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Alexandra Topping

@lexytopping.bsky.social

Political correspondent at the Guardian. Northerner stranded in the South. Long-suffering Evertonian. Views are mine alone. Got a story? alexandra.topping@theguardian.com

1,191 Followers  |  323 Following  |  126 Posts  |  Joined: 21.08.2023
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Posts by Alexandra Topping (@lexytopping.bsky.social)

Preview
a man in a blue shirt is standing on a field with his fist in the air . ALT: a man in a blue shirt is standing on a field with his fist in the air .

Yes Baz!!!! This is a totally mental game but you know you love to see us score on the back of a Gordon mistake #NEWEVE

28.02.2026 16:52 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The leadership issue may be settled, but Your Party’s struggle for electoral relevance has only just begun Incessant infighting has decimated his supporter base, leaving Jeremy Corbyn with an uphill battle to unite the left

β€œI blame Thatcher”. After months of acrimonious infighting, what now for Your Party? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

26.02.2026 19:03 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Yep, 61% of 40,985 "verfied" members (party says there are about 60,000 members but a third are unverified)

26.02.2026 12:09 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Corbyn-backed candidates took 14 of the 24 available places on the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC). Sultana-backed candidates took 7 of the seats, while three went to independents.

26.02.2026 12:08 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

🚨 Jeremy Corbyn set to become the parliamentary leader of Your Party, after an election which also saw his rival Zarah Sultana voted onto the party’s leadership committee.

26.02.2026 12:08 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Zero hour: Corbyn and Sultana duke it out in battle for the soul of Your Party After eight months of rows and rifts, results of leadership election offering β€˜fundamentally differing visions’ are due

As a lot of people had expected given their name recognition Zarah Sultana AND Jeremy Corbyn are BOTH voted onto Your Party's leadership committee as "public office holders" As my piece explains below, that's going to make things interesting www.theguardian.com/politics/202... 🍿

26.02.2026 11:53 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Well, I say we're off...lot of process being explained here. 25,347 people voted in the Your Party elections... a 61% turnout

26.02.2026 11:47 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

And we're off! Andrew Jordan apologises for the delay in the start and says Your Party has achieved something "extraordinary" in building a new socialist movement .... but admits "it's not always been plain sailing"

26.02.2026 11:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Enjoying the Your Party members bantz as they wait tho

26.02.2026 11:39 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

We were told "The results of the inaugural leadership elections for Your Party will be announced tomorrow, Thursday 26 February at 11am." Well....it's now 11.36, 1,500 are waiting on YouTube and Your Party are promising that the results will be coming shortly

26.02.2026 11:37 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3
Preview
Zero hour: Corbyn and Sultana duke it out in battle for the soul of Your Party After eight months of rows and rifts, results of leadership election offering β€˜fundamentally differing visions’ are due

β€œAnyone that’s chosen can speak,” declared the voice. β€œAnyone else I will fucking throw out.”>> irate hustings and flying accusations, inside the battle for Your Party >> www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

26.02.2026 07:19 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2

Unusually, a rhetorical question in a newspaper article to which the answer is undoubtedly yes.

21.02.2026 17:58 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Does Nigel Farage have a problem with women? Critics say Reform leader’s patronising rhetoric is part of worrying trend. He says scrutiny is a two way street.

This week Nigel Farage was accused of patronising a female journalist, hired a hardline anti-abortion theologian as his head of policy and promised to repeal the Equality Act on his party’s first day in government. Does he have a women problem? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

21.02.2026 14:25 β€” πŸ‘ 124    πŸ” 44    πŸ’¬ 17    πŸ“Œ 3

Sam Freedman is one of the people everyone in Westminster, no matter what their political persuasions, listens to πŸ‘€

17.02.2026 15:41 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€˜Regrets? Number one: smoking. Number two: taking it up the wrong hole’: Tracey Emin on reputation, radical honesty – and Reform She scandalised the art world in the 1990s with her unmade bed, partied hard in the 2000s – then a brush with death turned the artist’s life upside down. Now she’s as frank as ever

