On my return from a recent trip to New Zealand, meeting with public health officials, cancer charities, patients and cancer experts, I find myself sitting at the airport with a sense of conflict. My flight will take me back to the UK, where world-leading age of sale legislation has just overcome its first parliamentary hurdle — a law that could help bring an end to cancers caused by smoking for good. But here in the departures lounge at Wellington Airport, I leave behind a country which, for many years, we looked up to for their progressive tobacco control activities and global leadership of p ..read more

The below article first appeared in Politics.co.uk’s Week-in-Review newsletter, subscribe here and never miss this weekly digest. In Tees Valley on Thursday, Ben Houchen did something senior Conservatives just don’t do anymore: he won. In the face of a ruthless Labour campaign set on scalping the Tory patron saint for levelling up, Houchen was ultimately re-elected as mayor with 53.6 per cent of the vote.  This margin of victory, of course, was considerably reduced from Houchen’s showing in 2021, when he scooped up a staggering 72.8 per cent vote share. Extolled as a “North Korean le ..read more

The below content first appeared in Politics.co.uk’s Politics@Lunch newsletter, subscribe here and never miss this daily briefing. With less than half of the 107 councils holding elections having declared results, the overall picture as of 1.30 pm on Friday remains incomplete. But from the patchwork of local election results ready to be analysed, one conclusion features above all others: the Conservatives have suffered very serious losses indeed. On the council level, the party has lost over half of the seats it was defending. If this rate of loss continues across all councils, the Conser ..read more

Labour has won the Blackpool South by-election in yet another blow for Rishi Sunak’s leadership. The party’s candidate Chris Webb defeated the Conservative candidate David Jones by 10,825 votes to 3,218 — a 26 per cent swing in the “Red Wall” constituency. Chris Webb, a local and the firm favourite, received 10,825 votes after Thursday’s contest — a 58.9% vote share. The Conservatives trailed far behind with just 3,218. Reform UK finished a close third on 3,101 votes, while the Liberal Democrats got 387 votes and the Green Party won 368. As local election results were counted across the countr ..read more

The below content first appeared in Politics.co.uk’s Politics@Lunch newsletter, subscribe here and never miss this daily briefing. Millions of voters across England and Wales, ID at the ready, head to the polls for the final time today before the general election. Below are the offices they will be electing representatives to — and which Britain’s political parties want to occupy by the time all votes are counted: More than 2,600 council seats across 107 councils in England. 11 mayoralties. 25 seats on the London Assembly. 37 police and crime commissioners. The parliamentary constituency ..read more

John Swinney has formally announced his bid to be the next leader of the SNP. The former deputy first minister of Scotland gave a statement in Edinburgh at 10.30 am on Thursday, making him the first contender to announce their intention to replace Humza Yousaf as SNP leader.  Announcing his bid, Swinney said: “I want to build on the work of the SNP government to create a modern, diverse, dynamic Scotland that will ensure opportunity for all of her citizens.” “I want to unite the SNP and unite Scotland for independence.” Swinney initially revealed he was considering running for the top job ..read more

What does the future of government look like with blockchain? Find out the uses  of blockchain in public sector, and why you should know about it. Throughout its existence, blockchain has evolved from its roots as a ledger technology devised for cryptocurrencies. With features such as decentralisation, transparency, and encryption, blockchain shows clear applications for a multitude of purposes. These features are of particular interest in situations where speed and efficiency in administrative work are crucial, to which, Governments are no stranger. In this article, we explore the potent ..read more

As the capital’s voters head to the polls to choose their next mayor, London’s business community is at a crossroads. While the economy has steadily gotten back on its feet following the pandemic, the challenges facing enterprises across the city are mounting. With the economic contributions of small and medium businesses needed more than ever, our next mayor needs to deliver a high growth vision for London that prioritises the SMEs that keep the capital moving. Fundamentally, our entrepreneurs do not have confidence in London’s economic future. A recent poll of London businesses by the London ..read more

Keir Starmer has called on voters to “turn the page” on Conservative “chaos”, with polls set to open on Thursday morning for the local elections.  Voters head to the polls for a range of local council and mayoral elections, as well as a by-election in Blackpool South following the resignation of former Conservative MP Scott Benton. Ahead of polling day, the Labour leader told voters they have a chance “to vote for change” and “pass a verdict on fourteen years of decline”.  “You can start to rebuild our country and take your community in a different direction”, he said. Six key battl ..read more

The below content first appeared in Politics.co.uk’s Politics@Lunch newsletter, subscribe here and never miss this daily briefing. He had the best seat in the House to witness the last big political set-piece ahead of the local elections in England and Wales tomorrow. Dr Dan Poulter MP, who defected from the Conservative Party to Labour over the weekend, was slotted in behind Keir Starmer for prime minister’s questions today — the Labour leader and PM’s final joust before polls open. It was no accident, of course, that Poulter defected to Labour mere days ahead of the local elections, wit ..read more