Politics
Polanski calls out housing minister praised by UK’s biggest landlord
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has told parliament that the Starmer government does not support rent controls. The reason was that doing so would “make life more difficult for renters”.
Since then, Pennycook has received the praise of – you guessed it – not renters:
Labour's housing minister's opposition to rent controls welcomed by the country's largest private landlord.
Who's side are Labour on? Renters or landlords. The answer is here. pic.twitter.com/olVzEIVTki — Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) April 15, 2026
Land of the landlords
The government does not support the introduction of rent controls, which we believe could make life more difficult for renters.
There is sufficient international evidence from countries such as Sweden and Germany, and from individual cities such as San Francisco, as well as the recent Scottish experience, to attest to the potential detrimental impacts of rent controls on tenants.
There are reasons why rent controls can make things worse. Mostly the issue is they make it harder for landlords to make obscene profits from renters, which forces them to throw their toys out of the pram.
In a nutshell, this is why something as essential as shelter shouldn’t be in the hands of money grubbers.
Pennycook also said:
I have looked at a wealth of evidence, particularly international evidence, of what the impact of first and second-generation rent controls are, as well as more subtle forms of rent control, which can have differential impacts on different groups.
Such controls typically benefit settled and better-off tenants more than those looking for a home or needing to move.
As Polanski noted, Pennycook’s inaction plan has gone down well with landlords:
Pennycook’s opposition to rent controls was welcomed by Kurt Mueller, director of corporate affairs and executive committee member at Grainger, Britain’s largest listed private landlord.
Mueller, highlighting the housing minister’s comments on the LinkedIn social media platform, said: “It’s good to see continued support from the UK Government for common sense with their steadfast commitment against rent controls and the damaging impact they would have for renters and the market generally.”
Not everyone agrees, though.
Living Rent
Living Rent have sought to dispel myths on this topic. They go into further detail on their site, but in a nutshell:
1) Isn’t the only problem supply?
Not really. Firstly, supply isn’t really as big of an issue as it’s made out to be – for instance, there is a higher proportion of empty bedrooms in the UK than at any time since the Great Plague (!). The ratio of rooms to people has never been higher in modern history. We’re not against new builds, especially not new social housing, but the supply question is kind of a red herring.
…
2) All landlords would leave the sector and tenants would have nowhere to live.
Landlords threaten to leave the sector if regulation is increased, but a quick glance across Europe is enough to dismiss this: the most heavily regulated private rented sectors are consistently the biggest. Germany, with the biggest PRS in Europe, is easily one of the most heavily regulated.
…
Lest we forget, we don’t actually need landlords to have houses.
These unnecessary middlemen offer nothing and take everything.
People claim that capitalism eliminates inefficiencies, but these people are waste personified.
Failures
Living Rent also noted:
3) Didn’t they fail when we had them last time?
Landlords insist that the various rent controls which existed in the UK between 1915 and 1988 were disastrous for tenants. They point out that, over those 70 years, we went from almost nine in ten people renting privately to fewer than one in ten. They claim this is proof that rent controls devastate the private rented sector (PRS).
Oh no, not the private rented sector – won’t somebody think of the landlords?
Living rent continued:
This argument, in fact, was a favourite of David Cameron, who told the House of Commons in 2013: “I do not support the idea of mass rent controls because I think we would see a massive decline in the private rented sector, which is what happened the last time we had such rent controls.”
But that change, by absolutely any measure, was an enormous success of public policy. The reduction in the private rented sector can be explained in three obvious – and positive – ways:
- Millions of council homes were built to give people a secure, safe, affordable place to stay outside the PRS.
- Millions of people were able to buy their own homes through real-terms increases in wages and the expansion of mortgage availability.
- Millions of the properties that landlords were renting out were demolished in slum clearances because they were, well, slums.
Without rent controls, it seems, slum-like conditions have once more returned. As writer Bob Lynn notes:
In 21st century Britain, a shocking reality lurks behind closed doors. Families are living in conditions that harken back to the squalor of Victorian slums — damp walls, mould-infested rooms, and overcrowded spaces unfit for human habitation. …
The word ‘slum’ conjures images of Dickensian London, with its overcrowded tenements and disease-ridden streets. Yet, for many low-income families today, this grim picture is not far from their daily reality. In 2022, around 3.8 million people in the UK experienced destitution, unable to afford basic necessities like food, warmth, and shelter. This figure has more than doubled since 2017, pointing to a rapidly worsening crisis.
