Clive Lewis backs Andy Burnham? Remarks delivered at the 2025 Robin Cook Memorial Lecture

“Reform UK have spotted what you could call a ‘gap in the market’, and it's not a good one”, writes Labour MP Dr @simonforstroud.bsky.social 🗣️ Reform UK’s vaccine crankery is a dangerous threat to our national security www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

“I absolutely will insist that you are not discarded as collateral damage in a rush to worship the god of unfettered autonomy for an articulate few”, writes @timfarron.bsky.social 🗣️ My opposition to assisted dying is rooted in liberalism and Christianity www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

🚨 Zarah Sultana confirms she has been frozen out of ‘Your Party’ — Hits out at “sexist boys’ club” — Accuses Corbyn statement of having “misrepresented the situation” — Calls for a meeting with Corbyn — Party is “more important than any one person”

All is not well in ‘Your Party’. Note the absence of Zarah Sultana’s name at the bottom of this statement

From YouGov: Seven in ten Britons (71%) now hold an unfavourable opinion of Keir Starmer

Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK, yet too many families wait years for a diagnosis. I am proud to support @alzresearchuk.bsky.social’s #DementiaUnseen campaign calling for early, accurate diagnosis. Read my personal experience in @politics.co.uk: www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

“Early and accurate diagnosis is the foundation for everything that follows – and we must act urgently to make it a reality for everyone, in every community”, writes @douglasmcallister.bsky.social 🗣️ A dementia diagnosis should be a right, not a waiting game www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

No defection will surpass Carswell’s in its political meaning until the defector calls a by-election, and wins it. No competition until then

More bad news for No 10: The commons speaker has granted a Conservative request for a three-hour emergency debate on the Lord Mandelson debacle under Standing Order 24 — it will be the first such debate since January 2023 Badenoch statement 👇

🚨 Foreign affairs committee calls for hearing on Mandelson appointment and dismissal The committee is calling on the FCDO and Cabinet Office to give evidence on the vetting and security processes behind Mandelson’s appointment Chair Emily Thornberry comments:

Of the eleven Conservative (mostly former) MPs who voted against the Sunak government's Rwanda Bill at third reading in January 2024, three have now defected to Reform Potentially some clues here as to who could be next to go?

I have written before about an inflection point in British politics: when Conservative MPs interpret Reform UK's continued rise and consumption of the incumbent opposition as, effectively, inevitable. At that point, the incentive structure realigns: pointing ambitious, able Tories into Farage's arms

A significant defection. Danny Kruger, appointed by Badenoch to serve on the Tory frontbench, is Reform UK's latest MP

As I travel back to Parliament this morning, I'm preparing for the #EmploymentRightsBill to return from the Lords. They've watered it down and we can't let them. Here's what's happened and why it's so important Labour delivers for working people 👇

“In a move that will dismay working people, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have got the old coalition band back together”, writes Labour's @mwheelermp.bsky.social 🗣️ We must not let a Tory-Lib Dem alliance weaken the workers’ rights bill www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

“Starmer is not a career politician — a fact he is apparently proud of. But that does not absolve him of the responsibilities and intricacies of politics.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

Some thoughts on the Lord Mandelson scandal, the crisis facing Keir Starmer’s premiership, the deputy leadership contest — and the Andy Burnham factor Long-read for @politics.co.uk on where we are now, and what’s next: www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

“…a pattern emerges from No 10’s management: the adoption of an untenable line, the strained defence of it, the unequivocal denunciations of alternative approaches, the stubbornness — then the slow acquiescence to political pressure in the days leading up to a brittle about-face.”

“Starmer, once again, did not spot the obvious danger. Not for the first time, the politics of the moment looked to have passed him by.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

Mandelson scandal exposes fragility of Starmer’s standing www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

“The British public deserves answers”, writes Conservative MP Gavin Williamson 🗣️ Appointing Mandelson was a grave error – Starmer must be held accountable www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

Reform's energy plans are fracking stupid.

