Predicting every London election result Plus: What's the tube strike ACTUALLY about?

It’s the most Bluesky thing that’s ever happened: Comment is Freed x London Centric local elections prediction collab just dropped. www.londoncentric.media/p/london-loc...

PM Says It Is 'Staggering' And 'Unforgiveable' He Wasn't Told About Mandelson Vetting Failure Keir Starmer has said he is 'absolutely furious' that he wasn't told that Lord Mandelson failed security vetting before being appointed US ambassad...

Keir Starmer: "I was not told that he had failed security vetting, no minister was told... No 10 wasn't told, that is completely unacceptable"

"It is totally unacceptable that the Prime Minister making an appointment is not told that security vetting has been failed"

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 Is this Andy Burnham's moment?

👑 MP Karl Turner and @profjanegreen.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social, @siennarodgers.bsky.social and @tomscotson.bsky.social to discuss whether the so-called ‘king of the north’ will make it back down to Westminster

🎧 Listen: pod.fo/e/400299

Things you never thought you’d hear an MP say

“For me, it's not about the summer of sex, it is about an all-year-round focus on the cost of living" –
@tomhayesmp.bsky.social

My interview with MP Samantha Niblett about her "summer of sex" campaign has blown up somewhat

Perhaps she's right about this: "We just need to acknowledge that humans have a natural interest in sex..."

The interview has had *mixed* responses from the PLP in private so far

1/3

Kemi Badenoch brought up my interview at #PMQs, accusing Labour MPs of "promoting sex toys in Parliament" at a "moment of profound national seriousness"

How A Secret Government Report Delayed Leeds' Long-Awaited Trams The long wait in Leeds for a tram network was recently extended yet again. Noah Vickers uncovers the real reasons for the latest delay

NEW: How A Secret Government Report Delayed Leeds' Long-Awaited Trams

My @thehousemag.bsky.social feature includes more detail from the confidential NISTA 'peer review':

www.politicshome.com/news/article...

These are not sentences I ever thought I would write as a political reporter

Labour MP Samantha Niblett wants Britain to have more open and inclusive conversations about sex – and that includes talking about it herself!

Labour MP Launches ‘Summer Of Sex’ Campaign To Overhaul Sex Education Labour MP Samantha Niblett has launched a campaign to make 2026 the “summer of sex”, as she pushes for more open, inclusive lifelong sex education.

MP Samantha Niblett says she wants to make 2026 the “summer of sex”

"She's hoping to arrange two events...including one where she intends to bring sex toys into Parliament...though she is currently in conversation with parliamentary security over whether the devices will be allowed onto the estate"

Good to see other outlets picking up on House mag reporting from Thorpeness last month

You can read my dispatch from the Suffolk village where homeowners are left liable for the costs of demolishing their own homes – but only after a bat survey – below 👇
www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Ed Davey: Hillary Clinton Told Me To “Stand Up To Bullies” Like Reform UK Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton privately urged Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey to “stand up to bullies” like Reform UK during a ...

NEW: Interview w/ Lib Dem leader Ed Davey

🔶 Davey thinks the Lib Dems could pick up environmental-focused Green voters who are unhappy with their party’s leftward shift

👀 He shares some of his more critical MPs’ “restlessness”

🇺🇸 Hillary Clinton gave him some “choice advice” about fighting Reform

This is just one by-election result, but it's a fascinating one for Reform's "flagship" council (the by-election for Kent County Council was held after the Cliftonville Reform Cllr was jailed)

Results breakdown:

April 2026:
🟢Greens - 39%
💠Reform - 33%

May 2025:
🟢Greens- 12%
💠Reform-40%

Labour MP Cat Eccles has said scaling back jury trials is "not only misguided but harmful", and that the focus should be on addressing "chronic underinvestment, poor coordination and systemic inefficiencies" in the court system

reports @matildamartin.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

🚨 OUT NOW🚨 How do ministers reform public services?

@rebeccamckee.bsky.social senior researcher at the Institute for Government, chief executive of Re:State @charliepickles.bsky.social, and Conservative peer Baroness Simone Finn discuss public service reform

🎧Listen now: pod.fo/e/3fac8d

Hall of fame FT correction

This gives me hope for the future of journalism

The more publishers realise that clickbait ≠ long-term revenue, the better!

Leeds Tram Plan Was Working To 'Unrealistic Milestones', Secret Government Report Warned Exclusive: Tracy Brabin’s attempts to start construction on a Leeds tram network before her next re-election campaign were blocked after a confiden...