But yes, the real crime would be if rent didn’t leap up by obscene amounts every year.
Do something
Living Rent finished:
4) All economists agree that rent controls are bad
You’ll often hear comments bandied around claiming that all economists agree rent controls are unambiguously bad. There is a grain of truth to this – a poll from 1992 showed a surprising degree of consensus that rent controls would have negative effects.
But here’s the hitch. Nobody is proposing the type of rent controls that this supposed unanimous opposition is directed at. During the first world war, what are now called ‘first generation rent controls’ were brought in across most countries involved in the conflict – these were blunt caps or freezes on rent, and are rightly criticised for having negative side effects. But now we have 70 years of evidence from across the world about how to implement rent controls without unintended consequences.
Now, as Housing Today have reported:
The Green Party said its members elected in May will “use their voice to pressure the Labour government to give local authorities the power to introduce rent controls to curb overheating rents in their area.” The party has also pledged to “totally” abolish leasehold and introduce rent controls nationally if it gets into government.
Leasehold (and the truth) is another sensitive area for Pennycook, as we reported:
Oh… right. https://t.co/orvrBLe28D pic.twitter.com/lYnHBtjJmV
— cladtrap (@cladtrap) March 27, 2026
Systems
Sometimes well-meaning ideas can have unintended consequences. The solution isn’t to give up on fixing things; the solution, like Polanski argued, is to adapt until you get the right results.
Labour’s solution to most issues is to bury their heads in the sand. The problem is that while they ignore the world and its problems, the world is moving on without them.
Featured image via Parliament
By Willem Moore
Muslim footballer Lamine Yamal raising the Palestinian flag during celebrations after Barcelona won the Spanish league title has sparked a wave of outrage and incitement in the Israeli media.
Yamal, 18, stole the spotlight during Barcelona’s La Liga victory parade on an open-top bus after he appeared waving the Palestine flag.
However, Israeli media outlets, as well as politicians and activists, were quick to attack the Spanish player, claiming that his display of the Palestinian flag carried “political messages” during a sporting event.
Lamine Yamal condemns ignorance and racism
Israel’s Channel 12 said that Yamal “exploited the soccer event to express his political stance”. He highlighted how Barcelona players celebrated with the club’s scarves while the young player chose to celebrate with the Palestinian flag.
Daily newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, noted that this is not the first time Yamal has expressed his support for Palestine. He made remarks following a match between Egypt and Spain, when he criticised chants from fans that the newspaper described as “offensive to Muslims”.
Yamal had said at the time:
Praise be to God, I am a Muslim, and I believe that using religion for mockery on soccer fields is a sign of ignorance and racism because soccer was created for enjoyment and empathy, not to hurt people because of their beliefs.
The Hebrew website, Walla, adopted the same narrative, arguing that the player “exploited the sporting event to express a political stance”. Meanwhile, the sports website, Sport 5, merely noted that Yamal is Muslim and of Moroccan descent.
In contrast, the Hebrew website ICE went further, stating that the player “chose to oppose Israel when he raised the Palestinian flag in front of the world”, describing the moment as “one of the most controversial scenes in Barcelona’s celebrations”.
Israeli minister attacks Yamal
The campaign of attacks extended to politics after Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, launched a sharp attack on the Barcelona star.
He said:
Someone needs to explain to soccer player Lamine Yamal that he is raising the flag of a non-existent entity.
Then added:
Anyone who chooses to identify with the flag of terrorism should not be surprised by Israelis’ hatred toward him.
The attack was not limited to Ben-Gvir, as Israeli journalists and activists joined the campaign of criticism against the teenage player. Some comments even wished for him to get injured and miss the 2026 World Cup.
Despite the controversy, Yamal continued celebrating with Barcelona fans, emphasising during the parade the importance of the bond between the team and its supporters.
He said:
It’s unbelievable. The fans are always with us on important days and difficult days — this is the club of our lives.
The young star also stressed the need to appreciate every title the team wins, before expressing his dream of winning the Champions League and celebrating it with fans in the streets of Barcelona.
