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1707 headlines found — Page 9 of 143

The Guardian Politics4 Aug 2026

Prisoner early release scheme gives Burnham his first taste of unpopularity

After a blitz of small wins, PM is finding that like Keir Starmer there is only so much he can control on the big calls UK politics live – latest updates If Andy Burnham wanted to demonstrate he was the anti-Keir Starmer, the first fortnight could not have gone better. Instead of painting a gloomy picture of tough times and an economic black hole that would only improve with sacrifices such as cutting winter fuel allowance, Burnham’s first week was a blitz of small wins including cutting bus

PoliticsEconomyCrime
The Guardian Politics4 Aug 2026

About 1,000 fewer prisoners to get early release as Burnham tightens rules

Justice secretary says ministers would have liked to block more but doing so would cause prison system to ‘break’ UK politics live – latest updates About 1,000 fewer prisoners will be released early after Andy Burnham’s intervention to exclude those convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming from the scheme. The justice secretary, Alex Norris, said 5,000 prisoners would be released over 10 months from October in England and Wales, down from the government’s original plan for

PoliticsReformCrime
The Guardian Politics4 Aug 2026

Mother of PC Harper ‘bitterly disappointed’ that son’s killers remain eligible for early release – UK politics live

Government revises plans to tackle prison overcrowding amid pressure from MPs and victims but domestic abusers and killers could still be released early The prime minister, Andy Burnham, said on Tuesday that he would delay the planned early release of thousands of prisoners across England and Wales by a month until October. It follows the suspension of Keir Starmer’s plans to release up to 6,000 offenders from prison early in September amid official predictions that prisons will be full in Novem

PoliticsCrime
The Guardian Politics4 Aug 2026

Nigel Farage and the £5m question that won’t go away – podcast

Reform UK’s finances have come under scrutiny like never before. What do we know about the party’s funding – and why do so many awkward questions remain for Nigel Farage? Anna Isaac explains For a while this year, it looked like nothing could stop Nigel Farage getting to Downing Street. Not the allegations of schoolboy racism, not the dodgy Cameo videos or even the £400,000 he trousered for advertising gold bullion. But at the end of April, the Guardian’s City editor, Anna Isaac, delivered a gam

PoliticsDefenceReform
The Guardian Politics3 Aug 2026

Former neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate for Somerset council election

Joshua Bonehill-Paine, creator of satirical Crewkerne Gazette, has convictions including harassment of a Jewish MP A former neo-Nazi activist with convictions including the harassment of a Jewish MP has been selected as a Conservative candidate for a local election in Somerset. Joshua Bonehill-Paine, the creator of the viral Crewkerne Gazette series of AI clips, is due to stand for election to Somerset council next year in a new Crewkerne South district. He told the Guardian he was an executive

Politics
The Guardian Politics3 Aug 2026

What chaos? Farage tries to distract with immigration plans – podcast

Nigel Farage has promised that Reform UK would call in the navy to tackle small boat Channel crossings. Will this familiar-sounding immigration policy distract from the party’s internal problems? Plus – as we learn more about Andy Burnham’s plans for devolution, is this the biggest rewiring of the UK state since the second world war? Read about Richard Tice being investigated by parliament’s standards watchdog here You can read Alexandra’s report on Andy Burnham’s trip to Dover here and about c

PoliticsImmigrationDefenceReformRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics3 Aug 2026

‘Clacton voters need a serious person’: the independent candidates taking on Nigel Farage – and Count Binface

Attieh Fard and Andy Erlam make their byelection pitch to voters, but Reform UK’s leader is conspicuously absent In the town square in Clacton, in the blazing midday sunshine, some of the candidates for the upcoming byelection made their pitch to a scattering of potential voters, passing Deliveroo drivers and a giant seagull. But as the independent candidate Attieh Fard shouted into a megaphone that she would be a voice for Clacton, a passing youth shouted “Where’s Binface?” Continue reading...

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics3 Aug 2026

Farage admits he discussed returning as Reform leader months earlier than previously stated

Admission may undermine Farage’s account of circumstances surrounding £5m gift from crypto billionaire UK politics live – latest updates Nigel Farage has admitted he held talks about the possibility of returning as Reform UK’s leader months before the 2024 general election, potentially undermining his own account of the circumstances in which he received a £5m gift from a crypto billionaire. It was reported at the weekend Farage had struck a deal with the party’s then leader, Richard Tice, and

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics3 Aug 2026

Standards watchdog investigating Reform UK’s Richard Tice

Party’s deputy leader accused of a possible failure to declare an interest, commissioner says ⁠on ​its website UK politics live – latest updates Britain’s ⁠parliamentary ⁠standards watchdog is ​investigating ⁠Reform UK’s ⁠deputy ​leader, ‌Richard ‌Tice, over ‌a possible failure to declare ‌an interest, ​the commissioner said ⁠on ​its website ​on ​Monday. More details soon … Continue reading...

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics3 Aug 2026

Former navy officer criticises Reform plan to use military to stop small boats

Retired commander says policy lacks substance as party accused of trying to distract from Nigel Farage’s scandals UK politics live – latest updates A Reform UK proposal to use the military to stop small boats bringing migrants to the UK from France lacks substance, a former Royal Navy officer has said, suggesting the UK’s warships would be better used countering actual military threats. Reform’s political opponents have claimed its plans have more to do with distracting from the financial scan

PoliticsImmigrationDefenceReformRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics3 Aug 2026

Criticism of Reform UK’s pledge to use Navy to stop small boats – politics live

Labour say plan is a ‘desperate attempt to distract from sleaze’ while a retired commander says it ‘lacks substance’ The leader of Restore Britain, Rupert Lowe, told the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, that if he was “prepared to work together around serious policies, serious reform and serious government, then so are we”. In a video posted on X on Sunday, Lowe said: I truly believe there could be sufficient common ground for our two movements to cooperate collectively, destroy the looming leftw

PoliticsDefenceReformRestoreRemigrationRupert Lowe
The Guardian Politics2 Aug 2026

‘Stench of sleaze’: Farage struck deal over political return months before 2024 election, reports say

Labour chair accuses Reform of making ‘grubby pacts’ after contradictory reports emerge on timeline of events Reform UK is operating under a “stench of sleaze” Labour have said, after reports that Nigel Farage struck a secret deal to return as leader of Reform UK months before the general election. Farage was in discussions about a return to the political frontline from as early as March 2024, despite claiming that he had no intention of returning to politics until June 2024, the Sunday Times re

PoliticsReform