Tag: News Story

STORY

The Green Party has announced Sarah Wakefield as its candidate for the Makerfield by-election, following the withdrawal of its previous candidate, Chris Kennedy. Wakefield is a Manchester City councillor representing Deansgate and will contest the seat in what has become a closely watched contest involving Labour’s Andy Burnham and Reform UK.

Wakefield said she was proud to represent the party and argued that voters should be given a genuine choice. She said the Greens wanted to “bring back the hope that politics can create a better life” and pointed to the party’s recent success in Gorton and Denton, where it defeated Reform, as evidence that it could challenge what she described as divisive politics.

The selection comes after Kennedy withdrew from the contest, with the party saying he had stood down for personal and family reasons. The by-election has also prompted internal debate within the Greens over how hard the party should campaign, with some senior figures concerned about the risk of splitting the anti-Reform vote, while others argue that voters should have the chance to back a Green candidate.

STORY

Senior Conservative figures have warned that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would risk damaging UK national security and weakening cooperation with European partners.

The warning came in a report by the Conservative European Forum, with figures including former justice secretaries and law officers arguing that withdrawal from the convention would complicate extradition, policing and migration cooperation. The intervention comes as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch faces pressure from Reform UK and some in her own party to adopt a harder line on the ECHR.

Supporters of withdrawal argue that it would give Parliament and the courts greater freedom over migration and asylum policy. The report’s authors instead called for reform of the convention system, warning that an abrupt departure could create legal and diplomatic consequences, including for the Good Friday Agreement and wider European security cooperation.

STORY

The Conservatives have accused the Government of having no border control after hundreds of people crossed the English Channel in small boats over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Sky News reported Home Office figures showing 231 people crossed on Sunday, following 287 on Saturday and 394 on Friday. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp (in photo) said Britain faced a summer of high crossings and argued that Labour was distracted by internal leadership disputes.

The figures will add to political pressure on ministers, although Sky noted that small boat crossings remain significantly down compared with the same point last year and net migration has fallen to its lowest level since 2021. Ministers are likely to point to warm weather as one factor behind the recent increase in crossings.

STORY

The Green Party has said it will still contest the Makerfield by-election despite calls from senior party figures for it to step aside to improve Andy Burnham’s chances against Reform UK.

Ellie Chowns, the party’s Westminster leader, said it was important that the Greens stand in the contest, although she suggested the party may not run its most intensive campaign in the constituency. A group of Green councillors, activists and former leaders had argued that the party should consider standing aside if Burnham backed proportional representation.

The decision means the Makerfield contest is likely to remain a multi-party fight, with Labour, Reform and smaller parties all seeking to shape the political meaning of the by-election. The seat will be watched closely because of Burnham’s possible role in any future Labour leadership contest.

STORY

Reform UK MP Danny Kruger has defended the party’s Makerfield by-election candidate Robert Kenyon after past social media posts were criticised as inappropriate.

ITV reported that Kenyon had used a now-deleted X account to support an offensive post about Carol Vorderman. Kruger told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the comments were clearly inappropriate publicly, but argued that Kenyon had not been a politician at the time and had been speaking as a private individual.

The row has added pressure to Reform’s campaign in Makerfield, where Andy Burnham is attempting to return to Westminster for Labour. Reform has said it has no plans to investigate Kenyon’s previous social media use.

STORY

Jess Phillips has said Labour’s failure to elect a permanent female leader shows the party is “a bit sexist”, in comments made during an appearance at the Hay Festival.

The former safeguarding minister said Labour, like many institutions, was shaped by patriarchal structures. Her comments highlighted the contrast with the Conservatives, who have had three female prime ministers, while Labour has only had women serve as acting leaders.

Phillips resigned from Government earlier this month after saying she had lost confidence in Keir Starmer’s leadership. Her remarks come during renewed speculation about Labour’s internal direction after poor election results and continuing pressure around the Prime Minister’s future.

STORY

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a period of more than a decade. Murrell, who was chief executive of the Scottish National Party for more than 20 years and was formerly married to Nicola Sturgeon, admitted embezzling £400,310.65 when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh. He had originally faced a higher embezzlement charge of about £459,000, but pleaded guilty to an amended indictment and was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 23 June.

The offences took place between 2010 and 2023 and involved the misuse of SNP funds for personal spending. Reports said the spending included vehicles and luxury goods, with Murrell accused of using false documentation and party money to conceal purchases. A fuller narrative of the facts is expected to be heard when the case returns to court on 2 June.

The case follows the long-running Police Scotland investigation into SNP finances known as Operation Branchform. Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie were also arrested during the inquiry but were later cleared of wrongdoing. Current SNP leader John Swinney described Murrell’s actions as a profound betrayal, while opposition parties called for further answers about financial oversight inside the party.

STORY

The Government is considering whether to introduce new restrictions on children’s use of social media, including a possible ban for under-16s, according to a House of Commons Library briefing.

The briefing said ministers launched a consultation in January 2026 on children’s relationships with mobile phones and social media, with the process opening on 2 March and closing on 26 May. It is seeking views on whether there should be a minimum age for social media, whether addictive features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay should be switched off, whether overnight curfews should be introduced and how age verification should be strengthened.

The issue has moved beyond consultation after parliamentary pressure over the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools legislation. The briefing said Part 3 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 will require the Government to impose some form of age or functionality restrictions for children under 16, following defeats in the House of Lords over proposals that would have created a social media ban for under-16s.

Ofcom figures cited in the briefing show the scale of children’s online use. Mobile phone ownership rises from 19% among three to five-year-olds to 97% among 13 to 15-year-olds, while 95% of 13 to 15-year-olds use social media and 96% of that age group have their own social media profile. The briefing also noted arguments against a ban, including warnings from children’s charities and online safety groups that it could push children into less regulated online spaces and limit access to support, advice and communities.

STORY

Business and consumer confidence remained subdued in May, although some indicators showed a modest improvement, according to a House of Commons Library economic briefing. The briefing said that, in the two weeks ending 17 May 2026, 16.7% of businesses responding to the ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey expected their performance to increase over the next 12 months, while 16.8% expected it to decrease. Confidence surveys are watched closely because they are often published before official economic data and can provide early indications of changes in the wider economy.

The CBI Industrial Trends Survey also suggested that manufacturers remained cautious. In May, more manufacturers expected output to fall over the next three months than expected it to rise, with a balance of -13%. This was an improvement on April’s figure of -20%, but still pointed to continuing weakness in expectations for industrial output.

Consumer confidence also remained negative, despite improving slightly. The GfK Consumer Confidence Index rose to -23 in May, up two points from April, which had been the lowest level since October 2023. The index measures expectations about the general economic situation, household finances and views on making major purchases.

STORY

Retail sales in Great Britain fell in April, with the total quantity of sales volumes down by 1.3% compared with March, according to figures summarised by the House of Commons Library. The fall followed a 0.6% increase between February and March, while the total value of retail sales stood at £9.3 billion per week, down from £9.4 billion the previous month.

The briefing said sales volumes were still 1.1% higher in the three months to April 2026 than in the same period last year, and 0.5% higher than in the previous three-month period. However, overall sales volumes remained 1.7% below their pre-pandemic level in February 2020, underlining the continuing pressure on parts of the retail sector.

Food store sales increased by 0.8% between March and April, but non-food stores saw sales fall by 1.0%. Clothing stores were particularly affected, with sales down 2.4% to their lowest level since June 2025. Retailers attributed the decline to variable weather, lower demand and greater consumer price sensitivity. Internet sales averaged £2.7 billion per week in April, excluding fuel, accounting for 28.1% of all retail sales.