Winning isn’t easy. We’ve gone through tough years, but now we’re enjoying the moment.
Featured image via Josep Lago/ AFP
By Alaa Shamali
I’m pretty diligent about applying sunscreen; I reckon I hit the NHS-recommended seven teaspoons for your entire body most times I hit the beach.
But to be honest, I don’t sunbathe often. I burn easily, so I prefer to get a tan from a can if possible.
According to Melanie Brownlow, founder of self-tanning company St Moriz, however, combining some self-tanners with sunscreen might not be ideal.
She said, “As summer approaches, many will be looking to pull back on their makeup and focus more on using bronzing products for a sun-kissed complexion. However,”
Don’t mix self-tanning products with SPF
Brownlow said: “When it comes to bronzing drops, or any self-tan products for the face, this is safe to mix in with your go-to moisturiser. However, when it comes to sunscreen, never mix any tanning products directly into this.”
This is because an active ingredient in the bronzing items can interfere with how effective your SPF is.
“The active ingredient – DHA – in self-tanning products interferes with sun protection products, diluting the SPF and reducing its effectiveness against sun damage,” she explained.
She’s not alone in sharing concerns. Dermatologist Dr Janelle Vega told L’Oréal Paris, “In general, it’s best not to mix any other products into sunscreen because it can change the measured sun protection factor”.
It means that the concentration of SPF carefully titrated by the manufacturer of your suncream changes, so you don’t know for sure how much protection your sunscreen offers anymore.
How should I apply sunscreen if I use self-tanning products?
“I would recommend using your tanning drops in the evening, allowing it to develop overnight, and just keep to your SPF and any cosmetic products in the day,” Brownlow advised.
(Psst – that “SPF foundation” you’ve been using probably isn’t doing as good a job as you think).
“The same principle applies to using tanning products and sunscreen on the body, because no, having fake tan does not prevent you from burning from sun exposure,” the self-tan expert added.
“To avoid any risk, apply your self-tan to your body in the evening, allowing this to develop for at least 12 hours before you apply sun protection. The tan should be properly rinsed off as any remaining DHA on the skin can degrade SPF.”
The NHS recommends using a sunscreen with at least an SPF 30 and at least 4-star UVA protection.
Labour want to make defending international law a criminal offence, as they appear set to criminalise any criticism of Israel’s actions. Bearing in mind that Zionist Israel has long been conducting a genocide of Palestinians, escalated further since October 7th 2023, the continuation of this blatant politicisation of the UK’s criminal justice system should terrify us all.
Frankly, this move by Labour would be pretty similar to making criticism of the Nazi regime in 1930s Germany a criminal offence in the UK. Nevertheless, it would hardly be surprising if people at the time made efforts to push exactly that outcome, given that the Daily Mail openly aligned itself with Hitler’s camp and has been an enthusiastic supporter of antisemitism generally.
But the Holocaust showed the world where that path leads, and the thought of British leaders enforcing this kind of draconian authoritarianism back then should send shivers down the spine.
As a result, no one should play naive to lawfare at the behest of a hostile state committing genocide against Palestinian men, women and children.
Deranged.
The claim here is that it's antisemitic to accuse Labour of complicity in genocide.
It's clear where this is heading:
They want to make it illegal to criticise Israel's crimes. pic.twitter.com/nTVQoacBs7 — Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) May 11, 2026
Ignoring international law has consequences
Alex Hearn, member of the campaign group ‘Labour against Antisemitism’, has seen fit to push the electoral commission to investigate alleged antisemitism in campaign material from the local elections. The offending material is a flyer quoting Keir Starmer’s enabling, and legally ignorant, statement, which he made when Israel was escalating its military aggression and illegal siege on Gaza.
During this siege, Israel cut off access to food, water and medicine to Palestinians, leaving them bombarded, deprived, displaced, and completely without the resources they desperately needed to survive.
However, according to ‘Labour against Antisemitism’, exposing this complicity in the actions and words of the UK PM amounts to antisemitism. Once again, we are watching Zionists continue their attempt to criminalise the defence of international law.
In response, Owen Jones has posted on X:
Deranged.
The claim here is that it’s antisemitic to accuse Labour of complicity in genocide.
It’s clear where this is heading:
They want to make it illegal to criticise Israel’s crimes.