My (fab) colleague @noahvickers.bsky.social reveals why West Yorkshire tram has faced delays🚊

Reveals details of a secret govt report showing Tracy Brabin’s attempts to start construction on the network before her next re-election campaign were blocked due to a high risk of wasted taxpayers’ cash

Leeds Tram Plan Was Working To 'Unrealistic Milestones', Secret Government Report Warned Exclusive: Tracy Brabin’s attempts to start construction on a Leeds tram network before her next re-election campaign were blocked after a confiden...

EXCLUSIVE: @thehousemag.bsky.social has obtained the confidential government report which delayed West Yorkshire's planned tram network.

It warned the scheme was working to "unrealistic milestones" and there was a "high" risk of public money being wasted:

www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Government Looks At Bringing In Tougher Laws To Restrict Fireworks Sales Exclusive: The government is carrying out a consultation on whether to implement tougher laws on the public sale of fireworks.

Exc from @zoecrowther.bsky.social

The consultation is expected to seek input on how the public can balance the enjoyment of fireworks with reducing harm and distress to vulnerable people and animals🐈‍⬛

Student Loans To Be Capped At 6 Per Cent As Iran War Drives Inflation Interest rates on some student loans will be capped at six per cent from September amid the conflict in the Middle East, the government has announc...

🎓Interest rates on Plan 2 & 3 student loans will be capped at 6% from September amid the conflict in the Middle East, the govt has announced

Minister for Skills, Jacqui Smith, said on Tuesday that while "the risk of global shocks" from the war is "beyond our control, protecting people here is not"

Are The Lib Dems Still Haunted By Tuition Fees? The issue of student loans has recently exploded into life, with the government's decision to freeze the repayment threshold prompting outrage and ...

With all major parties making noise on the student finance system, I took a look at the Lib Dems' coalition-era tuition fees U-turn that fractured the party

Now that more than 15 years have passed, are the Lib Dems ready to talk about student finance again?

Are The Lib Dems Still Haunted By Tuition Fees? The issue of student loans has recently exploded into life, with the government's decision to freeze the repayment threshold prompting outrage and ...

With all major parties making noise on the student finance system, I took a look at the Lib Dems' coalition-era tuition fees U-turn that fractured the party

Now that more than 15 years have passed, are the Lib Dems ready to talk about student finance again?

Travelodge Given Almost £70m In Public Money Since 2022 Hotel Room Assault There are growing questions over whether Travelodge should continue to receive taxpayers' money after PoliticsHome revealed that the public sector ...

Exclusive: We reveal Travelodge has been handed over £68m by the public sector (including to house vulnerable people) since a woman was sexually assaulted in one of its rooms in 2022

There are now growing questions over whether Travelodge should continue to receive taxpayers' money

Interesting report in the Times yesterday re Zack Polanski targeting trade unions with appearances at conferences -Polanski appeared at NEU this week

@politicshome.bsky.social reported back in January that support for Labour had collapsed among school staff + support for the Greens had soared

Shout out to @jessmccabe.bsky.social for first reporting the comments, that’s the power of specialist journalism by reporters and editors who know their beat

Travelodge Given Almost £70m In Public Money Since 2022 Hotel Room Assault There are growing questions over whether Travelodge should continue to receive taxpayers' money after PoliticsHome revealed that the public sector ...

Exclusive: We reveal Travelodge has been handed over £68m by the public sector (including to house vulnerable people) since a woman was sexually assaulted in one of its rooms in 2022

There are now growing questions over whether Travelodge should continue to receive taxpayers' money

PM Warns Re-Opening Strait Of Hormuz 'Will Not Be Easy' Keir Starmer has warned that attempts to resume the vital flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz 'will not be easy' in a Downing Street state...

Speaking from Downing Street this morning, Starmer said that it is "increasingly clear" in light of the war in the Middle East that the UK's "long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe and with the European Union"

Are the Greens taking Reform votes? The Green surge might do more than just upend Labour

I'm late to it but @bwalker.uk spots something that makes sense, but is still fascinating: the Greens seem to be taking votes from Reform

"Some voters are looking more to Shake Things Up than pursue a necessarily right or left platform. They may see little difference in a Green or Reform vote"

'I Feel Proud And Privileged': House Of Lords Employee Retiring After Almost 50 Years In Parliament The Printed Paper Office’s Shaun Connor is retiring after an extraordinary 48 years of service to Parliament. He tells Noah Vickers about his varie...

On his first day, his line manager explained he’d be working in the Records Office in the Victoria Tower

“I said to him, naively: ‘Records! I love records. I spend all my money buying records.’ He looked at me and said: ‘Not those kinds of records.’”

Wonderful piece by @noahvickers.bsky.social

Interesting report in the Times yesterday re Zack Polanski targeting trade unions with appearances at conferences -Polanski appeared at NEU this week

@politicshome.bsky.social reported back in January that support for Labour had collapsed among school staff + support for the Greens had soared