4 min read11 min

Corruption, abuse and sexual assault are not new in public life – but neither are they hardwired into it.

Questions come thick and fast about why it keeps happening, and why it wasn’t enough for women to come forward to say that it was the first time. Unspoken tribalism abounds that ‘our’ people must have explanations for their behaviour, and no political party in the UK is immune – there are problematic people in them all. Unless we overhaul the operating systems of British politics, there will be more victims and more Jeffrey Epsteins.

It will take more than individual resignations or convictions to fix this. Prevention, not deterrent, is the way forward. Many will rightly call for electoral reform, whether it is a more proportional voting system, citizens’ assemblies or an elected upper house. Yet, ultimately, change will only truly start when the old boys – and girls – network is no longer the way you get your foot in the door.

That means creating a system with checks and balances from the get-go – from how selections take place, to scrutiny of public appointments and funding, and freeing all to raise concerns when needed. This isn’t anti-politics – its pro professionalism.

There is honour and effectiveness in finding those who share your values and agreeing to work together. That, at its best, is what a political party represents. But, at its worst, it becomes a straitjacket in which all bind themselves for fear they will never be promoted otherwise.

Legislation should be brought in to require time-limited and cost-limited hybrid selection processes, involving not just local party members and their leadership, but the public, too, so that politics opens up to a wider group of candidates. The perception that money drives decision-making is not without cause. Whether cash for access, cash for questions, lobbyists or donations, each has contributed to a corrosion of confidence in the integrity of public services and democracy. Without state funding, the need for donation caps is self-evident. Never again should it be possible to hide the source of money by giving via a third party, or give funds so large that they dominate the debate.

Change doesn’t just need to happen before you make it into Westminster. As with congressional hearings, select committees and parliament should have call-in and veto powers over public roles. It’s hard to see Peter Mandelson evading his connection to Epstein, or David Cameron to Greensill, when questioned on a cross-party basis in public. Whether they are ambassadors, BBC director generals or peers, if any unelected applicant had to account for themselves directly, those whose only qualification was their party donations would face an uphill struggle.

The capacity of collective responsibility to slip into collective silence about bullying or abuse means whipping must also be reformed. The threat of or actual withdrawal of the whip indeterminately, or without any process of appeal, so determining whether an individual can stand for office, must end. Other countries allow MPs to directly elect their party management, rebalancing power to ensure they act in the best interests of the whole political movement.   

None of these measures individually is enough to transform the toxicity strangling our politics. However, collectively they reflect an agenda for cultural change.

To dismiss this as a few ‘bad apples’, or to be pessimistic about ever stopping, would be equally fatal to democracy. Getting any reform whatsoever, and so breaking up the power bases that have allowed corruption and abuse to flourish, will also be agonisingly hard. We have already repeatedly attempted independent processes and systems, only to see them be degraded and sidelined. Above all, we need to act before the next generation in our political movements learn the value of joining a boys club.

We may be the mother of all parliaments, but it’s time to be honest about our flaws and have the mother of all rows if we want a politics which we don’t just trust, but can finally be proud of governing our nation. 

Stella Creasy is Labour MP for Walthamstow

In addition to accusing his mother and father of “controlling” and “performative” behaviour his whole life, Brooklyn also spoke about an alleged incident that took place at his wedding to Nicola Peltz Beckham in 2022.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter as part of an interview published on Monday, the four-time Grammy winner insisted he had “nothing to say about what’s happening” within the Beckham family.

“They’re a wonderful, wonderful family,” he continued. “I’ve known them since before the kids were born. I’m godfather to Cruz. I’m really close to the family.”

He added: “I have nothing to say about what happened there. It’s extremely unfortunate how it’s playing out – but [how it’s playing out] is hardly the truth.”

“Fat Tony” previously claimed that Nicola had left the room “crying her eyes out” after Victoria was introduced as the “most beautiful woman in the room”, while Brooklyn himself said that the ensuing dance left him “more uncomfortable or humiliated” than he’d ever felt in his “entire life”.

