NEW: Tourist taxes are coming to England - but how will they work? And why did the government change its mind on the policy? My feature for @thehousemag.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

A real joy to sit down with former TV executive Lord Grade for the latest issue @thehousemag.bsky.social We talk GB News, online safety, and the past and future of British TV. I even got to ask him about his (outrageous) attempt to cancel Doctor Who in the 80s www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Lord Heseltine tells me that if she were alive to witness his political rise, Margaret Thatcher "would have had nothing to do with" Nigel Farage, who he dubs "Donald Trump's vicar in Britain". www.politicshome.com/news/article...

The longer that the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, the worse the ripple effects will be for global supply chains. My piece for @thehousemag.bsky.social: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

News of an AI system too powerful for public release has raised fears it could be weaponised for cyber-attacks. How much of a threat could it pose? 🤖 https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/mythos-ai-hacking-highstakes-cybersecurity-arms-race

“I don’t think anyone is expecting the price of stuff to go down, long-term. In fact, I’d hope it doesn’t" I speak with No 10's cost of living champion Lord Walker, the Iceland supermarket boss who says rejoining the EU single market would be "a terrible idea" www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Interesting to speak with former Nobel Peace Prize nominee Mu Sochua about the industrial-scale scam centres which continue to operate across Cambodia. The UK government, she argues, should step up sanctions against the country's authoritarian regime: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

James Cleverly tells me the next Tory govt will get rid of Labour's 'mansion tax' on properties over £2m. While £2m will buy you a four-bed in south-east London, he says "it will get you almost nothing" in west London, south-west London, or north London www.politicshome.com/news/article...

James Cleverly has told The House magazine that he is mulling a run to be London mayor, arguing that Labour’s Sadiq Khan could be more vulnerable to defeat than ever before “Of course I think about it,” the Tory MP and former cabinet minister told @noahvickers.bsky.social

James Cleverly tells me running for London mayor in 2028 is "of course" something he is considering. But given the demands of his current job, he adds: "I’m not in the mood for being distracted by very flattering speculation about what I might do next." www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Also wrote an updated long read on this in January with my colleague @noahvickers.bsky.social in which one Labour source warned: “We are bracing ourselves for a really bad set of results nationally”, adding London is being “taken for granted” by the party high command

NEW: YouGov MRP projection shows Labour is set for worst result in London in 50 years -Projection shows Labour winning the highest vote share in just 15 of 32 councils Labour politicians have been sounding the alarm over this for some time- I first wrote about their fears in July last year

A year ago, the Building Safety Regulator was a byword for 'bottleneck', widely blamed for chronic delays to new high-rise homes. Under new leadership, that seems to be changing, but how much further does the BSR have to go? My @thehousemag.bsky.social feature www.politicshome.com/news/article...

NEW: How A Secret Government Report Delayed Leeds' Long-Awaited Trams My @thehousemag.bsky.social feature includes more detail from the confidential NISTA 'peer review': www.politicshome.com/news/article...

My West Yorkshire Mass Transit exclusive is discussed on YIMBY Pod 👇 Read the full feature piece in the latest edition of @thehousemag.bsky.social or on @politicshome.bsky.social tomorrow morning 🗞️

A plan to begin building a Leeds tram by 2028 was delayed after a secret Whitehall review warned about a risk to taxpayers' money The peer review, obtained by @noahvickers.bsky.social, warned that the project was being driven by a “political agenda rather than a recognised programmatic approach"

My (fab) colleague @noahvickers.bsky.social reveals why West Yorkshire tram has faced delays🚊 Reveals details of a secret govt report showing Tracy Brabin’s attempts to start construction on the network before her next re-election campaign were blocked due to a high risk of wasted taxpayers’ cash

EXCLUSIVE: @thehousemag.bsky.social has obtained the confidential government report which delayed West Yorkshire's planned tram network. It warned the scheme was working to "unrealistic milestones" and there was a "high" risk of public money being wasted: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Shaun Connor is retiring after working in Parliament for 48 years He tells @noahvickers.bsky.social about creating tapes of Tony Benn speeches, the pen Lord Sugar gifted him, and being held at gunpoint during the 2017 attack "I feel proud and privileged to have been a part of this place"

On his first day, his line manager explained he’d be working in the Records Office in the Victoria Tower “I said to him, naively: ‘Records! I love records. I spend all my money buying records.’ He looked at me and said: ‘Not those kinds of records.’” Wonderful piece by @noahvickers.bsky.social

NEW: Short-term holiday lets are a major part of Britain’s tourism industry – but many Labour MPs want tighter controls on their number to protect local communities and housing supply. Will the government listen? @noahvickers.bsky.social reports

NEW: Labour MPs are pushing ministers to go further in plans to regulate holiday lets. DCMS will introduce a national register of lets, but this will be "light-touch" and seems to be delayed. MHCLG is meanwhile "considering" giving councils more powers: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

"We have to ask some questions about whether we want data centres which take up an enormous amount of water, and an enormous amount of electricity, and don’t create very many jobs." My interview with Polly Billington MP for @thehousemag.bsky.social 👇 www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Good to speak with Kevin McKenna MP for the latest edition of @thehousemag.bsky.social He tells me about his career as a critical care nurse, the mission to end new HIV transmissions across the country by 2030, and Keir Starmer's future as PM 👇 www.politicshome.com/news/article...

