A petition with 127,396 signatures will be debated on 16 March 2026, calling for automatic by-elections when MPs change party; Government says no changes planned.
The Home Office announced a £141m policing technology package to expand facial recognition and AI use across England and Wales. It said live facial recognition will be deployed nationally, with the number of LFR vans set to triple, and it will create a new ‘Police.AI’ centre to roll out tools such as transcription, CCTV review and redaction. The department said it will legislate for a clearer legal framework for facial recognition and similar technologies.
Labour will contest a by-election in Gorton and Denton on 26 February, a seat it has held for decades, after MP Andrew Gwynne stepped down. Labour figures say Keir Starmer’s decision to block Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing has increased vulnerability to challenges from the Greens and Reform UK. The Greens are campaigning under new leader Zack Polanski, and Reform has selected Matt Goodwin as its candidate.
Keir Starmer has arrived in Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping, the first UK prime ministerial visit to China since 2018. Discussions are expected to cover trade, investment and national security, with a business delegation and planned agreements including a border security pact targeting small-boat engine supply chains and synthetic opioids. The trip has drawn domestic criticism, and reports say the UK team is using burner phones and temporary email addresses.
