Monday briefing: Rayner rises despite Starmer clash Martin Farrer
Morning everyone. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories this morning.
Angela Rayner has won a major promotion at the top of the Labour party after a turbulent weekend of power battles in the wake of last week’s disastrous Hartlepool byelection result and disappointing local elections. Despite a better showing in mayoral contests and a resounding win in Wales, the news agenda was dominated by her pushback against Keir Starmer’s plans to demote her as party chair. She emerged instead with an enhanced portfolio of jobs, including shadowing the cabinet office minister, Michael Gove, shadow secretary for the future of work and deputy leader. Anneliese Dodds was unable to resist being demoted from the role of shadow chancellor, however, and was replaced by Starmer ally Rachel Reeves, as the reshuffle strengthened the party’s centre. Tracy Brabin’s victory for Labour in the inaugural We
Last modified on Fri 7 May 2021 01.56 EDT
Top story: ‘We are not close to winning this’
Hello, Warren Murray bringing you the last Briefing of the week. Eyes to the skies this weekend for bits of Chinese rocket – although the UK seems to be out of the splash/crash zone.
Labour has all but conceded defeat in the crucial Hartlepool byelection after a Conservative onslaught saw Boris Johnson’s party poised to win the seat for the first time in 62 years. It came amid early signs of a torrid night in the local elections in England, with voters deserting the party for the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and in some cases the Green party. Ballots continue to be tallied up across England, Scotland and Wales following the Super Thursday polls – the largest test of political opinion outside a general election. Follow the latest results with our live tracker.
Last modified on Tue 4 May 2021 01.39 EDT
Top story: Local elections campaigning heats up
Hello, I’m Warren Murray back with Tuesday’s news.
The UK still has a system that allows power to be abused, Keir Starmer has said, pledging that the Labour party will “clean up our politics”. In the final days before polls close for local, mayoral, Welsh and Scottish elections, the Labour leader will attempt to draw a close connection between the stories of Tory sleaze and their effect on ordinary people. Labour sources said Starmer would link the row over Boris Johnson’s lavish Downing St refurbishments to the early days of the pandemic and question whether the prime minister was distracted as he apparently sought donors to sponsor the decorations, which he has now funded himself.
Monday briefing: MPs sound alarm on holidays abroad
The British government is expected to announce details of its traffic light travel rules ‘shortly’. Photograph: Alamy
All-party group warns over importing variants … Briton named among Israel festival dead … sexual exploitation of minors is ‘everywhere’, says Billie Eilish
by AlisonRourke
Mon 3 May 2021 01.26 EDT
Last modified on Mon 3 May 2021 01.32 EDT
Top story: ‘Reduce risk of third wave’
Good morning and welcome to this Monday briefing with me, Alison Rourke.
Don’t holiday abroad even when it’s legal to do so is the recommendation of the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus. In a report out today, the group says the government “should discourage all international leisure travel to prevent the importation of new variants into the UK, in order to reduce the risk of a third wave and further lockdowns”. Ministers have confirmed that a traffic light system is to be put in place listing differ