Ministers propose voting changes for mayoral elections in English devolution bill

Ministers are changing the voting system for mayoral elections in a move likely to make it harder for Reform politicians to take big regions like Lincolnshire and Hull as they did this year.The changes are part of a new devolution bill, intended to bring a “radical reset to local government”, which will take further steps towards merging many district and county councils into unitary “strategic” authorities.The move is likely to please Labour MPs and local authorities after frustration over losses in two recent contests where Andrea Jenkyns, a Reform mayor, was elected on 42% of the vote in Lincolnshire, while Luke Campbell, the Reform mayor in Hull and East Yorkshire, got 35%.In another part of the legislation, mayors will now be elected under a preferential system, rather than first-past-the-post, a change designed to make sure candidates have broader support.The changes reverse a decision made by the Conservatives in 2022 to switch the system to first-past-the-post away from supplementary voting – where voters have a preferred first and second choice and the candidate does not win outright with more than half the vote

Trial UK and France ‘one in, one out’ scheme designed to curb migrant boat crossings to start within weeks – as it happened

Starmer moves to illegal migration.This is a global crisis, he says. But it is also “acutely” a crisis for UK and France.An enterprise run by criminals is leading hundreds of people to their deaths in the Channel.They have agreed “a ground-breaking returns pilot”

Term ‘disabled’ in danger of losing all meaning, says Badenoch

The leader of the Conservatives, Kemi Badenoch, has said she does not believe one in four people are disabled and the term is in danger of losing its meaning, as she used a speech to criticise the size of the welfare state.Badenoch called for restrictions on disability benefits for those suffering conditions including food intolerances, anxiety and mild depression.She made the speech at the Centre for Social Justice a week after Keir Starmer’s government scaled back the extent of its cuts to disability benefits in the face of a huge revolt from backbench Labour MPs and disability rights groups.The backlash continues, with charities saying “huge swathes” of severely disabled people would be affected by the planned universal credit cuts.However, Badenoch said the cuts do not go far enough, with the Conservatives having tabled proposals to stop sickness benefits going to foreign nationals

Tory defections to Reform are disaster for Badenoch – but Farage needs to tread carefully

Jake Berry has had an eclectic political career in the run-up to his defection to Reform UK this week. An enthusiastic campaigner for remain at the referendum, he became a big champion of Boris Johnson, then backed the most moderate candidate, Tom Tugendhat, for party leader.But after Tugendhat inevitably faltered, he became one of the loudest enthusiasts for Liz Truss’s premiership, under which he was given the post of Tory chair. After her brief leadership ended in collapse, Berry was one of the party’s most restive malcontents. Now, he says, the future is Reform

Former Conservative party chair Jake Berry defects to Reform UK

The former Conservative party chair Sir Jake Berry has joined Reform UK in the most high-profile defection so far to Nigel Farage’s party from the Tories.In a fresh blow to Kemi Badenoch, the former cabinet minister said his former party had “abandoned the British people” and said he wanted to see Reform UK form the next government.Berry, a close ally of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, led the “northern powerhouse” group of MPs but lost his seat at the 2024 election. He said the Conservatives and Labour had “wrecked” the country over the past 20 years.In an article for the Sun, Berry said he was leaving the Conservative party after 25 years as a member and 14 as an MP

Ex-Reform UK MP’s business affairs referred to fraud body

The former Reform UK MP James McMurdock’s business affairs during the Covid pandemic have been referred to the Public Sector Fraud Authority, the Guardian understands.It follows a referral by the Covid corruption commissioner on Wednesday. The authority will investigate the evidence and work with relevant agencies if required.McMurdock, the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock in Essex, surrendered the party whip last weekend in anticipation of revelations in the Sunday Times, which claimed there were questions over loans totalling tens of thousands of pounds.It was reported that he took out £70,000 in loans in 2020 from the government’s bounce back scheme