Tilda Martin

The Corbyn-Sultana Power Struggle: How 'Your Party' Got Here And How It Ends Ahead of its founding conference, Sienna Rodgers reports on the hostilities within the new left-wing project, Your Party, as Jeremy Corbyn and Zara...

“The whole thing is like an elaborate leftist self-parody performance,” one left-wing source remarks drily. “We’ve got more factions than MPs,” sighs a senior figure.

@siennarodgers.bsky.social reports on the hostilities within Your Party

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

Reform Is Losing Councillors Elected In May At An 'Unusual' Rate Reform UK has lost more than 5 per cent of the councillors it had elected six months ago, an analysis by PoliticsHome has found.

A reminder that Reform UK has lost more than 5% of the councillors it had elected 6 months ago

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

Reform UK expels Kent councillor after alleged video leak Isabella Kemp said she

More bad news for Reform in Kent as 2 previously suspended councillors now permanently expelled

Kemp expelled "following an internal investigation into leaking of confidential information"

Fothergill expelled for failing to disclose "a serious matter" during vetting
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Whitehall Decision Making Procedure Could Be Overhauled To Stop Delays The government is considering scrapping Whitehall's 'write-round' process as part of its bid to speed up decision making, PoliticsHome understands

Exclusive:

As part of the Whitehall delivery drive, the Labour government is looking at overhauling the 'write-round' process that has been used by Cabinet for years

Frustrated insiders say it creates needless delays and are pushing for a shake-up

It'll be major reform if they go for it

'It's About Earning Consent': Inside The Labour Government's 'Difficult Tightrope' On Immigration Government insiders believe there is political space to set out a more positive case for legal immigration. But even Labour MPs who support a progr...

In a feature for @politicshome.bsky.social I’ve explored the debate behind the government’s “difficult tightrope” on immigration policy

Govt insiders believe there’s political space to set out more of a positive case for skilled legal immigration – but even MPs who support this admit it’s "risky"

Departments Split On Size Of International Student Levy Exclusive: There is disagreement within the government over how big the new levy on international students should be.

I understand there's a split within govt over how big the controversial new levy on international students should be

The q at the moment is whether it should be 6% or a £1,000 fee

Different depts & unis would favour one over the other....read more below👇
www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Half of 2024 Labour Voters Have Gone Elsewhere, Party Privately Tells MPs Half of voters who backed Labour at the last general election have deserted the party, according to internal polling shared with Labour MPs.

Half of voters who backed Labour in 2024 have deserted the party, according to internal polling shared with Labour MPs, reports PolHome's Harriet Symonds

The figures suggest Labour's lost vote is broadly split between its left and right flanks, demonstrating the electoral challenge facing the party

Keir Starmer Says No 10 Briefings Against Wes Streeting Are 'Completely Unacceptable” Keir Starmer has said any attack on his Cabinet 'is completely unacceptable” and come to the defence of Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

"Any attack on any member of my Cabinet is completely unacceptable," Keir Starmer told PMQs on Wednesday

He also came to the defence of Wes Streeting, who was the subject of hostile briefings by unnamed No 10 sources overnight

@tomscotson.bsky.social reports

'It's About Earning Consent': Inside The Labour Government's 'Difficult Tightrope' On Immigration Government insiders believe there is political space to set out a more positive case for legal immigration. But even Labour MPs who support a progr...

“We need to do something... but it makes me nervous"

Government insiders believe there is political space to make a more positive case for legal immigration. But even Labour MPs who want a progressive shift admit it comes with risk

@zoecrowther.bsky.social goes inside the "tightrope" debate

Portsmouth Lib Dem Jason Fazackarley defects to Reform UK Jason Fazackarley's switch means Reform UK now has eight councillors on Portsmouth City Council.

An interesting story from Portsmouth this morning where latest YouGov MRP projects Pmouth North for Reform & Pmouth South for Labour in a GE

-also interesting area to keep an eye on next year, with elections for a new Mayor of Hampshire and the Solent set for May 2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Labour MPs Say No 10 Briefing Has Increased Wes Streeting’s Chances Of Becoming PM Labour MPs have told PoliticsHome that Wes Streeting’s stock has increased among members of the Parliamentary Labour Party, particularly its soft l...

One loyalist Labour MP tells me last night's events were a "catastrophe"

But they remark that mood is low, citing a lack of cheering during PMQs when Starmer stands up to answer Q1 in recent weeks - something that Tories have started to notice and pick up on👀

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

Tories Fast-Track Local Selection Rules As Party Struggles To Find Candidates Exclusive: The Conservatives have introduced an optional streamlined selection process for local election candidates, as the party struggles to fin...

EXC: The Conservatives have introduced an optional streamlined selection process for local election candidates, as they struggle to find people to stand for election

'No Longer A Distant Frontier': How Can Britain Compete In The 'Battlefield' Of Space? As hostile states seek to expand their reach in space, how can the UK defend its infrastructure? Noah Vickers reports

Juliana Süß, from defence think tank RUSI points to China’s growing capabilities in space.

“China has thrown everything they have up into space...For them, space is tied to the China dream."

