"One house had both a tall Green Party stake in the garden and a Labour Party poster wedged between two upstairs windows" Fascinating dispatch from Gorton and Denton by @meganekenyon.bsky.social:

My Sunday @newstatesman1913.bsky.social piece on how Labour MPs are responding to renewed focus on student loans, and why they’re worried that if their party leaves it too long they could be outflanked on the left and on the right.

“According to one MP in the room, the only time Mandelson was mentioned was when [Harriet] Harman pointed out that he had been the last Labour MP to hold the position of First Secretary of State.” Good line from today’s meeting of the women’s PLP.

New: The First Minister of Wales - Eluned Morgan - has backed Keir Starmer. There was speculation yesterday that Morgan might follow Anas Sarwar in calling for Starmer to go, but instead she said in a statement: “I support the Prime Minister in the job he was elected to do.”

New: A second Scottish Labour MP has called on the PM to resign this morning, falling in behind Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar yesterday. The @newstatesman1913.bsky.social is tracking Labour MPs statements for and against Keir Starmer. Follow along below⬇️ www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Isabella Linton is the best character in Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights"??? Oh dear god.

Decision day nears for Your Party's leader selection. The day after the Gordon and Denton by-election, Your Party will chose its leader. @meganekenyon.bsky.social

On McSweeney’s resignation one soft-left source texts: “It’s right that he’s gone but Morgan is just the tip of the spear…We now have a short window of opportunity to bring ourselves back from the brink but it will require brutal honesty about the people and the politics who have driven us to ruin.”

There are two elections talking place on 26 February: one to choose a new MP for Gorton and Denton, and the other to choose the leadership of Your Party. I wrote about where things are at with Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s new party. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

As seen in yesterday's @politico.eu London Playbook, the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social politics team are tracking MPs who have been publicly critical of the government over the Mandelson affair. Follow along on the NS website here: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

On the latest episode of the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social podcast, @meganekenyon.bsky.social and I discuss how Labour MPs are feeling about the Mandelson affair, Angela Rayner's role re the release of documents, and what this could mean for the party:

New w/ @ethangcroft.bsky.social Discontent is growing among Labour backbenchers, even those who have been sympathetic to Starmer’s government are disappointed by today’s events. One told the NS: “PMQs made things so much worse.”

New w/ @ethangcroft.bsky.social Discontent is growing among Labour backbenchers, even those who have been sympathetic to Starmer’s government are disappointed by today’s events. One told the NS: “PMQs made things so much worse.”

Exclusive: Jeremy Corbyn is set to be elected the parliamentary leader of Your Party, should his slate - The Many - win the CEC election on 26 Feb. A source close to Corbyn warned “The Many simply has to win for the party to survive.” @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

Must-read column by @pronouncedalva.bsky.social in this week's issue of @newstatesman1913.bsky.social on the events of this weekend. My favourite part is this par about the soft-left failing to 'manifest' a Burnham return... Read Ailbhe's column to find out who the soft-left could back now...

NEW: The Green Party will decide its candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election at an online hustings for local members this Thursday, 29 January. Read my piece for @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

New: Labour MPs gathered for the first meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party this evening since Andy Burnham was blocked from standing in Gorton & Denton. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Excl: Zack Polanski will not stand as the Green Party candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election. A Green Party source told @newstatesman1913.bsky.social that whoever is chosen as the party’s candidate will be selected by the local party.

Excl: Several members of the wider NEC have told the @NewStatesman that they were not informed of the timetable for applications for the upcoming Gorton & Denton by-election set by the NEC officers group and had to find out via media reports.

Excl: Several members of the wider NEC have told the @NewStatesman that they were not informed of the timetable for applications for the upcoming Gorton & Denton by-election set by the NEC officers group and had to find out via media reports.

Breaking: Andy Burnham has announced he has applied for permission from Labour’s National Executive Committee to stand for selection as the party’s candidate in the upcoming by-election in Gorton and Denton. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Speaking at the Fabian conference today, Sadiq Khan joins the growing chorus of Labour figures saying Andy Burnham shouldn’t be barred as a candidate in the upcoming Gorton & Denton by-election.

More MPs warning against blocking an Andy Burnham candidacy in the upcoming Gorton & Denton by-election. Burnham has until 5pm today to apply.

