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By [Rustam Wahab]( May 16, 2026 []( 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. []( SUPPORT Support independent fact-checking and journalism - help us keep delivering truth [Donate]( Politics ### [Another Reform councillor has resigned after it emerged he was allegedly living a double life as a hardcore porn star]( []( Another Reform councillor has resigned after it emerged he was allegedly living a double life as a hardcore porn star By Rustam Wahab Politics #### [Nigel Farage Bought 1.4 Million Pound Home In Cash After Receiving 5 Million Pound Gift From Billionaire Donor]( By Michael Patterson Politics #### [Reform UK candidate who won a seat in Sunderland beat his girlfriend black and blue and allegedly abused a child]( By Rustam Wahab Elections #### [Behind Politics UK: the "impartial" platform owned by a Reform councillor]( By Rustam Wahab Politics #### [Reform UK candidate who claimed the Holocaust was a hoax has won a seat in the local elections]( By Rustam Wahab Politics #### [Ed Miliband privately urged Keir Starmer to consider a resignation timeline as Labour braces for devastating election losses]( By Rustam Wahab Elections #### [Reform UK takes Chorley East from Labour in first declared result as counts begin across Britain]( By Michael Patterson ## 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. []( Zack Polanski says police should face scrutiny over Golders Green arrest response By Michael Patterson #### [King Charles tells Congress UK-US partnership is ‘more important’ than ever]( Michael Patterson #### [Sir David Davis MP website taken offline after compromise and DDoS attack]( Michael Patterson #### [McSweeney tells MPs backing Mandelson appointment was a “serious error of judgement”]( Michael Patterson #### [Birmingham bin strike end 'within sight' after council and Unite agree deal principles, leader says]( Michael Patterson #### [MPs to vote on Starmer referral to Privileges Committee over Mandelson statements]( Michael Patterson ## Elections [MORE →]( ### [From county halls to devolved parliaments, Britain’s 7 May elections will test a fractured political map]( Voters across Great Britain will go to the polls on 7 May for elections in 136 English councils, six English local authority mayoral contests, the Scottish Parliament and Wales’s newly expanded 96-seat Senedd. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm, with photo ID required at polling stations in England, while models and polling cited from PollCheck, YouGov and Ipsos point to a fragmented multi-party contest. []( From county halls to devolved parliaments, Britain’s 7 May elections will test a fractured political map By Michael Patterson #### [Reform UK says it would put migrant detention centres in Green-held areas, not Reform seats]( Michael Patterson #### [Four Labour-linked figures charged over alleged Croydon East selection tampering]( Michael OSullivan #### [Ipsos poll: Britons pick Starmer over Farage head-to-head, but more expect Reform to be largest party]( Michael Patterson #### [Lisa Nandy says Andy Burnham should have been allowed to stand in Gorton & Denton by-election]( Michael Patterson #### [Modelling warns Labour could be left controlling as few as two London councils at May borough elections]( Michael Patterson ## 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. []( Iranian air defences activated in Tehran as explosions reported in Bandar Abbas and Minab By Michael Patterson #### [Congress nears 60-day Iran war deadline without vote to approve Trump’s conflict]( Michael Patterson #### [Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire in Lebanon as U.S.-Iran talks stall]( Michael Patterson #### [Foreign Office Closes Israel War Monitoring Unit, Cutting Key Evidence Used in UK Arms Decisions]( Michael Patterson #### [Pope Leo criticises linking Christianity to military force as Hegseth invokes faith over Iran war]( Michael Patterson #### [US officials say American F-15E went down over Iran; search under way for crew]( Michael Patterson ## 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. []( ECIU analysis warns UK food prices could be 50% above mid-2021 by November By Michael Patterson #### [BP first-quarter profit more than doubles to $3.198bn on higher oil prices and trading gains]( Michael Patterson #### [UK Universities Paid Private Firm to Spy on Pro-Palestine Students and Academics]( Rustam Wahab #### [Mandelson Given Access to Top Secret Intelligence Despite Failing Security Vetting]( Rustam Wahab #### [Farage Pledges Mass Deportations of Up to 400,000 Asylum Seekers Under Reform Plan]( Rustam Wahab #### [Britain is bracing for possible shortages of chicken, pork, salad and other everyday groceries this summer if the war in Iran continues]( Rustam Wahab ### UK FACT CHECK POLITICS Independent reporting, transparently verified by objective AI fact-checking #### Categories * [Politics]( * [NHS]( * [Elections]( * [Middle East]( * [Fact Checking News]( * [Editorial]( * [World]( * [UK]( * [Gaza Crisis Data]( #### About * [About / Masthead]( * [Complaints]( * [Terms & Conditions]( * [Privacy Policy]( * [Editorial Standards]( * [Our Fact-Checking]( * [Corrections & Updates]( * [Paid Partners]( #### Resources * [Advocacy]( * [Search]( * [Sitemap]( #### Follow Us [Follow UK Fact Check on Instagram]( UK Fact Check on Facebook]( #### Write for Us * [Write for UK Fact Check]( * [Contact Us]( []( regulated member © 2026 UK FACT CHECK LIMITED. 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