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‘A test of our values’: Starmer to call for whole-society response to rising antisemitism

4 May 2026 at 21:30

PM will say responsibility to stand with Jewish communities lies with ‘every one of us’ at event on Tuesday

Keir Starmer will call for a whole-of-society response to rising antisemitism on Tuesday, saying that it is not enough simply to condemn the scourge, but people “must show it” through their actions too.

Before a roundtable event at Downing Street, the prime minister will call for action on all forms of antisemitism, after a knife attack against the Jewish community in Golders Green last week, a spate of serious arson attacks and the terror incident in Heaton Park in October.

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© Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

© Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

© Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Cabinet ministers warn mutinous MPs about trying to oust Keir Starmer Pippa Crerar Political editor
    Labour leadership challenge in wake of disastrous local poll results could unleash chaos in party, MPs toldCabinet ministers have told mutinous Labour MPs that any attempt to oust Keir Starmer after a potentially disastrous set of election results this week would unleash chaos for the party that would not be easily overcome.Several, however, told the Guardian that even with the prime minister’s determination to stay in Downing Street after Thursday’s vote, the mood on the backbenches was febrile
     

Cabinet ministers warn mutinous MPs about trying to oust Keir Starmer

4 May 2026 at 18:59

Labour leadership challenge in wake of disastrous local poll results could unleash chaos in party, MPs told

Cabinet ministers have told mutinous Labour MPs that any attempt to oust Keir Starmer after a potentially disastrous set of election results this week would unleash chaos for the party that would not be easily overcome.

Several, however, told the Guardian that even with the prime minister’s determination to stay in Downing Street after Thursday’s vote, the mood on the backbenches was febrile and events could yet spiral out of control.

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© Photograph: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Starmer lauds £78bn EU loan for Ukraine amid increased Trump tensions Pippa Crerar Political editor
    Prime minister uses European Political Community summit to begin negotiations for UK participation in schemeKeir Starmer has said the benefit of joining the European Union’s £78bn loan scheme for Ukraine “outweighs the cost” as he argued the continent must move at pace to bolster its own defence.The prime minister, who said the UK’s involvement in the recovery loan plan would also help create jobs at home, acknowledged that tensions were high between Donald Trump and Europe, particularly over mi
     

Starmer lauds £78bn EU loan for Ukraine amid increased Trump tensions

4 May 2026 at 18:37

Prime minister uses European Political Community summit to begin negotiations for UK participation in scheme

Keir Starmer has said the benefit of joining the European Union’s £78bn loan scheme for Ukraine “outweighs the cost” as he argued the continent must move at pace to bolster its own defence.

The prime minister, who said the UK’s involvement in the recovery loan plan would also help create jobs at home, acknowledged that tensions were high between Donald Trump and Europe, particularly over military issues.

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© Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

© Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

© Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Senior UK ministers deride Rachel Reeves’s reported plan of year-long rent freeze

29 April 2026 at 18:24

Housing secretary and housing minister latest to criticise idea, which has also been ruled out by No 10

Senior ministers have poured scorn on the idea of freezing private sector rents for a year, less than 48 hours after the Guardian revealed Rachel Reeves was considering it.

Steve Reed, the housing secretary, and Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, became the latest government figures to criticise the idea, which has since been ruled out by No 10.

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© Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

© Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

© Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Starmer sees off major Labour rebellion over call for Mandelson inquiry

28 April 2026 at 22:40

No 10 deploys full weight to block parliamentary inquiry bid as MPs warn PM running out of political capital

Keir Starmer has seen off a major Labour rebellion over a bid to force a parliamentary investigation into his appointment of Peter Mandelson, but many of his own MPs warned he was running out of political capital.

After Downing Street deployed its full weight to force Labour MPs to block a referral to the privileges committee over the scandal, some angrily accused Starmer of leaving them facing accusations of a “cover-up”.

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© Photograph: House of Commons/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: House of Commons/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: House of Commons/AFP/Getty Images

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • McSweeney admits pressuring Foreign Office to expedite Mandelson role Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot
    Starmer’s former chief of staff says he asked people to act quickly but not to skip steps in vetting process• UK politics live – latest updatesMorgan McSweeney has admitted that Foreign Office officials came under intense pressure to expedite Peter Mandelson’s posting as UK ambassador to Washington, but denied they were forced to “skip steps” in security vetting to do so.Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, who resigned earlier this year over the scandal, acknowledged that he had asked the then
     

McSweeney admits pressuring Foreign Office to expedite Mandelson role

28 April 2026 at 13:45

Starmer’s former chief of staff says he asked people to act quickly but not to skip steps in vetting process

UK politics live – latest updates

Morgan McSweeney has admitted that Foreign Office officials came under intense pressure to expedite Peter Mandelson’s posting as UK ambassador to Washington, but denied they were forced to “skip steps” in security vetting to do so.

Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, who resigned earlier this year over the scandal, acknowledged that he had asked the then top official at the department, Philip Barton, to conduct the process “at pace” but not to do anything “improper”.

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© Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images

Starmer tells MPs to ‘fight together’ before critical day for his premiership

27 April 2026 at 19:46

The prime minister faces a standards investigation over Mandelson affair and testimony from Morgan McSweeney

Keir Starmer has told Labour MPs to “stick together and fight together” as ministers launched a massive operation to shore up his fragile position before a critical day for his premiership.

The prime minister faces the double threat of a standards investigation into his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US and a potentially damaging testimony from Morgan McSweeney, his former chief of staff.

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© Photograph: Toby Shepheard/Reuters

© Photograph: Toby Shepheard/Reuters

© Photograph: Toby Shepheard/Reuters

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • MPs to vote on whether to hold inquiry into Starmer over Mandelson Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey
    Commons speaker grants application by Tories for vote on investigation into whether PM misled MPs, say sourcesUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer will face a vote on whether to launch a standards investigation into his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.The speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, has granted a debate on Tuesday on potentially referring the prime minister to the privileges committee over claims he misled the Commons. Continue reading...
     

MPs to vote on whether to hold inquiry into Starmer over Mandelson

27 April 2026 at 15:03

Commons speaker grants application by Tories for vote on investigation into whether PM misled MPs, say sources

Keir Starmer will face a vote on whether to launch a standards investigation into his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.

The speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, has granted a debate on Tuesday on potentially referring the prime minister to the privileges committee over claims he misled the Commons.

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© Photograph: House of Commons/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: House of Commons/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: House of Commons/AFP/Getty Images

Rival Labour factions understood to be discussing how to remove Keir Starmer as leader

26 April 2026 at 19:22

Talk among MPs shifts from whether PM could be removed to possible processes for ‘transition’ as frustration grows

Labour figures from across rival factions have begun circulating informal proposals for an “orderly transition” of power away from Keir Starmer, the Guardian understands.

MPs have shifted discussions from speculating about whether the prime minister could be removed to how – including timelines, potential triggers and the mechanics of forcing a leadership contest.

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© Photograph: Dan Kitwood/PA

© Photograph: Dan Kitwood/PA

© Photograph: Dan Kitwood/PA

Divisions emerge in Keir Starmer’s cabinet over his sacking of Olly Robbins

22 April 2026 at 18:12

PM under increasing pressure over Mandelson vetting scandal as sources say ministers spoke up at tense meeting

Keir Starmer is looking increasingly isolated over his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal with divisions emerging in cabinet over his decision to sack the Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins.

On another difficult day for the prime minister, the Guardian learned of concerns around the cabinet table, a senior minister refused to say the dismissal was fair and several mandarins called for him to be reinstated. One Labour MP called on Starmer to quit.

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© Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty

© Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty

© Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty

Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, to be questioned by MPs

22 April 2026 at 17:46

Exclusive: McSweeney summoned by foreign affairs select committee in rare step, as Mandelson vetting row continues

Morgan McSweeney is facing a showdown with MPs who will grill him on whether he placed extreme pressure on the Foreign Office to approve Peter Mandelson as ambassador.

The prime minister’s former chief of staff will be questioned next Tuesday by the foreign affairs select committee over allegations made by the former Foreign Office permanent secretary Olly Robbins, who said No 10 had questioned why Mandelson should be subject to any vetting.

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© Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Robbins says officials considered withholding Mandelson vetting files from parliament

22 April 2026 at 05:00

Sacked civil servant acknowledges ‘debate’ about release of documents after question about alleged ‘cover-up’

Olly Robbins responded to a question about an alleged “cover-up” on Tuesday by confirming that government officials had considered withholding Peter Mandelson’s secretive vetting documents from parliament.

Robbins, who was sacked by Keir Starmer as the Foreign Office’s top civil servant last week, appeared to confirm a report in the Guardian that senior officials were debating whether to withhold from parliament sensitive documents that revealed the vetting agency did not believe Mandelson should get clearance.

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© Photograph: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA

© Photograph: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA

© Photograph: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA

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