courts to help trials backlog

Rebels put forward amendments to courts bill in attempt to stop government plans to cut back on jury trials Labour MPs are hoping to hijack plans to cut back on jury trials in England and Wales by proposing specialist courts for sexual offences with fixed dates for trial. While those behind the amendment want to block the wider plan to stop thousands of cases being potentially eligible for jury trials, a measure ministers insist is needed to cut court backlogs, they say the specialist courts alo

PoliticsDefenceCrime
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Home Office starts crackdown on EU citizens’ post-Brexit rights to live in UK

Concerns raised over use of travel data in determining whether people are ‘continuously’ in UK, after HMRC fiasco Ministers are to start removing post-Brexit residency rights from EU citizens who are no longer “continuously” living in the UK. The initiative is legal under the 2020 Brexit withdrawal agreement but the decision to use travel data to partially determine absences has raised concerns following the HMRC fiasco that saw almost 20,000 parents stripped of child benefits because of inaccu

Housing
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Not just about Gaza: the Muslim voters turning from Labour to the Greens

Campaigning in Newcastle before next month’s local elections shows the rise of the far right, the climate and cost of living are concerning voters as much as the Middle East Mohammed Suleman, a self-described “straight-talking Geordie”, doesn’t love politics. The taxi driver and businessman prefers to focus on community initiatives. But when the time came, he voted Labour as the lesser of two evils. Then came the war in Gaza. Continue reading...

PoliticsEconomyDefenceEnvironment