Show of hands called by @BethRigby at Hay Festival should Starmer stay or go. Same % as Leeds. @SkyNews

I can confirm that I will be requesting the permission of the NEC to stand in the Makerfield by-election. I grew up in this area and have lived here for 25 years. I care deeply about it and its people. I know they have been let down by national politics. Ten years ago, I decided to leave Westminster. Why? Because, after 16 years, I came to the conclusion that our national political system does not work for areas like ours. I learnt this fighting its failure to invest in the Wigan borough, for justice for the Hillsborough families and against its treatment of Greater Manchester during the pandemic. Over the last decade, I have been challenging this failure from the outside and building a new and better way of doing politics. We have built Greater Manchester into the fastest-growing city-region in the UK and put buses back under public control, introducing a £2 fare cap to help people with cost-of-living pressures. However, there is only so much that can be done from Greater Manchester. Much bigger change is needed at a national level if everyday life is to be made more affordable again. This is why I now seek people’s support to return to Parliament: to bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people. Millions are struggling and they need the Labour Government to succeed. It has already made changes to make life better for them in its first two years. After this week, we owe it to people to come back together as a Labour movement, giving the Prime Minister and the Government the space and stability they need as the by-election takes place. I want to recognise the difficult decision taken by Josh Simons and the sacrifice he and his family are making. I have worked closely with him as Mayor on issues like flooding and illegal waste dumping and have seen first-hand how effective he has been. He has put the communities of Makerfield first, made a real difference for them and should take great pride in that. Finally, I truly do not take a single vote for granted and will work hard to regain the trust of people in the Makerfield constituency, many of whom have long supported our party but lost faith in recent times. We will change Labour for the better and make it a party you can believe in again. ENDS

EXCLUSIVE from @fintan_03 and @benellery Zack Polanski has admitted he did not vote in last week’s local elections The Green Party leader had previously indicated through a spokesman that he had cast a postal vote in Hackney before spending polling day in Wales, and had publicly told the east London borough’s mayoral candidate: “You have my vote” However, after inquiries by The Times, the party confirmed on Thursday that he had in fact not registered to vote in the elections because of fears for his safety Polanski had pledged his support to Zoë Garbett, the Green candidate for Hackney mayor, telling her “you have my vote” in a campaign video released on May 3 “One consequence of the heightened intrusion and safety risk he faces was that Zack did not register to vote in the most recent local elections,” a spokesman said The party said Polanski had faced “extreme and distressing press intrusion” since becoming leader, including “antisemitic cartoons” and journalists “doorstepping family members”, and was now in discussions with police and local authorities about registering anonymously thetimes.com/uk/politics/art…

Labour MPs are so arrogant. They want to lead our country but they can’t even lead a coup.

Together, we will build a stronger and fairer Britain.

What do Yvette Cooper and David Lammy have to say? Or Ollie Robbins? Who is going to resign if it’s not Keir Starmer?

We now have the Government response: Neither the PM nor 10 Downing Street nor the Cabinet Office knew the Foreign Office had decided to ignore the fact Mandelson had failed his security vetting. Call it the ‘know-nothing’ government. But it leaves a major question unanswered: why would the FO take it on itself to make such a huge judgement call — and not inform/consult Downing Street? What was in it for the FO? It hadn’t even necessarily wanted Mandy, unlike Starmer and the 10 Downing Street operation. Doesn’t add up.

We now have the Government response: Neither the PM nor 10 Downing Street nor the Cabinet Office knew the Foreign Office had decided to ignore the fact Mandelson had failed his security vetting. Call it the ‘know-nothing’ government. But it leaves a major question unanswered: why would the FO take it on itself to make such a huge judgement call — and not inform/consult Downing Street? What was in it for the FO? It hadn’t even necessarily wanted Mandy, unlike Starmer and the 10 Downing Street operation. Doesn’t add up.