London politics
fromwww.bbc.com
8 hours agoLocal elections 2026: London may become a political patchwork quilt
London's upcoming elections may see a significant shift in political power with multiple parties competing for control of councils.
Doly Begum stated, 'After speaking with so many of you over the past few months, I actually decided to run federally because this is a crucial moment for Canada. I'm running to bring Scarborough Southwest's voice to Ottawa.'
Three recent appointments demonstrate Mamdani's commitment to that long-cited political adage that personnel is policy. He and his team are drawing qualified, visionary, sometimes unconventional talent from the best of previous administrations-all deployed to pull on as many levers as possible to make New York a more just and affordable city.
In perhaps a vain attempt to prove themselves moderate, the Democratic lawmakers helped override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's vetoes. Voters responded with the kind of ballot-box fury that should serve as a lesson to other incumbents. It wasn't just a case that the incumbents lost. They were buried, with several of them getting trounced by margins of 40 points or more.
This is an opportunity for the membership to decide not only who the next leader is going to be, but what the future of the party is going to look like. That gives me hope that despite the election result, the NDP is here to stay.
Sir Keir Starmer has abandoned plans to postpone elections across 30 councils this May after being warned it would be illegal, in yet another humiliating U-turn for the government. Local government secretary Steve Reed had previously approved proposals to delay the polls for more than 4.5 million people to help deliver a major reorganisation of local authorities. But on Monday, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) spokesperson said it was abandoning the plan in the face of new legal advice a climbdown that has been claimed as a victory for Reform UK, which had launched legal action against the government to challenge the proposed delay.
The Liberal Party announced Saturday afternoon that family physician Dr. Danielle Martin will be their candidate for the upcoming federal byelection in University-Rosedale, the downtown Toronto riding Chrystia Freeland held until she stepped down earlier this month. Martin is the chair of the department of family and community medicine at the University of Toronto. In 2014, she defended Canada's health care system before a partisan U.S. Senate committee an act that received widespread attention at the time.
If Labour wins in what has been an over-50% solid red-voting area since the second world war, that will calm nerves on its febrile back (and front) benches. If Labour loses, heavy blame will fall on Keir Starmer for fixing the party's ruling NEC to bar Andy Burnham's selection, ensuring he couldn't challenge for the leadership without a Westminster seat.
As any political adviser worth their salt will attest, it's never too soon to start privately preparing for your candidate's future leadership bid. Yet going too early with registering that all-important website risks telegraphing one's intentions even before the starting gun has fired. Whoever is behind the site bearing her name, Angela Rayner is now facing awkward questions after it emerged that an unfinished site apparently touting her for Labour's top job had briefly appeared online.
The alternative may, however, have been even more embarrassing for the government. Imagine their legal arguments being picked apart in court, perhaps a judge criticising their actions, and even Nigel Farage celebrating a major win in front of TV cameras on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice. Allies of Local Government Secretary Steve Reed - who is ultimately responsible for this reversal - argue that their approach shifted because the legal advice changed. But they won't explain how.