Neither Sir David nor Victoria Beckham has spoken out about Brooklyn’s Instagram posts about them, and did respond to HuffPost UK’s requests for comment last month.

An ‘emotional’ performance: Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly as Mairead Kenny | Image by: Johan Persson

3 min read18 min

The battle of Cable Street in 1936 is one of those rare moments in our history that we celebrate. A moment when good defeated evil, a moment when communities came together to reject right-wing extremism, a moment when the Jews joined with Irish dockers, members of the then flourishing Communist Party, trade unionists, socialists and regular concerned folk, to take a joint stand against Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists and their tyrannical hatred of Jews. They halted the fascists’ march through the Jewish East End and ensured that, “They shall not pass.” 

What happened then resonates so strongly with what is happening now. The scapegoating of Jews during the Great Depression then and the scapegoating of migrants today; the rise of the extreme right then and the rise of the populist right today; the political upheaval then and the volatile politics of today. So this new musical chronicling the Battle of Cable Street is both timely and appropriate. The work of Alex Kanefsky who wrote both the original book and the play, and the composer and lyricist Tim Gilvin brings us an ambitious, brave and compelling show that is creatively complex and excellent – an evening well spent for any political nerd wanting an optimistic night out.

Barney Wilkinson (Ron) gives a convincing performance of how desperation and failure can drive you into extremist arms

The play revolves around three young individuals and their families: a Jewish ex-boxer, Sammy, who changes his name to find a job; an Irish woman, Mairead, who dreams of becoming a poet and works in a Jewish bakery; and a young lad from the North, Ron, who lives with his alcoholic mother and can’t find a job.

There is a fantastic range of catchy music, from rap to songs that reflect Jewish and Irish cultures, to others based on pop music and mirroring Stephen Sondheim and Hamilton; and plenty of strong protest songs, including My Street and No Pasaran!

The energy and passion of the actors is fabulous, with quick changes of costume as they change their roles. Lizzy-Rose Esin Kelly as the Irish Mairead gives a really strong and emotional performance, blasting out some memorable songs, while Isaac Gryn (Sammy) as a rapper shows a masterly display of breath control and clear delivery, and Barney Wilkinson (Ron) gives a convincing performance of how desperation and failure can drive you into extremist arms. They play alongside a talented cast. It will be hard to forget Jez Unwin on stage as the concerned Jewish dad one minute and then immediately emerging as the thuggish local Blackshirts leader.

It is great that the musical is moving to Brits Off-Broadway in America. Perhaps small changes can be made. Cable Street tries to encompass too much with too many characters so that it ends up being two-dimensional with little room for nuance in the stories or the characters. Did we really need the puppetry of the horse; did we have to be distracted by the windows opening just once; and did the scenes with the papers reporting on the happenings really add value?

But that apart, the energy, vibrancy, passion, music and story make this an important new musical show that is gripping, thought provoking, enjoyable and optimistic. A show for our times.

Baroness Hodge of Barking is a Labour peer

Cable Street

Directed by: Adam Lenson

Music and lyrics by: Tim Gilvin 

Venue: Marylebone Theatre, London NW1, until 28 February

Water companies preying on benefits through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) deductions regime are compounding poverty amongst their most vulnerable customers.

Amid soaring bills, rampant pollution, and rank profiteering, privatised water firms are getting away with this at welfare claimants’ expense.

And notably, it’s all within the context of layers of DWP-facilitated debt deductions that are leaving claimants unable to afford the bare necessities.

DWP and water companies entrenching destitution

The DWP enables private companies to chase people who owe them money via the welfare system. In August 2025 for instance, the department facilitated £24m in ‘third party’ deductions. These so-called third parties include landlords, energy companies, and local authorities (for council tax).

Water and sewerage companies can also do this. When an individual is in arrears to their water supplier, the company can apply to the DWP to deduct directly from their welfare payments. And as it stands, despite their appalling performance and rampant pollution, there are no restrictions on this.

