The Treasury holds the key to fixing the NHS
The most interesting thing about Lord Ara Darzi’s report on the health service, expected to be published this Thursday, is…
Keir Starmer is acting like he’s still in opposition
Keir Starmer made a couple of verbal slips at Prime Minister’s Questions. Both were quite telling. The first was that…
The ‘path to disaster’ that led to Grenfell
There are very few people who emerge from the Grenfell Inquiry’s final report with much credit today. Certainly very few…
Keir Starmer’s honeymoon is unquestionably over
Keir Starmer is back at the despatch box for Prime Minister’s Questions today and his honeymoon period is unquestionably over.…
David Lammy partially suspends arms sales to Israel
David Lammy has just announced that Britain is suspending 30 arms export licenses to Israel. The Foreign Secretary told the…
Rayner and Badenoch row on first day back
It was the Commons at its best: the whole House, united in agreement on one key matter. MP after MP…
Are Labour about to u-turn on the winter fuel payment?
Could Labour be about to water down its removal of the winter fuel payment for pensioners? The chorus of muttering…
Immersive and spectacular: Piet Oudolf’s new borders at RHS Wisley reviewed
Piet Oudolf’s long borders at Wisley were worn out. The famous designer had in fact become a bit embarrassed by…
Does ‘artistic swimming’ truly describe the world’s hardest sport?
Journalists in the 1980s routinely mocked what was then known as synchronised swimming – until they tried it themselves, and emerged from the water gasping in shock
The significance of Reeves’s social care surprise
A much bigger story than Rachel Reeves cancelling the winter fuel payment is her announcement today that she is finally…
What’s behind Wes Streeting’s quality care reforms?
One of the big themes of Keir Starmer’s government could well end up being accountability in the public sector, which…
Sunak gives Starmer an easy ride at first PMQs
Another week, another Prime Minister’s Questions featuring Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak arguing across the Commons. Except, of course, the…
Has Keir Starmer just empowered the Labour rebels?
Keir Starmer has laid down a marker by suspending seven Labour MPs from the whip. The question is: What sort…
Streeting hammers Tories on NHS
We know that the NHS is broken: Wes Streeting announced that it was now the official policy of this government…
How has Yvette Cooper started as home secretary?
Labour are now making daily pronouncements on the latest policy area where the last government left things in a worse…
How much trouble will the benefit cap row cause Starmer?
If you wanted an idea of where the noisiest opposition to Keir Starmer’s government will come, the list of amendments…
Starmer accuses Tories of ‘dereliction of duty’
Keir Starmer used his press conference at the end of the European Political Community summit to further cement his narrative…
Pat McFadden and Ed Davey probed at Post Office Inquiry
At what point does a minister decide they are being lied to? That was the question Pat McFadden and Ed…
Rishi Sunak looks much happier in opposition
When Rishi Sunak was prime minister, he often appeared merely to be commentating on events, rather than in charge of…
Starmer announces child poverty taskforce to stave off revolt
Keir Starmer has tried to stave off a revolt on the two-child benefit cap by announcing a child poverty taskforce.…
Everything you need to know about the King’s Speech
The big theme of today’s King’s Speech is ‘mission-led’ government, with economic growth, house building, workers’ rights and devolution the…
The two-child benefit cap row is Starmer’s first big test
Can Keir Starmer hold the line on backing the two-child benefit cap? The row about the policy, introduced by the…
How will Starmer keep his backbenchers busy?
One of Keir Starmer’s very nice problems to have is that his majority is so big and many of his…
Spare a thought for our departing MPs
The MPs who lost their seats spent yesterday clearing out their offices. Their passes stop working later this week, and…
Why Wes Streeting is ‘optimistic’ he can win his battle with junior doctors
Wes Streeting has just emerged from his first set of talks with junior doctors over their pay, saying he is…
