UK populists mix faith and politics with parroting of ‘Judeo-Christian values’

The splendours of the Parthenon, Colosseum and Great Pyramid of Giza were in stark contrast to the utilitarian conference centre in London’s Docklands, but they were there to make a point.As 4,000 people from dozens of countries filed in for a three-day jamboree of rightwing discourse this week, the images were a reminder that great civilisations of the past had risen, declined and fallen. A commentary warned that western civilisation was at a tipping point, in crisis because it had lost touch with its “Judeo-Christian foundations”.The message greeted those attending a sold-out conference for politicians, policymakers, businesspeople and “culture formers” organised by the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) at the ExCeL centre in east London, where non-discounted tickets cost £1,500.The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, and the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, addressed the gathering in person

Starmer will not challenge Trump on his attack on Zelenskyy when the pair meet

Keir Starmer will not risk riling Donald Trump by challenging him over his attack on Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when the pair finally meet next week, as the prime minister seeks to cool an escalating transatlantic row.Starmer will fly to the US in the coming days for what could be a defining moment for his leadership, as Europe and the US trade accusations and insults about the origins of the war in Ukraine and the best way to end it.Trump added to the tensions on Friday when he accused Starmer and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, of having done nothing to help end the war.“They haven’t done anything. Macron is a friend of mine, and I’ve met with the prime minister, he’s a very nice guy … [but] nobody’s done anything,” he told Fox News

Watchdog reopens investigation into Jonathan Reynolds’ legal career claims

The solicitors’ regulator has reopened an investigation into the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, over accusations he misrepresented his legal career.The Solicitors Regulation Authority said on Friday it would look into allegations that Reynolds had incorrectly claimed to have worked as a solicitor even though he did not finish his legal training.The confirmation comes after the website Guido Fawkes revealed Reynolds had not qualified, despite his LinkedIn profile listing one of his previous jobs as “solicitor”.The SRA wrote to Reynolds in January after becoming aware of the error on his LinkedIn profile but decided not to take further action after it was corrected.On Friday, however, a spokesperson for the regulator said: “We looked at that issue at the time we became aware of it and contacted Mr Reynolds about the profiles

UK party leaders walk tightrope on Trump while voters want stricter stance

Keir Starmer is striking a delicate balancing act on the world stage by trying to maintain a good relationship with Donald Trump while giving his full-throated support to Ukraine and pursuing closer ties with the EU.But the prime minister faces increased domestic pressures when it comes to Trump, whom he will meet in Washington DC next week. Polling consistently shows the US president is deeply unpopular with British voters, a majority of whom think ministers should now prioritise building bridges with the EU over the US.A YouGov poll this week suggested half of voters thought it was in the UK’s interest to stand up to Trump and criticise his actions, compared with 30% who thought it better to build a positive relationship and refrain from criticism.Voters’ desire to see Starmer channel Hugh Grant rebuking the fictional president in Love Actually reflects how unpopular Trump is in the UK

Andrew Gwynne under investigation by parliamentary watchdog over WhatsApp group – as it happened

The parliamentary commissioner for standards has launched an investigation into MP Andrew Gwynne.Gwynne was sacked as a minister and suspended from the Labour party earlier this month after the emergence of offensive messages in a WhatsApp group.Gwynne, who is now sitting as the Independent MP for Gorton and Denton, is listed among the allegations under investigation by the commissioner, specifically for “actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the house as a whole, or of its Members generally” according to the parliament website.The investigation was opened on 18 February 2025, the entry states.Hello, we are now closing our rolling UK politics coverage

Watchdog investigates Andrew Gwynne over offensive WhatsApp messages

Parliament’s standards watchdog has launched an investigation into Andrew Gwynne, who was sacked as a minister over offensive comments made on a WhatsApp group.The MP was also suspended from the Labour party after messages were revealed in which he said he hoped a pensioner who did not support him would die before the next set of elections.A second Labour MP, Oliver Ryan, was also suspended last week after he was revealed to be a member of the same WhatsApp group, which also featured misogynistic and classist messages.The parliamentary commissioner for standards’ inquiry into Gwynne was opened on Tuesday, according to an online update, which said it was looking into “actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the house as a whole, or of its members generally”.Gwynne, who is now sitting as the independent MP for Gorton and Denton, has been facing fresh calls to resign after new WhatsApp messages emerged in which he suggested that an Anglican priest should be “burned on a bonfire”