Liz Lloyd, who left No 10 in the reshuffle last week, is made a peer and a minister She will serve jointly in the science, innovation and technology + business and trade depts, as well as a whip in the Lords No 10 press notice:

Paula Barker is the latest to withdraw from the Labour deputy leadership race. Thornberry suspended her candidacy earlier this morning Looking like a Phillipson-Powell final two

“Fracking isn’t the answer. It doesn’t stack up at any level in the UK. Want energy security? Go for clean energy”, writes Labour MP @billesterson.bsky.social 🗣️ Reform UK’s fracking stance shows it is not serious www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

UQ coming up on Mandelson

Thornberry running on a “we've made mistakes and must listen” ticket

“It is a message designed to resonate with both the financial markets and the electorate, and it sets the tone for a potentially transformative period in politics”, writes Jim Murphy 🗣️ More growth, fewer boats: Starmer’s reshuffle signals determination to deliver www.politics.co.uk/comment/2025...

🚨 Louise Haigh not standing

The events of today have only reinforced me in my view that a Labour deputy leadership election will be a difficult experience indeed for the government, as per my weekend article: “Labour is about to spend the autumn holding a mirror up to its divisions.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

Emerging divergence between Polanski’s Greens and the fledgling Your Party is that the former has shown a consistent determination to speak to Reform’s target voters. It looks to be crucial to the new leadership’s electoral and media strategy

“It is the Labour ‘soft left’ that has most to gain from a deputy leadership contest. And there is no shortage of potential standard-bearers.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

“At this stage, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the membership is about to stick a thorn directly into Starmer’s side.” www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

Health secretary Wes Streeting responds to Dr Aseem Malhotra’s comments on the main stage at Reform UK conference:

Starmer has every reason to fear a deputy leadership election The PM began the week projecting control. But now he must spectate as a deputy leadership contest puts his premiership on trial Long-read for @politics.co.uk on what's next after an extraordinary week👇 www.politics.co.uk/week-in-revi...

The soft left has most to gain from a deputy leadership contest. I can see one of Anneliese Dodds, Rosena Allin-Khan, Emily Thornberry, even Louise Haigh doing well Which, if you're Keir Starmer, is not great reading. All have had run-ins with the leadership

🚨Angela Rayner resigns govt roles and as deputy leader of the Labour Party "...I have therefore decided to resign as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party." Letter to the PM:

“Digital ID can also be a vital tool in halting the 'broken Britain' narrative felt throughout the country”, writes @plmr.co.uk CEO @kevincraig.co.uk 🗣️ Digital ID can be Labour’s path to smashing the gangs and fixing public services www.politics.co.uk/comment/2025...

🚨 Breaking: Cabinet reshuffle begins… Darren Jones becomes chief secretary (minister of state) to the prime minister and No10 — a new role James Murray takes his place as chief secretary to the Treasury Both are cabinet-attending roles, No 10 has said

🚨 NEW: Cross-party MPs publish ‘ready to go’ blueprint for electoral reform commission — FPTP “threatens to undermine the resilience and stability of our democratic system”, @appgfairelections.bsky.social MPs say — The group is calling on ministers to greenlight its plan Exclusive story 👇

Pugnacious and principled from @bengoldsborough.bsky.social on Farage’s immigration plan: “That is not policy. That is barbarism.” “It is an assault not just on migrants, but on you.” “That is not patriotism — it is a betrayal of everything Britain stands for.” www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

When immigration is turned into a weapon it is our democracy that suffers. Reform UK’s plans would strip away rights and decency at the very moment people are asking for fairness and workable solutions. My full piece is here: www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2... @politics.co.uk @josh.politics.co.uk

“Reform UK has chosen the easy road of fear. We must have the courage to take the harder path: solutions rooted in decency, fairness, and the freedoms that make Britain worth defending”, writes Labour MP @bengoldsborough.bsky.social 🗣️ Nigel Farage would break what makes Britain strong

New piece from Labour MP @bengoldsborough.bsky.social for @politics.co.uk: “When Nigel Farage stood up this week and outlined his so-called 'plan' for immigration, he didn’t sound like a democrat. He sounded like Vladimir Putin” www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

In a January 2011 debate, Sajid Javid argues that ticket-touting is an “an excellent example of enterprise culture” hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2011...

EDMs as a populist campaigning tool? On Rupert Lowe's use of the early day motion (EDM) to forge ideological alliances in parliament — for an upcoming (and extremely nerdy) @politics.co.uk project:

Spending my Saturday evening writing MP profiles. Struck by grandfather of the House Sir Roger Gale's stance on death - Anti assisted dying - Pro capital punishment - Anti fox hunting

Ali “misunderstood her role”, say the Lib Dems, responding to her resignation “Her job was to tackle homelessness, not to increase it.” A spokesperson calls the former minister’s actions “staggeringly irresponsible”