The drama isn't just happening in WM... Worcestershire County Council was run by Reform until its leader was suspended from the party last month Greens & Tories then formed a coalition & overthrew Reform But now Spectator reports that the Tory party has suspended the Tory group leader as a result

NEW: Wes Streeting resigns as Health Secretary In a letter sent to the Prime Minister on Thursday, Streeting said: "As you know from our conversation earlier this week, having lost confidence in your leadership, I have concluded that it would be dishonourable and unprincipled to do so"

Amid leadership turmoil one Labour MP texts in to suggest football pundit Alan Shearer as their ideal pick for next Labour leader...

Exclusive: Labour mayor Helen Godwin on leadership race + Manchester mayor Andy Burnham "should not be blocked" from returning to Westminster + She "wouldn't dislike the idea" of Burnham being Prime Minister if Starmer steps down

Exclusive: Labour mayor Helen Godwin on leadership race + Manchester mayor Andy Burnham "should not be blocked" from returning to Westminster + She "wouldn't dislike the idea" of Burnham being Prime Minister if Starmer steps down

Time is running out for the UK to make a clear decision on where in the AI stack we can compete. Great to talk to @matildamartin.bsky.social for this piece on what comes next.

Exclusive from @siennarodgers.bsky.social Darren Jones has sparked suspicion among colleagues that he is quietly sounding out support for a future leadership bid of his own, PoliticsHome understands

The last government was more than happy to hand over our tech sector to the US. That attitude is now a threat to our sovereignty & security Great piece by @matildamartin.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Pleased to be quoted in @politicshome.bsky.social today on tech sovereignty. Really good piece by @matildamartin.bsky.social, asking whether Britain has left it too late, and I think the answer is that we're behind but not out. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Catherine West MP will *NOT* launch a bid for leadership "A lot of people might not have envisaged yours truly as walking into No 10 and I'm therefore happy to do something more vague" She does not have a particular leadership candidate in mind: "I genuinely want to keep it as open as possible"

The public despise him,” one London Labour MP told PoliticsHome, when reflecting on the Prime Minister’s role in this week’s losses + London Labour MP Catherine West tells PolHome if no one else had put themselves forward for the leadership bid on Monday, she would be putting herself forward

On Harriet Harman and Gordon Brown appointments, one disgruntled Labour MP tells me: "Do you think that's going to cut it after what happened yesterday? "Who says all of this is a good idea?"

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned that the Labour Party faces an "existential" threat nationwide, and described London's results as "bitterly disappointing" London's results are even worse for Labour than projected by YouGov just weeks ago

London is looking *very very bad* for Labour A YouGov MRP last month predicted Labour would lose *SIX* councils But with results still rolling in, the party has already lost *EIGHT* Labour has (so far) lost control of Barnet,Brent,Enfield, Hackney,Waltham Forest,Wandsworth,Westminster & Southwark

It's confirmed: The Tories will lose every single one of their County Councils up for grabs on 7 May East Sussex* (still counting) Essex - Reform gain Hampshire - NOC Norfolk - NOC Suffolk - Reform gain West Sussex - (still counting but will be NOC) *was CON minority

It's not just Labour facing an electoral pincer effect. With one declaration to go in Hampshire, both Reform (+18) & the Lib Dems (+8) have made significant gains at the Tories' expense. Conservatives in the region complained to colleague @matildamartin.bsky.social that the party was complacent

There has been a lot of focus on Labour's expected losses this week. But while the spotlight is elsewhere, there is concern among some Tories that their party is complacent about its own electoral situation Party insiders anticipate "total wipeout" in key strongholds inc Hampshire, Essex & Norfolk

While the Conservative party is outwardly presenting an image of unity, MPs in key council areas are privately raising concerns about complacency as heavy losses are anticipated on Thursday Many are using the decimation in Kent last year as a benchmark “[We] can't be going backwards at this stage"

While the Conservative party is outwardly presenting an image of unity, MPs in key council areas are privately raising concerns about complacency as heavy losses are anticipated on Thursday Many are using the decimation in Kent last year as a benchmark “[We] can't be going backwards at this stage"

Figures obtained by PolHome reveal that complaints about councillors' conduct have risen sharply at some councils that held elections last year At Staffordshire County Council there has been a 1,300% increase in the number of complaints since Reform UK won control at the 2025 elections a year ago

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 A Tory revival or one final nail on May 7? 🔵 Tory MP Jack Rankin, former minister @davidgauke.bsky.social, and ConservativeHome's Tali Fraser join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social and @matildamartin.bsky.social to discuss whether the Conservative Party can recover 🎧 Listen: pod.fo/e/40b39b

Professor John Blake, former director at the OfS, writes of the University of Sussex ruling: 💥The regulator must make significant changes in response, with its focus on addressing problems not broadcasting them 💥The regulator's woes are a symptom, not the cause, of wider dysfunction in English HE

💰Should donations to political parties by people in the UK be capped? @alexsobel.co.uk told @politicshome.bsky.social would like to see donations capped at £1m He intends to amend the Representation of the People Bill to tackle the influence of big money in British politics Link below🔗

Exc: Donations to political parties made by people in the UK would be capped at £1m under plans being drawn up by a Labour MP Alex Sobel intends to amend the Representation of the People Bill in the hope that govt will agree to go further to tackle the influence of big money in British politics

I spoke to former cabinet minister Robert Buckland about the government's proposals for SEND reform Buckland spoke about his daughter Millie, who is autistic, has learning disabilities and a physical condition. “Politicians who bleat on about overdiagnosis don’t know what they’re talking about."

