In 2016 hardly anyone in the Leave campaign paid any attention to Brexit's possible effects on Northern Ireland, despite warnings from John Major and Tony Blair. Where do things stand ten years later? Hear from @otoolematthew.bsky.social & @adampayne26.bsky.social at @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social.

Centre for European Reform@centreeuropeanref.bsky.social · last mo.

📅 Join us – 1/7/26: Hybrid discussion on 'Brexit ten years on: Northern Ireland and its future' with @otoolematthew.bsky.social and @adampayne26.bsky.social Email events@cer.eu for info & registration

How much are UK MPs earning from X? Restore Britain’s Rupert Lowe has received more than £70k, including more than £10k in a single month Luke Charters has become the first Labour MP to register income from the platform (which he is donating to local causes)

The Birmingham political map in 2026: a city of 5-6 party & non-party politics

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are now all led by parties that want to break away from the UK — hugely challenging times for not just the two-party system, but for the Union, too. A remarkable development.

PoliticsHome@politicshome.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Plaid Cymru is on course to lead a government in Wales after emerging from the May elections as the largest party Reform surged to come second, while Labour and Wales suffered dramatic falls in support It's the first time Labour won't rule in Cardiff since Wales' devolved institutions were set up

The Reform wave reaches Badenoch's backyard Of the local election results worrying the Tory leader the most, Essex will likely be towards the top of the list The county is home to ten Conservative MPs, six of whom are in the shadow cabinet – including Badenoch www.politicshome.com/news/article...

"Starmer has tested to destruction the idea that the centre ground can survive simply as a defence of managed incremental reform and a politics of caution" The centre ground isn't dead, but tepid managerialism is, writes former Blair and Brown No 10 adviser @theobertram.bsky.social

Tepid managerialism is dead but the centre ground is not

For 80 years, the Conservatives and Labour have shared 80 per cent or more of the vote, but – as the results of these elections come in – is the ce...

politicshome.com

Writing for us, @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social says their data shows that Burnham is: the only net popular politician (and not due to a lack of name recognition), better placed than Labour leadership rivals to win back progressives from Lib Dems & Greens, a v strong brand in the northwest battleground

Labour can't afford to ignore Andy Burnham

If Labour's challenge at the next election is building a coalition of progressives big enough to take on Reform, then Andy Burnham's leadership pit...

politicshome.com

A Labour figure in London gets in touch to stress that the Greens are doing huge damage to Labour not just directly, but indirectly. They point to the fact that the Tories won Westminster despite their vote being down, saying that's because the Greens (+15.6%) ate into Labour support (-16%).

London has some good news for the Tories but the wider picture is shaping up to be pretty bleak. Reform's on the cusp of taking Essex (contains Badenoch, Cleverly & Patel's parliamentary constituencies), while in Hampshire the Conservatives have lost control for the first time in nearly 30 years.

No these are not “midterm” elections, thank you for your attention to this matter

@robfordmancs.bsky.social's predictably excellent locals preview reminds us just how much the backdrop has changed - a different universe - since the last time these councils were contested: Johnson was in No10, lockdown being phased out, and Labour and the Tories enjoyed 75% of the vote (now <40%).

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 What to look out for at the local elections 📝 📊 @adampayne26.bsky.social, @siennarodgers.bsky.social, More in Common's @luketryl.bsky.social & Exeter Uni's @hannahbunting.bsky.social discuss the key results on 7 May Hosted by @alaintolhurst.bsky.social podfollow.com/politicshome...

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 The Mandelson crisis exposes No 10's civil service rift Former Cabinet Secretary Lord Robin Butler, the IfG's @hannahkeenan.bsky.social, FDA's Dave Penman, and CSW's @suzannahb.bsky.social discuss the damaging sacking of Olly Robbins and its fallout Listen now: pod.fo/e/40598c

NEW: Interview w/ Lib Dem leader Ed Davey 🔶 Davey thinks the Lib Dems could pick up environmental-focused Green voters who are unhappy with their party’s leftward shift 👀 He shares some of his more critical MPs’ “restlessness” 🇺🇸 Hillary Clinton gave him some “choice advice” about fighting Reform

Ed Davey: Hillary Clinton Told Me To “Stand Up To Bullies” Like Reform UK

Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton privately urged Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey to “stand up to bullies” like Reform UK during a ...

politicshome.com

Ed Davey has revealed to PolHome that Hillary Clinton privately told him to "stand up to bullies" like Reform In an interview with @zoecrowther.bsky.social, Davey insisted he was the best person to lead the Lib Dems, and said that the party could pick up traditional Green voters put off by Polanski

Ed Davey: Hillary Clinton Told Me To “Stand Up To Bullies” Like Reform UK

Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton privately urged Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey to “stand up to bullies” like Reform UK during a ...

politicshome.com

PolHome’s @tomscotson.bsky.social visits planet Burnham to find out what makes the hope of the Labour left tick Oscar Wilde, Ian Brown & Lenin feature As does David Blunkett, who recently advised him: “Timing is everything in politics” (more on that via @siennarodgers.bsky.social below…)

