Keir Starmer says it's “far-fetched” to suggest the theft of Morgan McSweeney's mobile is connected to release of documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambo.

🚨 Wes Streeting gave speech outlining his performance on NHS & plans for future. Unofficial leadership pitch? @kiranstacey.bsky.social & I sat down with health secrto find out. Plus patient (dis)satisfaction, Palantir & those Mandelson messages. Latest pod👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

We are 🅻🅸🆅🅴 on YouTube👇 Tonight Robert Peston and Pippa Crerar will be joined by: 🐙Greg Jackson 🏠Steve Reed MP 🤝Lord Ricketts 🌹Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP 🔵Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg youtube.com/live/imYh-iu... #Peston

EXCL: Cabinet Office understood to hold text & email exchanges between Peter Mandelson & Morgan McSweeney, despite theft of former CoS’s phone. His messages with Mandelson have been under intense scrutiny since it was reported his work device was stolen shortly after former US ambo was sacked.

Nigel Farage walks out of PMQs with his MPs, after Keir Starmer responds to question on small boats with long list of council tax hikes in Reform areas. Last to leave green benches is Robert Jenrick, who dismisses the chamber with a wave of his hand.

BREAKING: Political funding from British citizens living abroad should be capped at about £300,000 a year and donations in cryptocurrency temporarily banned, a government review has recommended.

NEW: Morgan McSweeney did *not* tell the police that he was the prime minister's chief of staff when he called 999 to report its theft.

Rachel Reeves has ruled out universal support to deal with any future rise in energy bills, saying any government help would be targeted. Chancellor criticised the support offered by Liz Truss’s government in 2022 as unaffordable and irresponsible. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Keir Starmer's 'Love Actually' moment after insults from Trump. “A lot of what is said or done is undoubtedly to put pressure on me. I understand what is going on. “But I am not going to waver on this. I am the British PM and my job is to be absolutely focused on the national interest."

🚨 Donald Trump rows back on strait of Hormuz threat. But what comes next? - our latest #PoliticsWeekly podcast. www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

Strongest words yet from Keir Starmer on UK role in Iran conflict: "This is not our war, and we are not getting dragged into this war."

NEW: Keir Starmer says he's already looking at prospect of energy bill support next winter - suggesting he doesn't expect energy price shock to be resolved soon. PM again suggests he would prefer a plan which focuses on poorest households rather than a costly universal bailout.

Keir Starmer responds angrily to Tory MP Bernard Jenkin who suggests approach to defence "smacks of enormous complacency". PM says state of UK defence "smacks of the fact that for years there was underinvestment by the last government and the stripping out and hollowing out of our armed forces".

NEW: Keir Starmer welcomes talks between the US and Iran - and reveals he was aware they were taking place. "The immediate priority has to be a swift resolution of the conflict and delivering a negotiated agreement, which puts tough conditions on Iran, particularly in relation to nuclear weapons."

‘Anyone but Labour’ or ‘anyone but Reform’? The clash of animosities likely to define the May local elections - my read on the choice facing voters www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

BREAKING: Donald Trump postpones all airstrikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five day period. US president said that over last two days US and Iran had “very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East”.

Reform chair David Bull has just introduced Nigel Farage at the party's Scottish campaign conference as "the most famous politician in the country, if not the world".

Sadiq Khan becomes most senior Labour figure yet to openly call for party to put rejoining EU in next election manifesto. Will others now follow? (Very few even say this privately - but it’s a long time until the next election)… @antoguerrera.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Keir Starmer hoping to soften impact of government changes to immigration system after backlash from Labour MPs and dramatic intervention from Angela Rayner - @kiranstacey.bsky.social & @alethaadu.bsky.social 👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

EXCL: Senior ministers believe Keir Starmer will not intervene to give the assisted dying bill further time in the next session of parliament as he is wary of opening up new divisions among Labour MPs - @jessicaelgot.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

NEW: British billionaire convicted in US for failing to implement adequate money-laundering controls on his cryptocurrency business is funding political base in Westminster used by “anti-woke” & rightwing activists. Fascinating fr @sandralaville @ @rowenamason www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

V interesting response from Andy Burnham this morning to Angela Rayner’s stark warning the Labour government is “running out of time”… “I certainly know where she is coming from and the party would always do well to listen to what Angela has got to say.”

💥Punchy remarks from Angela Rayner at Mainstream event tonight, esp given she’s viewed as front runner in any Labour l’ship contest: - she warns Keir Starmer he “cannot just go through motions” in face of decline - and that govt is “running out of time” to show it can deliver change people need.

NEW: Reform UK risks breaching data protection laws with its competition to win free energy bills for a year, lawyers & data experts warn. Entrants have to disclose not only name, email & number, but also how they voted at last election and intend to at next one www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

NEW: Rachel Reeves sets out plans for UK to align more closely with EU rules - saying Brexit "did damage” with impact on GDP as high as 8%. Chancellor said deviating from regulations set in Brussels should be “the exception, not the norm” but acknowledged she'd have to win political argument.

