General election
Labour 411 seats, 33.7% of the vote. Source: parliament.uk general election 6.
Country desk · updated 12 Nov
Who sits in this Commons, and who holds the two offices we can cite.
Polls. Labour leads the latest YouGov poll at 26%, 2 points ahead of Conservative. Biggest move since 15 Sept: Conservative +4.
Headlines. The tone is steady: 9% of the last 14 days' headlines read grim, 6% upbeat. Top topic: Politics (31%).
Government. Government barometer 56/100 (Builder). 0 of 2 moves on file read as smart, 0 as harmful.
Line: mood · bars: stories
12 Nov · 8 stories · neutral1 upbeat · 6 neutral · 1 grim
What the headlines are about
A simple word-list estimate from the daily wire headlines. Not a judgement.
Change against the 27 Oct poll.
United Kingdom
Overall mood: 9% grim, 6% upbeat · today +0
12 Nov
Communities plagued by repeated harassment or public nuisances now have stronger protection through court-imposed restrictions on offenders.
UnverifiedTrending on X · 11 Nov
At the University of Edinburgh, Michael Marra shared his vision for a united UK back in Europe, stronger through solidarity than separation.
BBC Politics · Trending on X · 11 Nov
Residents in Richmond upon Thames beamed with pride after their borough reclaimed the crown as Britain's happiest place to live.
UnverifiedTrending on X · 11 Nov
Ofcom's parliamentary testimony revealed plans to seek arrest warrants against Americans ignoring the Online Safety Act, igniting a sharp divide over child protection and free speech rights.
UnverifiedTrending on X · 11 Nov
With a clear 70-48 vote, Scottish Parliament members stood up against BBC cuts that threaten local news access and jobs. First Minister John Swinney envisions a national broadcaster truly reflecting Scotland.
UnverifiedTrending on X · 10 Nov
A group of MPs wants the census to include more ethnicity options to allow people to define themselves as black English or Asian English.
BBC Politics · 11 Nov
Retailer’s management to seek two-week extension of legal protection from creditors in high court MPs have accused the owner of Poundland of extracting millions of pounds from the budget retailer when it was on a “knife-edge” as it seeks extra time to secure a rescue deal. The management of Poundland, which employs 12,000 people and operates 600 stores in the UK and Ireland, will seek a two-week…
Guardian Politics · 11 Nov
Paralympian Richard Whitehead ‘gobsmacked’ at Tory leader’s speech over proposed £36bn welfare cuts The double amputee marathon runner Richard Whitehead has criticised Kemi Badenoch for “weaponising his sporting success” to justify her proposed £36bn welfare cuts. The Conservative leader used the example of “ double amputees running marathons ” in a speech this week to explain the reasoning behin…
Guardian Politics · 11 Nov
Groups of men in orange life vests crowd into inflatable boats, cutting through the English Channel toward Britain. The four-day surge has Reform UK leaders pointing fingers at weak controls.
X · 2 Nov
Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves laid it out plainly: Brexit left Britain poorer, weaker, and less secure. In a bold piece, she backed Prime Minister Andy Burnham's push for closer EU ties.
Guardian Politics · 2 Nov
Families across the UK put up simple posters this Halloween, signaling no trick-or-treaters welcome—often due to religious beliefs or personal vulnerabilities.
X · 2 Nov
As France reels from violent protests over living costs, Rupert Lowe peers across the Channel and issues a stark warning for Britain.
X · 2 Nov
British prime minister has now agreed to structured dialogue on reparatory justice but issue remains off formal Chogm agenda British officials initially insisted that discussions of reparations for slavery should not be on the agenda of the Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and Barbuda – and even warned that Andy Burnham would not attend the meeting if the subject was formally included, acc…
Guardian Politics · 2 Nov
The BBC asked voters from across the United States what voting means to them and whether they think it matters in the midterm elections.
BBC Politics · 2 Nov
Adrian Ramsay suggested the party needs to focus on its "core values", including environmental issues.
BBC Politics · 2 Nov
Almost 83,000 crimes have been recorded through the 61016 number since the public safety campaign launched in 2016.
GOV.UK news · 2 Nov
Professor Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer, is calling on eligible groups and healthcare workers to get their flu vaccines this winter.
X · 3 Nov
In her boldest statement yet, former Chancellor Rachel Reeves declared Brexit left the UK poorer, weaker, and less secure—urging a clear push toward rejoining the European Union.
X · 3 Nov
Headlines and summaries come from the linked sources; the selection is automatic.
Go deeper
The House of Commons still has 650 seats. On 4 July 2024 the Labour Party won 411 of them, more than the 326 seats needed for a majority, with 33.7 percent of the vote. GOV.UK lists Andy Burnham as Prime Minister and John Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 20 July 2026. A YouGov poll for The Times and Sky News, taken on 20 and 21 September 2026, put the Labour Party on 23 percent and the Conservative Party and Reform UK on 21 percent each. That poll is not a forecast, and it does not change who sits in the House today.