Protecting Zionist Israel is what the British government do
This isn’t the first time that the UK government has sought to shield Israel from legal accountability.
Discussing the intimidation and threats made by then-foreign secretary David Cameron, our own Skwawkbox wrote:
A Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request has forced the Foreign Office (FCDO) to admit – finally – that then-foreign secretary David Cameron called International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan to threaten him and the ICC, and demand the withdrawal of an arrest warrant for Israeli war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.
The FOI was filed last month by ‘Unredacted’ a University of Westminster research unit focusing on national security.
Unredacted asked the FCDO to confirm who was present on the 23 April 2024 call to Khan. It confirmed that David Cameron was the only one. Karim Khan confirmed last month that a “senior British official” had threatened to withdraw the UK from the ICC if Khan’s application for warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant was not withdrawn.
Furthermore, the next Foreign Secretary then worked to construct pro-Israel propaganda to seek to ‘justify’ the genocide of Palestinians.
Exclusive: The UK gave an Israeli government-aligned project £90,000 to produce a report claiming sexual violence on and after 7 October was "systematic", a thinly-evidenced claim neither the UN nor Amnesty has been able to verify.
The Dinah Project's UK-backed report was… pic.twitter.com/HrTy4XM0Ov — Novara Media (@novaramedia) March 2, 2026
Foreign Secretary David Lammy awarded 90% of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) entire annual budget to the Dinah Report. The authors of this highly questionable report were explicitly instructed to conclude that Hamas used sexual violence as a weapon of war on October 7th, 2023.
We wrote at the time:
This blatant bias and conflict of interest should come as little to no surprise. Ever since October 7th, we have seen a concerted push by Israel and its lobby groups to manipulate data, grief and material facts in their own interest. All whilst conveniently and simultaneously demonising Palestinian resistance. If we have learned anything through this horrific 2.5 years, it is the reminder that every life matters and civilians should not pay the price for the sins of the powerful.
Going further, we have also learned in the most disgusting way that the saying ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’ applies all the more in times of conflict. Especially when we consider Israeli and western tactics to manufacture consent for what has been one of the most brutal bombing campaigns the world has ever seen. On the backs of the lack of condemnation afforded by the UK government for crimes against Palestinians, our governments complicity in Israel’s crimes cannot be ignored.
No evidence, no crime – apparently
Recently, we also learned that the FCDO was closing its ‘war crime monitoring unit’, a move which conveniently enables the British government to avoid documenting evidence of the egregious crimes being inflicted on Palestinian civilians.
Exposing this serious threat to international law and the rule of law itself, we wrote:
The closure also means the government is losing access to a database of at least 26,000 verified incidents involving Israel and its military in occupied Palestine and Lebanon, committed since the start of Israel’s Gaza genocide in October 2023. The ‘lost’ evidence includes videos, photographs, satellite imagery and other media – all mapped to the locations in which the atrocities were perpetrated.
‘Losing’, of course, may not be the correct word. The Starmer government has shown less than zero interest in holding Israel to account for its crimes. Starmer’s previous gig as head of the Crown Prosecution Service was also marked by conveniently disappearing evidence relating to notorious crimes and his involvement in decisions not to prosecute.
Certainly this ‘loss’ is very convenient for a UK police state all too eager to continue collaborating in Israel’s genocide, crimes against humanity, land theft and illegal wars of aggression. Human Rights Watch director Yasmine Ahmed described the decision to throw away evidence of Israel’s crimes as “damning”.
Lawfare at play to protect Zionists
Zionist and pro-Israel groups have long been using lawfare to shut down dissent against the genocidal state. The European Legal Support Center has catalogued these sinister attempts to subvert law in their database, suitably named ‘Britain’s Index of Repression’.
Subsequently, this apparent move to make ‘calling a spade a spade’ a criminal offence, whilst speeding up the prosecution of hate crimes, is deeply terrifying. After all, authorities will clearly use it to shut down and criminalise anti-Zionists, while continuing to ignore genuine antisemitism among Reform UK councillors and Nigel Farage himself.
British people must wake up sharpish and stop this before it is too late.
