Politics news

• Concerns raised over council's £900m debt

  31-07-2026 12:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Councillor Patrick Lambert fears taxpayers will be left liable for the authority's debts.
  
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• Illegal working arrests double in two years, Home Office says

  07-08-2026 01:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Home Office says there has been a record number of raids and arrests in the first six months of 2026.
  
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• Conservatives pledge to ban foreign nationals from social housing

  06-08-2026 23:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  They claim around 230,000 homes would become available under their plan to limit social housing entitlements.
  
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• North East mayors disagree over income tax revenue

  06-08-2026 17:48 via bbc.co.uk
  
  North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen disagree on income tax revenue use.
  
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• SNP write-off value of Murrell motorhome in party accounts

  06-08-2026 17:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The luxury vehicle was bought for £124,550 by the party's former chief executive as part of a £400,000 embezzlement.
  
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• Sir Keir Starmer made misleading defence spending claim, watchdog says

  06-08-2026 16:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Wales Office and MoD also repeated the claim that £270bn more was being spent on defence.
  
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• Burnham orders review of grooming gang early releases

  06-08-2026 15:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The announcement of the review comes after the Tory leader raised concerns that child sex offenders could leave jail early.
  
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• Referrals to Prevent anti-terror scheme at record high

  06-08-2026 15:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Home Office says the 10-year-high in referrals could be due to the 2024 Southport attacks.
  
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• All schools in England to get pupil attendance targets, government says

  06-08-2026 15:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The BBC understands schools will not be penalised for missing targets, but they will be monitored.
  
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• The serial candidates standing against Farage in the Clacton by-election

  06-08-2026 15:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC Verify takes a look at the serial candidates standing in Clacton, how they fared in previous elections, and whether they have ever won enough votes to get their deposits back.
  
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• Reform Facebook page accuses Plaid minister of using husband's death for political gain

  06-08-2026 14:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A Reform constituency page criticised the Plaid Cymru minister for discussing her husband's death.
  
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• New £215,000 council CEO was reality show winner

  06-08-2026 14:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Businessman Dennis Bacon has a background in adult social care and is expected to start next month.
  
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• Car washes and vape shops can still sponsor skilled foreign workers despite visa changes

  06-08-2026 13:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The rules were tightened in July 2025 to restrict the scheme mostly to graduate-level employees who would be earning at least £41,700.
  
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• Walk-in mental health centres to open in banks and libraries across England

  06-08-2026 09:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Government plans network of nearly 200 specialist services to help those facing mental health crises.
  
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• What will Devon's four new councils mean for you?

  06-08-2026 07:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The shake-up will need to consider everything from leisure centres and planning to recycling.
  
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• Miliband says reopening Strait of Hormuz 'essential' as he meets Rubio

  06-08-2026 02:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The move is required "to ease cost-of-living pressures", Miliband says, as he meets his US counterpart in Washington.
  
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• Ex neo-Nazi activist withdraws as Tory election candidate

  05-08-2026 22:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Kemi Badenoch says Joshua Bonehill-Paine will now advise the Conservatives on tackling extremism.
  
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• Student loan repayment rates an 'unsustainable burden', chancellor told

  05-08-2026 20:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  More than 120 MPs and peers have asked John Healey to carry out an "urgent review" of repayments.
  
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• Police chief considers joining legal action over PC Harper killers' early release

  05-08-2026 17:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Two of PC Andrew Harper's killers are set to be included in the government's early release scheme, which begins in October.
  
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• Burnham failing public over heat threats, says Green leader

  05-08-2026 14:52 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Zack Polanski has accused ministers of a "dereliction of duty" in response to this summer's heatwaves.
  
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• Restrict sale of pet flea treatments, government urged

  05-08-2026 14:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Lords environment committee says their widespread use poses potential risks to the environment.
  
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• Burnham not actively considering Epstein inquiry, No 10 says

  05-08-2026 12:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  It comes after the victims minister told the BBC she discussed an inquiry with the PM when she was re-appointed to her role.
  
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• Prioritise new jobs over green targets to win public contracts, firms told

  05-08-2026 12:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The changes are part of government efforts to tackle the youth unemployment crisis.
  
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• Justice secretary apologises to families affected by early release scheme

  04-08-2026 17:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Some offenders will be barred from the scheme, but families say it comes "at the expense of victims".
  
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• Government to function as normal while Burnham on holiday, No 10 says

  04-08-2026 14:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Downing Street says the PM remains in contact with officials, but Reform UK says he has "bunked off".
  
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• What could happen to prisoner early release scheme now?

  04-08-2026 13:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The PM is changing the scheme for some prisoners after a police officer's widow said the possible early release of his killers was "deplorable".
  
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• Apple issues new challenge against UK order for access to private user data

  04-08-2026 12:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  It is the latest development in the ongoing dispute between Apple and the Home Office over data privacy.
  
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• PC Harper's mother 'devastated' his killers set for early release under revised plans

  04-08-2026 10:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Rapists and child sex offenders will be barred from the scheme, which will restart in October, the government says.
  
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• Welsh national social care service will not arrive before next Senedd election, says minister

  03-08-2026 19:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Plans to make social care free at the point of use will not happen before 2030, a minister says.
  
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• Farage says he discussed return to politics months before general election

  03-08-2026 19:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Farage said the talks came "quite some time after" he received a £5m gift from a Reform donor.
  
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