Worker Bees: Inside The Burnham Operation

Andy Burnham remains a likely candidate to replace Keir Starmer if the Prime Minister leaves office before the next election. Tom Scotson goes in s...

politicshome.com

EXC w/ @adampayne26.bsky.social The government is carrying out a consultation on whether to implement tougher laws on the public sale of fireworks MPs, including @sarahowen.org.uk and Simon Hoare, have welcomed the news, with Owen calling it a "huge step forward"

Government Looks At Bringing In Tougher Laws To Restrict Fireworks Sales

Exclusive: The government is carrying out a consultation on whether to implement tougher laws on the public sale of fireworks.

politicshome.com

Exclusive: We reveal Travelodge has been handed over £68m by the public sector (including to house vulnerable people) since a woman was sexually assaulted in one of its rooms in 2022 There are now growing questions over whether Travelodge should continue to receive taxpayers' money

Travelodge Given Almost £70m In Public Money Since 2022 Hotel Room Assault

There are growing questions over whether Travelodge should continue to receive taxpayers' money after PoliticsHome revealed that the public sector ...

politicshome.com

George was born 12 years after Napoleon died which just sounds insane. We knew a creature whose mother probably wandered on the same soil as Napoleon.

Trump is sinking. Now +22 disapproval via @fiftyplusone.news.

Will Jennings📉🗳️@drjennings.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Trump's approval ratings are steadily declining. Now +21 net disapproval via @fiftyplusone.news @gelliottmorris.com

Please pause to consider for a moment 193 years of age. Jonathan the tortoise had been on the scene for nearly three decades by the time the US civil war started. The best part of a century when Titanic sank. We’ve lost a real-life time lord

Jon Puritz@jonpuritz.marineevoeco.com · 4mo ago

Sad to report that Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa) and the world's oldest land animal, passed away at the age of 193.

I wonder how many are the same who went LibDem 2010 to UKIP 2015. Voters are funny things 🤫

I'm late to it but @bwalker.uk spots something that makes sense, but is still fascinating: the Greens seem to be taking votes from Reform "Some voters are looking more to Shake Things Up than pursue a necessarily right or left platform. They may see little difference in a Green or Reform vote"

Are the Greens taking Reform votes?

The Green surge might do more than just upend Labour

newstatesman.com

"What the Greens were saying about redistribution of wealth, improvement of public services – that’s basically Labour Party stuff" Labour MP and ex-goalkeeper Brian Leishman talks to @bengartside.bsky.social about playing snooker with Stephen Flynn and his party being "miles off" where it should be

Brian Leishman: 'We’re Miles Off Where A Labour Party Should Be'

After a life in golf and football, Brian Leishman finds himself at the sharp end of the new government’s whipping operation. He speaks to Ben Garts...

politicshome.com

Over a dozen universities wrongly spent £190m of taxpayers' money on student loans, PolHome can reveal Bridget Phillipson has accused the universities involved of “incompetence” and “abuse of public money” Around 22k students are estimated to be affected, according to a DfE letter seen by PolHome

Over A Dozen Universities Wrongly Spent £190m Of Taxpayers' Money On Student Loans

A student loans mistake by universities has seen up to £190m of taxpayers’ money wrongly given to unaware students, PoliticsHome can reveal, leavin...

politicshome.com

The Whitehall write-round process is to be overhauled, as PolHome first reported in November The Cabinet Office says a ripping up of "consultation culture" will "reform the process for collective Cabinet agreement of government policy to speed up decision-making"

Adam Payne@adampayne26.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Exclusive: As part of the Whitehall delivery drive, the Labour government is looking at overhauling the 'write-round' process that has been used by Cabinet for years Frustrated insiders say it creates needless delays and are pushing for a shake-up It'll be major reform if they go for it

More MPs read PoliticsHome than Labour List, New Statesman or The Spectator Yet another reason why you should follow @politicshome.bsky.social, subscribe to our newsletters, and listen to our podcast! And you can find and follow our reporters on this list: bsky.app/profile/poli...

Adam Payne@adampayne26.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Chuffed with these @politicshome.bsky.social numbers — but the work continues!

Chuffed with these @politicshome.bsky.social numbers — but the work continues!

Multi-party politics isn’t necessarily chaotic – we could be moving towards a new local two-party-ism, write @profjanegreen.bsky.social and @martamiori.bsky.social

Multi-party politics isn’t necessarily chaotic – we could be moving towards a new local two-party-ism

There are certainly reasons to argue for electoral reform. But pointing to the current system as a generator of chaos could be a misinterpretation ...

politicshome.com

Lisa Nandy sits down with @franciselliott.bsky.social to discuss the BBC, AI in the arts, being "non-factional" to her "core", and how the government can communicate better On Andy Burnham's bid to become an MP: "had I been sitting in that seat... yeah, I would have voted to allow him to stand"

Culture Clash – Lisa Nandy On Keeping Hope Alive

Critics say Lisa Nandy should spend more time meeting stakeholders in her brief, but the Culture Secretary tells Francis Elliott she’s fighting for...

politicshome.com