Henry Zeffman

Labour MPs still crave a compelling story from Starmer Frustration is growing about the PM's ability to define the government's message - and sell it to the public.

15 months in, Labour MPs are still craving a compelling story from Keir Starmer. Read my analysis for BBC News here www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Breaking: Hadush Kebatu has been deported to Ethiopia. He left the UK on a flight last night.

Shabana Mahmood: “I have pulled every lever to deport Mr Kebatu and remove him off British soil. I am pleased to confirm this vile child sex offender has been deported."

Newscast - New Prince Andrew Allegations - BBC Sounds New accusations claim that Andrew sought to investigate Virginia Guiffre.

#Newscast 🎧- new allegations about Prince Andrew; and which party has the best plan to bring down your energy bills?

With Henry Zeffman, Simon Jack and me

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Angela Rayner has helped Keir Starmer defuse left-wing discontent. What if she were replaced as deputy leader by someone whose express mandate was to represent left-wing discontent?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0...

Angela Rayner's political future under threat after stamp duty admission The deputy prime minister has referred herself for an ethics probe by the PM's adviser.

Rayner's political future under threat after stamp duty admission — my analysis www.bbc.com/news/article...

Why Keir Starmer wants No 10 rejig after a year in power The PM's revamp aims to build clearer structures and bolster economic expertise ahead of the Budget.

Why Starmer wants No 10 rejig after a year in power -- my analysis

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

EXCL: Kemi Badenoch is reshuffling her shadow cabinet today.

And she has persuaded James Cleverly, defeated leadership candidate and former Foreign and Home Secretary, to make a frontbench comeback

Starmer's Stormy Year - BBC Sounds The inside story of Keir Starmer's turbulent first year as Labour prime minister.

STARMER'S STORMY YEAR

A new BBC Radio 4 programme by me and ace producer Leela Padmanabhan, available NOW

From winter fuel to welfare, tax to Trump - I've been speaking to insiders from the PM down to uncover the real story of the past 12 months

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Starmer's Stormy Year - BBC Sounds The inside story of Keir Starmer's turbulent first year as Labour prime minister.

How did Keir Starmer's first year in government end like this?

Find out why through new interviews with:
- Keir Starmer
- Pat McFadden
- Richard Hermer
- Louise Haigh
- Simon Case
- Josh Simons
- Sharon Graham
- Jake Sullivan

and many others

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Why are you both following me then?

Starmer's Stormy Year - BBC Sounds The inside story of Keir Starmer's turbulent first year as Labour prime minister.

STARMER'S STORMY YEAR

A new BBC Radio 4 programme by me and ace producer Leela Padmanabhan, available NOW

From winter fuel to welfare, tax to Trump - I've been speaking to insiders from the PM down to uncover the real story of the past 12 months

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

NB: The interview was conducted before recent controversy over what legal advice Hermer might have given the government about the Israel-Iran conflict.

But it helps to illuminate the approach being taken by the government's chief legal adviser.

International law 'at heart' of Starmer's foreign policy, says attorney general Lord Richard Hermer said that the government was determined to "lead on international law issues" globally.

EXCL: International law is at the heart of Sir Keir Starmer's government and its approach to foreign policy, the attorney general Richard Hermer has said.

In his first broadcast interview, he said the government was "determined to lead on international law issues” www.bbc.com/news/article...

New: President Zelensky of Ukraine is visiting the UK today for talks with Keir Starmer

Not sure if I'm missing something, but only 45 MPs didn't vote

Assisted dying passes by 314 votes to 291

Or, if you prefer, British politics’s favourite ratio: 52-48

Unfollow me then?

BBC Radio 4 - Starmer's Stormy Year The inside story of Keir Starmer's turbulent first year as Labour prime minister.

I've been looking at all these questions and more for a BBC Radio 4 documentary: 'Starmer's Stormy Year'

It airs two weeks today on Monday June 30, and will be available on BBC Sounds too

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Why was Keir Starmer's honeymoon so short lived?

Were Labour prepared for government?

Has the prime minister found a new purpose on the world stage?

Does Labour's strategy need to change to deal with fragmented multi-party politics?

I can’t remember the last time a Conservative MP mentioned the Lib Dems to me. It’s just not what is worrying them, I guess because — as you say — they already lost scores of seats to them. The debate within the party is now how they avoid losing their remaining voters to Reform

Great piece on Tory woes

"You go from having a whole department of thousands of civil servants filling your red box with briefings to working out how to respond to the government in the House of Commons all by yourself," says one shadow minister, sitting alone at a table in parliament. 🥺
😂😂😂

Chris co-wrote the piece with me, which includes a lot of criticism of Badenoch. Please read 👍

The UK Conservatives face problems - is their leader one of them? Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has made missteps that are a ‘total disaster’ for the party, claim insiders

The Conservative Party faces serious problems — is its leader one of them?

My BBC InDepth piece on the despondency among Tory MPs

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Starmer's winter fuel U-turn seeks to calm Labour nerves Grumblings from MPs were exacerbated by local election results, as campaigners reported unhappiness from voters.

Is it a sign of strength from a pragmatic government willing to listen to criticism and act fast in response? Or a sign of weakness from an ideologically unmoored government which does not know what it believes?

My analysis of Keir Starmer's winter fuel u-turn

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Starmer's winter fuel U-turn seeks to calm Labour nerves Grumblings from MPs were exacerbated by local election results, as campaigners reported unhappiness from voters.

Is it a sign of strength from a pragmatic government willing to listen to criticism and act fast in response? Or a sign of weakness from an ideologically unmoored government which does not know what it believes?

My analysis of Keir Starmer's winter fuel u-turn

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Follows reporting from others including @jessicaelgot.bsky.social

Ministers consider easing winter fuel payment cuts Options under discussion include changing eligibility, or restoring the payments to all pensioners.

NEW: Senior government figures are discussing whether to reverse the controversial winter fuel policy within weeks.

Any announcement could coincide with the spending review next month although the talks are fluid and have not yet reached a conclusion

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Keir Starmer banks on public being over Brexit For the UK-EU deal to succeed the PM needs it to seem as insignificant and uncontroversial as possible.

Can Keir Starmer become our first truly post-Brexit prime minister? My analysis for BBC News

Starmer banks on public being over Brexit www.bbc.com/news/article...

In the sense that UKIP actually still exists

Migrants already in UK face longer wait for permanent settlement People will typically have to live in the UK for 10 years before applying for the right to stay indefinitely.

NEW: The government's new rules making migrants wait 10 years instead of 5 to qualify for permanent settlement in the UK are set to apply to people already in the country, subject to consultation

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...