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1706 headlines found — Page 6 of 143

The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Andy Burnham to chair emergency Cobra meeting amid extreme heat

PM touts ban on disposable barbecues as areas hit by wildfires – but some Labour MPs will be hoping for more ambitious ideas to tackle crisis UK heatwave live – latest updates Andy Burnham will chair an emergency Cobra meeting in response to extreme heat, which has caused wildfires and plunged many parts of Britain into drought. The prime minister will meet ministers, officials and agencies as high temperatures continue across the UK, with temperatures of 33C forecast on Wednesday and up to 38

Politics
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Probation chief says he’s ‘not fully confident’ service will cope with early prisoner releases – UK politics live

Martin Jones expresses concern scheme will increase pressure on probation service as Burnham addresses controversy over PC Harper’s killers Good morning. Andy Burnham is chairing a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee this afternoon to discuss the heatwave and the climate crisis. About time too, some people will say. One of them is Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, who has been calling for this and who posted this on social media in response. Good. Now we need action. Tax f

PoliticsEconomyEnvironmentCrime
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Nigel Farage and Count Binface: a visual guide to their electoral careers

Farage was elected to EU parliament five times before becoming Clacton MP, while Binface has been less successful – so far Nigel Farage has been standing in British elections since 1994, when he narrowly beat Screaming Lord Sutch of the Monster Raving Loony party into fourth place in a Commons byelection. He was elected five times to the European parliament before achieving his goal of abolishing his seat. Finally, after 30 years of trying, he was elected to the Commons as member for Clacton in

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Nigel Farage looks trapped and rattled - now the nationalist tide can be turned | Rafael Behr

There are more votes in tolerance and decency than in toxic division. It doesn’t take a great leap of political courage to fight back against Reform Nigel Farage can be confident of victory against a man posing as an ennobled space traveller with a dustbin on his head. At least, in Clacton he can. The refusal of major parties to contest this week’s byelection sets the bar low. But even if the competition were more serious than Count Binface, the Reform UK leader would be the favourite to win on

PoliticsDefenceReform
The Guardian Politics12 Aug 2026

Could Clacton bin off Nigel Farage? – podcast

Farage has taken a high risk gamble by resigning and forcing a byelection in his constituency. Nosheen Iqbal heads to Clacton to find out how voters feel Clacton was once a seaside jewel on England’s east coast. But these days there’s another story that’s told about this town. Clacton is one of the poorest, oldest and whitest places in the UK. People here have a life expectancy that is 18 years lower than those living in wealthier parts of Essex. Almost half the working-age population doesn’t ha

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics11 Aug 2026

Nicola Jennings on a partial solar eclipse on the eve of the Clacton byelection – cartoon

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Politics
The Guardian Politics11 Aug 2026

Hard work, community, fair play: Britons have ‘shared set of values’ despite divisions

Poll finds consensus on what makes people proud to be British but deep divisions on issues such as immigration You may think it’s a commitment to buying a round, the ability to chat at length about the weather, or making a proper cup of tea. But when it comes down to what makes people proud to be British, there is a consensus across all ages, demographics and political groups – and tea, pints and the weather don’t get a look-in. Hard work, fair play and community are the values that voters – no

PoliticsImmigration
The Guardian Politics11 Aug 2026

MPs shouldn’t face abuse. Neither should their staff – but here’s what we deal with every day | Estelle Warhurst

Some constituents are traumatised, others violent. It’s time the House of Commons protected the people who work at the grassroots of our democracy Before most people have finished their morning coffee, an MP’s staffer might have already dealt with a suicidal caller, a victim of domestic abuse or a threat of violence. We’ve been yelled at, cried at and sometimes even physically attacked, all in the course of managing a heavy caseload of constituents’ most intractable problems. So, when I read the

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics11 Aug 2026

Rayner says Burnham won’t accept ‘system says no’ advice over prisoner release scheme – UK politics live

Burnham has asked the justice secretary Alex Norris to come to parliament in September with solution Good morning. Andy Burnham has been prime minister for three weeks and one day, and arguably he is performing his first U-turn. It is in relation to the prisoner early release scheme and, in particular, finding a way of ensuring that two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper are not included. Burnham has been looking at this for some time. Early last week he announced significant changes to the ear

PoliticsReformCrime
The Guardian Politics10 Aug 2026

PM urged not to change scheme to stop PC Andrew Harper killers’ early release

Manslaughter exemption would mean more releases would be needed within 18 months, Prison Service officials say What could Andy Burnham do to block early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers? Andy Burnham has been warned that changing the terms of the prisoners’ early release scheme so PC Andrew Harper’s killers are kept behind bars would force another spate of early releases before the next general election. Prison Service officials have told No 10 that adding an exemption so that those convi

PoliticsDefenceCrime
The Guardian Politics10 Aug 2026

Record 230 people cross Channel to UK as smugglers turn to ‘mega-dinghies’

Crossing in larger vessel highlights changing tactics despite increased enforcement on French coast UK politics live – latest updates Europe live – latest updates A dinghy carrying a record 230 people has arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in the early hours of Monday. It is the clearest indication yet that people smugglers in northern France are adapting their business model and escalating their so-called taxi boat strategy to evade enforcement by UK and French authorities. Contin

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics10 Aug 2026

Thames Water faces row over £1m payment to finance chief

Campaign group says firm is ‘taking the mickey’ by paying fee and Andy Burnham should nationalise it Business live – latest updates Thames Water has paid its chief financial officer, Steve Buck, a £1m signing fee despite intense scrutiny of Britain’s biggest water company’s finances as it tries to avoid being taken into public control. The utility revealed that it made the payment last month, in a letter sent last week by Adrian Montague, its chair, to MPs on the environment, food and rural af

PoliticsEnvironment