🚨 Calling UK tech startups !!! Especially if based by the coast 🏖️🌊 Niche request, but I'd like to speak to digital nomads who have set up or moved their businesses to a seaside town/rural area in the last few years If that's you/someone you know, please get in touch in the comments or via DM

🏥 The latest edition of The House is out! 1802 - The health issue - How does Wes Streeting run DHSC? - Danny Kruger interview - Antonia Romeo profile - Why early diagnosis is more complex than you think Try a sample and subscribe:

Resident doctors' strikes: Labour MPs are quietly optimistic that a deal with the BMA might soon be reached - but there are fears that an end to the dispute could cause new problems for the government. My feature for @thehousemag.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

In my latest interview for @thehousemag.bsky.social, I spoke with Guernsey's chief minister Lindsay de Sausmarez, who told me about Brexit's impact, the island's demographic challenge, and Westminster's demand for more transparency from the Crown Dependencies: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

NEW: Data centres across the UK are turning to the gas network as grid connection delays mean they may have to wait almost a decade for electricity. Could it imperil the government's 2030 Clean Power mission? My feature for @thehousemag.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

NEW: I speak with Lib Dem energy spox Pippa Heylings about the party's strategy to gain further seats by taking on "the myths being peddled" by Tories and Reform about net zero. Heylings claims Lib Dems could be UK's next official opposition: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

I understand London mayor Sadiq Khan will *not* be joining Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar in calling for Keir Starmer to go. The mayor was asked about his support for the PM in the Observer this weekend: observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Delighted to announce that we (Social Social Community News) have today launched our sixth borough-wide local news publication in London – Barking and Dagenham Star! Check it out 👇 barkingstar.co.uk And give the Star a follow on here as well 👇 @banddstar.bsky.social

The plight of Britain’s boys is a growing political talking point A group of Labour MPs has launched a campaign to produce a coherent, centre-left response to the issues facing young men According to co-founder @alistrathern.bsky.social, it's an area where progressives have "ceded the field on"

BREAKING: Andy Burnham says he has sought permission to stand in the by election.

As the government grants permission for the new Chinese Embassy to be developed, a reminder that MPs in countries as far away as New Zealand were among those concerned about fibre-optic cabling close to the site, as I reported for @thehousemag.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Nine years ago a Twitter user was sending poetry to Sadiq Khan about London’s many cultural identities. A decade on, Reform UK’s mayoral candidate doesn’t dispute it was her old account - so what’s changed? Our profile of Laila Cunningham: www.londoncentric.media/p/laila-cunn...

When I asked Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander about a new Birmingham-Manchester rail link, she told me: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

"We're ending up like a Potemkin power" For @thehousemag.bsky.social's first issue of 2026, I speak with ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat about the state of Britain’s military, his bids for the Tory leadership and why UK politicians should get off TikTok www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Update Kent County Council, described as Reform's "shop window" council, has proposed a 3.99% council tax hike Celebrated as a win by council leader: "Through sound financial management and efficiencies, the council has been able to keep the proposed increase below the level previously expected”👇

Councillors' home addresses will soon be kept secret from the public under new legislation, amid rising concern over politician safety The LGA found that 1 in 4 councillors had experienced threats of violence or death against themselves or someone close to them @noahvickers.bsky.social reports

Amendments to the English Devolution Bill mean local councillors' home addresses will soon be kept secret by default, amid mounting concern over politicians' safety at all levels. @jocoxfoundation.bsky.social and @local.gov.uk have welcomed the change: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

🏏 Parliament’s cricket team has been playing since 1850 Graham Stuart and Andrew Bingham tell @noahvickers.bsky.social about the sport’s lasting popularity among MPs, peers and staff

Grim nights in Wales and Scotland are already baked into Labour thinking about the May locals Less discussed, however, @matildamartin.bsky.social & @noahvickers.bsky.social report, is things getting ugly in London, where Polanski eyes gains "The whole of the Olympic Park belongs to the Greens"

Labour facing tough London elections in May. “The whole of the Olympic Park belongs to the Greens,” Labour source says. “There is no Labour party presence in one of the most sizeable developments in the whole of London… It’s all Green, Green, Green.” Story w @matildamartin.bsky.social

All eyes are on elections in Scotland & Wales next year. But London council elections will also be a crucial bellwether for the government. We can reveal that nervousness extends from City Hall to London Labour MPs & councillors With @noahvickers.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

175 Years Not Out! Parliament's Cricket Club Celebrate Their Anniversary www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Here's our big interview with the Transport Secretary www.politicshome.com/news/article...

In 2018, Heidi Alexander (then London's deputy mayor for transport) told the London Assembly that Heathrow expansion "would expose hundreds of thousands more people to worsening air quality and adverse noise impacts". Now she says a third runway has "transformational potential"

NEW: Labour's northern MPs grow frustrated over the government's repeated delays in progressing Northern Powerhouse Rail. Ministers don't want to commit to anything that looks like HS2, but have found the two schemes are bound up with one another: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Andy Burnham has warned the Treasury not to give Manchester a "cut-price" rail upgrade In a strongly-worded message to Westminster, the Greater Manchester Mayor said removing Manchester Airport from Northern Powerhouse Railway plans would be "ludicrous” He sat down with @noahvickers.bsky.social