UK

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.

A deeply unpopular government agonises over whether to break its own rules or keep cutting budgets, writes Ros Taylor.

Populist and far-right parties across Europe share many of the same traits, says Ros Taylor. But Reform has not yet embraced the pro-natalist agenda of a lot of its counterparts.

Most Britons have no intention of installing a heat pump. Given the cost of electricity in the UK, that’s not unreasonable. Ros Taylor looks at why it is so hard to tempt them away from gas boilers.

After years of setbacks, the UK is finally pushing ahead with two carbon capture and storage projects. While there is scepticism about the technology, says Ros Taylor, its supporters argue the cost is justified if the UK means to reach net zero.

In 2025 the last hereditary peers will leave the House of Lords. That will not be enough to satisfy its critics, writes Ros Taylor, who believe Britain’s second chamber is overstuffed with idle peers and too many cronies who were not appointed on merit.

Tough decisions lie ahead for the UK government as it tries to decarbonise electricity generation by 2030. Several key decisions have been made but much remains unknown, particularly on reform of the electricity market and the detail of collaboration with the EU. Ros Taylor reports.