I spoke to former cabinet minister Robert Buckland about the government's proposals for SEND reform Buckland spoke about his daughter Millie, who is autistic, has learning disabilities and a physical condition. “Politicians who bleat on about overdiagnosis don’t know what they’re talking about."

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 The Mandelson crisis exposes No 10's civil service rift Former Cabinet Secretary Lord Robin Butler, the IfG's @hannahkeenan.bsky.social, FDA's Dave Penman, and CSW's @suzannahb.bsky.social discuss the damaging sacking of Olly Robbins and its fallout Listen now: pod.fo/e/40598c

Exclusive: After @politicshome.bsky.social revealed Travelodge had been given almost £70m of taxpayers' money since a woman was sexually assaulted in one of its rooms in 2022, I reveal government could now bring in stipulations for companies that receive public money to house vulnerable people

Former Tory cabinet minister James Cleverly has revealed to @politicshome.bsky.social that he's being forced out of his rented home in his constituency, blaming govt rental reforms coming into force next month He said the Renters' Right Act was forcing "good landlords" like his out of the market

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

It’s the most Bluesky thing that’s ever happened: Comment is Freed x London Centric local elections prediction collab just dropped. www.londoncentric.media/p/london-loc...

Keir Starmer: "I was not told that he had failed security vetting, no minister was told... No 10 wasn't told, that is completely unacceptable" "It is totally unacceptable that the Prime Minister making an appointment is not told that security vetting has been failed"

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 Is this Andy Burnham's moment? 👑 MP Karl Turner and @profjanegreen.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social, @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @tomscotson.bsky.social to discuss whether the so-called ‘king of the north’ will make it back down to Westminster 🎧 Listen: pod.fo/e/400299

Things you never thought you’d hear an MP say “For me, it's not about the summer of sex, it is about an all-year-round focus on the cost of living" – @tomhayesmp.bsky.social

My interview with MP Samantha Niblett about her "summer of sex" campaign has blown up somewhat Perhaps she's right about this: "We just need to acknowledge that humans have a natural interest in sex..." The interview has had *mixed* responses from the PLP in private so far 1/3

Kemi Badenoch brought up my interview at #PMQs, accusing Labour MPs of "promoting sex toys in Parliament" at a "moment of profound national seriousness"

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...

These are not sentences I ever thought I would write as a political reporter Labour MP Samantha Niblett wants Britain to have more open and inclusive conversations about sex – and that includes talking about it herself!

MP Samantha Niblett says she wants to make 2026 the “summer of sex” "She's hoping to arrange two events...including one where she intends to bring sex toys into Parliament...though she is currently in conversation with parliamentary security over whether the devices will be allowed onto the estate"

Good to see other outlets picking up on House mag reporting from Thorpeness last month You can read my dispatch from the Suffolk village where homeowners are left liable for the costs of demolishing their own homes – but only after a bat survey – below 👇 www.politicshome.com/news/article...

NEW: Interview w/ Lib Dem leader Ed Davey 🔶 Davey thinks the Lib Dems could pick up environmental-focused Green voters who are unhappy with their party’s leftward shift 👀 He shares some of his more critical MPs’ “restlessness” 🇺🇸 Hillary Clinton gave him some “choice advice” about fighting Reform

This is just one by-election result, but it's a fascinating one for Reform's "flagship" council (the by-election for Kent County Council was held after the Cliftonville Reform Cllr was jailed) Results breakdown: April 2026: 🟢Greens - 39% 💠Reform - 33% May 2025: 🟢Greens- 12% 💠Reform-40%

Labour MP Cat Eccles has said scaling back jury trials is "not only misguided but harmful", and that the focus should be on addressing "chronic underinvestment, poor coordination and systemic inefficiencies" in the court system reports @matildamartin.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

🚨 OUT NOW🚨 How do ministers reform public services? @rebeccamckee.bsky.social senior researcher at the Institute for Government, chief executive of Re:State @charliepickles.bsky.social, and Conservative peer Baroness Simone Finn discuss public service reform 🎧Listen now: pod.fo/e/3fac8d

Hall of fame FT correction

This gives me hope for the future of journalism The more publishers realise that clickbait ≠ long-term revenue, the better!

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...

Exc from @zoecrowther.bsky.social The consultation is expected to seek input on how the public can balance the enjoyment of fireworks with reducing harm and distress to vulnerable people and animals🐈‍⬛

🎓Interest rates on Plan 2 & 3 student loans will be capped at 6% from September amid the conflict in the Middle East, the govt has announced Minister for Skills, Jacqui Smith, said on Tuesday that while "the risk of global shocks" from the war is "beyond our control, protecting people here is not"