This interview by Charlotte Higgins with Tracey Emin in today’s Guardian is really a masterclass in arts journalism. She provides content, structure and the space for Emin to breathe, elucidate, be without ever clumsily inserting herself. It is just brilliant www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

14.02.2026 20:05 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

As someone who plays a LOT of guess who, this really made me belly laugh

13.02.2026 16:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Loooooooooool

13.02.2026 14:45 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Winning here, winning there, winning winning everywhere

12.02.2026 12:11 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

"SELECT FEMALE DEPUTY TO END 'BOYS CLUB' IN NO 10, PM TOLD"
@lexytopping.bsky.social for @theguardian.com
Full Story: t.ly/1mvB8

Female Labour MPs have demanded #KeirStarmer appoint a senior woman as his deputy to oversee a culture change.

#TheGuardian
#TomorrowsPapersToday
#IBPAPERS

12.02.2026 00:10 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Did a massive double take … and polling was two days ago!

12.02.2026 10:28 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

This is such a great scoop by our @pippacrerar.bsky.social the πŸ‘Έ

09.02.2026 19:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Sarwar has shown his ruthless streak. But will his swipe at Starmer mean anything to voters? Scottish Labour leader is gambling that by declaring his loyalty to Scotland, the electorate will rally behind him

ANALYSIS: Anas Sarwar has shown his ruthless streak. But will his swipe at Keir Starmer mean anything to voters? - by @severincarrell.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

09.02.2026 18:27 β€” πŸ‘ 22    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 36    πŸ“Œ 0
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Top civil servant could become third key No 10 departure in days Exclusive: Cabinet secretary Chris Wormald is expected to follow Morgan McSweeney and Tim Allan out the door

EXCL: Chris Wormald, the most senior civil servant in Downing Street, is negotiating his exit as part of a wider shakeup of Keir Starmer’s operation after dramatic day - @kiranstacey.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

09.02.2026 19:42 β€” πŸ‘ 85    πŸ” 36    πŸ’¬ 22    πŸ“Œ 29
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Reform faces police investigation over β€˜concerned neighbour’ byelection letters Material distributed in Gorton and Denton did not have legally required imprint stating it was funded by party

@gmpolice.bsky.social will investigate Reform UK after the party admitted to β€œinadvertently” breaking electoral law in Gorton and Denton www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

07.02.2026 08:37 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Is Mandelson scandal the end for Starmer? - The Latest Keir Starmer’s days as prime minister are numbered, Labour MPs have warned, after a week of fury over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

Is the end for Starmer? - catch up with @theguardian.com The Latest in which I call @kiranstacey.bsky.social the baby-faced assassin. Sorry Kiran. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/vide...

05.02.2026 19:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Tories seek disclosure of vetting process for Mandelson’s ambassador role Kemi Badenoch plans to force release of files to reveal what was known about links to Jeffrey Epstein

NEW: Tories will tomorrow try and use the β€œhumble address” - an arcane parliamentary procedure used by Labour during the Brexit arguments - to expose documents about the vetting of Peter Mandelson for US ambassador www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

03.02.2026 22:27 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Ministers on lobbying blitz to avoid Labour rebellion over Send changes Government has β€˜learned lesson’ of botched welfare overhauls but MPs say they will not back cost-saving measures

Send reform one of the government’s biggest challenges this year, ministers at the DfE have been lobbying ferociously to head off a repeat of the welfare rebellion. Will a restless PLP stay on side? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

01.02.2026 18:19 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

They said it was β€œunclear as to why anyone would expect the two things to be combined” . Hmmm. Lib Dem MP Anna Sabine, who wrote to Phillips and housing minister Matthew Matthew Pennycook called that response "incredibly arrogant".

28.01.2026 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

So what does the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) think? Nothing to do with us! β€œThe NPPF is a planning document. It sets out guidelines for housebuilding and planning in England. The VAWG strategy is about protecting women and girls from violence and misogyny.”

28.01.2026 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The second part of the Angiolini inquiry! Commissioned, of course, after the death of Sarah Everard. It states that police officers tasked with β€œdesigning out” crime are sometimes ignored and had not all β€œbeen tasked with focusing on preventing violence against women and girls”.

28.01.2026 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0