The Latest Breaking News from Polly Toynbee

Yes, Britain needs more babies – but Reform’s nasty plans for women won’t help

The UK, like many other countries, has a falling birthrate. But Danny Kruger’s perverse 1970s-style policies offer nothing to mothers-to-be, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The Guardian - UK · Feb 26

Flawed council shake-up plans will not deliver savings

Letters: Readers respond to Polly Toynbee’s article on the government’s plans to overhaul local government

The Guardian - UK · Feb 24

I have seen the scale of the mountain Labour has to climb in Gorton and Denton – but also the way it can do it

In focus groups, people are clear they want to stop Farage at all costs. Labour must now reach out to the progressives it has disappointed, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The Guardian - UK · Feb 24

Morgan McSweeney’s fall offers a new beginning. Starmer and his cabinet had better grab it

If he and his philosophy were to blame for the government’s ills, now it can change tack. There can be no more excuses, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The Guardian - UK · Feb 8

Decent or disastrous? Starmer’s judgment and leadership divide opinion

Letters: Readers respond to a piece by Polly Toynbee in which she says she cannot understand the reason for this level of public dislike

The Guardian - UK · Feb 8

It’s tragic that a decent PM will be brought down by Mandelson’s sleaze – but it’s a matter of when, not if

With three years left and a huge majority, Labour can govern with more humility and deliver real change. But with Starmer at the helm? I can’t see it, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The Guardian - UK · Feb 6

Labour’s new welfare changes are practical and compassionate – so why not loudly say so?

Universal credit to rise faster than inflation, benefit hurdles eased, extra help for children and young people … I bet you had no idea, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The Guardian - UK · Jan 29

Here’s the lesson of the Andy Burnham saga: Labour needs a new leader – fast

Keir Starmer’s dismal decision to block the Greater Manchester mayor has bought him time, but it won’t change his fate, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The Guardian - UK · Jan 26

If the assisted dying bill is killed off by the Lords, let that be the end for this unelected chamber

With filibustering slowing the pace to a crawl, there is no chance the legislation will get through – unless the government shows some backbone, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The Guardian - UK · Jan 22

Robert Jenrick boasts that Reform is for the workers, but it’s a class war trap – and Labour shouldn’t fall for it

Though Labour's voters are more likely to be the educated middle-classes, its focus must be fighting inequality. We know Farage’s party will only enrich the wealthy, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The Guardian - UK · Jan 19