Keir Starmer joins family on first overseas holiday since becoming PM

Keir Starmer has finally been able to take an overseas holiday and is understood to be in Madeira with his family over the new year.While he has the use of Chequers, his official country retreat, the prime minister was unable to go on a planned summer break in August after rioting broke out in a series of towns and cities.His wife and children left the UK last week for a post-Christmas break but Starmer initially did not join them, after the death of his younger brother, Nick, on Boxing Day.Starmer is understood to have left the UK on Saturday to join his family and will be away for a few days. He has no public events scheduled until next week

Badenoch allies dismiss ‘nonsense’ claims she asked GB News to cut Farage’s airtime

Allies of Kemi Badenoch have dismissed as “nonsense” claims that she asked GB News to cut airtime for Nigel Farage.It follows a row in which the Tory leader accused Reform of faking its membership numbers. Farage said Reform surpassed the Tories in membership on Boxing Day and has called on Badenoch to apologise for her accusations that the figures are manipulated.In a fresh twist, Badenoch was reported by the Mail on Sunday to have raised Farage’s prominence on GB News, where he is a presenter, in a meeting with the channel’s chief executive. She is reported to have warned against the broadcaster becoming a haven for her critics

Reform woos voters before potential byelection test in Labour stronghold

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is planning to use a potential byelection to test its strength in Labour strongholds as it seeks to deploy its growing membership in local elections.The party has been attempting to keep up its momentum after securing five MPs and more than 4m votes at the general election. Farage provoked a row with the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch last week by claiming Reform now has more members than the Conservatives. He has also been trying to persuade Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, to make a massive donation to his party.However, insiders are now examining the political opportunity that could arise in the Cheshire seat of Runcorn and Helsby, where MP Mike Amesbury was charged with assault last month after an incident following a night out

Blair proposed SDLP Irish nationalists support England at World Cup, papers show

The 2002 World Cup had been a gruelling rollercoaster for the Republic of Ireland. Nine days before the team’s first match in the tournament, hosted by Japan and South Korea, its captain and talisman Roy Keane was on his way home before a ball had been kicked, after publicly berating his manager, Mick McCarthy.Two draws and a victory against Saudi Arabia had taken Ireland through the group stages, but after a dramatic penalty shootout against Spain, they were knocked out of the competition.And the day after the exit, according to newly unsealed documents, the then UK prime minister, Tony Blair, suggested in a meeting that nationalists in Northern Ireland could now support England. It did not go down well

Farage threatens action over Badenoch ‘fake’ Reform membership data claim

Nigel Farage has said he will take action against Kemi Badenoch unless she apologises for accusing him of publishing fake Reform membership data.The Reform leader said he had opened up his database to media organisations after Badenoch claimed the rival party had coded an online counter to tick up automatically.Farage had been celebrating surpassing more than 130,000 Reform members on Boxing Day – surpassing the number of Tory members when Badenoch was elected as party leader in the autumn.Badenoch reacted with a thread on X accusing Farage and Reform of “manipulating” the public and presenting fake figures with an online ticker that was automated and not based on real people joining.On Friday, Farage said the allegations were “disgraceful” and he was demanding an apology

Keir Starmer pays tribute to brother who died on Boxing Day

Keir Starmer has paid tribute to his brother, Nick, who had cancer and died on Boxing Day aged 60.The prime minister said his younger brother was “a wonderful man” who “met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour”.He said in a statement: “I would like to thank all those who treated and took care of Nick. Their skill and compassion is very much appreciated.”Starmer had been due to go on holiday abroad with his family on Friday but will now stay at home