Featured image via the Canary
Politics
Politics Home | Labour Mayor Says Andy Burnham’s Return To Government Should Not Be Blocked
Andy Burnham is reportedly meeting with MPs today (Alamy)
2 min read
Exclusive: Labour mayor Helen Godwin has told PoliticsHome that Manchester mayor Andy Burnham “should not be blocked” from returning to Westminster and that she “wouldn’t dislike the idea” of Burnham being Prime Minister.
Speaking to PoliticsHome, Godwin, who was elected mayor for the West of England last year, said that she “does not know” if Keir Stamer can deliver the reset government needs.
She added that she did not know if Starmer would lead Labour into the next election.
PoliticsHome has reported that Labour leadership hopeful Burnham is to meet Labour MPs in London today in the hope of ensuring there is a timetable for a leadership change that would allow him a run.
Burnham is one of the candidates favoured among Labour MPs to replace Starmer, but he would first have to return to Parliament as an MP.
On Tuesday afternoon, pressure was growing on Starmer to resign. Two ministers have so far resigned, and four junior aides quit on Monday evening.
Starmer attempted another reset on Monday at a speech in London, where he set out plans for the nationalisation of British steel and for closer ties to the European Union.
Speaking to PoliticsHome on Tuesday afternoon as resignations continued, Godwin said: “The reset, if it’s coming, needs to mean something to people. And I don’t think, as yet, we’ve been able to get that.”
Asked if Starmer can deliver that reset, Godwin replied: “I don’t know.”
PoliticsHome also asked Godwin if Starmer would lead Labour into the next election, to which she also responded: “I don’t know.”
On Burnham, Godwin said: “He would be great if he was an MP again. I feel he gets us. He speaks really well. He connects with people down here, he’s obviously mayor of Manchester, and does a brilliant job at that. But people down here seem to connect with him as well. We should have all our best people in government.
“If that’s where he wants to be, I don’t think he should be blocked.”
Burnham put himself forward for candidate selection for the Gorton and Denton by-election this year but was blocked by the NEC.
Godwin said she “wouldn’t dislike the idea of Burnham as Prime Minister,” if Starmer were to step down.
Emma Willis has now been a staple on British TV for more than 20 years.
The presenter is best known for hosting shows like Big Brother, The Voice and The Circle, and was recently introduced to a more international audience when she and her husband Matt Willis began presenting Netflix’s British iteration of the dating series Love Is Blind.
If rumours are to be believed, she’s since landed the biggest gig of her career, as she’s set to take over as the new host of Strictly Come Dancing, taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
But while you’ve probably watched Emma on some of the UK’s biggest reality shows over the years, there are plenty of other presenting gigs throughout her extensive resume you might have completely forgotten about.
Here are the ones we dug through the archives to find…
The Hot Desk (2008)
Emma got her start on music TV in the early 2000s, presenting segments for MTV as well as the UK version of the iconic TRL.
In 2008, Emma joined another British music show called The Hot Desk, whose other hosts included the likes of All Saints’ Nicole Appleton and Melanie Blatt, Laura Whitmore, Sarah Jane Crawford and Alice Levine.
At the end of each interview, the host would ask their celebrity guest to sign the “Hot Desk” with a pen (isn’t that just oh-so 2010s?).
One of Emma’s biggest interviews from that era was with a young and bright-eyed One Direction on The Hot Desk in 2011, a year after they came third on The X Factor.
Live From Studio Five (2010)
In the peak of 2000s gossip mags and celebrity interview panels, there were plenty of shows out there like Live From Studio Five.
Emma joined a line-up of co-presenters – including Brian Dowling and Ian Wright – who would conduct interviews and discuss topical issues, celebrity gossip and big news stories.
However it didn’t do too well with ratings, and ultimately came off the air after around a year and a half.
Girlfri3nds (2012)
Even as far back as 2012, Emma was clearly discovering that she had a bit of a knack when it came to reality TV.
She presented two seasons of this British show about single women looking for love, which saw three pals searching for their ideal guy out of 100 auditioning men.
Prize Island (2013)
Emma co-presented this sunny series alongside Alexander Armstrong back in 2013.
Prize Island placed four pairs on an Island (obv) off the coast of Mozambique, with each team participating in rounds of games to uncover prizes, ranging from a TV to a luxury holiday.
At the time, there were reports that it might not air at all, after it looked set to rival (ironically) The Voice. The show ultimately only last six episodes across one season.
