Interesting report in the Times yesterday re Zack Polanski targeting trade unions with appearances at conferences -Polanski appeared at NEU this week @politicshome.bsky.social reported back in January that support for Labour had collapsed among school staff + support for the Greens had soared

Shout out to @jessmccabe.bsky.social for first reporting the comments, that’s the power of specialist journalism by reporters and editors who know their beat

Exclusive: We reveal Travelodge has been handed over £68m by the public sector (including to house vulnerable people) since a woman was sexually assaulted in one of its rooms in 2022 There are now growing questions over whether Travelodge should continue to receive taxpayers' money

Speaking from Downing Street this morning, Starmer said that it is "increasingly clear" in light of the war in the Middle East that the UK's "long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe and with the European Union"

I'm late to it but @bwalker.uk spots something that makes sense, but is still fascinating: the Greens seem to be taking votes from Reform "Some voters are looking more to Shake Things Up than pursue a necessarily right or left platform. They may see little difference in a Green or Reform vote"

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

Interesting report in the Times yesterday re Zack Polanski targeting trade unions with appearances at conferences -Polanski appeared at NEU this week @politicshome.bsky.social reported back in January that support for Labour had collapsed among school staff + support for the Greens had soared

A student loans mistake by universities has seen up to £190m of taxpayers’ money wrongly given to unaware students, leaving thousands of them facing repayment orders Great story by Josh Salisbury👇

Attorney General Richard Hermer has warned that failure by the Labour government to improve Whitehall delivery will pave the way for Reform UK to "dismantle" the civil service "We cannot leave the defence of effective government to those who would dismantle it"

💪Great to see this!

Chuffed with these @politicshome.bsky.social numbers — but the work continues!

Keir Starmer told MPs on Monday that the country must not fall into "false comfort" thinking that there will be "a quick and early end" to the Iran conflict The PM also indicated that he prefers a targeted intervention to universal support in response to the current energy crisis

For The House magazine, I dust off the writing hat to look at a topic close to my heart — rugby league Years on from Boris Johnson’s 'Workington Man', the game, rooted in communities, is facing existential questions. What can, what should, the government do to help?

There is widespread public support for the BBC being given long-term protection, an opinion poll shared exclusively with PolHome suggests A new Survation survey for campaign group 38 Degrees found backing for the BBC charter being put on a permanent footing across different voter and age groups

NEW: Keir Starmer tells PMQs he is "deeply concerned that Travelodge cancelled their meeting with MPs", adding "I want them to put that right and put it right swiftly"

Travelodge pulls out of planned meeting with MPs who wanted to raise issues of room security with chain Comes after woman was sexually assaulted by a man given a key card to her room by staff @mattbishopmp.bsky.social tells me it “undermines confidence in [Travelodge’s] commitment to safeguarding"

A Labour MP is working up a law to tighten hotel security after a woman was sexually assaulted in a Travelodge by a man given a card to her room by staff The plans, led by @mattbishopmp.bsky.social, look at fining hotels that don't comply with tougher rules, with money put towards helping victims

Labour MP and former police officer Matt Bishop is working up a new law to improve hotel security after a woman was sexually assaulted in a Travelodge by a man given a key card to her room The plans, set to be introduced as part of a Ten Minute Rule Bill, would introduce industry standards

Labour MP and former police officer Matt Bishop is working up a new law to improve hotel security after a woman was sexually assaulted in a Travelodge by a man given a key card to her room The plans, set to be introduced as part of a Ten Minute Rule Bill, would introduce industry standards

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...

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

I was delighted to make my Today programme debut at the weekend! Here’s a bit of me on fragmentation in our party system

Speaking from Downing St on Monday, Keir Starmer said the question of "whether to commit British troops to military action is the most serious responsibility for any Prime Minister" "I have been attacked by some for my decision not to join the offensive against Iran"

“On New Year’s Eve, we were dancing on those rocks in the garden...the next morning, we were literally watching them fall into the sea.” Thorpeness has lost an unprecedented 28m of its cliff in one year - I spent a day there last month to investigate the impact it is having on the community👇

Last month, former Reform MP Rupert Lowe launched a new party: Restore Britain. RB has claimed its membership surpassed the Conservatives as of yesterday Another former colleague of Nigel Farage, Ben Habib, leads Advance UK. What effect, if any, will these right-wing parties have on Reform?

Last month, former Reform MP Rupert Lowe launched a new party: Restore Britain. RB has claimed its membership surpassed the Conservatives as of yesterday Another former colleague of Nigel Farage, Ben Habib, leads Advance UK. What effect, if any, will these right-wing parties have on Reform?

NEW: My interview with Green leader Zack Polanski • He's been speaking to a “handful” of Labour MPs about defecting to the Greens • Explains why he criticised Corbyn for Labour antisemitism but doesn't now • His plans to run for Parliament & lots more 👇 www.politicshome.com/news/article...

