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STORY

The EU is considering whether new member states could be denied automatic veto rights for a temporary period after accession, as the bloc looks for ways to continue enlargement without paralysing decision-making. The Guardian reported that the idea is being discussed as the EU prepares for potential future accessions from the Western Balkans, Moldova and possibly Ukraine.

The proposal is politically sensitive because it could be seen as creating a lower tier of membership. Supporters argue that some form of safeguard may be needed to avoid future blockages in areas where unanimity is required, particularly foreign policy and taxation. Hungary’s repeated use of vetoes has sharpened the debate.

The discussion reflects the EU’s wider dilemma over enlargement. Leaders want to counter Russian and Chinese influence in neighbouring regions and reward reforming candidate countries, but they also face pressure to ensure that a larger union can still function. Montenegro, which hopes to join before the end of the decade, could become an early test case for any new arrangements.

STORY

The Council has adopted updated rules intended to strengthen the right of EU citizens to vote and stand as candidates in municipal elections when they live in another member state. The revised directive is aimed at “mobile EU citizens”, who are entitled under EU law to participate in local elections in their country of residence under the same conditions as nationals.

The new rules are designed to improve information for citizens, simplify registration requirements and prevent people from being automatically removed from electoral rolls in their country of origin when registering abroad. The Council said there were still barriers for many mobile citizens, including unclear information and burdensome procedures.

The legislation will enter into force twenty days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal, with member states given two years to transpose most of its provisions into national law. The measure forms part of the EU’s broader democracy package and reflects continuing concern about electoral participation, mobility and trust in democratic institutions.

STORY

Albania has been judged by the EU to have met the interim benchmarks for the fundamentals cluster in its accession negotiations, in a move described by the Council as a significant step on the country’s path towards membership. The eighth meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania confirmed progress on democratic institutions, public administration reform, rule of law chapters and economic criteria.

The decision means the EU and Albania can begin work towards closing negotiating chapters within the fundamentals cluster. Under the revised enlargement methodology, the fundamentals cluster is opened first and closed last, making progress in this area central to the overall pace of a candidate country’s accession process.

The Cyprus presidency said enlargement remained a geopolitical necessity for the EU and a priority for the presidency. Albania’s progress comes amid wider debate about how quickly the bloc can expand, how it can preserve decision-making capacity and whether new member states should enter under changed institutional arrangements.

STORY

Sir Tony Blair has warned Labour that it would be “playing with fire” if it moved to replace Sir Keir Starmer without first agreeing a clear political and policy direction. In a major intervention during Labour’s leadership crisis, the former Prime Minister said the party needed a “fundamental reset” and argued that the Government lacked a coherent plan for office. His comments come as speculation continues around the future of Starmer and the ambitions of figures including Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting.

Blair said Labour’s 2024 general election victory had been secured because the party was seen as an “acceptable alternative” to the Conservatives, rather than because voters had enthusiastically endorsed its programme. He argued that the Government needed to focus more strongly on economic growth, artificial intelligence, welfare reform, planning reform and working with the private sector. He also criticised parts of Labour’s existing agenda, including elements of its approach to net zero, workers’ rights and taxation, warning that Britain risked losing influence unless ministers adopted a more radical but practical programme.

The intervention is likely to intensify debate inside Labour over whether the party’s difficulties are rooted in leadership, policy or presentation. Blair, who led Labour to three successive general election victories, cautioned against reducing the argument to a contest between personalities and said the party needed to decide what it stood for in Government. Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson rejected the idea that Labour was trapped in an old New Labour versus Old Labour debate, while critics of Blair’s remarks argued that his prescriptions reflected an outdated political settlement. Downing Street declined to respond directly to the former Prime Minister’s comments.

STORY

Two Haringey Council by-elections will be held on 25 June after two seats became vacant shortly after this month’s local elections.

Voters in Northumberland Park and Woodside will each elect one councillor. The first vacancy followed confirmation that winning Green candidate Jayon Henriques was not eligible to take his seat, while the second came after Labour’s Hasret Bozdogan declined to take up her Woodside seat for personal reasons that arose after polling day.

The contests could be politically significant because no party has an outright majority on Haringey Council. In Woodside, Bozdogan had beaten the nearest Green candidate by just three votes, raising the possibility of another close contest.

STORY

Mid Devon District Council has formally begun work on a new Local Plan, launching a process that will shape development in the district for the next 20 years.

The council said the plan would identify how the area should accommodate new homes, jobs, infrastructure and other land uses, while protecting the natural and built environment and responding to climate change. A new timetable has been published alongside a notice formally starting the process.

A scoping consultation has opened to ask residents, businesses and stakeholders what the plan should cover, which issues it should address and how people want to be kept informed. The council said the work follows new Government requirements for councils to prepare local plans within a 30-month timeframe.

STORY

South Cambridgeshire District Council has opened its latest Zero Carbon Communities grant scheme, with £152,000 available for local projects that cut carbon, support nature recovery and bring communities together.

The maximum grant per project has been increased to £19,500, and eligibility has been widened to include projects on school sites and applications from parent and teacher associations where there is a wider community benefit. Sports and recreational groups can also apply where projects support wellbeing, mental health or stronger local connections.

The council said half of the funding would be reserved for schemes that directly reduce or lock up carbon, with the rest available for community engagement and nature-based projects. Applications are open until 24 July 2026.