Shabana Mahmood’s decisions could reshape British politics

Both Labour and the Tories need Shabana Mahmood to succeed, yet many in both parties refuse to accept that she holds their future in her hands. The home secretary...

Rayner's return further damages Starmer's leadership

If the prime minister had hoped for a rare quiet weekend, he had another think coming. The mooted income tax rise might be firmly off the agenda, and the...

Labour Party urgently needs its own Mamdani moment

Against the odds and his billionaire-backed opponents, Zohran Mamdani has made history as New York’s first Muslim leader. Pundits will rightly highlight his talent as a communicator and his...

Can Labour escape its doom loop of mishaps?

There can come a time in the life of any government when it lapses into a narrative whereby, from the most trivial of mishaps, a pattern of incompetence and...

Britain's Reform party faces local authority tests

Britain's Reform UK has surged in popularity on the back of fiery rhetoric against illegal immigrants, the European Union and the country's traditional ruling parties. But now some of...

Earthquake in Wales shakes up Westminster

The most obvious conclusion to be drawn from the result of the Caerphilly Senedd by-election is that the Labour government is in deep trouble. That may not come as...

Labour’s Caerphilly humiliation is no victory for Farage

Well, you can’t say Reform UK didn’t do everything they could to win the Caerphilly by-election. And they were, as their deputy leader, David Bull, admits, disappointed by the...

Labour must prove it can be trusted on the economy

Labour’s most pressing task is putting public finances on a sustainable footing. Far away from the noisy culture wars about race, flags and swans, in recent weeks bond markets...

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After winter fuel decision, Labour is now at war with itself

Keir Starmer’s partial U-turn on the winter fuel allowance has not resolved his problems. He was right to do it — but it has opened the door to further...