Prized Apart (2015)
Another oft-overlooked game show from Emma’s TV past was the ambitious Prized Apart.
Prized Apart saw two groups of adventurous hopefuls trying out assorted physical tasks in Morocco (overseen by Emma’s former The Voice co-host Reggie Yates), putting their teamwork to the test in the hope of landing a hefty cash prize of £100K.
After facing criticism due to its convoluted gameplay (not to mention its carbon footprint, as contestants were repeatedly flown backwards and forwards depending on how they’d performed in tasks) it was axed after one season.
The Brit Awards (2017)
Do you remember that time Emma hosted a whole Brit Awards? Honestly, we’d forgotten too.
Back in 2017 she took to the stage for the UK’s biggest night in music alongside co-host Dermot O’Leary.
Dermot and Emma were brought in as somewhat last-minute replacements when the night’s original host, Michael Bublé, was forced to back out due to his son’s illness.
That year’s Brits saw One Direction, Little Mix, The 1975 and more take home awards.
Emma Willis: Delivering Babies (2019)
This one marked a huge change for the presenter as she swapped reality TV and game shows for a hospital maternity unit.
Across the course of four seasons, she worked on a labour ward working NHS hours while training to be a maternity care assistant.
Whether she was making beds, cleaning floors or offering support during births, it made for pretty emotional viewing.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens in the autumn.
A growing list of ministers have resigned from government and urged Keir Starmer to quit as discontent towards the prime minister grows.
Labour is in turmoil after voters gave the party a beating at the elections in England, Wales and Scotland last week.
More than 80 MPs have publicly called for the prime minister to resign as a result – along with multiple ministers.
None of his rivals have publicly challenged Starmer yet and 20% of the Parliamentary Labour Party (81 MPs) need to rally behind one replacement candidate to formally trigger a leadership contest.
However, ministerial resignations make it much harder for the PM to run a government as it undermines his authority.
Cabinet ministers have reportedly been urging the PM to resign behind the scenes, too.
Even so, Starmer has dug in so far and has insisted he is getting on with the job of governing.
Here’s a breakdown of all the ministerial resignations so far…
1. Miatta Fahnbulleh
The junior minister for devolution, faith and communities, Fahnbulleh was the first minister out the block on Tuesday.
She told Starmer: “The public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I.”
In a letter to the prime minister shared on social media, she said: “We have not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demands of us. Nor have we governed as Labour Party clear about our values and strong in our convictions.”
She added: “Therefore I urge you to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition so that a new team can deliver the change we promised the country.”
According to the BBC, she has already backed Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to take over No.10 – even though he needs to win a seat in parliament first.
2. Jess Phillips
Phillips quit as safeguarding minister with a brutal letter of resignation to Starmer.
An ally to Wes Streeting, the health secretary widely expected to challenge Starmer, she wrote: “I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things however I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.
“The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.”
She continued: “Labour governments come around rarely is the constant refrain at the moment. It’s true they are precious.
“Every Labour government in my and my family’s lifetime has forged progress that changed our country and the world for the better. I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter.
“I’m not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that’s needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.”
She added: “Politics is as much about feelings as policy, especially at the moment.
“I want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I’m not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”
3. Alex Davies-Jones
The minister for victims and violence against women and girls handed in her resignation letter on Tuesday afternoon.
Davies-Jones said the scale of losses in the Senedd and across the UK have been “catastrophic”.
“The country has spoken and we must listen,” she said. “We waited fourteen years to get into power and change the lives of those we represent.
“The time now is for bold, radical action. I know you to be a good and honest man. But in my heart are my constituents, the victims I have had the honour of working with every day, including the Hillsborough victims and their families, and all those who demand better of us.
“I implore you to act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure.”
Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
(Alamy)
2 min read
Jess Phillips has resigned as a minister, claiming she has “given up” believing the prime minister was doing enough to clamp down on violence against women and girls.
Phillips, the safeguarding minister, wrote that she believed Starmer was a “decent man” but no longer had confidence in him.
She is the most senior minister to date to resign from the government so far. The former minister is also a close ally of Wes Streeting, who is expected to run for the Labour leadership if Starmer steps down and a contest takes place.
Phillips’s resignation plunges the prime minister into further chaos after 86 MPs have called for him to resign and set out a timetable for his departure.
