Stephen Bush

Labour braces for ballot box bloodbath

Friday, 1 May, 2026

Political Fix podcast37 min listen

Plus, the rise of the populist parties

Friday, 1 May, 2026

Welsh Labour is heading into a perfect storm

Leadership upheaval and dissatisfaction with Westminster are putting pressure on the party

Thursday, 30 April, 2026

What to expect in the May local elections

Our guide to how results will unfold on the night

Wednesday, 29 April, 2026

Why the Mandelson scandal matters

Who the prime minister appoints to key roles is ultimately a test of their judgment

Tuesday, 28 April, 2026

Mandelson scandal is chance for Badenoch to impress in parliament

Tories trail in the polls but their leader has a golden opportunity to skewer Labour

Tuesday, 28 April, 2026

The real lesson of Reform’s war on the history curriculum

Proposals for a new patriotic syllabus reveal the ambiguous appeal of rightwing populism

Monday, 27 April, 2026

Assisted dying should become legal but this legislation is flawed

Bill that failed to pass in this parliamentary session did not fulfil why most people say they support it

Wednesday, 22 April, 2026

Mandelson scandal is like a persistent illness for Starmer

Further revelations and a possible employment tribunal mean story will run and run

Tuesday, 21 April, 2026

Novel approach needed for UK’s sick and unemployed

A shift to local initiatives may help more people back into work

Monday, 20 April, 2026

Keir Starmer

The Mandelson fiasco reveals the true nature of Starmerism

This is a prime minister who does not understand the difficult trade-offs involved in governing

Monday, 20 April, 2026

The Mandelson affair is about the government’s judgment, not process

Discussion of vetting and procedure is part of the excuse but not the core of the difficulty

Friday, 17 April, 2026

The Starmer-shaped hole where a prime minister should be

Mandelson scandal shows he has never successfully made the transition from an opposition mindset to a governing one

Labour lambasted over defence

Friday, 17 April, 2026

Political Fix podcast35 min listen

Plus, will nationalist wins lead to independence calls in Scotland and Wales?

Friday, 17 April, 2026

Mandelson vetting scandal shows Starmer isn’t up to the job

Something has gone badly wrong in communication between Downing Street and government departments

Thursday, 16 April, 2026

What a row about a hospital extension teaches us

Broader opposition to change is the problem

Wednesday, 15 April, 2026

Grim truths from the Southport killings inquiry

Examining another tragedy may yield lessons for prevention

Tuesday, 14 April, 2026

Rebuke by former Nato chief points to wider government inaction

George Robertson’s focus is on defence but highlights failings elsewhere in Keir Starmer’s government

Tuesday, 14 April, 2026

Artificial intelligence

Mythos and the cyber security risk facing all states

AI is like the atomic bomb — once you invent the means to build one, you live in a different world

Monday, 13 April, 2026

Hungarian elections offer lessons for UK’s Labour

Politicians shouldn’t forget they’re ultimately in the consumer services business

Friday, 10 April, 2026

London

Why I will always love Canary Wharf

The business district in London’s Docklands demonstrates what innovation and invention can achieve

Squeezed Britain: student loans, salaries and strikes

Friday, 10 April, 2026

Political Fix podcast36 min listen

Plus, PM places Iran war at heart of election campaign

Friday, 10 April, 2026

The NHS isn’t getting better

Tough medicine is needed to resolve rolling strikes

Thursday, 9 April, 2026