POLITICS UK

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Local political news across the West of England. Choose your area for an Intelligence Hub.

COUNCILSource8 Sept

Here in Liverpool, buses are back under public control – and that's great for the only people who really matter | Steve Rotheram

Guardian — Politics

For decades we were told that privatisation would deliver better services. The experience of millions of passengers tells a different story Steve Rotheram is mayor of the Liverpool city region One of the best-known scenes from the TV series The Inbetweeners is the four angst-ridden teenage characters shouting abuse at people queueing at a bus stop. Only l…

COUNCILSource3 Sept

Sadiq Khan cleared of car tax conviction caused by 'scam'

Guardian — Politics

Magistrates in Hereford withdraw case against London mayor over untaxed Nissan Micra that is not his UK politics live – latest updates A car tax conviction against the mayor of London has been withdrawn after it transpired that he was targeted by a "scam" that led to him being fined for failing to tax a car that was not his. Sadiq Khan was found guilty la…

COUNCILSource17 Aug

Burnham scraps restrictions on disabled people's bus passes in England

Guardian — Politics

Move means holders will be able to travel free on local services at any time of day or night from April next year Disabled people across England will be able to use their free bus passes at any time of day from next April, as Andy Burnham expands a policy he introduced as mayor of Greater Manchester. The prime minister has said the current weekday restric…

COUNCILSource9 Aug

London mayor orders council to drop plan to ban new pubs and bars in Soho and West End

Guardian — Politics

Exclusive: Sadiq Khan urges Westminster council to adopt 'positive vision of economic growth' of nightlife Sadiq Khan has ordered Westminster council to scrap a policy that would ban new pubs and bars from opening in Soho and the West End of London. This comes after the Guardian revealed the council's new licensing policy asks pubs to stop customers from…

COUNCILPublic Body25 Jun

Bath & North East Somerset secures funding to extend Park & Ride evening services

West of England Combined Authority

Residents and visitors in Bath & North East Somerset can benefit from improved evening travel, as the council has successfully secured funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA) to continue extending Park & Ride bus services later into the evening.

PARLIAMENTSource10h ago

Andy Burnham is lucky – Polanski, Farage and Badenoch all seem determined to help him | Jonathan Freedland | Jonathan Freedland

Guardian — Politics

Everywhere the PM turns, he finds generous adversaries. They have made his early days in No 10 so much easier I don't know where Andy Burnham found his magic lamp, but I hope he's taking good care of it. In the early hours of Friday morning, the genie that's looked so kindly on him these past few months granted him yet another wish, with a byelection win…

PLANNINGSource3d ago

Loss of green space could be issue that decides Holborn and St Pancras byelection

Guardian — Politics

Labour could pay price for disappearance of parks and playgrounds around Euston station When HS2 construction began around London's Euston station in 2017 and people living nearby watched parks and playgrounds give way to diggers and rubble, they were promised that the lost green space would be replaced. "They have to give it all back," said Dorothea Hack…

COUNCILSource18 Sept

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson joins Palantir

Guardian — Politics

Peer takes full-time position at the controversial company as it fends off pressure from both Andy Burnham's government and Sadiq Khan Another former government minister has been hired by a controversial US AI company, this time Palantir, which has appointed Andy Burnham's former ministerial colleague Tom Watson. The Labour peer and former deputy leader w…

PARLIAMENTSource11 Sept

How did your MP vote on the reintroduced assisted dying bill?

Guardian — Politics

MPs today voted not to approve the assisted dying bill at its second reading. The bill, which was brought back to the Commons after being blocked in the Lords, would allow terminally ill people to end their lives with medical help in some circumstances. Find out how your MP voted Continue reading.

PARLIAMENTSource11 Sept

Greens select Zack Polanski to run in Holborn and St Pancras byelection

Guardian — Politics

Leader has said Greens are underdogs in race for Keir Starmer's former seat but he is confident they can beat Labour Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, has been selected as its candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras byelection on 8 October. The seat became vacant this month when the former prime minister Keir Starmer announced he was leaving parliam…

PARLIAMENTSource11 Sept

MPs to vote again on assisted dying as bill returns to parliament – UK politics live

Guardian — Politics

Bill would allow terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to end their lives, after the approval of a panel of experts Morning, and welcome to our UK politics blog. The assisted dying bill is back in the Commons today, where MPs will vote on a proposal that would allow adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to seek me…

COUNCILPolitics UK1 Sept

Kemi Badenoch's appoints new shadow cabinet: who's in and who's out

Politics UK

Kemi Badenoch has overhauled her shadow cabinet with a series of new appointments. The Conservative leader reshuffled her top team after James Cleverly, the former housing secretary, stood down from the party's frontbench in order to announce his campaign to stand as mayor of London. Among the casualties of Badenoch's reshuffle were Mel Stride, the.

PARLIAMENTSource25 Aug

As a doctor, I say this: before we even consider assisted dying, fix how we care for the most vulnerable | Zubir Ahmed

Guardian — Politics

A person's wish to die can be shaped by whether they have access to proper palliative care – and in England and Wales, too many do not Zubir Ahmed is a transplant surgeon and former Labour minister As a doctor, I have spent much of my professional life caring for people at some of the most vulnerable moments they will ever face. I have seen the anxiety th…

COUNCILSource21 Aug

The Guardian view on Andy Burnham's buses: a blueprint for governing Britain | Editorial

Guardian — Politics

The prime minister is right to think that taking Manchester's model national could widen opportunity, clean the air and rebuild state capacity. Other public services could be next Barely a month into his premiership, Andy Burnham is already taking the lessons of Manchester's buses national. This week his government backed the West Midlands mayor Richard P…

PARLIAMENTSource21 Aug

Nigel Farage called us 'nobodies' in the Clacton byelection. He seems to treat the town in much the same way | Attieh Fard

Guardian — Politics

I had few resources as a candidate, but the contest allowed me to speak to local people about their lives and their MP. They deserve so much better In the early hours of last Friday morning, a video was posted. It showed Nigel Farage among his team of volunteers, before the votes had been counted, celebrating his victory and saying that he was not going t…

PARLIAMENTSource14 Aug

Standards watchdog resumes investigation into Nigel Farage over financial gifts

Guardian — Politics

Reform UK leader's return to Clacton restarts inquiry into £5m gift from cyrpto-billionaire and support from fraudster The suspended parliamentary standards investigation into Nigel Farage over accusations he failed to declare gifts and donations has resumed after the Reform UK leader's re-election as the MP for Clacton. The twofold investigation by Danie…

PARLIAMENTSource12 Aug

Nigel Farage and Count Binface: a visual guide to their electoral careers

Guardian — Politics

Farage was elected to EU parliament five times before becoming Clacton MP, while Binface has been less successful – so far Nigel Farage has been standing in British elections since 1994, when he narrowly beat Screaming Lord Sutch of the Monster Raving Loony party into fourth place in a Commons byelection. He was elected five times to the European parliame…

PARLIAMENTSource5 Aug

Former neo-Nazi activist withdraws as Conservative election candidate

Guardian — Politics

Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who was convicted of harassing Jewish MP, says Badenoch has offered him advisory role instead • UK politics live – latest updates A former neo-Nazi activist who was convicted of harassing a Jewish MP has withdrawn as a Conservative election candidate after his selection prompted an outcry from Jewish groups and others. Joshua Bonehi…