What does the surge of Farage's Reform mean for UK politics?
On today's
Inside Politics
podcast Irish Times London Correspondent Mark Paul joins Hugh Linehan to discuss what
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage
is already calling 'the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party' as Tories lost council seats all over England.
And to add icing to Farage's cake, Reform Party candidate Sarah Pochin dramatically won the Runcorn and Helsby byelection by just six votes, the narrowest margin of victory in a byelection since 1944.
Labour didn't fare well in Thursday's local elections either - will they now view Reform as a legitimate challenger? And is the clock already ticking for Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch?
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Irish Times
17 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Are you staying or going?': The question all Irish emigrants eventually face
Ireland's long-standing history of emigration is reflected in a piece by Mark Paul , London Correspondent, in which he says, 'Over the decades the area had been a magnet for Irish immigrants, but the community aged. Younger London Irish now favour Hackney or Clapham. Meanwhile, Archway's green army went grey.' While Mark's piece centres around Martin Fallon, an 'old boy from Ireland' who died in May, he speaks to locals in the traditional London-Irish community about how things have evolved. It's interesting to consider the changing face of the Irish community in London, especially since – for the most part – the whys of leaving their homeland are generally the same after all this time. For Peter Flanagan, he says that when he first moved to the UK, he expected to stay about six months. Now, after six years, however, he's wondering will he ever leave. Having bought his first home in the English capital, though, he feels that's probably an indication – and not a conscious decision – that he's here for good. Despite this, Flanagan says: 'My real fear is staying in the UK so long that I go full Pierce Brosnan. So far removed from my place of origin that I become an awkward facsimile of myself. Half-remembered visions of my childhood blurring with drunken fever dreams. Perched on a barstool in a silk cravat, waxing lyrical about the old country to anyone who will listen. 'I do miss Éire,' I'd slur. 'My father built our family home from clay and sticks on the banks of the river Liffey. I often wonder if it's still standing.'' Something students considering a move to the US should bear in mind are new visa requirements introduced this week. In a statement on Monday, the US embassy in Dublin said the US State Department is 'committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process'. READ MORE The embassy said visa applicants will be required to list all social media usernames or handles for every platform they have used from the last five years on their visa application form so these accounts can be vetted. Taoiseach Micheál Martin condemned the new requirements as 'excessive' and said that they will cause 'fear and anxiety' among young people. Read more about the changes here . Columnist Laura Kennedy says there is always one question she is asked as an emigrant in Australia: 'Are you staying or going?' And while it may be a nudge from loved ones to get you home, it eventually becomes a real question in need of a serious answer. This month, she also looked at what Irish people are good at – digesting dairy, drinking and, of course, emigration. Our shortcoming? Pollen. And, by God, her allergies are not holding back in the hay fever capital of Canberra. As autumn hits down under, it's not letting up either. She writes: 'It does make me miss Limerick a bit, though, and its chaste plant-life that has the decency to die – or to play dead – once autumn shuffles in.' Adrian O'Sullivan, from Cork, has no plans to leave Berlin, which he first visited in 1988 as an 18-year-old. Speaking to Frank Dillon, he says he's noticed subtle changes over the years. 'When I came here first, what I often remarked upon was that, for Germans, everything is absolutely forbidden unless it is allowed whereas, for the Irish, everything is allowed unless it is absolutely forbidden. Sometimes Irish people have come here thinking they can do things the same was as they can in Cahersiveen, but that doesn't work.' Wicklow woman Orla McLaughlin lives in Venice and says she felt connected to the city from early on. She misses friends and family in Ireland, however, and returns once or twice a year, 'though it was easier when the children were younger. You inevitably miss out on some milestones and sharing some of your own too.' Finally, if, when you ask yourself should you stay or go, you decide a return to Ireland is on the cards, you may want to check out our guide on how to go about buying property in Ireland from abroad. Thanks for reading.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Irishman Morgan McSweeney: the softly-spoken chief of staff to Keir Starmer now facing questions
