‘Shameful’ 41,000 people reached UK by small boat last year, says Home Office Second highest annual number of irregular arrivals on record reached British shores in 2025 The Guardian - UK · Jan 1
Labour needs complete ‘reset’ to defeat Reform UK threat, says strategist New Labour advertising guru Chris Powell says urgent plan needed to ‘wage and win the daily war for attention’ The Guardian - UK · Jan 1
Nigel Farage promises Reform UK spending blitz on May’s local elections Reform UK’s election war chest was bolstered by a £9 million donation in August from businessman Christopher Harborne. Evening Standard · Jan 1
Keir Starmer's 'Year Of Proof' Promise Blasted As Dishonest By Fed-Up Voters, Becomes 'Least Popular PM Ever' Labour's broken promises and tax betrayals have made Starmer Britain's least popular PM. Discover why voters reject his optimistic rhetoric amid rising despair and economic decline. International Business Times UK · Jan 1
Brexit is a work in progress nearly a decade on from the referendum I am constantly being asked with disbelief why I voted for Brexit, my answer is inevitably complex Evening Standard · Jan 1
When racists shout ‘Go home’, and you come from 15 places, what to do? A DNA test showed me that theoretically I have links to a long list of countries – and that the way we look at belonging makes little sense, says Hugh Muir, executive editor, Opinion The Guardian - UK · Jan 1
Ministers considered holding indyref on same day as 2011 election, papers reveal The matter was considered – but ultimately rejected – by then first minister Alex Salmond’s cabinet in 2010. Evening Standard · Jan 1
Keir Starmer to woo voters and MPs with new year plan to cut cost of living PM to highlight energy bill and interest rate cuts, plus end to two-child benefit cap, and to invite his MPs to Chequers The Guardian - UK · Dec 31, 2025
PM vows to ‘defeat decline and division’ by ‘staying the course’ in new year Sir Keir Starmer conceded life is still ‘harder than it should be’ for many but said more people will begin to feel ‘a sense of hope’ in 2026. Evening Standard · Dec 31, 2025
Greens’ Polanski prepared to work with Burnham but not Starmer ‘to stop Reform’ Green party leader says he could see potential for political partnership with Labour under Andy Burnham The Guardian - UK · Dec 31, 2025
The Guardian view on hard times for Britain’s charities: struggling to do more with less Editorial: Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today, the challenges facing the voluntary sector as it attempts to cope with an ongoing funding crisis The Guardian - UK · Dec 31, 2025
'Things will get better' in 2026, promises Starmer as he fights to stay PM with Labour facing election blows The Government saw its popularity fall further in 2025 as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surged Evening Standard · Dec 31, 2025
Keir Starmer Warned His Fall In 2026 Will Spark 'The Real Nightmare' For Britain As Keir Starmer's political demise seems inevitable, Britain faces a far more alarming prospect: a Labour successor chosen by party ideologues rather than voters. International Business Times UK · Dec 31, 2025
Keir Starmer Faces Leadership Crisis: Why 2026 Could End His Premiership Early Keir Starmer leadership crisis deepens as 2026 nears, with polls at lows and Labour behind Reform. May elections, internal tensions, and policy hurdles could end his premiership early, amid calls for change International Business Times UK · Dec 31, 2025
The Guardian - UK · Dec 31, 2025 Zack Polanski offering voters fantasy solutions, says head of Fabian Society Joe Dromey, head of the Labour thinktank, urges his party to take on the ‘twin populisms’ of Reform UK and the Greens
The Independent UK · Dec 30, 2025 Even Nigel Farage should welcome fierce scrutiny of his school days THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: An opinion poll for The Independent suggests that the electorate is unmoved by stories from the Reform leader’s school days – but no potential leader of this country should be able to shrug off allegations of this seriousness without a proper defence
The Guardian - UK · Dec 30, 2025 From Send to single-sex spaces: key tests facing Keir Starmer in 2026 Moment of maximum danger will come in May’s local and regional elections and PM is already plotting his comeback
The Guardian - UK · Dec 30, 2025 Psst: wanna buy a new year’s honour? Once it was simple. And now? Well, don’t rule it out I’m fascinated by Maundy Gregory, who sold honours for Lloyd George. He wouldn’t be tolerated today, but don’t assume our system is flawless, says author and biographer Stephen Bates
The Guardian - UK · Dec 30, 2025 ‘Zack is a phenomenal leader’: Siân Berry on the Green party’s next steps as membership doubles Since Zack Polanski took over as leader, the party has doubled its membership and its four MPs want to take on Reform’s anger and build community spirit
The Guardian - UK · Dec 30, 2025 Unite leader tells Labour to ‘stop being embarrassed’ to be voice of workers General secretary of party’s main union backer says it must change course or risk sowing seeds of its own destruction
Evening Standard · Dec 30, 2025 Stormont’s top challenge is ‘severe underfunding of public services’ – O’Neill Michelle O’Neill accused the Labour Government of making ‘false promises of a new dawn’, but ‘following Tory austerity’.
The Guardian - UK · Dec 30, 2025 Labour could oust Starmer, he could elegantly step aside – but without a plan, it will all be for nothing For all the talk of coups, this much is clear: without a strong vision, Labour will face a fresh crisis of legitimacy, says Polly Toynbee
Evening Standard · Dec 30, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer's Labour is 'austerity lite', says Unite boss in scathing attack on 'failing leadership' Sharon Graham says debate who should replace Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister is ‘inevitable’
The Guardian - UK · Dec 30, 2025 ‘Too complacent’: how Blair’s advisers misjudged his disastrous WI speech Former PM’s team suggested initial less-politicised drafts seemed patronising and appealed to ‘fuddy-duddy Britain’
The Guardian - UK · Dec 30, 2025 Brown’s allies could wreck Labour’s 2005 election hopes, Mandelson warned Tony Blair was told that tensions with his then chancellor would need to be carefully managed, files reveal