The letter, first published by SkyNews, claimed the prime minister had no “desire to have an argument”, which left opportunities for progress on clamping down on violence against women and girls “stalled and delayed.”
It read: “I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things. However I have seen first-hand how that is not enough. The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.
“Over a year ago I presented solutions, long worked on by brilliant civil servants that would end the ability for children in the UK to take naked images of themselves. 91 per cent of online child sex abuse is self-generated by children groomed, tricked and exploited into abuse.
“The technology exists to stop children being able to take naked images of themselves.
“We could make this possible on every phone and device in the country. We could stop this abuse. It has taken me a year to get you to agree to even threaten to legislate in this space. Not legislate, just threaten. This is the definition of incremental change. Nothing bold about it.”
Phillips added: The announcement was meant to be in March, I’m still on a promise this will happen in June, I’ve given up believing it. How many children were left without a safety net in the time we dully dallied and worried about tech bosses?
“This is just one example.”
Phillips said she wanted a Labour government to work but she could not see the change the country expected and could not serve as a minister under the present leadership.
Wanted Israeli war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been given yet another soft-soap interview by Zionist-run CBS.
In it, Netanyahu railed about the US public’s supposed hate for Israel but then became ‘panicked’, first begging and then tried to con Israel into ending its support for Iran.
China has supplied Iran with high-grade satellite intel on the positions of US and Israeli aggressors. It has reportedly agreed the sale of new, modern warplanes, is buying Iranian oil and has moved its ships into position to impede illegal US operations.
And that support is proving highly effective. Iran is reported to have damaged and forced down two more of the US and Israel’s advanced F-35 strike aircraft, and three US warships. Hence, presumably, Netanyahu’s desperation.
And desperate it was.
Netanyahu and his feeble display
The genocider tried to claim that China’s access to energy resources would be more secure with Iran defeated and the US/Israel in charge of the region. But it’s an open secret, admitted even by alleged western proxies, that China, and strangling its supply of resources, is the ultimate target of the US-Israel war of aggression on Iran.
It was a feeble display from the usually arrogant criminal:
Massive panic in Tel Aviv. Major Garrett confirms China is actively providing highly advanced military support to Iran.
Benjamin Netanyahu is visibly terrified, desperately begging Beijing to stop arming Tehran.
Zionist regime realizes their regional dominance is collapsing. pic.twitter.com/SXDqVUCsYv
— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) May 10, 2026
Featured image via CBS News
By Skwawkbox
Politics
Politics Home | Andy Burnham Meets MPs In London As Manchester Mayor Sets Sights On Number 10
Manchester mayor and Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham is meeting with MPs in London to plan a route to Number 10. (Alamy)
1 min read
Exclusive: Manchester mayor and Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham will meet Labour MPs in London today ahead of plans to announce a potential seat that will give him a route to Number 10.
PoliticsHome understands Burnham, who was sighted in London on Tuesday, is meeting with MPs to get out ahead of Health Secretary and leadership hopeful Wes Streeting – as well as ensuring there is a timetable that allows Burnham to stand.
It comes as pressure grows on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign following a disastrous set of local election results which saw the party lose around 1,500 councillors and lose control of the Welsh Senedd for the first time.
Almost 100 Labour MPs have now called for the Prime Minister’s departure, with Streeting and Burnham among Labour MPs favoured candidates to replace Starmer.
However Burnham, who currently serves as Manchester’s mayor and was blocked from standing from an MP several months ago, is not a sitting MP – making his route to Number 10 more drawn out.
PoliticsHome understands Burnham’s camp is set to make an announcement later today on a potential seat for the mayor to stand in, paving a route for him to Number 10.
Additional reporting by Harriet Symonds.
Keir Starmer may have vowed to fight on this morning – but the smart money is still on him having to leave 10 Downing Street sooner rather than later.
The prime minister told his cabinet to get on with running the country as he called on his leadership rivals to put up or shut up.
Starmer loyalists Peter Kyle, Pat McFadden, Liz Kendall and Steve Reed than took the highly unusual step of speaking to the media in support of the PM after the cabinet meeting ended.
Nevertheless, the number of Labour MPs calling on the prime minister to quit in the wake of last week’s local election drubbing now stands at over 80, while junior minister Miatta Fahnbulleh has also resigned.