Research has shown that the majority of Universal Credit claimants experiencing debt are in arrears with multiple parties. Notably, a report the previous Conservative government suppressed revealed in 2024 that nine in ten claimants with debt have more than one source of it. On average, they have four sources of debt. As many as half owe money to five or more different sources.

This is significant — because water bills are low on the pecking order for deductions. Notably, the DWP operates third party deductions on a priority list. It’s based on what the department determines poses a greater risk to claimants when they’re unable to pay. It puts water bills sixth, behind payments like rent arrears and gas and electricity bills.

Compounding layers of debt

As the Canary previously revealed, across an 18-month period, water companies have preyed on £32.4m in claimants’ Universal Credit. For the most recent twelve months (between September 2024 to August 2025), they’d nabbed £21.7m.

In that same 12-month period, the DWP and government were also making deductions to around three-quarters of households with third party deductions.

DWP data doesn’t provide an indication of how many households have multiple third party deductions. However, it’s safe to say that water company deductions would rarely come in isolation.

In other words, water firms are stripping vital social security from people who are likely among those with multiple oppressive debts.

Pilfering profits from the welfare system

The same suppressed DWP report also identified that more than two-thirds of Universal Credit claimants with debt had gone without food and essential items. Some claimants felt “so helpless” that they had considered suicide.

And water poverty statistics from Citizens Advice in September 2025 chimed with this. It found that companies had forced 42% of households to forego groceries and reduce their energy usage within the last year. Skyrocketing water costs caused more than a third to ration water during this time.

Of course, water firms continuing to ratchet up customer bills is driving all this. The report identified that more than a fifth got into debt with their supplier. Obviously, for welfare claimants, this is when the DWP’s relentless debt chasing mechanism can kick into gear.

So in applying Universal Credit deductions, water companies will only be making all this worse. However, it’s a cycle greedy utility firms are only too happy to maintain. Because at the end of the day, pilfering profits out of a public good is the privatised water industry in a nutshell.

Featured image via author

Speaking about the accolade during a recent appearance on TalkSport, Noel quipped: “I haven’t written a song for two years. I’m not sure how I’ve got away with that one but I’ll take it.”

Defending his new award, Noel pointed out that the 2025 Oasis tour led to a resurgence in streams for the band’s old material.

“I think the Brits is all based on record sales, and I’m not sure there was another single songwriter that sold [as much as me in 2025],” Noel continued. “I mean, we sold a million records last year. Didn’t even get off the couch and I’m not sure there’s a songwriter that can match that.”

He added: “You know, if anybody’s got a problem with it, meet me there. We’ll have it out on the red carpet.

“If any of those wet wipes songwriting teams – all 11 of them, want to write a song between the lot of them – want to have it out on the red carpet, I’m there.”

The 2026 Brit Awards are being held in Noel’s hometown of Manchester for the first time, with the ceremony taking place at the Co-Op Live Arena on Saturday 28 February.

However, a community note was added to his post pointing out: “Robert Jenrick was the housing secretary for more than two years in the previous Conservative government.”

Jenrick was in the role from July, 2019, until September, 2021, when he was axed by then prime minister Boris Johnson in a cabinet reshuffle.

Social media users were also quick to pick up on Jenrick’s attempt to whitewash the part he played in the nationwide shortage of houses.

On Sunday night, Gaga was a surprise guest during Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show, delivering a Salsa-fied remix of her hit single Die With A Smile in the middle of his set.

The following morning, the Grammy winner told her Instagram followers that it had been her “honour to be a part of Benito’s halftime show”.

She enthused: “Thank you Benito for inviting me and thank you to the entire cast for welcoming me onto your stage. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I am so humbled to be a part of this moment,” the Abracadabra star added. “It’s all the more special because it was with you and your beautiful heart and music.”

Check out Gaga’s two Instagram posts for yourself here and here.

She later said: “I’m just so happy for him. What he means to people is so incredibly important. He’s a brilliant musician and human being. He’s so incredibly kind and I thought what he said was so incredibly important and inspiring.”