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Labour loses control of Birmingham city council after 14 years of leadership

results reflecting wider political fragmentation across [England](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/england). Labour [lost hundreds of council seats in England](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2026/may/07/local-elections-2026-may-full-results-england-scotland-wales), many to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which made big gains across the Midlands

‘King of the North’: Who is Andy Burnham, a potential UK prime minister?

elections in 2021 and 2024, Burnham has focused on expanding devolved powers for the city region, including greater control over transport, housing and skills funding. His tenure has also been marked by the introduction

Birmingham is awash with local election candidates – but will result be a ‘coalition of chaos’?

UK had an unpopular Labour government facing an economic crisis, tensions around immigration and US pressure to back military action abroad. Such a backdrop may seem familiar, but this May, the all-out local elections

Bulgaria votes as pro-Russian former president leads in the polls

election to another without getting anything done,” said Bogomil Bardarski, a 72-year-old metalworker who voted in the capital, Sofia. Opinion polls on Friday suggested Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party would secure about

Welsh Labour faces ‘existential’ change as party braces for May election defeat

UK nations in several key metrics. About 20% of Welsh NHS patients have to wait more than a year for hospital treatment, compared with about 4% in England. Welsh children’s reading, maths and science

Voters across parties believe UK net migration is rising despite sharp drop

2023 to 204,000 in the year to June 2025, according to government figures. The latest figures will be published on Thursday morning, and are expected to show a further decrease in net migration. According

Wes Streeting insists he can win Labour leadership race despite ‘underdog’ status

Reform government. Although there is no official leadership contest – Starmer is still in Downing Street and the favourite, Andy Burnham, is campaigning to win a byelection – Streeting said it was “inevitable” the prime minister would

Mapped: the elections that could deliver ‘unprecedented’ losses for Labour

result would be the worst local election performance for any prime minister since comparable data began. Starmer already has the poorest local election performance of modern prime ministers — but 2026 could be worse Biggest losses

Friday briefing: How rising antisemitism is striking fear into the everyday lives of British Jews

result of the war in the Middle East. ## In depth: ‘Extreme, hateful, violent attitudes have become normalised’  Protesters yesterday gathered to heckle Keir Starmer