Just one poll etc. But Labour & Tories will be relieved to see marginal increases, while support for Reform falls, halving their lead from 10 points to just five. 🎁

Latest in what is becoming a not insignificant list of u-turns from govt incl on winter fuel, welfare cuts, now IHT for farmers… Not in itself a bad thing, if original policy decision was problematic, but does raise questions about political judgements. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Kemi Badenoch & shadow home office minister Katie Lam have been accused of weaponising violence against women. Tory leader said focus should be on “people, who come from cultures that don’t respect women, coming into our country”. Lam used speech to ask if immigration was exacerbating the problem.

BREAKING: Christian Turner, a career diplomat who was UK ambassador to UN and foreign office political director, will be the UK's new man in Washington, taking over from Peter Mandelson, sources confirm.

🚨Keir Starmer's No 10 is cancelling afternoon lobby briefing, when journos can ask PM's spox as many questions they like, for as long as they like. They'll also sometimes cancel morning lobby, replacing it with ministerial press confs, restricting oppo for questions for many orgs.

EXCL: Angela Rayner is writing memoir about her rise to become deputy PM and subsequent fall from grace, in move that will be seen as attempt to set narrative ahead of any leadership contest…. Details of publishing deal below 👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

NEW - Keir Starmer is planning a King’s speech in the week after the May local elections. Will be reset moment at a time when his leadership may be under threat. Bills could include AI, immigration, planning and electoral reform. @jessicaelgot.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

It’s Christmaaaaas!! 🎄🎅🍾 Coming up - join @theguardian.com Politics Weekly special with me, @kiranstacey.bsky.social and @johnharris1969.bsky.social for our big takes on the year and what’s coming up in 2026. Plus - find out what I’m dancing to 💃

BREAKING: Keir Starmer announces govt has issued a licence which permits transfer of over £2.5 billion proceeds from sale of Chelsea FC into new foundation for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine - and urges Roman Abramovic to honour his commitment to hand over money.

Big deal in Labour land…

Now confirmed

EXCL: An agreement to rejoin Erasmus – the EU’s student exchange programme – set to be announced on Wednesday as part of UK government’s drive towards closer relations with Brussels. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Very interesting development in UK/US relations... The US has paused its promised £31bn investment into British tech over trade disagreements, marking a serious setback - by @ecourea.bsky.social 👇 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

NEW - The Employment Rights bill has finally passed, after a tortured time in the Lords. Christmas cheer for ministers and trade unions

🚨On this week's podcast, something a bit different from @kiranstacey.bsky.social and me... A brilliant conversation with the equally brilliant @mrjohncrace.bsky.social about his new book The Bonfire of the Insanities. Merry Christmas all! www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

Resident doctors in England will strike for five days starting on Wednesday after they voted to reject government’s latest offer to end long-running pay and jobs dispute. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

EXCL: Keir Starmer interviewed a shortlist of three candidates for new ambassador to Washington this week with Downing Street preparing to make appointment before end of year @elenicourea reveals www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

‘There’s been a Badenoch bounce’: is the Tory leader finally cutting through? We talk to Tory MPs and officials on Kemi Badenoch’s attempts to turn her party’s fortunes round: and whether she’ll be in post long enough to succeed. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Friday’s @theguardian.com front page: UK facing worst winter flu crisis within a fortnight as cases surge www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Delighted for my friend Anushka Asthana who won Political Journalist of the Year for her agenda-setting coverage of govt’s welfare cuts plans - and thank you @pressgazette.co.uk for my own ‘highly commended’ too! 🙏 #BJA2025

NEW: Labour announces 25 new peerages including - as revealed by me and @ecourea.bsky.social - Rachel Reeves's former chief of staff Katie Martin and Keir Starmer's ex-director of comms Matthew Doyle. Also former Tory-supporting Iceland boss Richard Walker.

Wednesday’s @theguardian.com front page: PM urges Europe to curb human rights laws to halt rise of populism www.theguardian.com/law/2025/dec...

