Political correspondent at the Guardian. Northerner stranded in the South. Long-suffering Evertonian. Views are mine alone. Got a story? alexandra.topping@theguardian.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mj4zvku4mc2fIn this week's Politics Weekly UK hosted by me and @peterwalker99.bsky.social >> Has Trump taken us to peak Emperor's New Clothes? War ...and could it shift the dial in the local elections https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2026/apr/09/trump-and-the-middle-east-can-starmer-do-anything-podcast10 Apr 2026 09:43 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj4zvku4mc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mh6ybyavlk2oGreat to meet James Timpson for this story. A man in a hurry to try and reform prisons while he can >> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/16/prisons-women-justice-board-england-wales?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other16 Mar 2026 17:29 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh6ybyavlk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfwoqdql4s2tYes Baz!!!! This is a totally mental game but you know you love to see us score on the back of a Gordon mistake #NEWEVE https://media.tenor.com/adaIqNC035wAAAAC/david-moyes.gif?hh=416&ww=49828 Feb 2026 16:52 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfwoqdql4s2thttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfrv5w5suk2s“I blame Thatcher”. After months of acrimonious infighting, what now for Your Party? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/26/leadership-corbyn-settled-but-your-party-struggle-relevance-just-begun?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other26 Feb 2026 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfrv5w5suk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfr5xcpnak2i🚨 Jeremy Corbyn set to become the parliamentary leader of Your Party, after an election which also saw his rival Zarah Sultana voted onto the party’s leadership committee.26 Feb 2026 12:08 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfr5xcpnak2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfr54aanl22iAs a lot of people had expected given their name recognition Zarah Sultana AND Jeremy Corbyn are BOTH voted onto Your Party's leadership committee as "public office holders" As my piece explains below, that's going to make things interesting https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/25/future-of-party-lies-in-balance-corbyn-and-sultanas-battle-for-soul-of-your-party 🍿26 Feb 2026 11:53 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfr54aanl22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfr4sbw6rk2iWell, I say we're off...lot of process being explained here. 25,347 people voted in the Your Party elections... a 61% turnout [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Feb 2026 11:47 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfr4sbw6rk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfr4k6do6k2iAnd we're off! Andrew Jordan apologises for the delay in the start and says Your Party has achieved something "extraordinary" in building a new socialist movement .... but admits "it's not always been plain sailing" [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Feb 2026 11:43 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfr4k6do6k2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfr4dw4nrc2iEnjoying the Your Party members bantz as they wait tho [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Feb 2026 11:39 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfr4dw4nrc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfr472ck422iWe were told "The results of the inaugural leadership elections for Your Party will be announced tomorrow, Thursday 26 February at 11am." Well....it's now 11.36, 1,500 are waiting on YouTube and Your Party are promising that the results will be coming shortly [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Feb 2026 11:37 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfr472ck422ihttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfqnsxkfjc2q“Anyone that’s chosen can speak,” declared the voice. “Anyone else I will fucking throw out.”>> irate hustings and flying accusations, inside the battle for Your Party >> https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/25/future-of-party-lies-in-balance-corbyn-and-sultanas-battle-for-soul-of-your-party?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other26 Feb 2026 07:19 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfqnsxkfjc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mfetchl5k22yThis week Nigel Farage was accused of patronising a female journalist, hired a hardline anti-abortion theologian as his head of policy and promised to repeal the Equality Act on his party’s first day in government. Does he have a women problem? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/21/nigel-farage-women-problem-trump-style-provocation-prejudice?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other21 Feb 2026 14:25 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfetchl5k22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mf2vomztac2lSam Freedman is one of the people everyone in Westminster, no matter what their political persuasions, listens to 👀 [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Feb 2026 15:41 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf2vomztac2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3metszbrp4c2iThis interview by Charlotte Higgins with Tracey Emin in today’s Guardian is really a masterclass in arts journalism. She provides content, structure and the space for Emin to breathe, elucidate, be without ever clumsily inserting herself. It is just brilliant https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/feb/14/tracey-emin-interview-tate-modern-regrets-smoking?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other14 Feb 2026 20:05 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3metszbrp4c2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3meqx373r2k2aAs someone who plays a LOT of guess who, this really made me belly laugh [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 Feb 2026 16:40 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3meqx373r2k2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3meh7rifyls2gThis is such a great scoop by our @pippacrerar.bsky.social the 👸 [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Feb 2026 19:49 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3meh7rifyls2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3meazbzvkvs2y@gmpolice.bsky.social will investigate Reform UK after the party admitted to “inadvertently” breaking electoral law in Gorton and Denton https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/06/reform-police-investigation-letter-byelection-campaign-gorton-denton?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other07 Feb 2026 08:37 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3meazbzvkvs2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3me54mppfnk2tIs the end for Starmer? - catch up with @theguardian.com The Latest in which I call @kiranstacey.bsky.social the baby-faced assassin. Sorry Kiran. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2026/feb/05/epstein-scandal-rocks-uk-can-starmer-survive-the-latest05 Feb 2026 19:26 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3me54mppfnk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mdyft7zz4k2hNEW: Tories will tomorrow try and use the “humble address” - an arcane parliamentary procedure used by Labour during the Brexit arguments - to expose documents about the vetting of Peter Mandelson for US ambassador https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/03/tories-seek-disclosure-of-vetting-process-for-mandelsons-role-as-ambassador?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other03 Feb 2026 22:27 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdyft7zz4k2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mdswyxm4yk2zSend reform one of the government’s biggest challenges this year, ministers at the DfE have been lobbying ferociously to head off a repeat of the welfare rebellion. Will a restless PLP stay on side? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/01/ministers-lobbying-blitz-avoid-labour-rebellion-send-changes?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other01 Feb 2026 18:19 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdswyxm4yk2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mdiq55hhtk2wLabour's flagship draft planning document - its planning rulebook - published two days before the home office's Violence Against Women and Girls strategy - doesn't mention the words "women" or "girls" once https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/28/england-planning-proposals-fail-to-mention-safety-of-women-and-girls-say-critics28 Jan 2026 16:49 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdiq55hhtk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mdiarvh4t22qLammy taking no prisoners today. “He’s not going to get this gig again is he, let’s face it”. #PMQs28 Jan 2026 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdiarvh4t22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mdiaqa7zsc2qOh what lols in the chamber as Griffiths says: “It’s our party that’s getting stronger”. Cue hysterical laughing in Labour ranks28 Jan 2026 12:13 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdiaqa7zsc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/lexytopping.bsky.social/post/3mdiah7mers2qDavid Lammy up for PMQs while Keir Starmer is in China. Looks wildly relaxed and kicks off with a comment on how Reform continue to spring clean the Conservatives “garbage”28 Jan 2026 12:08 +0000at://did:plc:zhhot4tcjj6vjulpfb5pszio/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdiah7mers2q