If only there was somewhere compiling all of Keir Starmer's u-turns, a list which seems appropriately timed ... www.politico.eu/article/keir...

In quite the song choice, Keir Starmer's Radio 2 interview was immediately followed by Duffy's 'Mercy.'

Always great penning Sunday Crunch — particularly when there's plenty of news about. If you've tuned out of events in Munich this weekend alongside Keir Starmer's domestic instability then never fear ... well, until you read the warnings from ministers! www.politico.eu/newsletter/s...

Confused about why Keir Starmer is still in power? Join the club. The mighty Andrew McDonald and I covered five reasons why the PM remains in No 10. From his possible successors to the bond markets, the odds, counterintuitively, are in Starmer's favour. www.politico.eu/article/5-re...

McSweeney becomes Keir Starmer’s second Chief of Staff to resign … on a Sunday afternoon. Conveniently timed to avoid the weekend papers and round. He writes in his statement “much has been written and said about me over the years” — will he try to reclaim the narrative now?

🍟 IN LONDON PLAYBOOK PM TONIGHT: All in the screengrab, plus ... 🍟 This: x.com/danbloom1/st... 🍟 Rachel Maskell gave Starmer a big hug at Chequers 🍟 Back Keir website launched (h/t @noahkeate.bsky.social) 🍟 Claim Lab membership has surged with supporters 🍟 David Frost joins Lib Dem Lords?

Peers won't scrutinise the assisted dying bill again until February 27th — increasing the chance it'll fail by the King's speech. But numerous MPs told me they're willing to sponsor the legislation in the next session using the Parliament Act. Full rundown in @politico.eu's Playbook PM 👇

NEW: MPs should override the Lords to introduce assisted dying, says David Neuberger. The ex-Supreme Court President told me supporters were right to suggest using the Parliament Act to pass the bill if it falls by the King's speech. My @politico.eu story in the post below👇

How Peter Mandelson placed Keir Starmer in a perilous political situation. The @politico.eu analysis below from @danbloom1.bsky.social and yours truly assesses where the PM goes next — and why so many of his parliamentary party are utterly infuriated. www.politico.eu/article/pete...

Today's @politico.eu #PMQs scorecard saw a battle of the deputies while Keir Starmer enjoyed China. Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith pressed David Lammy on the business rates u-turn — but the deputy PM brushed off the attacks with some barbs. www.politico.eu/article/pmqs...

Standing room only for Kemi Badenoch’s talk where she’ll claim the Tories aren’t part of the Westminster psychodrama - interesting to see how well that message lands given the recent defections.

Keir Starmer is en route to China — the first PM to visit the country since 2018. I spoke to five China watchers for @politico.eu who had some expert advice about how Starmer can make the most of his trip … and what pitfalls he should try to avoid. www.politico.eu/article/expe...

Helping out with morning Playbook having just about recovered from Friday’s #TheTraitors finale. Weather currently leaves a lot to be desired so snaps below from a Fulham walk last weekend where I made a new friend. What will there be to write about?

Tale of two halves with the Gorton and Denton constituency. The Denton side is ~three quarters white people who didn't go to university while the Gorton side is only ~one third. Denton is probably quite favourable to Reform, while Gorton could go Labour or Green

Keir Starmer faces monumental challenges abroad — but there are still plenty of domestic hurdles up ahead. I've delved into the campaigning surrounding the government's planned SEND reforms ... which ministers hope doesn't become welfare reforms mark two. www.politico.eu/newsletter/p...

Due to, erm, events, we skipped the @politico.eu #PMQs scorecard and wrote about Keir Starmer's strongest criticism of the US president to date. “I will not yield, Britain will not yield on our principles and values about the future of Greenland.” www.politico.eu/article/uk-k...

Quite the language from Donald Trump about the Chagos Islands deal between the UK and Mauritius, given the US president's previous support for the agreement over Diego Garcia was a key win from Keir Starmer's first meeting with Trump in the White House. truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...

Confused about what's happening? (A perennial question admittedly.) Keen to learn more about how the world's response to Donald Trump's latest threat of tariffs? Then do follow @politico.eu's live blog closely, providing reaction across the continent. www.politico.eu/article/gree...

Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick are now best mates. But that wasn't always the case. My @politico.eu piece looks over seven occasions (yes, seven) where the close allies didn't always see eye to eye. www.politico.eu/article/7-ti...

The true mark politics has changed - the official parliamentary website has updated Jenrick's status. The now independent MP's X banner, however, still calls him the Shadow Justice Secretary. members.parliament.uk/member/4320/...

It's a Wednesday, so do read my latest @politico.eu #PMQs scorecard where u-turns (including digital ID) took centre stage. The usual barbs were on show from both sides with Starmer and Badenoch (for now) enjoying support from their backbenchers. www.politico.eu/article/pmq-...

NEW: Ed Davey tells me it's "quite outrageous" for the House of Lords to "try to kill" the assisted dying bill despite opposing the legislation himself. "It’s the democratic right of the House of Commons to pass bad law if it wants to," he adds.

At Ed Davey’s speech highlighting the crisis inside A&E departments across the country - including the huge waits patients experience. Health is a core policy area for the Lib Dems, so they’ll be hoping raising awareness attracts support on both the left and right.

