Zack Polanski has doubled the Green Party membership since taking over, with the new leader's comms strategy seen as a key reason for his early success @sophiealichurch.bsky.social goes inside to look at his acting coaching, talks with Zohran Mamdani, and the "critical" importance of social media

Inside Polanski's comms operation: - Coached in Judie Dench-inspired acting methods - Growing dialogue with Zohran Mamdani's people - An expanding press team, including a former senior Corbyn adviser and ex-Bundesliga employee - Social media “critical” + more from @sophiealichurch.bsky.social

Troubling report into the unregulated social care sector, by @sophiealichurch.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

The Green Party is set to discuss a policy of abolishing landlords at its conference in Bournemouth Backers say “many members are still uncomfortable with the bold and decisive tone” of the proposal, but are confident it'll be adopted if put to a debate, reports @sophiealichurch.bsky.social

British politics is "moving into" a contest between the Greens and Reform, the former's leader Zack Polanski told PolHome He said he was "very open" to “progressive, particularly left-wing" about defecting to the Greens @sophiealichurch.bsky.social reports from the party's Bournemouth conference

🍫 KitKat rewards for MPs 🏏 Cricket bat photo ops 🐢 A ‘more tortoise than hare’ strategy @sophiealichurch.bsky.social looks inside the Lib Dems' evolving media tactics, and who exactly the party's 'jam and Jerusalem' strategy is targeting

Exclusive by my colleague @sophiealichurch.bsky.social picked up by the nationals today The Home Office has launched an investigation after @politicshome.bsky.social revealed that asylum seekers across the UK have been using taxpayer-funded payment cards for gambling

A FOI from @sophiealichurch.bsky.social which has had a lot of pick up

Jaw-dropping scoop from @sophiealichurch.bsky.social on @politicshome.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Brilliant scoop from the always excellent @sophiealichurch.bsky.social at @politicshome.bsky.social: The QEII Centre *finally* agreed as the decant location for the Lords during Restoration and Renewal www.politicshome.com/news/article... #WestminsterRR

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 Green Party at a crossroads ♻️ Green Party leadership candidate @zackpolanski.bsky.social, More in Common's @sophiestowers.bsky.social & @sophiealichurch.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to discuss what the Greens can do to build on their success 🎧 Listen now: pod.fo/e/2e99f0

It has been derided as the Frankenstein’s monster of Whitehall. So, is DCMS really up for the chop? @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @sophiealichurch.bsky.social explore why the department and its head Lisa Nandy are being briefed against, and what is likely to happen next

The best thing you'll read on the battle for future of the Greens, by colleagues @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @sophiealichurch.bsky.social A disaffected urban Corbynista takeover, or will Countryfile Tories seize the keys?

"If you’re in a meeting with Michael, he will be quiet and listen, and then he’ll say one or two things, and you think: ‘Yes, that sounds right.'" Friends & ex-colleagues describe Michael Ellam, the man chosen by Keir Starmer to reset the UK’s EU relationship “I don’t think we ever caught him out"

A few hours before Russian tanks entered Ukraine in February 2022, hackers disconnected thousands of satellite modems in Ukraine. This moment unveiled space as warfare’s new frontier. As a new global space race begins, can the UK lead? @sophiealichurch.bsky.social reports

“You could see in his [Starmer's] eyes that he gets it" Louis Mosley, UK chief of tech firm Palantir, talks to @sophiealichurch.bsky.social about how his company is using AI to help make the NHS, MoD & HS2 more efficient "We are just at the beginning," says Louis, grandson of Oswald, nephew of Max

Every year 100s of people die preventable deaths because it's no-one's job to make sure recommendations from inquests & inquiries happen. I put forward a bill to change this - v glad to hear govt is considering taking this matter forward @inquest-org.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

The government is considering introducing a new oversight body to ensure the recommendations of public inquiries are implemented, PolHome understands Ministers are looking at announcing the new mechanism alongside the Hillsborough Law @sophiealichurch.bsky.social reports

A poll suggests a split between the Lib Dem leadership and party members ahead of a vote on proposed changes to their self-identification policy Three-quarters of members surveyed by YouGov said the process for obtaining a gender recognition certificate is “about right” or “not demanding enough”

Colleague @sophiealichurch.bsky.social reports a row over Jonathan Powell's refusal to face questions from the committee tasked with scrutinising him Committee chair Labour MP Matt Western has complained to the PM about it, telling us that the government position “appears to depart from convention”

And finally, the brilliant @sophiealichurch.bsky.social has reported on growing - and understandable - frustration within the R&R Programme Board about the slow pace of the project www.politicshome.com/news/article... #WestminsterRR

There is growing frustration within the team looking at how to restore Parliament over the slow progress so far The vote on which of the options MPs prefer is thought to be scheduled for May, but insiders fear it will now not happen before the end of the year @sophiealichurch.bsky.social reports

I spoke to PoliticsHome / The House magazine about Prevent and the Home Office's ongoing failure to address continuing legislative, strategic and operational gaps in counter extremism - all of which I evidenced to them years ago. I hope the current Home Secretary addresses these urgent gaps.

