Political news

• The Guardian view on care leavers: responsibility for looked-after children does not end at 18 | Editorial

  02-01-2026 19:05 via theguardian.com
  Free prescriptions and eye tests ought to help these young adults stay healthy. They also signal the state’s ongoing roleThe outcomes for children who grow up in care are shocking. A vital part of the welfare state, which exists to promote the safety and wellbeing of highly vulnerable young people, is falling short in health, education and employment terms. They have a 62% higher chance of dying before the age of 75 than their peers, and are four times as likely to have a criminal convicti
  
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• Ministers cannot go on ignoring the Shamima Begum case, for two important reasons

  02-01-2026 18:10 via theguardian.com
  The fate of the woman who left the UK at 15 in search of Islamic State raises wider questions about citizenshipWhile many aspects of UK political polling have shifted drastically since 2019, the public’s view on Shamima Begum has remained largely fixed: a big majority do not want the now 26-year-old woman back in the UK.In 2019, Sajid Javid, then home secretary, stripped the Londoner of her UK citizenship on the grounds that she was a security threat, having travelled as a schoolgirl with
  
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• Mike Nesbitt to stand down as Ulster Unionist Party leader

  02-01-2026 17:13 via bbc.com
  The current health minister informed assembly members and party officers on Friday morning.
  
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• Martin Rowson on Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting’s start to 2026 – cartoon

  02-01-2026 17:12 via theguardian.com
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• MP abused by trolls loses 10 stone after taking Mounjaro

  02-01-2026 17:08 via bbc.com
  MP Carolyn Harris has lost nearly 10 stone on Mounjaro, but warns others wanting to slim down.
  
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• A year that will dictate Starmer’s fate as prime minister

  02-01-2026 15:00 via ft.com
  This government behaves as if it is being run as a riposte to Nigel Farage rather than because it believes in anything
  
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• Here’s a pick-me-up for the January blues: this could well be Nigel Farage’s last year on top | Simon Jenkins

  02-01-2026 13:37 via theguardian.com
  There’s no doubting the charisma of its leader, but Reform UK lacks the depth and experience needed to govern – and voters are quickly realising thatI fear for Nigel Farage. This should be his big year, the make-or-break 2026. Last year his Reform party finally began to top the polls and he was feted by Washington as the UK’s Trump and next prime minister. So how now would he turn a sheaf of poll results into a disciplined election-winning machine? Or has he for the past year m
  
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• Politicians have given away too much power to deliver pledges, says PM's ex-aide

  02-01-2026 12:59 via bbc.com
  Paul Ovenden, who left Downing Street in September, says the British state has been "emasculating itself".
  
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• Criteria for weight-loss jabs on NHS tightened in large parts of England

  02-01-2026 12:00 via ft.com
  Varying thresholds for eligibility highlight tension between Westminster and local health leaders
  
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• What to expect at Holyrood and beyond as 2026 election race steps up

  02-01-2026 10:03 via bbc.com
  BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell looks at what lies ahead for Scottish politics this year with the Scottish Parliament election looming in May.
  
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• Controversial post-Brexit farm subsidy scheme 'landmark moment for Wales'

  02-01-2026 07:01 via bbc.com
  The post-Brexit subsidy scheme for farmers begins, almost a decade after the vote to leave the EU.
  
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• What are politicians talking about?

  02-01-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  The UK government keeps putting out messages but no one is listening because they are incomprehensible
  
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• The silver linings that could give Keir Starmer some economic cheer

  02-01-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Falling UK inflation rate and prospect of interest rate cuts mean there could be upside surprises for PM in 2026
  
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• Swamp Notes: Is the US economy really K-shaped?

  02-01-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  High earners are doing great. Low earners are struggling. What does that say about the economy?
  
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• Home Counties most affected by VAT on private school fees, data suggests

  02-01-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Few English local authorities report a rise in state school pupil numbers with a corresponding fall in private enrolment in 2024-25
  
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• Are you sure you want to leave the UK to avoid inheritance tax?

  02-01-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Advisers say increasing numbers of clients are taking advantage of residency rules
  
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