Labour suffered a major setback as the Greens won the Gorton & Denton by-election, with Labour falling to third. The result increases pressure on the PM, prompting calls to shift left and fuelling leadership speculation as the party seeks to reconnect with disaffected voters.

An internal audit at Global Counsel found a significant batch of Lord Mandelson’s business emails missing. The account had been used to correspond with Jeffrey Epstein. Officials have requested the material; the firm will provide what remains, while Mandelson says he lost access in 2022.

An independent review finds some NHS maternity units wrongly recorded babies showing signs of life as stillborn, exploiting rules that limit inquests. Families were denied answers amid poor care, weak communication and discrimination. Ministers promise urgent reforms and tighter oversight.

Lord Mandelson says his arrest stemmed from a “fictional” claim he was a flight risk, denying he would evade inquiries linked to Jeffrey Epstein. He is challenging the police decision and bail conditions, arguing there was no basis for suspecting he intended to abscond.