NewsBite

UK leadership

January

Elon Musk on the campaign trail for Donald Trump last year.

Starmer leads European pushback against ‘troll’ Musk

The leaders of Germany, France and the UK have all railed gainst the increasingly punchy political interventions from the X owner and Donald Trump confidant.

December 2024

Jeremy Clarkson at the farmers’ protest against inheritance tax in central London.

‘Authentic’ Jeremy Clarkson tops polls in disaffected, desperate UK

His shift from Top Gear cars to Diddly Squat cows has so enhanced Clarkson’s everyman appeal that people are asking if a political future beckons.

November 2024

In the hot seat… British prime minister Keir Starmer.

Why Musk’s barbs are more blows for Starmer

Britain’s PM lurches from one self-inflicted mini-crisis to the next. He might say he’s playing a long game, but is he digging a hole too deep to climb out of?

Kemi Badenoch speaks after being elected as the new leader of the opposition Conservative Party.

Britain’s first black party leader is an anti-woke warrior

Kemi Badenoch won the protracted Conservative Party leadership contest, and has until 2029 to craft a pitch to defeat Labour.

October 2024

Boris Johnson’s memoir ‘Unleashed’ went on sale in the UK on Thursday.

For a politician, Boris Johnson makes a very good journalist

‘Unleashed’ is a disarmingly self-deprecating tale of an eventful British decade. His observations aren’t always reliable, but they’re sharp and illuminating.

Advertisement
That sinking feeling … Keir Starmer’s popularity is dropping like a stone.

British PM stumps up for Taylor Swift tickets after donations furore

With his popularity in freefall, Keir Starmer has tried to make amends for his freebie frenzy by paying back $12,000 worth of gifts out of his own pocket.

Boris Johnson in full battle cry during the 2024 election.

‘Do you miss me yet?’ Britain’s zany ex-PMs back on centre stage

Boris Johnson and Liz Truss return to the limelight, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s travails leave Tories daring to dream of a swift resurrection.

September 2024

Only two months into his premiership, Sir Keir Starmer already feels a diminished figure.

Why Britain’s PM faces political firefights on all fronts

A combination of bad politics and unpopular policy has left Sir Keir Starmer on the back foot. And there isn’t even a Tory opponent who can lead the attack.

Keir Starmer: “I call again for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the sausages.”

Starmer calls for return of ‘sausages’ from Gaza in conference gaffe

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer misread his script – which called for the return of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 last year.

July 2024

Healthcare and prisons sit on top of Keir Starmer’s bulging in-tray.

Fixing broken Britain needs ‘tough decisions’, Starmer warns

The new prime minister held a cabinet meeting on Saturday to kickstart his bid to resuscitate the country’s ailing public services and tight finances.

Angela Rayner is deputy prime minister of the UK.

How Angela Rayner became one of Britain’s most powerful women

She grew up in dire poverty caring for a sick mother on a council estate. But Angela Rayner’s drive to succeed propelled her to the top of the Labour Party.

Sir Keir Starmer makes a speech outside Downing Street.

‘We will fight until you believe again’: Starmer vows to fix Britain

Keir Starmer has officially become the UK’s new prime minister after a landslide victory in the polls and says he will lead a government focused on public service.

Keir Starmer - the new man in town.

Gaza backlash and other key lessons from UK’s election

Gaza has shaken up the left, populism is shaking up the right. Labour’s majority is less secure than it seems, but Keir Starmer’s dullness could be an asset.

Labour leader Keir Starmer will probably have something to smile about.

Labour set for landslide win as UK votes

Britons began casting their ballots, as opinion polls suggest a Labour win of historic proportions. But the many tight three-way contests could still deliver a surprise.

Keir Starmer UK Labour leader

How will Keir Starmer change the UK?

As a Labour government gets set to take the reins after 14 years of Conservative rule, what will Starmer do with power in his first 100 days and beyond?

Advertisement
The Conservative government has sowed the seeds of its own downfall.

Why angry Britain will this week finally dump the Tories

Five PMs, five elections and a three-ring circus: over 14 years, the Conservative government sowed the seeds of its own downfall – and leaves a mixed legacy.

June 2024

Opposition Leader Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak go head to head in a sometimes feisty BBC debate.

With nothing left to lose, Sunak goes on the attack

A sharper-sounding prime minister is betting that sowing fear might save the Tory furniture even if it can’t prevent an election loss.

Australian-born Catherine West is a north London Labour MP and shadow minister for Asia and the Pacific .

AUKUS safe under Labour: next UK minister for Australia

Australian-born Catherine West, who will be minister for Asia and the Pacific if Labour wins the election, rejects Tory claims the subs deal is at risk.

Labour leader Keir Starmer launches his election manifesto in Manchester.

UK’s likely next PM copies Albanese election playbook

Labour leader Keir Starmer unveiled a policy manifesto containing almost no new policies, confirming just a handful of tax tweaks if his party is elected on July 4.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella who could be France’s next prime minister.

UK, European centre-right parties rush to woo their radical rivals

British and European centre-right parties are frantically courting the resurgent radical right, in a move that portends a potential reshaping of the conservative side of politics.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/uk-leadership-1m6x