Under Labour Party rules, a challenger to the party leader must get the support of one-fifth of its MPs to trigger a contest, meaning they would currently need the backing of 81 of their colleagues.
Here, HuffPost UK looks at the likely runners and riders in the race to replace the PM.
Andy Burnham
Burnham was an MP until 2017, and during his 16 years in parliament served as a junior minister under Tony Blair and in Gordon Brown’s cabinet. He also tries and failed on two occasions to be elected Labour leader.
In the nine years since he quit Westminster, he has been the mayor of Greater Manchester, during which time his stock has continued to rise.
He is undoubtedly the most popular Labour politician in the country, which is confirmed by the fact he was re-elected in 2021 and 2024.
However, he cannot challenge the Labour leadership until he is an MP again.
He tried to come back earlier this year but was blocked by Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) from standing as the party’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, which was won by the Green Party.
Burnham needs to find a Labour MP in a safe seat, most likely in the north-west, who will agree to trigger a by-election by standing down, and then persuade the NEC to let him run this time.
And despite his popularity, it’s by no means certain that he would even be re-elected, given Labour’s current standing in the opinion polls.
Bookies’ odds of being next leader: 11/5
Wes Streeting
It is no secret that the Streeting covets Starmer’s job, but he does not want to be the one who wields the dagger that brings him down.
The hugely ambitious health secretary, who became an MP on the same day as Starmer in 2015, is Labour’s best communicator, something which has won him an army of admirers in the party.
However, his Blairite credentials have made him something of a hate figure on the left of the party, while Starmer loyalists have accused him of continually working to undermine the PM.
If he is to become leader, he needs to strike before Burnham returns to parliament, as he is unlikely to defeat him in a contest which would ultimately be decided by Labour members.
One MP told HuffPost UK: “If he doesn’t go this time, he’s done as a political force.”
Angela Rayner
`The former deputy prime minister was forced to resign from the cabinet last year for failing to pay the correct amount of stamp duty when she bought a flat in Brighton.
His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is still conducting its own investigation into the scandal, and most observers believe she cannot mount a leadership challenge until that is resolved.
She has been far more visible recently, however, and cannot be ruled out at this stage – especially if a contest takes place before Burnham returns and the Labour left are in need of a candidate to take on Streeting.
Ed Miliband
The Labour leader between 2010 and 2015, Miliband led the party to a shattering general election defeat to David Cameron’s Tories that year and was forced to resign.
After five years in the political wilderness, during which time he established a cult following online, he returned to the Labour frontbench when Starmer became leader in 2020.
Seen as a Net Zero zealot, he is bitterly opposed to issuing any new licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. Starmer did try to move from the energy brief in a reshuffle last September, but Miliband refused to go and kept his job.
He is one of five cabinet ministers who have privately told Starmer to consider his position, and like Rayner could throw his hat into the ring as the soft-left candidate in any leadership contest.
Yvette Cooper
Like Burnham, she also ran for the Labour leadership in 2015, but came in a distant third place as Jeremy Corbyn swept to victory.
Another to have served in the Blair and Brown governments, she is currently foreign secretary and had been seen as a Miliband loyalist.
However, she notably did not give the PM her support in the wake of last week’s disastrous local elections, and Labour insiders say she has been on leadership manoeuvres in recent months. Could be persuaded to challenge Streeting.
Shabana Mahmood
The hardline home secretary if firmly on the Labour right, and has angered many on the party with her strict immigration policies.
Known as a straight-talker and good communicator, but her chances of being elected leader by the party’s more left-of-centre membership are slim.
She has also told Starmer that his time in No.10 is up.
John Healey
The defence secretary also told Starmer that his time was up, but has since urged his colleagues not to bring him down.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Healey said: “More instability is not in Britain’s interest. Our full focus now must be on dealing with immediate economic & security challenges.”
Another on the soft-left of the party, he is seen as a leadership dark horse, but could be persuaded to run as a unity candidate who could help heal the party after months of bitter infighting.
Other names in the frame
MPs who could also be tempted to challenge for the leadership, if a contest is triggered, include defence minister Al Carns, Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell, chief secretary to the prime minister Darren Jones and education secretary Bridget Phillipson.
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