The State of It

A furious Nigel Farage has said he will ‘stick two fingers up to the establishment’ by resigning and then winning a by-election in Clacton. Kemi Badenoch has accused him of having a hissy fit and Andy Burnham has said it's a gimmick designed to distract from questions over undeclared gifts. Will the Conservatives and Labour field candidates in the Clacton by-election? Will a Reform UK victory in C...

Nigel Farage could face an investigation by the parliamentary watchdog after a Sunday Times investigation and podcast series raised questions about gifts and benefits in kind that he has received from George Cottrell, a crypto-gambler and convicted fraudster, who's better known as Posh George. Gabriel and Steve discuss how Reform UK has reacted to the story and what could happen next. Both George...

Andy Burnham is keeping his cards close to his chest and no one seems to know who'll get what job. That means there's a huge amount of paranoia and jostling for position the Labour Party. Cabinet ministers and MPs are lavishing praise upon him, but they're worried about his plans - both on policy and personnel. There's a lot of ill-feeling that could bubble up to the surface surprisingly quickly....

There is considerable intrigue around Andy Burnham's possible cabinet, not least because the eldest Miliband brother is being linked to the position of Foreign Secretary. Are we about to see UK politic's Cain and Able story return for a second round? And most importantly, Is Andy Burnham ready? Burnham's debut speech caused headlines with his bold plans to reshape the British state. But there are...

Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer both want an orderly transition but one day in, it's looking anything but orderly. It's a transition beset with bad blood and uncertainty and also some serious technical hurdles. Is he building a plane mid-flight or is he more like Gromit, sitting on a speeding train, laying down the track in front of him? The biggest unanswered question facing Andy Burnham is who wil...

Andy Burnham could be prime minister within weeks after Keir Starmer's resignation. He may now need to build a government before the World Cup final. This is where the real trade-offs start. How long can Andy Burnham's hopey, changey, Northern Soul vibes last in Downing Street? There's already an almighty row going on over who will be his chancellor. Also today, where did all go wrong for Keir Sta...

Andy Burnham's victory in Makerfield makes him Labour leader and prime minister in waiting. How will the next days and weeks play out? Keir Starmer has said he will stand in a leadership contest if one is triggered. So does that mean a bloody contest rather than a coronation? In a special episode recorded live on Times Radio with Ed Vaizey, we go through the possible scenarios. And if Andy Burnham...

Makerfield is the most consequential by-election in history. Andy Burnham is confident he'll win. What happens then? When and how does he make a move? What can Keir Starmer do to thwart him? We have several scoops for you today. Listen to find out which cabinet ministers are thinking of resigning after Makerfield and which senior figure has been ghosting the PM. If Andy Burnham does get to Number...

Exclusive stories from the front line of the government's war over defence spending. And there's a swagger about Andy Burnham's team: they're more and more confident that he'll win in Makerfield. What happens next? And how will the enmity between Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer influence the outcome? Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times...

Nigel Farage has said that the death of Henry Nowak is proof that "we’re living in a two-tier culture...where the rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities". Police bodycam footage shows Nowak, 18, being arrested for alleged racial abuse minutes before he died from stab wounds in December 2025. It's a tragedy that's very quickly become political. We explain...

In the Makerfield by-election, Reform UK have put forward a local plumber in the hope of derailing Burnham’s push for power — but a string of deeply questionable old social media posts has left the campaign wobbling. Meanwhile, on Reform’s right flank, Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain party is threatening to split the vote after a Sunday Times poll put them on 7% — enough to potentially hand Labour t...

Scoop: Keir Starmer thinks he can remain prime minister till 2027, even if Andy Burnham wins in Makerfield...And if Burnham loses, what then? Fear and loathing in Number 10: we have details about the extraordinary levels of anger at the top of government. Makerfield is the most consequential by-election in history. Can Andy Burnham win in this pro-Brexit, anti-establishment seat? He's pitching him...

Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary, but he hasn't launched a leadership challenge. Why not? More than 90 Labour MPs have now called for the prime minister to go, but Keir Starmer is hanging on. What can he do now? And what's the next move for Angela Rayner, Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband? Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times...

An extraordinary day in British politics: Keir Starmer vows to fight on, but the resignations keep on coming. How long can the prime minister survive? What's next, and who will move first? Wes Streeting has one shot: will he take it? What is Andy Burnham's plan? Recorded at Temple Church as part of the Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words. Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Patrick Mag...

For now, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer vows to stay as the Reform leader Nigel Farage calls this a “truly historic shift in British politics”  Steven and Lara caught up at the Times office in Westminster just after 4pm to unpack the results from England’s local council and mayoral elections, alongside national contests in Scotland and Wales, as Reform and the Greens surge and Labour suffer...

Thursday's local elections are set to blow apart Britain’s political duopoly, and the fallout for Labour could be existential. Pressure is mounting on the Prime Minister as rivals circle. Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham are all positioning. But who moves first? Meanwhile, it's not all smooth sailing for the insurgents. Questions over Reform's Nigel Farage’s £5 million gift from Thai-...

Morgan McSweeney has told MPs that the revelations about Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein were like a knife through his soul. The more we learn about the appointment process, the madder it sounds. And the odd thing is that crucial decisions were not written down: there are no receipts. There's a mood building in the Labour Party that Keir Starmer will need to go big or go home:...

Sir Olly Robbins dropped bombshell after bombshell when he spoke to MPs. Robbins, who was sacked as the Foreign Office’s chief civil servant, has accused Downing Street of placing the department under constant pressure to get Lord Mandelson through vetting. He also said the prime minister had tried to find an ambassadorial job for Matthew Doyle, another Labour peer who's been in trouble for a frie...

Everything you need to know about the latest instalment of the Mandelson scandal. What Labour MPs are saying about Keir Starmer; our verdict on whether he can survive it, and why Patrick thinks the prime minister is doing "the political equivalent of smoking outside a hospital". Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy...

Kidney machines replaced with rockets and guns : Keir Starmer says security is his priority but where will the money for defence come from and when will he tell us? On the road with Nigel Farage. If the polls are right, which major cabinet minister is likely to lose their seat? Spoiler: most of them. And as Labour moves closer to the EU, can they convince voters that it's a good idea? Steven Swinf...

As Reform rolls its tanks onto Labour’s lawn across the old Red Wall and the Greens set their sights on London, Starmer braces for a bruising set of local elections. Has David Lammy given up on London? And Steve reveals Reform's antagonistic campaigning slogan... Meanwhile, with the economic toll from the Iranian conflict unfolding, we explain how it might take Gabriel a little longer to find his...

Inside the negotiations between the government and the doctors' union, the BMA. Why is Keir Starmer putting himself front and centre of this rather than leaving it to his health secretary, Wes Streeting? Even though the Green Party's spring conference this weekend descended into chaotic rows, their leader Zack Polanski has a plan to win over the unions, and it might just work. We have some exclusi...

We reveal what happened when Morgan McSweeney lost his phone, and what it means for the Mandelson files. As Angela Rayner looks like she's preparing to challenge Keir Starmer, other senior Labour MPs are jostling for position. What is the government willing and able to do to help in the Strait of Hormuz? Spoiler: not much. And as the questions about Britain's economy and place in the world get har...

EXCLUSIVE: how the British government could intervene in the Strait of Hormuz. Is falling out with Donald Trump politically helpful for Keir Starmer? What is the government likely to do about energy bills? Angela Rayner is back and she's trying to reassure the City that everything would be fine if she were PM. Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentato...

What does Keir Starmer do all day? Who is now pulling the strings in Downing Street? And why is it all going so wrong? Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund speak to Hugo Rifkind about their updated edition of their book, Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer. Hugo Rifkind, presenter, Times Radio and How To Win An Election Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Gabriel Po...