Greens seized Labour’s once-safe Gorton and Denton in a by-election, electing a local plumber as MP. The result pushed Labour into third behind Reform, triggering calls for the PM to quit. Angela Rayner urged a wake-up call; Starmer vowed to continue and reject what he called divisive Green policies.

Ministry of Justice data show severe court backlogs, with some criminal trials listed as far off as 2030. Victims face waits of four years or more, and over 200 suspects in serious sexual assault cases are not expected to reach a jury before at least 2028. Senior figures say the delays deny justice.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle admitted alerting police that Peter Mandelson might flee to the British Virgin Islands, leading to Mandelson’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and release on bail. The Met apologised to the Speaker after officers revealed his tip-off to Mandelson’s lawyers.

MPs forced the government to release files on how Prince Andrew was made UK trade envoy in 2001, after a shadow minister said Jeffrey Epstein may have influenced the appointment. Cross-party pressure mounted for transparency. Andrew left the role in 2011 as controversy grew.