All articles tagged with #labour
Britain's centre-left Labour government, led by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, is drawing on Denmark's hardline migration policies to counter Nigel Farage's right-wing surge, proposing tougher asylum rules, temporary status, and welfare conditions tied to compliance, while facing internal Liberal opposition and seeking to preserve public consent and expand safe routes for genuine refugees.
Labour, Reform UK and the Green Party are contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election in a tight three-way race that could boost Keir Starmer or signal momentum for Reform and the Greens, while by-elections of this kind do not change Parliament's arithmetic.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting published his private messages with former US ambassador Peter Mandelson, presenting them as not close friends while using the disclosures to counter smears as he pursues a leadership bid. The exchanges show Streeting fearing he could lose his seat, criticising the government’s lack of a growth strategy, and weighing Labour’s stance on Palestine recognition amid Mandelson’s controversial appointment and ongoing investigations.
Former Liverpool MP Peter Kilfoyle says Tony Blair’s 1994 Labour leadership bid involved Peter Mandelson, who was allegedly kept out of sight behind the scenes under the codename 'Bobby'; Kilfoyle says Blair told him Mandelson would be kept away, and Blair’s team used a veil of secrecy around Mandelson, who later became a central figure in New Labour. Mandelson’s career was later dogged by several scandals, and after ties to Jeffrey Epstein he was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US last year.
Pat McFadden urged Labour MPs not to oust Keir Starmer over the Mandelson controversy, saying the prime minister’s 2024 appointment as US ambassador was a mistake but leadership turnover wouldn’t fix the country’s problems. The piece also notes Union pressure for a leadership refresh, ongoing scrutiny of Mandelson’s links to Epstein, calls for Mandelson to return or donate any payoff, and the Metropolitan Police investigation, with up to 100,000 Mandelson documents expected to be released.
Provisional Home Office data show about 60,000 foreign nationals were removed from the UK in the 19 months since Labour took office in July 2024, a 15% rise from the prior period, while January 2026 recorded the lowest removals in almost three years largely due to fewer voluntary departures. Under Labour, voluntary departures have made up around three-quarters of removals, but that share fell to 62% in January; final figures may change when published. Labour has pledged to increase returns for people with no legal right to be in the UK, and there are no official statistics on the number of people in the country illegally. For more, BBC Verify’s migration tracker is referenced in the update.
Labour MPs grow angrier over Lord Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein as documents about Mandelson’s vetting for the US ambassador post move toward ISC review; ministers defend the vetting process while Starmer confirms he regrets appointing Mandelson after being misled, with the party bracing for more questions as Starmer prepares a major speech in East Sussex.
DOJ-released emails show Lord Mandelson maintained a frank, often jokey friendship with Jeffrey Epstein before and after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, including discussions about Labour figures and Mandelson’s memoir. Keir Starmer says Mandelson misled him about the extent of the relationship ahead of Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador, and the bond appears to have cooled by 2012, with Mandelson insisting he never left Epstein’s side.
Peter Mandelson, once a central architect of New Labour and a former British ambassador to the US, is under a US criminal probe for allegedly leaking market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein after the 2008 financial crisis. New Epstein documents show deeper ties, including emails praising Epstein and suggesting pressure on British ministers, prompting Keir Starmer to dismiss him from Washington and triggering a Metropolitan Police investigation into misconduct in public office. The disclosures threaten Labour's credibility and have set off a political crisis as opponents seize on Mandelson’s past to critique leadership decisions.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveils a five-point plan to “save Britain’s pubs,” including cutting VAT to 10%, scrapping the hospitality NIC rise, reducing beer duty by 10%, and phasing out pub business rates, funded by social-security changes such as reinstating a two‑child cap on universal credit, aiming to capitalize on pub distress and Labour’s policy gaps.
About 50 Labour MPs signed a letter to Keir Starmer objecting to the NEC's ruling blocking Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election, saying the move could hand Reform UK a boost and that Burnham might be Labour's best chance to win the seat; Starmer defended focusing resources on other elections, while Burnham would need to return to Parliament to mount a leadership challenge; the NEC decision comes after Labour won the seat in 2024 by around 13,000 votes, with Reform UK and Greens expected to challenge.
Zelensky used a fiery Davos address to urge tougher Western pressure on Russia as Ukraine peace talks continue, while UK media dissect Labour's approach to the upcoming by-election over Andy Burnham and the potential for a leadership bid, with other papers weighing in on Hamas, education reforms, and Trump’s Afghanistan remarks.
Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle won the Caerphilly Senedd by-election, defeating Labour which spent about £98,000 but finished third; Reform UK was runner-up with around £96,000 spent, while Plaid spent about £46,900. Triggered by Hefin David’s death, the contest ended Labour’s long-held Caerphilly seat. Spending details included Airbnb staff accommodation bookings and advertising, with Labour's spend roughly £26.51 per vote.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged Labour at an Institute for Government event to drop excuses about slow reforms and instead take decisive action—building levers, removing barriers, and challenging poor performance to win public support. The stance comes against a backdrop of leadership speculation around Keir Starmer and was echoed by Dame Louise Casey’s call for a 'grip it and fix it' approach to government reform.
Peter Mandelson told the BBC he would not apologise to Epstein’s victims for his friendship with the convicted financier, saying he did not know about Epstein’s sexual life and that his support came from misplaced loyalty. He called the fall‑out and his sacking as US ambassador a calamitous price, acknowledged he would apologise if he were complicit or knew what Epstein was doing, and insisted he is moving on from the episode despite ongoing scrutiny and mixed reactions from colleagues.