Such a thoughtful piece by ⁦‪@peterwalker‬⁩99.bsky.social on whether the religious right is on the rise in the UK www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Keir Starmer wants Angela Rayner to return to cabinet: “Yes. She’s hugely talented” He told @rachelsylvester.bsky.social: “Yes, of course I do. I was really sad we lost her. As I said to her at the time, she’s going to be a major voice in the Labour movement” www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

MY WEEKEND READ: ‘The only idea around’: will Labour return to a customs union with the EU? The desperate search for economic growth is pushing the party to confront the issue that dare not speak its name www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

EXCL: Ministers want to secure youth mobility scheme with EU by end of 2026, with UK officials pushing for two-year time limit and cap in “tens of thousands” @ecourea.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Great profile of Christopher Harborne, who has given Nigel Farage’s Reform UK a record £9m, from our @rowenamason.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Friday’s @theguardian.com front page: Farage hits out as fresh claims of ‘vindictive’ teenage racism emerge www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Nigel Farage reads out letter from Dulwich contemporary at presser who said that while Reform leader's comments were "yes, sometimes offensive" they were never uttered "with malice". Notably,he doesn't repeat Richard Tice's claim that multiple allegations are "made up twaddle".

The FCA has decided not to immediately investigate Rachel Reeves and Treasury over pre-budget briefings. But could yet look into what Tories claimed amounted to market manipulation - depending on outcome of Treasury's own inquiry into leaks. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

NEW: David Lammy lambasts “courts emergency” that will surpass 100,000 outstanding cases, leaving victims waiting years for justice, confirming plans to drop thousands of jury trials. But appears to back away from jury trials only for serious crimes like murder, rape and manslaughter after backlash

EXCL: Richard Hermer, UK’s top law officer & one of most senior Jewish govt ministers, urges Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim Reform UK leader racially abused them while at school, saying he had “clearly deeply hurt” many people. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

EXCL: The UK is hoping to secure an agreement within weeks to rejoin the EU’s flagship student mobility programme, as part of a drive to pursue closer relations with Brussels after a setback on defence @ecourea.bsky.social & @kiranstacey.bsky.social report www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Tuesday’s @theguardian.com front page: OBR chair quits after inquiry into early release of budget document www.theguardian.com/business/202...

BREAKING: Richard Hughes quits as chair of the OBR after damaging budget leak obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...

🚨 Our latest podcast: @kiranstacey.bsky.social & I discuss the PM's speech and whether it defuses the row over claims Rachel Reeves misled the public... Plus an eventful Your Party conference www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

NEW: OBR report into budget day leak finds it was "not a case of intentional leakage" but an "inadvertent" one as a result of IT weaknesses - and was the "worst failure" in the organisation's 15-year history.

Keir Starmer denies Rachel Reeves misled the public by claiming there was a hole in the public finances to justify tax rises. PM says OBR productivity downgrade left govt with "starting point" of £16bn less than it might otherwise have had...

NEW: Keir Starmer says he's confident that UK has "walked through narrowest part of the tunnel" on cost of living - and that "bit by bit" people will see a country that shrugs off sense that things can never be better.

Saturday’s @theguardian.com front page: Wealthy must pay to fix our creaky services, says Reeves www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

“At an early meeting to set the path for Your Party, participants quickly agreed on one thing: given cliches about leftwingers forever falling out, at all costs they must avoid a descent into factionalism.” Great read @peterwalker99.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

STORY: OBR has cast doubt on claims Rachel Reeves dropped plans to raise income tax in this week’s budget because of rosier forecasts, pointing out she knew about these well before the change of heart 👇 By @guardianheather.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Flagship policy that would have given workers right to claim unfair dismissal after their first day on the job is to be ditched by government in favour of a six month-threshold (down from current 24) 👇 www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...

NEW - the government poised to water down flagship workers rights bill, ditching day one rights to unfair dismissal but reducing qualifying period from two years to six months. But in concession to unions, government will remove provisions for up to nine months probation.

Thursday’s @theguardian.com front page: “I am asking everyone to make a contribution” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

MY ANALYSIS: The budget has averted an immediate crisis for Labour – but the danger is not over yet www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Rachel Reeves gambles on tax and spend. But has she forgotten the "squeezed middle"? Listen to me, @pippacrerar.bsky.social and @johnharris1969.bsky.social chew over today's budget here. www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

Don’t worry folks, the OBR has now removed the document from its website. That should do it…

BREAKING: The Office for Budget Responsiblity has published its economic and fiscal document *BEFORE* Rachel Reeves delivers her budget. Unprecedented.

✂️One to watch - will Rachel Reeves promise unspecified spending cuts for back end of parliament, in what could be election year?