Who are Andy Burnham’s people? @ethangcroft.bsky.social reports

NEW: Andy Burnham has less than 24 hours to run in Gorton & Denton Mayors must declare their candidacy by 5pm Saturday. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

The next Labour revolt could be over leasehold after some MPs warned the government not to break its manifesto pledge to cap ground rents. One backbench MP told the New Statesman that if the government breaks its promise to leaseholders, “I have no doubt there would be a rebellion”.

New: A row has erupted over the Your Party central executive committee elections after it emerged that several members had been barred from standing over claims they held dual membership with another party. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

My piece on Darren Jones's pledge to "rewire Whitehall" at a speech in west London earlier today. The chief sec to the PM announced: 💥 New hiring processes for senior civil servants (1/3) www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

My piece on today's developments on the Hillsborough Law, after the government withdrew the bill from parliamentary proceedings. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/01/labour-mps-relieved-at-hillsborough-law-delay

Tomorrow MPs will vote in the report stage of the Hillsborough Law. Read my piece from earlier this week on the brewing backbench rebellion facing the government for @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Hackney is a crucial target seat for the Green Party at this year’s local elections. I followed the local party on a day of canvassing, and spoke to the Greens’ hopefuls for mayor and deputy mayor, Zoë Garbett and Dylan Law. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Hackney is a crucial target seat for the Green Party at this year’s local elections. I followed the local party on a day of canvassing, and spoke to the Greens’ hopefuls for mayor and deputy mayor, Zoë Garbett and Dylan Law. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

A Labour rebellion is brewing over the Hillsborough Law Read @meganekenyon.bsky.social ahead of Monday's crunch vote 👇 www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

New: A Labour rebellion is brewing over the Hillsborough Law after concerns arose that the Intelligence Services would be exempt from the bill's 'Duty of Candour' - the bill's third reading will take place on Monday. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

New: Jeremy Corbyn wants to get Your Party "back on track" The former Labour leader has launched his own platform for the upcoming Your Party central executive committee elections @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

New: Three Prisoners for Palestine hunger strikers have ended their protest after the Ministry of Defence decided not to award Elbit Systems UK a £2 billion army training contract -one of the hunger strikers' demands. One person - Umer Khalid - remains on hunger strike.

I wrote about the YouGov latest polling which puts Plaid Cymru out ahead on 37 per cent in May's elections to the Welsh Senedd, with Labour languishing behind on 10 per cent. If these results come to pass in 15 weeks, it will end a century of Labour dominance in Wales - @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

Can Starmer stop the Tory gargoyles swarming the House of Lords? @ethangcroft.bsky.social writes this week's @newstatesman1913.bsky.social politics column on Conservative antics in the upper chamber. Come for the retirement committee... stay for the dinosaurs. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

New: the DemBloc group in Your Party has said it "regrets the launch of the 'Grassroots Left' slate" while "self-nominations are still ongoing".

Update: Michael Lavalette who is included in this slate has said he is standing as an Independent and as such is "not part of any slate". In a Facebook post, he added: "I have been endorsed by the Grassroots slate - but, again, I have not signed up to that slate and I am not a member of that slate."

🚨Scoop: more detail from my story last night that Jeremy Corbyn never gave his permission to be listed on the new Grassroots Left slate and was "very upset" that his request not to be included was ignored. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

New: Sources close to Jeremy Corbyn said he didn’t give permission for his name to be used on this slate and a specific request was put in that his name was not included. Sources said Corbyn is “very upset” that this was done without his consent.

New: A new group - Grassroots Left - has launched a slate of candidates ahead of Your Party’s central executive committee elections. The slate is backed by Your Party co-founder Zarah Sultana and has called for “no more top-down party”. Nominations for the CEC elections close next week.

“Labour’s coalition is breaking up” I spoke to Clare Short, the former international development secretary under Tony Blair on the breakdown of her former party’s coalition, Gaza and the loneliness of resignation. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

My piece on Trinity Hall picking its pet private schools, the peculiar result of DEI backlash, and what Oxbridge students' socks say about their class:

My scoop from earlier today. Your Party has been advised by the Information Commissioner’s Office to refer its unauthorised membership launch on 18 September to the police @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

SCOOP: Your Party advised to refer unauthorised membership launch to police. @newstatesman1913.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

SCOOP: Zarah Sultana’s unauthorised launch of a Your Party membership portal should be referred to the police, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has advised. Belter from @meganekenyon.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

The Muppets Christmas Carol is the best Dickens adaptation 🌲 @meganekenyon.bsky.social

Is Your Party doomed to petty squabbling forever? Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana must decide whether to build a mass movement or a smaller, more radical force 🖊️ @meganekenyon.bsky.social