🚨 Niche news that only Bluesky users will care about @politicshome.bsky.social journalists can now link to our Bluesky accounts on our website!

The government has launched its long-awaited consultation on digital ID. Here is what we learned, as well as questions that remain unanswered, including: 📱Will digital ID be compulsory? 📱What will a digital ID look like? 📱What will the scheme cost?

Before deciding to run for Parliament, Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage was the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans 🌊 We spoke about how the breakdown of her marriage liberated her, and why she would like to see Ed Davey’s party have a strategy for coalition

Very niche, but if anyone is interested in mudlarking, I have a ticket for the Secrets of the Thames exhibition for 2.15pm today I can sadly no longer go, but the ticket is non-refundable. DM if interested! (will give it to you for free!)

Labour MP tells me: “Even with the world’s best campaign you can’t win without having/delivering progressive policies. This is a result of the strategy Downing St has set” Senior Labour MP adds: “Labour needs to be offering hope to progressive voters. Just an anti-Reform [strategy] isn’t enough”

PolHome understands there's frustration among many Labour MPs with what they feel was a by-election campaign too focused on Reform and lacking a positive message about why people should support Labour "Labour needs to be the party offering hope to progressive voters. Just anti-Reform isn’t enough"

The Green Party has achieved a seismic victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election, with the Labour Party pushed into third place 🟢Green Party's Hannah Spencer - 14,980 votes (40%) 🟣Reform UK's Matt Goodwin - 10,578 votes (28%) 🔴Labour's Angeliki Stogia - 9,364 votes (25%)

The Green Party has achieved a seismic victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election, with the Labour Party pushed into third place 🟢Green Party's Hannah Spencer - 14,980 votes (40%) 🟣Reform UK's Matt Goodwin - 10,578 votes (28%) 🔴Labour's Angeliki Stogia - 9,364 votes (25%)

What exactly is Reform's foreign policy? It is a growing question for Farage, especially having not appointed a foreign policy spokesperson Those familiar say leaving the ECHR will take up "the majority" of the thinking The party has recently met with New Zealand First & Australia’s Liberal Party

Govt’s proposed SEND reforms contain positive ideas to move the system towards early intervention. But there are tensions the govt has not yet worked through between investing in these changes quickly and ensuring reforms are fully evidenced.

Pleased to be invited to speak on BBC news yesterday about the government‘s SEND reforms and how they’re landing with MPs Coverage from the day linked below www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Fascinating interview by @siennamarla with Reform UK's Danny Kruger - who (among other things) tells her political parties have a "limited but important" role in undoing the sexual revolution and UK is suffering from a "totally unregulated sexual economy". www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Great piece by @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @zoecrowther.bsky.social on how Wes Streeting runs his department One Streeting ally: “We do need politicians to be good at politics. If a perm sec were good at politics, that would be a problem – but for a secretary of state, that’s a good thing!”

one thing I love to do is to type and type and type and think oh woah, I must have nearly written a whole article here, I've typed up so many things, and then look at the wordcount and stare at "283" for a while

Great piece by @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @zoecrowther.bsky.social on how Wes Streeting runs his department One Streeting ally: “We do need politicians to be good at politics. If a perm sec were good at politics, that would be a problem – but for a secretary of state, that’s a good thing!”

Lord Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office The former Labour cabinet minister was pictured being led from his London home by plain clothes police officers on Monday

For the government, the real work to sell its SEND reforms begins now. A government source tells me that they are not seeing this as the end of the conversation, and the outreach that Bridget Phillipson has committed to in recent months will continue👇

For the government, the real work to sell its SEND reforms begins now. A government source tells me that they are not seeing this as the end of the conversation, and the outreach that Bridget Phillipson has committed to in recent months will continue👇

This is a huge day for Bridget Phillipson as the govt unveils its plans for reform to the special educational needs system in England From my conversations with MPs across the Labour Party, the mood is considerably more positive than it was a few months ago As ever, the detail will be important

Bridget Phillipson says she will "look at" the Plan B student loan system, but it is a "question of priorities" Comes as Tories announce they would cut the rate of interest charged on some student loans PolHome first reported that the Tories were looking at reforms to the system last week

At what point will Reform UK councillors defecting to: Restore Britain (headed up Rupert Lowe) and Advance UK (Ben Habib) begin to cause issues for Farage one to keep an eye on both in councils run by Reform (like the case below) and in upcoming council elections

Campaign leaflets have started to arrive on my doorstep in Wandsworth (London), where council elections are coming in May Marked difference between Reform UK & Tory leaflets: - Reform's very much centring Farage (no mention of lowering taxes) - Tories centring Khan + local party members

Should also say I got a 🎄Christmas card🎄from my local Conservative cllrs a couple months ago, so 10/10 for effort!