Newslinks for Thursday 26th February 2026

Starmer could bow to Badenoch pressure on student loans

“Sir Keir Starmer is considering cutting the cost of student loans after pressure from Kemi Badenoch. The Prime Minister told MPs on Wednesday he would look at ways to make the loans system “fairer” following days of criticism by the Conservatives and personal finance experts. Officials from the Treasury and the Department for Education (DfE) are working on a plan to reduce the cost of the loans, which often result in graduates paying back tens of thousands of pounds more than they borrowed. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said the Government had inherited a “broken student loans system” and had “already introduced maintenance grants to improve the situation”. – Daily Telegraph

• Starmer promises to look at making student loans system ‘fairer’ – FT
• Ministers could announce U-turn on student loans next week – The Times
• Starmer set for yet another u-turn as he’s humiliated by Badenoch – Daily Express

>Yesterday:

PM’s Chagos deal descends into chaos

“Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos bill descended into farce on Wednesday amid confusion over whether ministers had paused the process to give away the islands to Mauritius. Hamish Falconer, a Foreign Office minister, told MPs that the Government was “pausing for discussions with our American counterparts” after Donald Trump criticised the deal. However, Downing Street and the Foreign Office later reversed his statement. Sir Keir has struck a deal with Mauritius to give away the islands and rent back Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base there, at a cost of £35bn over a century. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Falconer said legislation to implement the deal in UK law would be “paused” while ministers discussed it with Mr Trump, who urged Sir Keir last week not to “give away” the base.” – Daily Telegraph

Comment

Police apologise to Speaker for exposing his Mandelson tip-off

“Scotland Yard has apologised for revealing that Sir Lindsay Hoyle tipped police off about Lord Mandelson’s alleged plan to flee the country. The Metropolitan Police told Lord Mandelson’s lawyers that Sir Lindsay had passed on the information, which the Commons Speaker said he had provided in “good faith”. The former ambassador to the US was arrested on Monday afternoon on suspicion of misconduct in public office after detectives received a warning from Sir Lindsay suggesting he intended to move to the British Virgin Islands. The Telegraph understands that Sir Lindsay revealed Lord Mandelson’s alleged plans during a meeting with detectives that morning to discuss the ongoing investigation into claims the disgraced peer leaked sensitive government documents to Jeffrey Epstein.” – Daily Telegraph

• Speaker receives apology from Police – FT
• Epstein trafficked women through British airports as late as 2019 – The Times

PM must quit if we win by-election, say Greens

“Sir Keir Starmer must quit if the Greens win Thursday’s crucial by-election, the party’s candidate has said. Hannah Spencer told The Telegraph that if she were to emerge victorious in Labour’s traditional stronghold of Gorton and Denton, it “has to be the end” for the Prime Minister as he would have “lost the trust of the people”. Polls indicate a three-way fight between Labour, the Greens and Reform UK in the Greater Manchester constituency. Defeat in the previously safe seat would pile further pressure on Sir Keir to resign, just weeks after Anas Sarwar, Labour’s Scottish leader, urged him to go in the wake of the Mandelson scandal. At the last general election, Labour won Gorton and Denton with more than 50 per cent of the vote, but the latest survey indicates there is only one percentage point between the three parties.” – Daily Telegraph

• A Green triumph would leave Labour red-faced – FT
• Green Party targets Gorton & Denton voters with leaflets in Urdu – The Times
• Starmer faces high-stakes battle as Greens and Reform vie for Manchester seat – FT
• Farage says Starmer is ‘panicking’ about today’s Manchester by-election – Daily Mail
• Starmer scrambles to stop ‘disgusting’ Greens winning crunch by-election – The Sun

Comment

>Today:

Doubling cash for NHS ‘had no impact’ on health, former Tory minister admits

“NHS spending has doubled in 17 years with “no impact” on the nation’s health, a former health minister has admitted. Lord Bethell, a Conservative minister under Boris Johnson, said Britain was facing “a social, moral and economic disaster” because billions of pounds were being wasted. The peer made the comments to The Telegraph during a joint interview with Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, the former deputy chief medical officer (CMO), who warned of a “demographic time bomb” that the health service was failing to address. Lord Bethell said that a doubling in NHS spending in the past 17 years, from about £100bn to £200bn, had had “no impact” on the nation’s health, with outcomes getting worse for many and life expectancy flatlining.” – Daily Telegraph

• NHS maternity care failing babies and mothers, inquiry finds – Daily Telegraph

>Today:

Other political news

• Migrant crossings surge on warmest day of year – Daily Telegraph
• Fury as UK hands France £8k for each Channel migrant they’ve stopped – The Sun
• Turness dismisses BBC-Trump scandal as bad edit – Daily Telegraph
• Braverman: Met chief fails to stand up to hate marchers – Daily Telegraph
• Results of Your Party leadership election set to be announced – Guardian
• Trump administration welcomes Robinson to Washington – The Times
• Don’t demolish haunting Grenfell wall, bereaved families urge ministers – Daily Telegraph

News in Brief