Politics

Hail Andy, King of Makerfield 

William Cash | June 19, 2026

As vultures circle Downing Street, now that Burnham is back as an MP, Starmer must realise that resigning is going to be better for the Labour Party than a humiliating forced exit.

Musical chairs again in Downing Street

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | June 18, 2026

What will a Burnham government look like ? Lucy Carrier-Pilkington analyses what a change of prime minister will mean for the country and who will be the likely winners and losers.

‘Al is a born leader’: The dark horse of the Labour leadership contest 

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | June 16, 2026

Ex-Royal Marines commando emerges as the plan B candidate in the race for Labour leadership.

The social media ban: game changer or rushed job?

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | June 16, 2026

Debate has erupted over whether the new policy is an overdue attempt to rein in Silicon Valley or a short-sighted, politically motivated move that will push children towards less regulated corners of the internet.

Reform v Restore: the English civil war in Makerfield that will decide the next Labour prime minister

William Cash | June 15, 2026

With Restore and Reform tearing votes off each other, the Makerfield by-election could propel Andy Burnham into Number 10. But, asks William Cash, will Restore’s percentage of the vote on Thursday change the future UK political landscape?

Memo to the new Defence Secretary before the NATO summit: “It’s not all about the money”

Mace | June 12, 2026

Creating a Defence Industrial base with no new money is going to be a challenge for any Defence Secretary. But, argues defence expert William Wallace, there are several free things that Dan Jarvis can starting thinking about before the NATO summit in Turkey, on 7-8th July.

Reflections on May: London’s new political landscape

Jonny Popper | June 11, 2026

May’s local elections completely transformed London’s political landscape, argues CEO Jonny Popper.

When it comes to English police reform, do not repeat the mistakes made north of the border

Mace | June 5, 2026

The dismal results of reducing the police force in Scotland should act as a cautionary deterrent for English police reform, writes Sharon Dowey, a former member of the Scottish Parliament’s criminal justice committee.

Checkmate DC’s bold London move

William Cash | June 5, 2026

Tristan Breijer is the new London head of Checkmate Government Relations. The move into London gives the US lobby firm its first European base, bringing its global power-broking network, with close links to the Trump administration, to the “heart of European policymaking”.

Gradually and suddenly: how VAT is slowly killing off traditional private education

Mace | June 5, 2026

Latest Dept of Education figures reveal over 40,000 independent school pupils dropping out since Labour’s VAT raid. But, The Mace argues, surging fees, an arms race for facilities and a marketing drive for “overseas” pupils, has long made the traditional private school model unsustainable.