He was the political mastermind who oversaw Labour's landslide election victory nearly a year ago. Now Morgan McSweeney, from Codrum, just outside Macroom, Co Cork, has become a lightning rod for criticism as the UK government faces its biggest ever parliamentary rebellion. McSweeney, the softly-spoken chief of staff to UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer , played a crucial role in purging leftwing Labour MPs, rebuilding the party as a centrist force and setting the government's agenda. Under the Irishman's encouragement, Starmer swapped his previously leftwing clothing for a more patriotic, fiscally responsible, immigration-sceptic stance that helped propel him into Number 10 Downing Street with a massive majority. READ MORE But with Labour behind in opinion polls, the prime minister's personal ratings slumping and angry backbenchers threatening to humiliate Starmer over his welfare cuts, MPs are starting to question whether McSweeney's Downing Street operation is firing on all cylinders. 'Everyone is selling shares in Morgan,' said one Labour veteran. 'People are starting to put their heads above the parapet and say maybe he's not the Messiah after all.' At the heart of the blame game is McSweeney's belief that the government needs to head off the threat of Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party by leaning to the right on welfare, defence, aid and immigration. Labour's setback in the local elections in England in May – when it lost hundreds of seats to Reform – has emboldened McSweeney and other Starmer aides in their attempts to shore up the ruling party's right flank. They have survey data suggesting most of the public want stricter controls on welfare spending, and believe benefits reform is one way to claw back Labour's six-point poll deficit behind Reform. 'People need to grow up and get serious ... this is a problem with the country, not with Morgan McSweeney,' said one loyalist MP. 'You can brief against staffers, slag off politicians, but the cost of welfare will still be unsustainable.' This shift to a so-called blue Labour stance has the backing of MPs in seats that supported Brexit and moved to the Tories temporarily under Boris Johnson's leadership – and are now vulnerable to Reform. UK prime minister Keir Starmer: facing a backbench revolt over his welfare bill. Photograph:But many of the 100-plus Labour MPs set to rebel next week over Starmer's welfare bill are more worried about the voters that are haemorrhaging to leftwing parties such as the Greens, and deeply uncomfortable about taking money away from some of the most vulnerable people in society. Starmer's so-called loveless landslide – which saw him catapulted to power by a rejection of the Conservatives rather than an enthusiastic endorsement of his agenda – makes Labour's majority particularly vulnerable, some people fear. [ Who is Morgan McSweeney, the Irishman heading up Keir Starmer's Downing Street operation? Opens in new window ] The 'Marmite' view of McSweeney reflects a generational divide within the Parliamentary Labour party, which one person described as a 'two tribes' situation. They questioned why Number 10 was blindsided on Monday when it emerged more than 100 Labour MPs had signed an amendment aimed at blocking the passage of Starmer's welfare bill through parliament. 'Number 10 ... should have seen this rebellion coming from outer space,' said one senior Labour MP. Instead, 'they refused to listen, doubled down, refused to accept the criticism and just dug in. This is where we've ended up'. In the early months of Starmer's government, the prime minister's first chief of staff Sue Gray was blamed for many of Downing Street's problems. A former civil servant, she was in effect defenestrated by McSweeney in October. 'A lot of people drank the Kool-Aid that he was the fixer and Sue Gray was useless, but he can't blame Sue for this one,' said the Labour veteran. Another MP said McSweeney's role in the government seemed to be to 'shield' Starmer from uncomfortable truths, including on his welfare reforms. 'Other people in Number 10 were saying he didn't have the numbers for this and he wouldn't get it through parliament. The chief whip has been warning them about this for months. But they had their fingers in their ears,' they said. 'It's extraordinarily arrogant and complacent.' Others see in Number 10's determinedness to press ahead with next week's House of Commons vote on the welfare bill a sign of McSweeney's desire to still confront Labour's denuded leftwing. [ Analysis: When two becomes one: Starmer's first mistake was to allow competing power bases into Number 10 Opens in new window ] One MP from the 2024 election intake said it seemed as though McSweeney was 'spoiling for a fight' with the left of the party over the welfare reforms, which was a 'very stupid thing to do'. Allies of the chief of staff were involved in the selection process for candidates in last year's election, ruthlessly weeding out anyone seen as excessively leftwing. Yet the list of what is now 125 rebels is full of newcomers who made it through the net. McSweeney's supporters believe he will be able to shake off the growing animosity, insisting he has been a positive force within the government. They say that – since the departure of Gray – the Irishman has helped Starmer get a grip on the Whitehall operation and improve morale. 'They are much steadier, happier and more political than they were,' said one. 'He backs staff unwaveringly, is in the trenches with us, and enables us to be political and keeps us sharp,' said one colleague. 'Sue tried to knock the politics out of the operation, foolishly.' McSweeney played a crucial role in trade negotiations with the EU and the US, building relationships with advisers in Washington and Brussels. 'They like, respect and trust him,' said one colleague. He was also early to spot the risk of the winter fuel allowance cuts last summer which have since been largely reversed, according to allies. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage: his party is seen as a major threat to Labour in its heartlands. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire But Pat McFadden, Cabinet Office minister and an influential figure in the government, has warned Starmer of the danger of relentlessly targeting Reform-inclined voters, putting him at odds with McSweeney. One ally of McFadden, who is a former aide to Tony Blair , said: 'Pat believes we should have a big national message. It's never a good idea to choose between one group of voters and another. Blue Labour is not Pat's thing – it's more Morgan's thing.' Luke Akehurst, the loyalist MP for North Durham, pointed out in his constituency Labour plunged from 56 to four seats in the local elections – while Reform jumped from zero to 65. 