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Adrian Ramsay says some new members would be ‘more at home’ in Your Party or Socialist Workers party The former Green party leader Adrian Ramsay has said the party must fix its internal democracy to avoid a takeover by the hard left, saying that some new members “might be more at home” in Your Party or the Socialist Workers party. Ramsay, who has been critical of the handling of the row over a “Zionism is racism” motion passed at the Green party conference, said there were a “small number” of in

Manifesto promise to equalise rates before next election is now ‘a question of when’, John Healey tells BBC Labour looks less likely to meet its manifesto pledge to equalise the minimum wage for younger workers before the next election, after the chancellor failed to guarantee the rise within that timeframe. John Healey said on Sunday the government was still committed to the increase but failed to spell out when it would be achieved. In the budget, a rise in the minimum wage was handed to adult

Tory leader says apology would be ‘navel-gazing distraction’ and would be used as lever for financial compensation Kemi Badenoch has said an apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade would be a “navel-gazing distraction”, describing slavery as an evil “in which people from every continent and region participated”. Speaking to broadcasters on Sunday, Badenoch also questioned whether it was worth future leaders attending the Commonwealth summit, given that it was now dominated by

Former chancellor says leaving European Union has made Britain ‘poorer, weaker and less secure’ The former chancellor Rachel Reeves has argued the UK’s future should be inside the EU, saying Brexit has made the UK “poorer, weaker and less secure”. Writing in the Sunday Times, the Labour former cabinet minister said she welcomed “Andy Burnham’s leadership” after remarks made by the prime minister in recent days fuelled questions about the prospect of Britain returning to the bloc or adopting its

What if someone told you the truth about the economy? For years, governments have tried spending more, spending less, cutting red tape, Brexit, levelling up – and still failed to increase growth per person in the UK. So what’s the lesson from the great British fairytale? On the latest episode of Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty, rebel economists Karel Williams and Sukhdev Johal explain why they believe praying for growth is a fool’s dream – and why it won’t improve your life You can wat

UK children’s minister Josh MacAlister has travelled to Copenhagen to see what can be learned from Danish system In a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Copenhagen sits a large white house, set back from the road behind a purple-leaved plum tree. It looks much like the rest of the buildings on the street and there is little outward sign this is Josephine Schneider’s House, considered one of the best children’s homes in the world. Danish children’s homes are often cited as the gold standard of chil

We need policies that stop treating property as a store of wealth and that allow people to move home cheaply John Healey’s critics on the right and left accused him of dodging the big questions in his first budget. The chancellor failed to announce reforms that might tackle some of Britain’s chronic problems, they say. Healey’s scatter-gun budget, as the Resolution Foundation called it, was more about politics than economics, and unapologetically so. Continue reading...

Shift in dealings with Washington not likely to reset once Trump leaves Oval Office, former PM says The UK and other European nations must draw closer together as the US becomes a less-reliable partner, Keir Starmer has said in his first significant political intervention since leaving No 10. The former prime minister warned European leaders of the threat posed by Russia, among others, and said the shift in relations with Washington during Donald Trump’s presidency was not likely to reset once h

For Westminster’s special budget edition of the series, politicians have played to their strengths. Bombast, duplicity, distrust: it’s all second nature You join us on a steam train in Scotland as we head to the next episode of the BBC’s hit show Political Traitors. It’s like the celebrity edition, except that everyone is less comely – politics being the practice of show business for ugly people. For this week’s task, the players have to construct a “budget” of tiny crowd-pleasing measures, care

What if someone told you the truth about the economy? For years, governments have tried spending more, spending less, cutting red tape, Brexit, levelling up – and still failed to increase growth per person in the UK. So what’s the lesson from the great British fairytale? On the latest episode of Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty, the rebel economists Karel Williams and Sukhdev Johal explain why they believe praying for growth is a fool’s dream – and why it won’t improve your life You can

John Healey’s budget offered a ‘sting in the tail’ for savers by raising tax rates but there are ways to ease the pain Savers were both winners and losers in Wednesday’s budget. In his first outing as chancellor, John Healey dropped a plan to cut the cash Isa limit for under-65s but surprised everyone with an extra tax charge on savings and property income. His predecessor, Rachel Reeves, had already announced a plan to increase the income tax rates for savers and landlords that was due to take

There is always debate about the concept’s necessity and efficacy. But with nativists in their pomp, it’s good to focus on who we are and why What forces shaped four generations of Black Britons? | The panel Pity Black History Month UK, assailed on all sides. Those on the right seek to end the celebration on the basis that it amounts to special treatment for a group that doesn’t deserve it. History should be colour-blind: society should not differentiate, they say. We are not racist, we just wan

For Black History Month, figures from the arts, culture and sport reveal the people and ideas that made them who they are today When you’re traduced, abused and gaslighted – believe me, Black History Month matters | Hugh Muir Continue reading...

Consultation follows growing calls from campaigners, vets and National Farmers’ Union for tighter regulation As the nights draw in, the season of sparklers begins, with Diwali, Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve among the occasions typically celebrated with fireworks. But if campaigners get their way, this could be the last blast for bangers in the back yard. In January concerns about the noise and availability of fireworks were aired in a parliamentary debate, with two petitions clocking up more

Financial reparations are not the answer. Working together with our Commonwealth family is the best way to ensure prosperity for us all On 28 October 1787, Thomas Clarkson pushed through the crowds to reach the pulpit of Manchester Cathedral. A campaigner for abolishing slavery, he spoke urgently about the horrors of the slave trade and the humanity of enslaved people. “He drinks the cup of sorrow,” Clarkson said. “And he drinks it at our hands.” During Black History Month, these are the stories

Exclusive: UK PM to launch drive to restructure debt of poorest Commonwealth countries but rejects demands for reparations • British people can’t be made to pay for the wrongs of slavery – but we must confront our complicated history | Andy Burnham Andy Burnham has gone further than any previous prime minister towards offering a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, in a Guardian article ahead of a Commonwealth leaders’ summit where the subject is expected to domina