Special delivery from the Lib Dem media team to the lobby to “pep you up for the rest of the afternoon”

Keir Starmer's made another u-turn. What's new? My latest @politico.eu listicle compiles seven times the PM has changed gears in government and, crucially, the time it took him to perform the inevitable u-turn. Expect this list to get some updates! www.politico.eu/article/keir...

Party like it's 2019! @danbloom1.bsky.social and yours truly combed through the Brexit tribes inside Labour trying to reshape Britain's relationship with the EU. Apart from some Blue Labour holdouts, all the groups are united by wanting *closer* ties with Brussels. www.politico.eu/article/meet...

Given the turbulent geopolitical situation, you'd be forgiven for expecting a sober tone at the first #PMQs of 2026. But that didn't happen. My @politico.eu scorecard on Starmer and Badenoch falling out ... despite agreeing a lot on foreign policy. www.politico.eu/article/pmqs...

Given most of my landscape shots consist of grey skies, rather pleased with these snaps of the last day and sunset of the year. May 2026 involve plenty more aesthetically pleasing photos, bright & crisp weather and, possibly, a return to some culinary escapades.

Keen for a political trip down memory lane? Then, in-between the mince pies and remaining leftovers, do scroll through my @politico.eu rundown of 67 (yes, 67) odd words and phrases that entered SW1’s lexicon in 2025. www.politico.eu/article/67-w...

Marking Betwixmas in a peaceful, cloudy Cambridge with, of course, some charity shop book purchases.

Feeling bereft after finishing Elizabeth Day’s utterly sublime ‘One of Us.’ Thrilling to rediscover the array of compelling, intoxicating characters five years after reading ‘The Party.’ Meticulous plotting, pacy narrative and beautiful prose. The perfect festive tome.

Cambridge is always enchanting and majestic, but especially so at Christmas.

Essential Christmas tradition = complete.

NEW: The New Year's Eve celebration on the Commons Terrace has been cancelled after parliamentary security staff in the PCS union announced strike action on December 31. Last month, I reported this was very likely due to inadequate working conditions. 👇 www.politico.eu/article/uk-h...

Final @politico.eu #PMQs scorecard of 2025 by yours truly where Starmer and Badenoch traded festive barbs. The Tory leader claimed all Labour MPs want for Christmas "is a new leader" while Starmer said Badenoch would be "left Home Alone" by defections. www.politico.eu/article/uk-p...

Green Party leader Zack Polanski is open to forming a discrete non-aggression pact with Labour in order to stop right-winger Nigel Farage from ever entering Downing Street, according to two senior Green officials.

EXC: Operation stop Farage: Polanski would work with Labour to keep Reform out of No 10 - if Starmer is ousted inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Required Christmas reading!

In 2020, Keir Starmer pledged to abolish the House of Lords. But now he's filled the unelected chamber with his allies. My @politico.eu listicle remembers five times Labour ripped into the upper house ... before learning to love the red benches. www.politico.eu/article/5-ti...

My penultimate @politico.eu #PMQs scorecard of 2025 highlighted how Kemi Badenoch focused on the records of Keir Starmer's leadership rivals in their respective government departments — lambasting *both* their policy delivery and the internal political divisions. www.politico.eu/article/pmqs...

UK-EU customs union vote in the Commons results in a tie (100 votes each!). Deputy Speaker Caroline Nokes makes a casting vote *in favour* to allow for further debate.

I interviewed Electoral Commission Chief Executive Vijay Rangarajan in this week's @politico.eu London Influence. He told me mis/disinformation were primary forms of overseas election interference which left them worried going into next May's polls. www.politico.eu/newsletter/p...

My first @politico.eu #PMQs scorecard of December after helping with morning Playbook gave Kemi Badenoch victory. The Tory leader clearly poked holes in the turbulent budget aftermath — while Starmer had some emotive rhetoric, he was on the back foot. www.politico.eu/article/pmqs...

⚖️ IN LONDON PLAYBOOK PM TONIGHT ... ⚖️ Labour must convince its own MPs on proposed court reforms ⚖️ Vote looms tonight on farm tax — what will Labour dissenters do? ⚖️ Lords Speaker manifestos, via @noahkeate.bsky.social ⚖️ Read and subscribe (free) here: www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

This afternoon, I interviewed Gurpreet Singh Johal, the brother of Jagtar Singh Johal, who’s been imprisoned in India since 2017. He told me his meeting with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper today was a “backwards step” that felt like talking to a brick wall.

Resisted the temptation to say ‘Love Four Weddings and a Funeral’ while in the same Tube carriage as, er, Hugh Grant. Fellow passengers very polite, am sure lots recognised him but allowed the great actor to complete his journey in peace.

Helping with London Playbook for some of this week after admiring the landscape in Ravenscourt Park and by the Thames. The hours of daylight may be getting shorter but the sky is particularly majestic and serene at this time of year.

Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance and For the Many are the four prospective names 50,000 members of ‘Your Party’ will choose between at their inaugural conference in Liverpool. Jeremy Corbyn will announce the result on Sunday afternoon.

After my scoop announcing parliament's security guards were likely to strike on New Year's Eve, do read my longer @politico.eu piece about why the people responsible for protecting Britain's democracy are so fed up with their working conditions. www.politico.eu/article/uk-h...

Stardust. The Israeli-U.S. company with a strange and totally real plan to block out the sun and reverse global warming. Reporting this story involved a complete relearning of what I thought I knew about the climate future. w/@corbinhiar.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/magazin...