Not *all* Labour MPs wanted McSweeney out. “Gutted about Morgan”, one texts. “So many of us know he’s brilliant to work with, so exceptional at the bigger picture strategic thinking, relentlessly focused on the moving pieces… and credit him with winning the majority”.

BREAKING: Morgan McSweeney has resigned from No10, saying he takes “full responsibility” for advising the PM to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.

Here comes the backlash against the Lords over assisted dying bill… MPs and peers have established an all party parliamentary group to push for Lords reform. “It is clearer than ever that this institution, which dates back 700 years and is the second largest on earth…can no longer be justified.”

A petition has been started by assisted dying campaigner Sophie Blake - who has incurable secondary breast cancer - to stop the Lords from frustrating bills approved by MPs. Peers are currently debating the assisted dying bill at a snail’s pace. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/75...

Former President of the UK Supreme Court backs using the Parliament Act to force the assisted dying bill through the Lords. Peers debate the bill again today with little chance of it passing before time runs out. www.politico.eu/article/mps-...

It’s kind of reassuring at least that integrity still seems to matter this side of the Atlantic, as demonstrated by the fury over Mandelson and the political damage he has done.

Talk has turned to who replaces Starmer (again). Labour MP tonight: “As far as I'm concerned, Starmer is done. What matters is what's next. If it's Angela, the honeymoon lasts a week. If it's Wes, a month. If it's Al, 6 months. Hard to see how it turns around beyond that.”

Latest from Downing St: “Before Peter Mandelson was appointed, there had been reports that linked him with Jeffrey Epstein, including after he was first convicted. This was looked into as part of the appointment process, as the Prime Minister referenced today…”

BREAKING: Met Police confirm they’re investigating Peter Mandelson. “[We] can confirm that the Metropolitan Police has now launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former Government Minister, for misconduct in public office offences.”

Really interesting analysis in the Observer this morning of the number and nature of amendments to the assisted dying bill and whether it counts as filibustering. On Friday they discussed the effect of AI for an hour… before that amendment was withdrawn. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

I understand how strongly people feel about assisted dying. But I do think it’s really sad that respectful disagreement seems to have broken down. Esther Rantzen is terminally ill and very unwell at the moment. Is there anything we are still able to debate kindly?

Thrilled to take on the expanded role of UK Editor and Presenter for ITV. Looking forward to another year of fiercely independent news coverage.

Supporters of the Assisted Dying Bill fear the House of Lords could derail it 🕰️ Here’s @paulbrand.bsky.social on how supporters might force it through 👇 Data courtesy of #GeeksOfTheWeek Matt England and Ruth Fox from the @hansardsociety.bsky.social 🤓📝📊 Catch up 🔗: linktr.ee/itvpeston #Peston

NEW: Assisted Dying Bill could be force through Lords via the Parliament Act, supporters warn, if Lords blocks it. At current rate, with 1200 amendments, the bill won’t make it in time. Stand by for constitutional wrangling. www.itv.com/news/2026-01...

Uh oh. Repeatedly asked by the Today programme, the First Minister of Wales won’t say whether or not Keir Starmer is a good Prime Minister. “Keir Starmer is not on the ballot paper”, Eluned Morgan will only say.

Conservatives and Labour vying for headlines over splits and defections lately…

BREAKING: Suella Braverman has defected to Reform UK, in one of the least surprising defections to far. But she’ll be able to politicise her time in the Home Office to continue arguing that it is ineffective at combatting immigration etc. I suspect tho that some Tories won’t miss her.

In another sign of how rancorous things are, the row continues this morning over who told Andy Burnham what when. Journalists began tweeting at 11:56 that he was blocked. I’m told the party only called him 12:12 and emailed at 12:20. By then his team had already relaid the tweets.

Labour source: “This is categorically untrue.” 😬

NEW: Andy Burnham says he found out his candidacy had been blocked via the media, rather than directly from the NEC. “Tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days”. Ouch.

Alongside the huge risk and challenges for Starmer in this decision, it also leaves Burnham in an odd position. He’s signalled that he wishes to move on from being Mayor, but now he will presumably see out his term with his political opponents claiming he’s lost his enthusiasm.

BREAKING: Labour’s NEC have blocked Andy Burnham’s candidacy.

NEW: Chair of the NEC Shabana Mahmood says Andy Burnham is a “fantastic mayor for Greater Manchester” and she “really appreciated” his letter to her yesterday, which was written in a “fair-minded way”. “I play these things with a straight bat.” Her lips are sealed for now.

