Category: News Story

STORY

The Green Party has won the parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton, held on 26 February 2026. Candidate Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber and local councillor, secured the seat with 14,980 votes, representing 40.7% of the total vote share. The result marks the Green Party’s first ever parliamentary by-election victory and increases their total number of MPs in Westminster to five.

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Andrew Gwynne in January due to health reasons. Gwynne had held the seat for Labour with a majority of 13,413 in the 2024 general election, but he was sitting as an independent at the time of his departure following a suspension from the party. Turnout for the vote was 47.6%, which is nearly identical to the participation levels seen in the constituency during the general election two years ago.

The final results saw a significant shift in the local political makeup, with Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin finishing in second place with 10,578 votes (28.7%). Labour’s candidate, Angeliki Stogia, finished third with 9,364 votes (25.4%), while the Conservative candidate, Charlotte Cadden, received 706 votes (1.9%), resulting in a lost deposit. The Liberal Democrats finished in fifth place with 653 votes.

In her victory speech delivered at the count in Manchester, Spencer thanked the voters of Gorton and Denton and focused on the economic pressures facing local residents. She highlighted issues surrounding the cost of living and criticised the use of divisive political rhetoric during the campaign. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the result as very disappointing, acknowledging voter frustration while noting that mid-term by-election losses are not uncommon for incumbent governments.

STORY

The UK government has committed a record £73.4 million for the 2026 to 2027 period to enhance the security of faith communities across the country. This substantial investment follows a sharp rise in religious hate crime and aims to ensure that citizens of all faiths can worship without fear of intimidation or violence. The funding package is designed to provide both physical security enhancements and on-site personnel for places of worship, schools and community centres.

A significant portion of this record sum is dedicated to the Muslim community, with up to £40 million allocated to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme. This follows recent data indicating that nearly half of all religious hate crimes in 2025 were directed at Muslims. Similarly, the Jewish community will receive up to £28.4 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which is administered by the Community Security Trust to protect synagogues and Jewish educational sites.

The government has also increased support for wider faith groups, including Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities, by raising the budget for the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme to £5 million. This represents an uplift of £1.5 million from previous levels, ensuring a broader range of religious sites can access necessary safety measures like CCTV and secure fencing.

STORY

The King has approved the nomination of the Venerable Richard (Rick) Simpson for election as the next Bishop of Durham, Downing Street has announced. Simpson, who is currently Archdeacon of Auckland in the Diocese of Durham, will succeed the Right Reverend Paul Roger Butler following Butler’s retirement.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office said the appointment had received royal approval and confirmed Simpson’s current senior role in the diocese. The Bishop of Durham is one of the Church of England’s most prominent posts, with the office-holder also serving as a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords.

STORY

Fresh allegations have emerged about the personal conduct of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly the Duke of York, with former civil servants claiming he billed the tax-payer for “massage services” while serving as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment. The claims relate to his time in the role between 2001 and 2011 and have been reported by several news outlets, with one former official saying they initially refused to approve a massage-related expense during an overseas trip but were overruled by more senior colleagues.

According to the accounts, the alleged massage expense was part of a wider pattern of spending that staff found difficult to challenge, with whistle-blowers describing a culture in which costs were rarely scrutinised and were sometimes spread across different budgets, making overall oversight harder.

Mountbatten-Windsor has yet to respond to the latest allegations made against him.

STORY

Peter Mandelson has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The police confirmed that they had detained a 72-year-old man at an address in Camden, north London, and taken him into custody for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation.

The arrest is linked to an inquiry that followed the release of newly disclosed Jeffrey Epstein-related files in the United States, which have prompted fresh scrutiny of Mandelson’s past contacts with Epstein and allegations that confidential or market-sensitive government information may have been shared while Mandelson held ministerial office. Reports stress that the investigation concerns alleged misconduct in public office rather than any allegation of sexual offending.

Police also carried out searches connected to the inquiry, with reports describing warrants executed at addresses in London and in Wiltshire, as detectives continue what they have characterised as a complex investigation. Mandelson has previously denied wrongdoing.

A 54-year-old man has been found guilty of murder following a horrific and random arson attack that claimed the life of an 82-year-old pensioner in Wednesbury. Andrew Gorrell, of Moss Grove, Saltney, was convicted at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday afternoon after jurors took less than four hours to reach their unanimous verdict. The court heard how Gorrell travelled from North Wales to the West Midlands in May last year before embarking on a series of deliberate acts that resulted in the death of John Edwards and left several family members with life-altering injuries.

