UK FACT CHECK POLITICS
Keir Starmer has reportedly told close allies that he plans to step down as Prime Minister and outline a formal timetable for his departure from Downing Street.
Another Reform councillor has resigned after it emerged he was allegedly living a double life as a hardcore porn star
Nigel Farage Bought 1.4 Million Pound Home In Cash After Receiving 5 Million Pound Gift From Billionaire Donor
Reform UK candidate who won a seat in Sunderland beat his girlfriend black and blue and allegedly abused a child
Behind Politics UK: the "impartial" platform owned by a Reform councillor
Reform UK candidate who claimed the Holocaust was a hoax has won a seat in the local elections
Ed Miliband privately urged Keir Starmer to consider a resignation timeline as Labour braces for devastating election losses
Politics
MORE →Zack Polanski says police should face scrutiny over Golders Green arrest response
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said police "should not be above scrutiny" over officers' handling of the suspect's arrest after the Golders Green stabbing attack, while saying he was wrong to raise the issue on X. His comments follow a dispute with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley after Polanski reposted criticism alleging officers kicked the suspect after he was Tasered; police said he had tried to stab officers and was being disarmed.
King Charles tells Congress UK-US partnership is ‘more important’ than ever
Sir David Davis MP website taken offline after compromise and DDoS attack
McSweeney tells MPs backing Mandelson appointment was a “serious error of judgement”
Birmingham bin strike end 'within sight' after council and Unite agree deal principles, leader says
MPs to vote on Starmer referral to Privileges Committee over Mandelson statements
Elections
MORE →Reform UK takes Chorley East from Labour in first declared result as counts begin across Britain
Reform UK took the Chorley East ward from Labour in the first declared result after polls closed, as English local election counts began overnight. Counting in Scotland and Wales will start at 9am on Friday. Senior Labour figures, including David Lammy and Lucy Powell, said the party expected tough results, while analysts said early seat losses will shape perceptions of the outcome.
From county halls to devolved parliaments, Britain’s 7 May elections will test a fractured political map
Reform UK says it would put migrant detention centres in Green-held areas, not Reform seats
Four Labour-linked figures charged over alleged Croydon East selection tampering
Ipsos poll: Britons pick Starmer over Farage head-to-head, but more expect Reform to be largest party
Lisa Nandy says Andy Burnham should have been allowed to stand in Gorton & Denton by-election
Middle East
MORE →Iranian air defences activated in Tehran as explosions reported in Bandar Abbas and Minab
Iranian state-linked outlets Mehr and Fars said air defences were activated in Tehran and that explosions or explosion-like sounds were heard in Bandar Abbas and Minab near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian authorities had not explained the cause, and there were no confirmed reports of casualties or damage; the accounts could not be independently verified. The reports follow recent maritime incidents and security alerts in the strait, a route for about 20% of global oil trade.
Congress nears 60-day Iran war deadline without vote to approve Trump’s conflict
Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire in Lebanon as U.S.-Iran talks stall
Foreign Office Closes Israel War Monitoring Unit, Cutting Key Evidence Used in UK Arms Decisions
Pope Leo criticises linking Christianity to military force as Hegseth invokes faith over Iran war
US officials say American F-15E went down over Iran; search under way for crew
UK
MORE →ECIU analysis warns UK food prices could be 50% above mid-2021 by November
An Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit analysis said UK food prices could be 50% higher by November than at the start of the cost-of-living crisis in mid-2021, if current pressures continue. Official data showed food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose 3.7% in the year to March 2026, while the Bank of England and industry forecasts also pointed to further food inflation later this year.