Story from @noahvickers.bsky.social

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

Reform Council To Double Tax On Second Homes Despite Nigel Farage Calling The Idea 'Madness' A Reform-led council is planning to double council tax on second homes six months after party leader Nigel Farage denounced such policies as “madne...

Story from @cjayanetti.bsky.social

Reform’s North Northamptonshire Council is planning to double council tax on second homes 6 months after Farage denounced such policies as “madness” and “extortion”

Another example of friction bw local and national policy

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

@stevepreddy.bsky.social just England!

More top @matildamartin.bsky.social data work, this time showing why there are growing calls for council tax to be overhauled

Highest rates (% of house price) are in some of the country's poorest areas

@jonathanbrashmp.bsky.social, chair of council tax reform APPG, says the figures are "insane"

When comparing these figures with the latest deprivation figures published at the end of October, the analysis revealed a strong relationship: the more deprived a local authority, the higher its council tax as a percentage of house prices.

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

Asked if the current system is pushing people into poverty Jonathan Hinder MP said: "It's definitely a part of it."

@stuarthoddinott.bsky.social said the current system is “regressive and outdated and therefore in urgent need of reform”

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

In Burnley, Hartlepool and Durham, residents pay around 2% of the value of the property they live in, compared with those in Westminster who pay around 0.1%

Labour MP Jon Trickett said council tax is "throwing up huge issues for deprived communities” & is "not a socially just system at the moment"

Labour MPs warn council tax is “driving poverty” as analysis shows some of the most deprived areas are paying the highest rates

The analysis revealed a strong relationship: the more deprived a local authority, the higher its CT as a percentage of house prices

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

Why Council Tax Reform Is Fraught With Difficulty New analysis shows why council tax reform is such a hard task for the government as it faces widespread calls for the system to be updated.

NEW: Reported plans to double tax rates on the top two council tax bands would cause huge distortions and unequal treatment between owners of expensive homes across England

One area where homes cost £500k would barely be touched

By me, for Politics Home www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Why Council Tax Reform Is Fraught With Difficulty New analysis shows why council tax reform is such a hard task for the government as it faces widespread calls for the system to be updated.

A change to council tax reporting being considered by the government would lead to huge disparities in what owners of similarly expensive properties would pay, PolHome analysis has found

Story by @cjayanetti.bsky.social

Government To Hold Homelessness Summit As Sector Calls For More Urgency The government is being urged to step up its efforts to reduce homelessness as it prepares to host a summit on tackling rough sleeping.

Excl: Govt set to hold two meetings on homelessness this month as stakeholders call for more urgency on the issue

The government is being urged to step up its efforts to reduce homelessness as it prepares to host a summit on tackling rough sleeping.
www.politicshome.com/news/article...

I'm losing my mind over how many reviewers are like "GDT's Frankenstein makes you wonder who the real monster is." THAT'S THE STORY! That's the story Shelley wrote!

Want to work in TV? Channel 4's apprenticeship programme is now open to applications for places in Manchester. Gain Level 4, or 7 qualifications while actively contributing to projects.

Find out more below and apply today:

careers.channel4.com/4skills/appr...

Are universities about to collapse? Podcast Episode · The Rundown by PoliticsHome · 07/11/2025 · 40m

Enjoyed chatting with @alaintolhurst.bsky.social and guests about the current challenges facing the university sector

We discuss:
🎓The international student levy
🎓The tensions between wider govt immigration policy and unis
🎓And....Reform UK
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...

🚨OUT NOW🚨 Are unis about to collapse? 🎓

Ex-minister Jo Johnson, UUK's Vivienne Stern, Public First's Jess Lister and Russell Group's Sarah Stevens join PolHome's @matildamartin.bsky.social & @alaintolhurst.bsky.social to discuss the strain on higher education

Listen: podfollow.com/politicshome...

David Lammy Says He Made 'Right Judgement' Not Telling PMQs About Accidental Prison Release Justice Secretary David Lammy has defended his decision not to disclose more information about a wrongly-released prisoner to MPs on Wednesday, say...

Justice Secretary David Lammy has defended his decision not to answer questions about a wrongly-released prisoner during PMQs on Wednesday, saying he did not have "all of the detail" about the case

Reform Is Losing Councillors Elected In May At An 'Unusual' Rate Reform UK has lost more than 5 per cent of the councillors it had elected six months ago, an analysis by PoliticsHome has found.

It looks like Reform has lost *another* councillor at Kent County Council.

Isabella Kemp now sits as an Independent, according to the council website.

Means that Kent has lost ***16%*** of its Reform councillors since May👀

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

Zarah Sultana Accused Of Delaying Transfer Of Funds To ‘Your Party’ Exclusive: Zarah Sultana, the Independent MP for Coventry South who is a director of ‘Your Party’, is being accused of failing to transfer money to...

Zarah Sultana is being accused of failing to transfer money to Your Party as agreed with Jeremy Corbyn and the other directors

Sources close to Sultana denied that she is delaying the transfer for any politically motivated reasons, reports @siennarodgers.bsky.social