EU-UK relations after Brexit

The new British prime minister is a far better communicator than Keir Starmer. But we have little idea of his thinking about the world beyond Britain, says Ros Taylor. For the moment, Andy Burnham’s priorities lie at home.

It has forced Keir Starmer to resign. Now the Labour Party is pinning all its hopes on Andy Burnham, a charismatic mayor from Manchester, writes Ros Taylor. It knows the alternative is a far right government. 

Keir Starmer has survived the local elections, but commands little authority in his party or the country, writes Ros Taylor. Paralysed by the fear of a far-right government, his party has been too afraid to replace him.

Trump has turned against the UK and Keir Starmer is looking to Europe for allies. Brexit has flatlined the economy, the White House has shown its contempt, and British public opinion has quietly shifted. For the first time in years, a UK government is making a serious case for rapprochement on trade, defence, and beyond. But after years of hostility, the EU is sceptical about Britain's overtures. Is this a genuine turning point, or the same old cherry-picking?

Westminster woke up to what the BBC called a "seismic event." In the Gorton and Denton by-election, Green candidate Hannah Spencer didn't just edge ahead. She won decisively with over 40% of the vote, reshaping assumptions about the limits of Green politics in the UK. It marked the first ever Westminster by-election victory for the Greens, adding to their seats from the 2024 general election and bringing their total to five MPs. In a fragmented political landscape where Labour and Reform were expected to dominate the contest, voters chose a different path. What does this victory tell us about shifting political coalitions? Is this a protest vote or something more durable? And can the Greens translate a by-election breakthrough into sustained national momentum? Roderick Kefferpütz asked Natalie Bennett, Green Party peer in the House of Lords, and former leader of the Green Party of England and Wales (2012-2016), for her take.

The turmoil in British politics offers an unprecedented opportunity to the Green party, writes Ros Taylor – though with just four MPs and a culture of local activism rather than big-picture policy thinking, it has a lot of work to do.

As the UK races to upgrade its electricity grid for a net-zero future, new pylons are sparking old arguments. To some, they are industrial blights on the countryside; to others, symbols of progress. Yet with offshore wind and solar booming, new transmission lines are unavoidable. The government hopes bill discounts and community funds will ease opposition – but as legal reforms curb local objections, many Britons may soon have to get used to the view.