All articles tagged with #labour party
Ministers are reportedly weighing delaying the plan to remove discretionary age bands and raise 18–20-year-olds’ minimum wage to match those over 21, despite Labour’s manifesto commitment. With youth unemployment around 16% and employers warning higher wages may deter hiring, ministers may slow the timetable, though a full reversal is unlikely.
BBC reporters depict Horden, a former mining town in east Durham, as a community left poorer and more isolated since the pits closed, with boarded-up streets, absentee landlords and rising child poverty; residents lash out at Westminster and Labour, while Reform UK gains ground amid frustration over Brexit funding cuts and lack of local investment, even as regeneration plans and community efforts attempt to reverse the decline.
On a day of intense political pressure, Labour backed Keir Starmer after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar urged him to quit; Ed Miliband said it must be a turning point for the party and that Starmer deserves time to renew the government. Cabinet ministers publicly supported the PM, and Labour chose unity over a chaotic leadership contest as attention turns to policy and upcoming elections.
Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar publicly urged Keir Starmer to resign, arguing leadership change is needed as Downing Street faces turmoil after two top aides quit, while some Labour allies continue to back the prime minister.
Keir Starmer heads into a tense Commons appearance with his leadership in question after the resignations of top aides Morgan McSweeney and Tim Allan, and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar publicly urging him to quit. Cabinet ministers rally around the prime minister in a moment of high scrutiny, while the SNP’s momentum in Scotland adds to the pressure on his leadership.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calls for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to quit over the Mandelson US ambassadorship and Epstein links, but cabinet ministers publicly back Starmer as No.10 aides resign, signaling ongoing leadership tensions while reforms to the appointments process are discussed ahead of PLP meetings.
Morgan McSweeney, Starmer's long-time chief of staff, has resigned after backing Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK ambassador to Washington, leaving the prime minister exposed and prompting questions about Starmer's leadership as backbenchers weigh their next moves; McSweeney's deputies Jill Cuthbertson and Vidhya Alakeson will act as his successors.
Labour leader Keir Starmer faces a volatile period after the exits of his top aide Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan, with Mandelson's controversial US ambassadorship row adding to a mood of doom among MPs. As by-elections and devolved elections loom, there are fears of a leadership challenge and a loss of party command, making this a pivotal moment—Starmer’s ability to set out his agenda and unite the party is under intense scrutiny.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces renewed scrutiny after chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigns over advising the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington despite Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. Coverage across major papers frames the move as a leadership test for Starmer, with lingering questions about Labour’s direction and potential leadership challenges as the party heads into upcoming by-elections and internal scrutiny.
Morgan McSweeney has resigned as prime minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff, saying he takes full responsibility for advising Peter Mandelson's appointment; Starmer defends him, Badenoch says the move was 'about time', and the Labour government now faces questions over leadership and who will fill the role next amid ongoing Mandelson-related controversy.
Labour MPs are quietly weighing a leadership challenge to Keir Starmer, but the process is opaque and uphill: would-be challengers must secure 81 MP backers (including the challenger) and submit names to General Secretary Hollie Ridley, followed by a brief NEC review, nominations of rivals, and then a countrywide push to win 5% of constituency parties or three affiliate bodies before a final vote by Labour members; with no clear heir apparent and Starmer under pressure, momentum and timing will determine whether a change occurs, and possible contenders include Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, Shabana Mahmood, John Healey, and Al Carns.
US DOJ-released emails show Peter Mandelson traded political strategy with Jeffrey Epstein around Gordon Brown's 2010 bid to form a Labour–Liberal Democrat coalition, including discussions with Nick Clegg and the idea of Brown staying in power while talks continued. The messages offer a minute-by-minute glimpse of the coalition wrangle and raise questions about Mandelson's judgment; Mandelson returned to government in 2008 and has not commented on the exchanges.
Peter Mandelson resigns his Labour membership after newly released Epstein files allegedly show three $25,000 payments to him in 2003–04; he says the claims are false and steps down to avoid bringing further embarrassment to Labour, while apologising to Epstein's victims. The move comes after his earlier sacking as the UK ambassador to the US over Epstein ties.
Labour faces anxiety as a fast-track by-election in the Gorton and Denton seat is set for late February (likely Feb 26) after the writ was issued; the party fears a possible upset by Reform UK or the Greens and warns that a defeat could spur leadership speculation, while Greens have begun candidate selection and other parties await announcements as the Burnham exclusion controversy continues to echo in the background.
Keir Starmer and Labour's ruling body blocked Andy Burnham from returning to Westminster, quashing Burnham's bid to stand in a Greater Manchester by-election and underscoring ongoing leadership tensions that analysts say will likely feature more drama this year as rival ambitions clash with the prime minister's control.