UK FACT CHECK POLITICS
Reform UK candidate who won a seat in Sunderland beat his girlfriend black and blue and allegedly abused a child
Behind Politics UK: the "impartial" platform owned by a Reform councillor
Reform UK candidate who claimed the Holocaust was a hoax has won a seat in the local elections
Ed Miliband privately urged Keir Starmer to consider a resignation timeline as Labour braces for devastating election losses
Reform UK takes Chorley East from Labour in first declared result as counts begin across Britain
Iranian air defences activated in Tehran as explosions reported in Bandar Abbas and Minab
From county halls to devolved parliaments, Britain’s 7 May elections will test a fractured political map
Politics
MORE →Zack Polanski says police should face scrutiny over Golders Green arrest response
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said police "should not be above scrutiny" over officers' handling of the suspect's arrest after the Golders Green stabbing attack, while saying he was wrong to raise the issue on X. His comments follow a dispute with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley after Polanski reposted criticism alleging officers kicked the suspect after he was Tasered; police said he had tried to stab officers and was being disarmed.
King Charles tells Congress UK-US partnership is ‘more important’ than ever
Sir David Davis MP website taken offline after compromise and DDoS attack
McSweeney tells MPs backing Mandelson appointment was a “serious error of judgement”
Birmingham bin strike end 'within sight' after council and Unite agree deal principles, leader says
MPs to vote on Starmer referral to Privileges Committee over Mandelson statements
Elections
MORE →Reform UK says it would put migrant detention centres in Green-held areas, not Reform seats
Reform UK said a future Reform government would avoid placing new migrant detention centres in constituencies with Reform MPs or Reform-run councils and would prioritise Green-held areas instead. The party published a campaign website and draft bill proposing at least 24,000 detention places, but the plan is not government policy or law and does not yet name specific locations. Green, Labour and some Conservative critics said the approach would amount to political punishment or could face legal
Four Labour-linked figures charged over alleged Croydon East selection tampering
Ipsos poll: Britons pick Starmer over Farage head-to-head, but more expect Reform to be largest party
Lisa Nandy says Andy Burnham should have been allowed to stand in Gorton & Denton by-election
Modelling warns Labour could be left controlling as few as two London councils at May borough elections
YouGov poll puts Greens second on 21% ahead of Labour as Reform leads on 23%
Middle East
MORE →Congress nears 60-day Iran war deadline without vote to approve Trump’s conflict
US Congress is approaching a 1 May War Powers Resolution deadline over the Iran conflict, with no clear sign lawmakers will vote on a formal authorisation. The Senate and House have rejected recent efforts to block the war, but those votes did not approve it. Some Republican senators said Congress should authorise further action if military operations continue.
Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire in Lebanon as U.S.-Iran talks stall
Foreign Office Closes Israel War Monitoring Unit, Cutting Key Evidence Used in UK Arms Decisions
Pope Leo criticises linking Christianity to military force as Hegseth invokes faith over Iran war
US officials say American F-15E went down over Iran; search under way for crew
Iranian state TV urges civilians to capture US aircrew after Tehran claims US jet downed; UK sends defences to Kuwait
UK
MORE →ECIU analysis warns UK food prices could be 50% above mid-2021 by November
An Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit analysis said UK food prices could be 50% higher by November than at the start of the cost-of-living crisis in mid-2021, if current pressures continue. Official data showed food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose 3.7% in the year to March 2026, while the Bank of England and industry forecasts also pointed to further food inflation later this year.