"I genuinely don't know what the role of Prevent is anymore," the former counter extremism tsar has said In a candid interview with @sophiealichurch.bsky.social, Dame Sara Khan said the UK's counter-radicalisation programme is "so confused" and that the Home Office is particularly to blame

🤝NEW: TUC general secretary Paul Nowak says "pressure points" exist between the union and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband But while Labour's ERB faces delays, he is "confident that the bill is going to be delivered and delivered in full" www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...

A Labour MP has called for CCTV in Parliament's bars following a recent alleged spiking Rachel Blake, MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, said it'd bring the bars used by MPs, journalists and staffers in line with other premises in her constituency @sophiealichurch.bsky.social reports

Following @sophiealichurch.bsky.social’s exclusive the other day, my @inews.co.uk column today is on the damage done by delays to the Strategic Defence Review. Uncertainty today hurts Ukraine tomorrow, and weakens the U.K. and NATO’s capacity for any future inews.co.uk/opinion/brit...

Could the way MPs vote change? -New Labour MP @samcarling.bsky.social calls for "voting terminals" around Parliament -Backbenchers plan modernisation drive -"A lot of people" looking to see reform to voting system Story with @sophiealichurch.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

🟩Plaid Cymru's Baroness Smith of Llanfaes says she personally wishes she "didn’t believe in Welsh independence" Adds she is “looking to speak to the Modernisation Committee in the Commons” to mirror for the Lords www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...

Writing before start of Southport trial, Patrick Hurley MP says speculating about outcome will risk seeing case thrown out, and justice denied www.politicshome.com/news/article...

The boundary review has made it harder to provide service to constituents, MPs warn They said the Boundary Commission's focus on electors ignores the size of local populations One MP said casework had increased from 40 to 50 new cases a month to 150 to 200 @sophiealichurch.bsky.social reports

💥NEW: MPs have warned of "explosion" in casework, after boundary changes failed to factor in true size of constituencies An MP said they have an added 20,000 constituents following the changes, with casework increasing from 50 new cases a month to 200 www.politicshome.com/news/article...

NEW: Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge says UK risks losing race to rearm - Replacing Watchkeeper drone programme "certainly something" he will quiz government on - Germany backfilling UK stocks with Taurus missiles an option to "urgently" explore www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...

NEW: Standards Chair Alberto Costa says we shouldn't expect MPs to be "saints" He is "not very comfortable" with the 28 day limit for declaring interests "It might be a little bit too easy to complain that an MP is bullied, or somebody else is bullied" www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...

“Asked whether he sympathises with MPs being held to a higher standard than the public, Costa laughed: ‘Well, I am one of them, so I sympathise with myself.’” Some cracking quotes in this @sophiealichurch.bsky.social interview with Standards Committee chair Alberto Costa

🗣️ Tory MP and Standards Committee chair Alberto Costa said punishments for "administrative errors" by MPs were too severe He told @sophiealichurch.bsky.social: “I am a fallible human being like anyone else. To err is human.”

NEW: Green Party leader Adrian Ramsay speaks out about the "ridiculous" notion he is anti net-zero "We do need to be able to have a grown-up discussion on issues like this without people trying to overly simplify it and produce simplistic headlines" www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...

A long-serving Labour MP has criticised what he described as "hypocritical" disinterest in UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia Fabian Hamilton said UK arms sales to Israel are "tokenistic”, whereas they are making a “very real” impact for Saudi Arabia in Yemen www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Labour MP Fabian Hamilton says outrage over UK arms exports to Israel is "hypocritical" when higher volume of exports are sent to Saudi Arabia Calls for "consistency" in UK's approach to arms exports www.politicshome.com/news/article...

🚜 NEW: Greens join growing rebellion against Labour’s tax on farming Green co-leader Adrian Ramsay tells me the government should take “another look” at their plans to introduce IHT for farmers www.politicshome.com/news/article...