The fatal incident occurred in the early hours of 11 May 2023 at the Edwards’ family home on Holyhead Road. CCTV evidence presented during the trial showed Gorrell loitering in the area and appearing near the property shortly before the blaze began. Prosecutors detailed how Gorrell intentionally moved a wheelie bin and positioned it directly against the front door of the terraced house before setting its contents alight. This strategic placement not only ensured the fire would spread rapidly into the structure but also effectively blocked the primary escape route for the occupants sleeping inside.

John Edwards suffered catastrophic burns in the fire and passed away in hospital on 25 May 2023. His wife, Doreen, and their two adult sons, Carl and Mark, were also present during the attack. Mark Edwards sustained severe burns to his face, hands, and eyes while attempting to alert his parents and brother, while Carl was forced to escape through a rear window. Investigators from the West Midlands Police homicide team noted that Gorrell had no prior connection to the Edwards family or the Wednesbury area, describing the targeting of their home as utterly random.

A particularly chilling detail noted by the prosecution was Gorrell’s attire at the time of the offence. He was captured on CCTV wearing a Chicago Bulls jacket and a T-shirt promoting the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, which depicts a character who was burned alive. Following the fatal blaze, Gorrell continued through the streets of Wednesbury and admitted to setting three additional fires in various commercial and council waste bins that same morning.

While the defence argued that Gorrell’s actions were the result of chaotic behaviour while heavily intoxicated, the prosecution successfully maintained that he was capable of thinking through the consequences of his actions. In addition to the murder conviction, Gorrell was found guilty of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, and arson with intent to endanger life

STORY

London-based advisory firm Global Counsel has announced its intention to collapse into administration, bringing a sudden end to one of the most influential political consultancies in Westminster. The firm, which was co-founded by the former Labour minister Peter Mandelson, confirmed today that it could no longer withstand the commercial fallout from a mounting scandal involving Mandelson’s past ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement released to staff and clients, the firm described the current situation as a maelstrom that has made continued operations untenable.

The collapse follows a week of rapid disintegration for the consultancy. Major corporate clients, including the investment giant KKR and Barclays, had already moved to sever ties with the firm after new details emerged from a tranche of unsealed emails. These documents reportedly suggested that Epstein had been involved in the very early stages of the firm’s founding in 2010. While Global Counsel had recently attempted to distance itself from the controversy by facilitating the sale of Mandelson’s remaining 21% stake to the new chief executive Rebecca Park, the move was ultimately unable to stem the loss of institutional trust.

The crisis deepened further when Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, a co-founder and former director of strategic communications for Tony Blair, resigned as chief executive earlier this month. His departure was triggered by revelations that he and Mandelson had met with Epstein on multiple occasions during the firm’s infancy. The company will continue to operate only in a limited capacity during administration, with around 100 jobs feared to have been lost.

STORY

The BBC has reported that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Police cars were reported to be at Sandringham in Norfolk this morning, following an investigation by Thames Valley Police of allegations of sensitive information being shared. King Charles III is yet to comment on the news.

STORY

The prospective appointment of Dame Antonia Romeo as the United Kingdom’s first female Cabinet Secretary has reignited a debate over past allegations of professional misconduct. As Prime Minister Keir Starmer moves to overhaul his senior team following the sudden departure of Sir Chris Wormald, Romeo has emerged as the clear frontrunner to lead the Civil Service. However, the move has drawn sharp warnings from former colleagues and senior officials who argue that further “due diligence” is required before she takes the most powerful administrative seat in Whitehall.

The issue resurfaced this week when Sir Simon McDonald, the former Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Office and Romeo’s superior during her New York posting, issued a highly unusual public warning. Speaking to Channel 4 News, McDonald suggested that the previous vetting process had been insufficient and urged Number 10 to “start from scratch” with their due diligence processed.

STORY

British police have confirmed they are assessing allegations of misconduct in public office against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, following the release of thousands of documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Thames Valley Police, the force responsible for the Windsor area, announced that officers are reviewing a report concerning the former prince’s conduct during his tenure as a UK trade envoy.

The allegations centre on claims that the former Duke of York used his official position to share sensitive government information with Epstein. Newly disclosed emails from 2010 and 2011 appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor forwarding confidential briefings regarding trade visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam. In one instance, a document was reportedly sent to Epstein just minutes after it was received from official advisers. Further reports suggest he may have shared a confidential Treasury briefing regarding the Icelandic financial crisis with a private contact, suggesting it could be useful before they made a “move” in the market.