Sorcha Bradley
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Sorcha Bradley
@sorchabradley.bsky.social
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Senior Staff Writer at The Week. I write Politics Unspun, a weekly newsletter from The Week that digests the most important news from Westminster and beyond. Free in your inbox every Thursday: https://theweek.com/politics-unspun-newsletter
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Peter Kyle goes full tech bro this afternoon launching the new Digital Centre of Government in a t-shirt and jeans. And demonstrates the new Gov.uk AI chat bot by asking it what he should do if he’s sacked in a reshuffle 🤖
January 21, 2025 at 7:22 PM
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🚨 In Politics Unspun

👉 Reeves' 'war on waste'
Chancellor calls for gov't departments to find up to 5% in "efficiency savings"

👉 Government pauses Syrian asylum claims
6,500+ asylum claims from Syrian nationals are now on hold, following the fall of Assad

💡 Plus more stories to keep an 👁️ on below
Hereditary peers took a last stand against legislation to abolish the 92 seats reserved in the House of Lords for those who inherit their titles. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, which had its second reading in the upper chamber on Wednesday, was described as a "thoroughly nasty little Bill" by Lord Strathclyde, the former Conservative leader of the Lords. He said the plans had been "rushed through" to "throw some red meat to extreme Labour". With the legislation set to pass, others are more resigned to their fate. One hereditary peer, said The Times, is said to have asked officials if there would be redundancy pay. Rael Braverman, husband of Suella, defected to Reform this week, intensifying speculation that his wife, the former home secretary, could soon follow suit. So far, Braverman has rejected the notion, telling The Times: "This is the 21st century and not the 18th – my husband does not speak for me nor does he control my political affiliations." Billionaire property tycoon Nick Candy has also renounced his Conservative Party membership to take up a fundraising role with Nigel Farage's party. Prison spaces will run out, the justice secretary has warned. Shabana Mahmood said this week that government plans for building more prisons alone was "not enough". As part of its Plan for Change, the government said it's going to add 14,000 new prison places by 2031. But Mahmood warned "we will run out" as "demand is rising faster than any supply could possibly catch up with". A sentencing review, headed by former Tory justice secretary David Gauke, will look at long-term solutions to prison overcrowding.
December 12, 2024 at 1:36 PM
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A few key issues to keep an eye on in the wider world of politics below 🔍

Also in Politics Unspun:

🤔Is Starmer pulling a Sunak?
🛑 Stalking victims to be given a 'right to know' the identity of their abuser
💍 Should the UK ban marriage between cousins?

Subscribe: theweek.com/politics-uns...
What to watch out for Michel Barnier has been ousted as France's prime minister after just three months following a no-confidence vote led by Marine Le Pen's far-right party and a left-wing coalition. Barnier is expected to officially resign after his government became the first to be toppled by a no-confidence vote in more than 60 years. His political "defenestration" comes after snap elections in the summer that left the country with a hung parliament, and France's far right holding sway, said The Guardian. President Emmanuel Macron will now have to quickly choose a successor to steer the government for the remaining two years of his term amid calls for his own resignation. Macron is set to give a televised speech at 7pm today. BBC Director General Tim Davie will be grilled by MPs over allegations against "MasterChef" host Gregg Wallace during his upcoming appearance before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Committee chair Caroline Dinenage told The Independent that while Davie's session, expected before Christmas, will focus on the BBC World Service, the allegations surrounding Wallace "will also come up". The 60-year-old TV presenter is accused of inappropriate behaviour spanning 17 years, with more than a dozen individuals reportedly coming forward. Britain is in danger of losing its marbles, or perhaps more accurately Greece's marbles, depending on which side of the debate you're on. Keir Starmer has reportedly "signalled" to Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis that the UK government "wouldn't block a potential deal" to hand back the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece if a legal resolution could be found, said Bloomberg. The pair reportedly discussed the 200-year-old dispute at a Downing Street meeting yesterday. The British Museum is forbidden by law from giving away any of its artefacts. But there are discussions over lending the Elgin Marbles back to Greece temporarily in exchange for a rolling display of other Greek artefacts. Speaking on the Political Cur…
December 5, 2024 at 1:49 PM
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🚨 Another packed edition of Politics Unspun is out today! Featuring artwork by The Week's illustrator Stephen Kelly ✨

The top headlines:

🔍 Are Labour's work reforms up to the job?
💥 The 'toxic' row over physician associates

Get it in your inbox every Thursday:
theweek.com/politics-uns...
November 28, 2024 at 1:40 PM
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Labour is still grappling with divisions over the assisted dying bill. Last week's Politics Unspun dug into what's causing some of the doubts. Check it out here: tinyurl.com/23prjnpy
November 18, 2024 at 3:14 PM