Inside Politics

Thursday, 24 April, 2025

Wednesday, 23 April, 2025

UK local elections

What to watch in the 2025 local elections

Expect some three-way messy outcomes and finger-pointing, with the Runcorn by-election setting the day’s tone

Tuesday, 22 April, 2025

Education

Graduate visa row exposes Labour’s immigration imperative

Rare red-on-red policy clash suggests number one goal is to reduce net migration to UK

Thursday, 17 April, 2025

Social affairs

Think you can define Britain’s ‘wealthy’? Think again

Deciding who is well-off is no simple task — and calculating how to redistribute should be left to elected politicians

Wednesday, 16 April, 2025

Scottish National party

SNP’s Swinney ‘steadying the ship’ as tariffs test Scottish resilience

First minister focuses on improving NHS, plus Greens co-leader urges party unity after calling time on 17-year tenure

Tuesday, 15 April, 2025

UK politics

Labour must spell out what UK growth will pay for

Focusing on benefits to voters’ wallets would help blunt the threat posed by the likes of Nigel Farage

Monday, 14 April, 2025

UK politics

In defence of Milton Keynes

It is not perfect, but city’s infrastructure-led development and long-term planning may hold key to Labour’s new towns agenda

Friday, 11 April, 2025

UK politics

Labour’s trade and tariff balancing act

Plus, UK tries to negotiate Trump’s minimum rate and broader US economic deal but none of this looks easy

Thursday, 10 April, 2025

UK politics

What do young Britons really think?

Starmer firm on votes at 16 as new youth polling lands, plus digital public services are no miracle cure

Wednesday, 9 April, 2025

Education

Labour’s goal to get kids ‘school ready’ needs a shared script

Disconnection on skills required to start Reception class is impacting learning as family support squeezed

Tuesday, 8 April, 2025

Reform UK

‘Unite the right’ ideas put to town hall test

Formal coalition is off the table but Tories and Reform leave door open to local ‘confidence and supply’ deals

Monday, 7 April, 2025

Trump tariffs

The limits of the UK-US ‘special relationship’

Britain lacks leverage in Trump tariff negotiations, with UK diplomatic and economic priorities looking increasingly European

Friday, 4 April, 2025

UK politics

‘Manchester-style’ mayoralty will not work in London

Proposals to limit the dynamism of Sadiq Khan’s office give voters less — not more — democratic control

Thursday, 3 April, 2025

UK politics

Labour’s diplomatic achievement on tariffs will not pay electoral dividends

Despite UK’s relatively low levy, there is little to gain from being seen to be palling up to Donald Trump

Wednesday, 2 April, 2025

UK politics

Minimum wage rises do not seem to boost UK productivity

Big increases in statutory wage floor has raised workplace intensity, shutting some jobseekers out of employment

Tuesday, 1 April, 2025

UK politics

What should combating racial sentencing disparities look like?

Sentencing Council’s treatment of ethnic minority status as an unchanging fact of life was the wrong approach

Monday, 31 March, 2025

UK politics

Sentencing Council’s new guidelines are corrosive and unfair

Varying pre-sentencing approach based on ethnicity risks eroding support for things we know work

Friday, 28 March, 2025

UK politics

Who will the force be with in May?

Elections to councils and mayoralties are a litmus test for minor parties’ prospects

Thursday, 27 March, 2025

UK Spring Statement 2025

Spring Statement did not stem fiscal doom loop

Labour’s policy mix will not break the cycle of making irreconcilable promises on tax, spending and public services

Wednesday, 26 March, 2025

UK infrastructure

Lower Thames Crossing and Old Trafford projects are welcome investments

New infrastructure schemes show public-private partnership at its best

Tuesday, 25 March, 2025

UK politics

US officials’ leaked messages should spur Europe into action

Comments from vice-president and defence secretary show why Europe must chart its own path on defence

Monday, 24 March, 2025

UK politics

Keir Starmer’s Trump act is politically damaging but necessary

Maintaining ambiguity about the US president and Nato could make the government seem deluded

Friday, 21 March, 2025

UK Spring Statement 2025

Spring Statement will lay bare impending policy trade-offs

Labour’s superficially good position could be rocked by the challenges coming down the track

Thursday, 20 March, 2025

UK politics

‘Fiscal rules’ has become a stock phrase

Government’s internal debate will only move forward when focus shifts to income tax or reversing national insurance cuts

Wednesday, 19 March, 2025

UK politics

No one knows why UK benefit claims have outpaced peer countries

Asking why might well result in answers that involve spending more money