NEW: Nigel Farage has sold videos in which he endorsed a neo-Nazi event, repeated extremist slogans and supported a man convicted over his involvement in a far-right riot - @direthoughts.com & @michaelgoodier.bsky.social report www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-i...

EXCL: UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell attended final talks between US and Iran - and judged Tehran's offer on its nuclear programme was significant enough to prevent rush to war @patrickwintour.bsky.social & @julianborger.bsky.social reveal www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Tuesday’s @theguardian.com front page: PM vows UK will resist US pressure to join Iran war www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

🚨 Can Keir Starmer avoid the UK being drawn into the US-Iran war? – latest podcast with me and @kiranstacey.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

NEW: Britain in standoff with Brussels over demand to cut university tuition fees for European students, with row threatening to scupper Keir Starmer’s planned EU reset. @kiranstacey.bsky.social reports 👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

this means it is not open for transit

‘We are a completely different political party’: inside the Greens’ membership boom - by @peterwalker99.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Our latest #WeekInWestminster 🌍 Iran conflict Admiral Lord West & Tobias_Ellwood 🧑‍⚖️Jury trials @verabaird.bsky.social & @cassiarowland.bsky.social 🕌 Social cohesion @sundersays.bsky.social & Kishwer Falkner 🌹Labour strategy Paul Ovenden @pronouncedalva.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Is this the “inflammatory language” petrol retailers assoc is talking about? Rachel Reeves: “I will not tolerate any company exploiting the current situation to make excess profits at consumers’ expense. I’m backing drivers and families - and I expect a fair deal at the pump.”

“Even before Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury on Iran unleashed higher oil prices, threatening the outlook for growth and inflation, the UK economy was flatlining” - @guardianheather.bsky.social writes www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Friday’s @theguardian.com front page: Hidden hand of Putin aids Iran’s tactics, says Healey www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Everybody to Kenmure Street: “A granular anatomy of a protest and a love letter to community”. Do watch 📽️ www.theguardian.com/film/2026/fe...

Had a chat with the formidable Meg Hillier as Treasury select committee launches its inquiry into student loans: she frets that it's part of a wider picture of 20/30 somethings getting a really rubbish deal: www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...

🚨How damaging are the Peter Mandelson files for Keir Starmer? @peterwalker99.bsky.social & I discuss for our latest #PoliticsWeekly podcast www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

Thursday’s @theguardian.com front page: PM was told of ‘reputational risk’ over Mandelson links to Epstein www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

💥This is significant: Peter Mandelson was offered a highly classified security briefing *before* the formal vetting process was completed. Good spot from @jessicaelgot.bsky.social

NEW: Keir Starmer has asked new Ethics and Integrity Commission to tighten financial disclosures, lobbying and business appointment rules. There will also be a review of national security vetting process following Mandelson case.

BREAKING: Unite the union has voted to cut Labour affiliation by 40% - £580,000 - on the anniversary of the Birmingham bin strike. Ahead of the rules conference next year union chiefs will now formally consult with members to see whether they want to remain in the Labour party.

Darren Jones defends severance claim as employment tribunal would have cost more. “The settlement that was agreed was to avoid even higher further costs involving a drawn out legal claim at the employment tribunal, given Peter Mandelson's employment was as a civil servant, rather than a minister".

NEW: Peter Mandelson was offered a severance payment of £75,000 - having initially asked the Foreign Office to pay him more than £500,000 upon his sacking as US ambassador, newly released docs reveal.

“We are at war. The difference is, we're not joining the war. We're in the war.” Kemi Badenoch's spokesperson had, it is fair to say, a few issues in explaining her position on the Iran conflict after PMQs.

Keir Starmer attacks Kemi Badenoch for “screeching u-turn” on US intervention in Iran. “If she were PM… we would be in the war, and she would be coming back to Parliament a week later to say, oh, sorry, I got that one wrong.” Story on shifting position here 👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Keir Starmer says govt will keep planned rise in fuel duty in Sept “under review” given situation in Iran. PM tells Kemi Badenoch: “Fuel duty is frozen. It's going to remain frozen until September, and we will keep the situation under review in light of what's happening in Iran”. #PMQs

Preparations for tonight’s show are “very complete, pretty much” 🗯️ So Robert and Pippa will be back to make sense of another wild week of news “soon, very soon” Join us tonight ⬇️ 🔴9PM LIVE X & YouTube 📺1045PM ITV1 #Peston

Home Sec Shabana Mahmood has approved request from Met police to ban pro-Palestinian march planned for Sunday “to prevent serious public disorder”. Annual Al Quds Day march in London drew criticism over apparent backing for Iranian regime.