Reform UK plan to set up migrant detention centres in Green-voting areas condemned by other parties – as it happened

A Reform UK proposal to prioritise places that vote for Green councils or MPs when it sets up detention centres for migrants facing deportation has been denounced as “abhorrent” from opponents across the political spectrum.Reform says it would deport “all illegal migrants” and, to make this possible, it has announced plans for deportation centres holding up to 24,000 people.In a post on social media, Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, said that these would be located in Green-voting areas. He explained:double quotation markSo here’s our promise:A Reform government will not put any migrant detention facilities in any constituency with a Reform MP.Nor will we put them where Reform controls the council

Be careful who you vote for in local elections on Thursday | Brief letters

There is much in the news about people using the local elections on 7 May to send a protest message to the government and to Keir Starmer in particular. I would urge people to remember that this election is for councillors to run local services. Their remit will be to deliver services including social care, schools, housing, planning, waste collection and pest control. Do you really think that parties such as Reform UK have the skills or mindset for this? Be careful what you wish for, and save any protest vote for the next general election.Viv PertLondon These are such uncertain times, especially for Keir Starmer (Labour MPs say ‘endless drama’ of leadership speculation must stop, 4 May)

Saplings in prisons and bogs on military ranges: Labour’s plans for nature-friendly state land

Tree nurseries could be built at prisons, and military ranges could be turned into heathland or peat bogs as part of an ambitious plan to make government land more nature-friendly, the environment secretary has said.Speaking before elections this week in which Labour is under pressure from the Green party, Emma Reynolds said such projects showed the government’s intent in restoring natural habitats.Under a scheme due to be confirmed in the coming weeks, land owned by the Department for Transport around roads and rail lines would have more “green bridges” to help wildlife move safely. Another possibility would be a greater use of solar panels on government buildings.The projects would aim to bring wider improvements, with the tree nurseries on Ministry of Justice land intended to also help with prisoners’ welfare

Labour MPs say ‘endless drama’ of leadership speculation must stop

Labour MPs are calling for a close to the “endless drama” of leadership speculation, as Downing Street begins a fightback against predictions of an imminent challenge to Keir Starmer.Some backbenchers warned that repeated briefings about how and when the prime minister could be toppled were putting off voters, who similarly had disliked the Conservatives’ repeated shuffling of leaders when in power.“All people want is a government which works, and not the endless drama,” one MP said. “We are in a very tricky global situation, and to have this never-ending conversation about who might have a certain number of supporters feels extremely self-indulgent.”Such worries are shared even among some Labour MPs who strongly believe that Starmer should be replaced

‘Voting Green will stop Reform’: party eyes kingmaker role in Wales

The church hall in Cardiff’s Canton neighbourhood was packed with Green party supporters who had spent Saturday canvassing ahead of next week’s crucial Senedd elections. Green party members from Northern Ireland, Sweden and Denmark had all joined the local campaigners, adding to the sense of momentum for the Welsh Greens.After waiting for more than an hour, the crowd cheered when Zack Polanski, leader of the Green party of England and Wales, appeared from behind the nave, hugging the Wales leader Anthony Slaughter as he did so.The pair had settled their differences after Slaughter criticised Polanski for sharing a social media post criticising the police’s handling of the Golders Green attack earlier this week.“This is something that I haven’t expressed out loud before, but I’m going to express it out loud to you guys: I’m really excited to see those results roll in,” Polanski told the crowd

Why UK voters are impossible to satisfy | Brief letters

Zoe Williams is right to question if voters can ever be satisfied (Are our prime ministers the problem – or is the UK ungovernable?, 27 April). The problem governments face is trying to make social promises of quality public services through an economic model that doesn’t work for the majority. Unless we can ditch neoliberalism, which rewards capital not labour, inequality will continue to frustrate voters and defeat governments.Rosie SmithsonFelixstowe, Suffolk I was entertained by Donald Trump’s accusation that “so many people are incensed by [Jimmy] Kimmel’s despicable call to violence”, while Melania explained “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country” (Jimmy Kimmel defends Melania ‘widow’ joke after the Trumps call for him to be fired, 28 April). A case of the Potus calling the Kimmel black

Starmer adviser held 16 undisclosed meetings with top US tech bosses

An influential government adviser close to Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves held 16 undisclosed meetings with top US tech executives, the Guardian can reveal.The No 10 business aide Varun Chandra discussed regulatory changes, AI and Donald Trump’s second administration with tech corporations during confidential meetings between October 2024 and October 2025. In one meeting he offered to help a top executive meet the prime minister directly.Chandra’s dealings with six major technology companies – Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, Apple and Meta – took place as the government developed policies to secure investment from Silicon Valley, including multimillion-pound energy subsidies and preferential planning approval for datacentres in what ministers have called AI growth zones.While largely unknown outside Westminster, Chandra, who ran a corporate intelligence firm founded by former British spies before joining government, is a central figure in Downing Street and is a key champion of the government’s push for economic growth

UK politics: Polanski says he would ‘discourage’ the use of ‘globalise the intifada’ chant on marches – as it happened

Speaking to the BBC, Zack Polanski discouraged people from using the phrase “globalise the intifada” (see this earlier post for its meaning) but added he is “not interested” in policing language.The Green Party leader told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg:double quotation markIt’s not a phrase I would use personally and that’s because I think if there’s other phrases you can use or other ways to do things then why not just do them.I want people to be more effective so I wouldn’t encourage people to use it because actually I think you can make your point a lot more effectively and not get into this conversation about language.Words matter, but the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been murdered, the people in Lebanon who have been killed, these people matter too, and I think if people want to protest, that it’s important we defend their right to protest.Yes I do discourage, to give you a more direct answer, the use of the phrase but I’m not interested in trying to police people’s language

Polanski says he would discourage ‘globalise the intifada’ chant but warns against march bans

Zack Polanski has said he would discourage pro-Palestine protesters from using the chant “globalise the intifada”, but the Green party leader warned against specifically outlawing the phrase or banning a protest planned in London later this month.Speaking earlier in the weekend, Keir Starmer called for “tougher action” against marchers using the chant after last week’s attack on Jewish people in Golders Green, saying pro-Gaza marches risked having a cumulative effect of being intimidating.While the Metropolitan police already have a policy of arresting people who chant “globalise the intifada”, Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said any further action would await an ongoing review of protest laws.Speaking on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Polanski said outlawing the chant would overly restrict freedom of speech.He reiterated his apology for sharing a post on X that criticised police for the way they arrested a suspect after two Jewish people were stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London, on Wednesday