Taking this to its possible conclusion, Andy Burnham would potentially be the fourth Prime Minister in seven years who wasn’t chosen by the voters upon entering No10.

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

How do we survive another week of January without the Traitors? SO GOOD.

NEW: NEC source puts pressure on Burnham to resist the temptation to stand. “Andy has a big choice to make. Does he want to undermine the Party ahead of important elections, by trying to trigger a massive mayoral by election, or does he want to get behind a strong local candidate?”…

A neutral source close to the process in the Lords tells me that the assisted dying bill will run out of time before a vote. At the current rate of debate, that seems likely. Supporters say the public deserve for the bill to go to a vote, opponents say tough luck, this is due process.

In his rambling history lesson, he has omitted the fact that the US is the only country ever to have invoked Article 5 of NATO, following September 11th attacks. NATO stepped up.

Trump says NATO has never given America anything and now he’s calling in the debt. “All we’re asking for is to get Greenland”.

NEW: Trump says America was “stupid” to give Greenland back to Denmark after defending it in World War II. He accuses Denmark of being “ungrateful”.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in this room. Is this a celebration of the first year?”, Trump asks journalists at the White House press briefing. “Yes!” a number of them shout back. This is not normal press briefing behaviour on either side.

Donald Trump is holding a White House news briefing at 6pm. Brace position!

Our fathers and grandfathers would not believe that they fought in World War II only for Europe to have to contemplate “appeasement” again - this time of its closest ally, America. We really are in a new age.

NEW: The CPS has announced that it won’t be charging Lucy Letby with any further offences. It had been considering a file of evidence from Cheshire Constabulary. The news comes as the CCRC continues to consider whether to send Letby’s original cases back to the Court of Appeal.

Having previously backed the deal, Trump now says handing the Chaos Islands back to Mauritius is an “act of great stupidity” by the UK. You have to wonder whether the policy of flattering the President has totally failed at this point. ‘With friends like this’ Keir Starmer must surely be thinking.

NEW: The Labour government is consulting on a social media ban for under 16s. It follows calls by dozens of its MPs for a ban. Since Australia implemented its own ban, there has been pressure for the U.K. to follow.

Russia says President Putin has been invited to join Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza. Astonishing to invite one of history’s most egregious warmongers on to a peace board. The international rules are already in the bin.

“Alliances endure because they are built on respect and partnership, not pressure”, says Starmer, repeating that Trump’s tariff threat is “wrong”. “A trade war is in nobody’s interest”.

Letter from Trump to the Norwegian PM says since he didn’t get the Nobel Peace Prize he’s decided he wants Greenland. Even for Donald Trump, this is astonishing behaviour. “Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Prize… I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace”.

BREAKING: Another Conservative defection as Tory MP Andrew Rosindell switches to Reform UK.

NEW: Keir Starmer has had a phone call with President Trump. No10 releasing very little detail, save to say, “The Prime Minister reiterated his position on Greenland.” “He also said that applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is wrong.”

Rare combative tone from Keir Starmer on the Trump tariffs tonight, as he stands up for Greenland/Denmark. "Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration."

A Reform staffer grabbed ITV News journalist Peter Smith when he asked questions its new Scottish leader didn’t appreciate. You can watch the footage here: www.itv.com/news/2026-01...

Jenrick says his defection is an inflection point for the right of British politics. He tells Conservative voters “You need to rally behind Nigel Farage now… it is the only way to get rid of this Labour government… I’m afraid that does mean the end of the Conservative Party.”

It’s always fun hearing defecting MPs explain why they won’t be holding a by-election to check their constituents are happy with their new party. Jenrick claims he was elected at the last general election based on his personal profile and politics.

Jenrick’s unequivocal sacking shows the relative strength of Badenoch’s leadership at the moment. Buoyed by improved polling, Conservative MPs were telling me just yesterday that they feel she has found her feet and is gaining momentum. Now her main rival is also discredited.

BREAKING: The House of Lords will be able to sit until 5:30pm this Friday and 6pm on following Fridays in order to extend the time to debate the assisted dying bill. Chief Whip has permitted the extended hours as peers struggle to work through more than a thousand amendments.

BREAKING: Explosive new poll for ITV Cymru Wales puts Plaid Cymru surging ahead of Reform UK in May’s Welsh elections. Plaid 37% Reform 23% Greens 13% Labour 10% Tories 10% Lib Dems 5% Plaid could form majority with Greens on this basis, with Labour out of govt for first time since devolution.

Just finished this and my god it was the best drama I’ve watched in so long. It will take me weeks to get over it.