Lib Dems push for ban on MPs taking money from X, citing Maga threat

The Liberal Democrats are pushing for a ban on MPs accepting payments from X as part of a proposed wider crackdown on what Ed Davey will call a “serious threat” to UK democracy from Donald Trump’s US and other countries.Announcing the plan on Tuesday, the Lib Dem leader renewed his attacks on Reform UK – a series of whose MPs have taken money from X – calling it “a franchise of Maga politics” rather than a British political entity.Under proposed amendments to the government’s representation of the people bill, now going through parliament, there would also be a ban on anyone who has served in a foreign administration donating to UK political parties, thinktanks or campaign groups.This follows a promise by the US state department to fund parties and thinktanks seen as aligned with Trump’s hard-right agenda, particularly in Europe. The now-defeated Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán also supplied money to a series of rightwing thinktanks and political figures, including in the UK

The bridesmaid ban: how the Home Office tarnished a British citizen’s big day – and cost them £2,000

Everything was in place for Andrea’s dream celebration in Barbados. Then her close friend was denied the right to walk across a British airport to board a connecting flightWeddings can be complicated to organise, especially when the venue is more than 4,000 miles from home. But Andrea, a Londoner, was confident she and her partner, Josh, had thought of everything when they planned their dream wedding in Barbados for the beginning of May.The British couple – Andrea of Nigerian and Josh of Bajan heritage – booked a stunning venue, with tropical gardens and spectacular views.Invitations were sent out to 170 guests from the UK, Nigeria and Barbados, with pre-wedding parties and a black-tie ceremony bringing together generations of far-flung family and friends

Exclusive: Nigel Farage was given undisclosed £5m by crypto billionaire in 2024

Nigel Farage was given £5m by the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before announcing he would stand in the 2024 British general election, the Guardian can reveal.Farage had stated he did not intend to stand as a prospective MP but U-turned in June 2024, within weeks of receiving the personal gift from the Thailand-based businessman.In July 2024, Farage became an MP for the first time and has since stated he now expects to become prime minister at the next general election.After being approached by the Guardian about the gift, neither he nor Harborne provided a comment – instead lawyers for Reform UK and Harborne pleaded for more time. Farage then confirmed to the Daily Telegraph that he had received the gift, saying it was to pay for his personal security

Reform’s Scottish leader called ‘tone deaf’ after boasting about his houses, cars and yachts

The leader of Reform UK in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, has been dismissed as “tone deaf” and “entitled” after he boasted in a televised election debate about the number of cars, houses and boats he owned.Responding to the row on Wednesday morning, the SNP leader, John Swinney, proposed that all party leaders should publish their tax returns before the election on 7 May.Offord, a multimillionaire financier and former Conservative life peer who defected to Reform and was announced as the party’s first Scottish leader in January, told the STV debate on Tuesday evening: “I went to London 40 years ago with £2,000 of debt.“Full of ambition, I worked hard and I was successful. Today, I own six houses, five cars and six boats

Starmer sees off major Labour rebellion over call for Mandelson inquiry

Keir Starmer has seen off a major Labour rebellion over a bid to force a parliamentary investigation into his appointment of Peter Mandelson, but many of his own MPs warned he was running out of political capital.After Downing Street deployed its full weight to force Labour MPs to block a referral to the privileges committee over the scandal, some angrily accused Starmer of leaving them facing accusations of a “cover-up”.Previously loyal MPs warned the prime minister to tread carefully, particularly after what are expected to be a damaging set of election results for Labour next week.“He’s in the last-chance saloon and the last few days haven’t improved his prospects of survival,” one minister said, while another added: “Keir only has so much credit in the bank with the backbenches now, so he needs to spend it wisely.”On a day of high jeopardy on Tuesday, Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and the Foreign Office’s former permanent secretary, Sir Philip Barton, prompted yet more questions over how much pressure had been put on officials to accelerate Mandelson’s posting to Washington

Starmer buys some time – but he could be running out of political capital

Keir Starmer deployed the entire Labour machine – cabinet ministers, whips, even Gordon Brown – to shore up his support ahead of what was set to be a critical day for his premiership on Tuesday. And it worked.Labour MPs trooped dutifully through the voting lobbies to block Conservative attempts to refer him to the privileges committee – a process that would have dragged out the Peter Mandelson row and been a painful reminder of Starmer’s original sin of appointing the former Labour spin doctor and minister as his man in Washington.It is not the first time the prime minister’s senior team has come to his rescue. In February, his cabinet rallied round to see off an immediate challenge to his position from Anas Sarwar, Labour’s leader in Scotland

No 10 dismisses Reeves’s reported plan for freeze on private rents

Downing Street has dismissed the idea of a freeze on private sector rents even as Rachel Reeves left the door open to such a move, after the Guardian revealed the chancellor has been considering it as an option to cut the cost of living.A No 10 spokesperson said on Tuesday that freezing private sector rents was “not the approach we will be taking” after sources told the Guardian it was Reeves’s preferred solution for dealing with a spike in housing costs in the wake of the Iran war.They added: “We have no plans to implement this. Our focus remains on cutting bills and backing renters alongside lower energy prices.”Reeves, however, failed to rule out the idea when asked about it in the Commons, telling the Labour MP Yuan Yang: “I will do everything in my power and use every lever we have to bear down on the cost of living, including for people in the private rented sector

UK politics: Starmer avoids privileges committee inquiry into vetting of Peter Mandelson – as it happened

MPs voted 335-223 against the motion, meaning the government won by a majority of 112.Keir Starmer saw off an opposition bid to refer him to a standards committee over Peter Mandelson’s appointment. The government won the vote by 335 votes to 223, a majority of 112.Peers have ended their stand-off with MPs over plans to curb social media for under-16s after the government agreed to introduce “age or functionality restrictions”.After the Guardian’s story that the Treasury is considering imposing a one-year rent freeze on private sector homes to deal with the impact of the Iran war on household budgets, the PM’s spokesperson said: “We have no plans to implement this

Drop the ‘toxic hot potato’: what Barton and McSweeney really revealed about the Mandelson scandal

The latest two witnesses to testify to parliament over Peter Mandelson’s appointment had plenty to offer headline writers. “A toxic hot potato” was how Philip Barton, the former top civil servant in the Foreign Office, described Mandelson’s links with Jeffrey Epstein, a view he would have shared with Downing Street if only he had been asked.“A knife through my soul” was how Morgan McSweeney, the prime minister’s former chief adviser, described the moment he found out the true nature of Mandelson’s relationship with the convicted child sex offender.But the most interesting parts of both men’s evidence on Tuesday were those that addressed the question at the core of the scandal: was the Foreign Office’s decision to grant Mandelson security clearance against the advice of the vetting agency influenced by pressure from Downing Street?Both Barton and McSweeney agreed there was pressure put on the department over Mandelson’s security vetting. Both, however, maintained it had no bearing on the decision in late January 2025 to grant Mandelson clearance