Pippa Crerar

Nigel Farage appears to have changed his mind

BREAKING: Suella Braverman, the former Conservative home secretary, becomes latest Tory MP to defect to Reform UK. “I feel like I’ve come home,” she tells rally.

"I think that everybody in the Labour Party, everybody who's a Labour MP, wants to be in that fight, wants to fight alongside all their colleagues in a fight that matters hugely to the future of our country."

"We must never lose sight of that whatever is happening internationally... across the country on other issues... the single thing that matters most is cost of living.

"There is a fight. But that fight is with Reform and we all need to line up together to be in that fight, all playing our part.

NEW: Keir Starmer says Labour should concentrate on improving cost of living & fighting Reform UK rather than internal divisions.

"The single most important thing for people across the country is cost of living & that's why we're bearing down on it in everything we're doing, pulling every lever.

Advantage China: Trump’s tantrums push US allies closer to Beijing In the search for stability, some western nations are turning to a country that many in Washington see as an existential threat

With Keir Starmer flying out to Beijing this week, this is a must read from our China correspondent @amyhawk.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

"Perhaps more than anything else, that is what they want to stop, and if they believe Starmer cannot do it, they will turn to someone else. For now it will not be Burnham. But this is merely a debate delayed, not ended" - analysis by @peterwalker99.bsky.social

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

"This is the increasing worry among many Labour MPs and ministers: they see Starmer as simply unable to resurrect the party and hold off what is viewed by them as the utterly terrifying prospect of a Reform government.

Full statement from Labour Party NEC on Andy Burnham decision 👇

Understand that Lucy Powell, deputy leader of Labour Party and close ally of Andy Burnham, was one vote for.

NEW: Andy Burnham *blocked* from standing in the Gorton and Denton byelection. Of nine voting members on NEC group was 8-1 against him.

Sounds like he had a nudge from Starmer. The PM spoke to the US president earlier.

No 10: “The PM raised the brave and heroic British and American soldiers who fought side by side in Afghanistan, many of whom never returned home. We must never forget their sacrifice, he said."

Big backtrack from Trump tonight

BREAKING: Andy Burnham confirms he's running for selection for the Gorton and Denton by-election

Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell tells @thefabians.bsky.social conference the party should not prevent any candidate - ie Andy Burnham - running for Gorton by-election.

Welsh first minister: Senedd election should not be referendum on Starmer Exclusive: Eluned Morgan says it is not time for protest votes when the economy and public services are at stake

Morgan wants "closest possible" r'ship with EU - saying “critical” for Wales

She doesn't rule out rejoining EU.“Now is not the time to rejoin, but I do think that should not be off the table in the long term."

But concedes future r'ship is down to what EU offers
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

EXCL: Welsh FM urges voters not to treat May elections as referendum on Keir Starmer, saying they should focus on country’s future, with Labour on course to come third.

Eluned Morgan adds: “There is no doubt, though, that if Labour performed badly in Wales in May, the heat will be put up on Keir."

Visit of the Prime Minister of Denmark 22nd Jawary 2026 We'll get by with a little help from our friends

Sky News: Danish PM Mette Freideriksen’s note in the visitors book when she visited UK today

Assisted dying bill backers say it is ‘near impossible’ it will pass House of Lords Exclusive: Legislation thought unlikely even to be put to vote before timing out after delay tactics by opponents

EXC - MPs and peers who backed the assisted dying bill now believe it is “near impossible” for it to pass the House of Lords in time because of procedural obstacles used by opponents.

“It is our system at its absolute most dysfunctional,” one MP said.

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

British MPs from across political divide line up to condemn Trump remarks

🇨🇦 Canada suffered 165 deaths, including civilians, during 12-year deployment, its longest combat mission

🇩🇰 Denmark - which controls Greenland and which Trump said was “ungrateful” for US protection during WW2 - lost 44 troops, most per capita outside US.

Member states deployed thousands of troops to Afghanistan - 3,486 were killed in 20-year conflict, incl more than 1000 non-US personnel.

🇬🇧 457 British troops died, while another 2,000 military and civilian personnel were wounded in action

Donald Trump again disparages Nato allies, claiming troops “stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines” while fighting in Afghanistan in support of US against Taliban.

Only time Nato has ever invoked article 5 – that attack on one member represents attack on all – came after September 11.

leader of red wall group of MPs @jowhitemp.bsky.social suggests Andy Burnham should be allowed to stand in by-election 👇

Starmer’s allies launch ‘Stop Andy Burnham’ campaign to block parliamentary return Speculation has spread over whether Burnham will attempt to return to pursue a Labour leadership bid

Keir Starmer’s allies have launched a “Stop Andy Burnham” campaign to prevent the Labour mayor from returning to parliament after the resignation of a Manchester MP triggered a byelection 👇

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

BREAKING: Andrew Gwynne announces he is stepping down as MP for Gorton & Denton in Greater Manchester.

Andrew Gwynne signs Commons deal that could pave way back for Andy Burnham Exclusive: Andrew Gwynne’s settlement allows him to potentially retire and call byelection in Gorton and Denton

EXCL: Andy Burnham may have a new route to parliament after the MP Andrew Gwynne reached a settlement with the Commons that would allow him to retire and call a byelection.

*All* the details from me, @jessicaelgot.bsky.social & @joshhalliday.bsky.social

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

Thursday’s @theguardian.com front page: Trump claims that ‘framework of future deal’ on Greenland agreed www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Hardened Starmer changes tack as gentle approach fails to sway Trump Prime minister surprisingly forceful at PMQs over US president’s volte face on Chagos and refusal to drop tariffs threat on Greenland

Life comes at you fast: my latest analysis on why a hardened Keir Starmer is starting to change tack as his ‘gently gently’ approach fails to sway Donald Trump…

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

Noting relief among his audience in Davos he adds: “That’s probably the biggest statement I made because people thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force.”