Newslinks for Sunday 15th February 2026

Labour rebels line up Healey to challenge Starmer

“Labour rebels are lining up John Healey, the Defence Secretary, as a “unity candidate” to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership, The Telegraph understands. A rising number of backbenchers believe Mr Healey would draw support from both the Right and Left of the parliamentary party. Some on the moderate wing of the party believe that Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has become too “toxic”, particularly following his decision to publish his WhatsApp messages with Lord Mandelson. Meanwhile, allies of Angela Rayner admit it will be difficult for her to run in a leadership contest while HMRC continues its investigation into her tax affairs. It comes amid a push from within the party to steer Labour in a different direction to the one piloted by Morgan McSweeney, who quit as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff this month over the Mandelson scandal.” – Sunday Telegraph

• Badenoch calls Starmer a ‘lame duck PM’ — and worse – Sunday Times
• Will Starmer shift to the left? – FT
• I will lead Labour into election PM says – Sun on Sunday
• The moment Starmer’s colleagues lost all confidence in him – Sunday Express
• Unions and Labour MPs call on Starmer to end ‘narrow factional agenda’ – Observer
• Miliband plots pact with Green Party leader – Mail on Sunday
• Burnham hatches new plan to become MP – Mail on Sunday
• Mandelson seen for first time since Epstein revelations – Sunday Telegraph
• Did Mandelson lean on BBC to drop probe into his links to Russia? – Mail on Sunday
• Labour activists paid for smear campaign against journalists – Sunday Times
• PM backing Cabinet Secretary frontrunner ‘because she’ll suppress the release of private Mandelson messages’ – Mail on Sunday
• Starmer urged to go slow on replacing ousted head of civil service – FT
• PM’s hiring mistakes create a culture of drift – FT

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Starmer surrenders to EU net zero rules

“Sir Keir Starmer has drawn up plans under which the UK will ramp up its net zero targets and cede control over its energy policy as part of closer alignment with Brussels. A memorandum, published by the Cabinet Office earlier this month, spells out the price that the UK is willing to pay to reset relations with Europe. This includes a “dynamic alignment” of British law with EU rules on “the promotion of renewable energy”, which would require the UK to decarbonise – not just electricity, but also heating and transport, rapidly. In practice this could see net zero targets doubled, potentially leading to draconian measures such as reducing meat consumption and restrictions on flying, wood fires and driving.” – Sunday Telegraph

• Weak Starmer has been forced into an unthinkable betrayal – Sunday Telegraph
• Reeves’ Brexit betrayal on customs union ‘will cost Britain £40bn a year’ – Sunday Telegraph

Cancelling elections is an abuse of power, High Court to hear

“Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to cancel local elections is an abuse of power that threatens the foundations of British democracy, the High Court will hear. In a legal challenge to the decision to cancel some of May’s elections, lawyers acting for Reform UK will argue that Labour acted out of political interest to deny 4.6 million people the right to vote. In court documents seen by The Telegraph, they claim it is “patently irrational” to postpone elections in peacetime and that it “stands in contradiction to the basis of the country, namely democratic rights and the basis of individual rights”. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is expected to appear at the High Court for both days of the hearing next Thursday and Friday.” – Sunday Telegraph

• Labour warned by electoral watchdog boss that council elections must go ahead – Mail on Sunday
• Reform leader’s popularity dips as party surges in polls – FT
• Farage’s right-hand man publishing book on how to launder money – Sunday Telegraph

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Russia killed Navalny with frog toxin, UK and four European allies claim

“Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, was killed by dart frog poison administered by the Russian state two years ago, a multi-intelligence agency inquiry has found, according to a statement released by five countries, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. The US was not one of the intelligence agencies making the claim. Navalny died in a remote Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. Samples from his body were secured before his burial and sent to the laboratories of two countries. The UK, describing the poisoning as barbaric, said it would be reporting Russia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as a flagrant violation by Russia of the chemical weapons convention (CWC).” – Observer

• Putin’s frog poison hit on Navalny reveals his secret chemical weapons – Sunday Telegraph
• Starmer calls for western alliance to be ‘remade’ – FT
• Ukraine wants 20-year US security guarantee to sign peace deal – Observer

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