'Labour is now clearly losing votes to Reform in its former heartlands and ... the votes lost to the Greens and Lib Dems are more likely to be in seats that are safe enough that we can afford some loss of votes,' he argued recently. But now a phalanx of Labour MPs representing diverse and urban seats fear this shift to the right will end up alienating many of the party's natural supporters. Polling from YouGov suggests far more voters who have deserted Labour since July have switched to the Liberal Democrats, Greens, Plaid Cymru or the Scottish National Party rather than Reform or the Conservatives. Some left-leaning MPs accept the need for tougher policies on for example immigration, noting net migration had been high in recent years. But still many inside Labour recoiled at Starmer's language about the dangers of Britain becoming an 'island of strangers' in a May speech. The divides within the party were on display during a gathering a few weeks ago of the Parliamentary Labour party. 'There were a slew of mostly London MPs with big majorities talking about progressive values and criticising the immigration policy,' said one pro-Starmer attendee. 'But there is also a caucus of younger MPs from the 'red wall' and the growth group, who agree with some of those policies. You could really see two tribes in the room, and how it's partly generational.' One Labour strategist said: 'Morgan is an easy lightning rod for people to blame for everything they don't like about this government, which is not how government works in reality.' A Number 10 aide said: 'This government was elected to deliver change and it was never going to be easy. Our wins and challenges are owned by all of us.' – – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Tory councillor's wife jailed for racist Southport tweet is being ‘mistreated' in prison, Reform's Richard Tice claims
THE wife of a Tory councillor who was jailed for making racist tweets in the aftermath of the Southport murders is being "mistreated" in prison, it is claimed. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice says Lucy Connolly has been handcuffed and stripped of her privileges by prison officers. 4 Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice Credit: PA 4 Lucy Connolly, who was sentenced to 31 months in prisonfor inciting racial hatred against asylum seekers Credit: PA 4 The childminder published the comments on her X account Credit: Connolly posted comments on her X account just hours after teenager Axel Rudakubana murdered three girls in the Merseyside town on July 29 last year. He alleges Connolly - married to Tory Raymond Connolly - is being "manhandled without provocation" after visiting her today at HMP Peterborough. Mr Tice told reporters: "Five days after the incident, the bruises on her wrists are still significant – yellow. It was obviously horrible what she went through. "On Thursday, she was manhandled, mistreated with no provocation. She was denied enhanced accommodation to which she was entitled and they gave her, frankly, the Nutters Wild Wing – druggies, violence. "You have to think it's politically motivated. I think the next few weeks before her release are going to be very challenging, worrying. "I think it would suit the authorities to want to provoke a violent reaction from Lucy. I told Lucy to be very careful." He went on to say he met with HMP Peterborough's head of security, explaining: "He is looking at the complaint seriously. When we get the result of that complaint – if they have 'lost' the bodycam footage or any of that funny business then I will escalate the complaint and meet the Governor. Mr Tice added: "I genuinely fear that she is actually being treated as a political prisoner for political purposes." Most read in The Sun Connolly, 41, shared a call to arms following the deaths of Bebe King, six, nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. Posts wrongly claimed monster Cardiff and raised Christian. Connolly wrote: "Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care... "If that makes me racist, so be it." Riots erupted across the country as thugs clashed with police and targeted hotels housing asylum seekers. After her post, Connolly sent a WhatsApp joking it had "bitten me on the a**e, lol". She also said if she were to get arrested over it, she would "play the mental health card". She was jailed for 31 months in October after admitting publishing threatening or abusive material intending to stir up racial hatred. Connolly launched a bid against her "harsh" sentence but this was thrown out by Court of Appeal judges in May. Mr Connolly previously defended his wife after she pleaded guilty - saying the case had been "traumatic" for her and their three children. He revealed their son died in 2012 after a series of NHS blunders so when his wife sees any child get harmed, "she will kick off". The councillor also branded Connolly "an upset housewife" and "just a middle aged mother" who got dragged into the situation by misinformation spreading online. He added: "The stuff I hear is not really Lucy, she's probably the opposite of what she's having to admit to but she knows she's overstepped the mark and there's consequences for it," he said. "Hopefully she'll be able to learn from this and move on with her life." Read more on the Irish Sun Connolly also tried to make a U-turn on her vile comments - claiming she was acting on "false and malicious" information. But the Crown Prosecution Service said she told police she did not like immigrants in her custody interview. 4 Connolly urged rioters to set migrant hotels alight