The room
650 seats · 326 to govern · 4 July 2024 · 24 other seats drawn as their own bucket
The deal
411 of 650 seats on 4 July 2024. A majority of the House is 326. The vote share on the same result is 33.7%.
The mood
4 July 2024 vote share, then YouGov voting intention for 6–7, 13–14, and 20–21 September 2026. Not a forecast.
The latest point is YouGov for The Times and Sky News, 20–21 September 2026: Labour Party 23, Conservative Party 21, Reform UK 21, Greens 14, Liberal Democrats 12. The first point is the election, not the same question.
The trend
Public pollster blend — not a forecast
The split
Both from the 4 July 2024 result. Seat % is seats ÷ 650.
The mismatch
The first bar is the share of 650 seats from 4 July 2024. Blue is the YouGov voting intention for 20–21 September 2026. The poll is not a forecast and it does not move the seats.
The faces
Prime Minister, Chancellor, and three opposition leaders with a free portrait on file.
Tap a face for the full profile
The rude gauge
Who grows the pie, who picks a fight with work. Cabinet sits at 56 / 100. This gauge is an editorial reading, not a court and not a prize. Each person is scored on six topics from the public record named on the row: energy supply, hiring, capital, building, hours in paid work, and paperwork. The number is the average of those topics, times ten. If every topic were still the untouched middle, the label would say not scored. Open a row for the breakdown, so one word is not the whole record.
Full causal chains live on every promise
This week
Labour 411 seats, 33.7% of the vote. Source: parliament.uk general election 6.
GOV.UK: Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister and John Healey is appointed Chancellor.
Politics 101
650 seats. 326 to govern. Seven parties cited, plus a remainder.
The hemicycle uses the 4 July 2024 party totals on parliament.uk. Labour 411, Conservative 121, Liberal Democrat 72, SNP 9, Reform UK 5, Green Party 4, Plaid Cymru 4. That is 626. The other 24 seats stay in one bucket so they are not painted as Labour. 326 is half of 650 plus one. No by-election since July 2024 is applied.
Prime Minister and Chancellor, from GOV.UK, 20 July 2026.
Andy Burnham is listed as Prime Minister from 20 July 2026. John Healey is listed as Chancellor of the Exchequer, appointed 20 July 2026. The desk does not add a tax rate or a benefit figure from a page it has not cited.
Elections
National elections and the major votes on these desks, for about the next 24 months. The date comes from the election authority. A poll appears only when a named pollster published it in the last 60 days.
Expected
Expected by August 2029
No polling day is set. The current Parliament first met on 9 July 2024. Under section 4 of the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 it dissolves on the fifth anniversary, 9 July 2029, if not dissolved earlier; polling day is the 25th working day after that, Wednesday 15 August 2029 at the latest. The Prime Minister can ask for an earlier dissolution.
Date source: House of Commons Library
How foreigners are seen
Published surveys only. Each figure shows its source and year.
Share of adults in United Kingdom with a favourable opinion of each country Pew asked about. A view of a country, not of its people.
Derived from the two published measures below, not a survey result. Each input keeps its own year.
64.7/100
Mean of Gallup 6.61 of 9 (2016), rescaled to 73.4, and MIPEX 56 of 100 (2020).
InterNations Expat Insider 2025: rank out of 46 destinations, 1 is best.
InterNations, Expat Insider 2025
Pick a measure. Countries without a published figure show Unknown and sit at the end; they are not counted in the average.
Average of the 20 of 22 desks with a figure: 63.3 of 100. Unknown left out: Georgia, Thailand.
Sources and method are listed under “How we source this” at the bottom of the page.
What it means for you
Only figures with a source and a date. Each source is listed under “How we source this” at the bottom of the page. Anything not listed here is not on file.
Work
The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is 12.71 pounds an hour from 1 April 2026. The 18 to 20 rate on the same date is 10.85 pounds, and the under-18 and apprentice rates are 8.00 pounds.
Taxes
The standard VAT rate is 20 percent. It has been 20 percent since 4 January 2011. A reduced rate of 5 percent and a zero rate apply to the goods and services GOV.UK lists, including home energy at 5 percent and most food at zero.
Taxes
For 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027 the standard Personal Allowance is 12,570 pounds. On the GOV.UK table for a standard allowance, the basic rate is 20 percent from 12,571 to 50,270 pounds. Scotland sets different bands.
Benefits
The Universal Credit standard allowance for 2026/27 is 424.90 pounds a month for a single claimant aged 25 or over, and 338.58 pounds for a single claimant under 25. A couple where one or both are 25 or over is 666.97 pounds. These are the standard allowances, not the full award.
Housing
Average UK monthly private rent was 1,400 pounds in August 2026, a provisional estimate in the ONS bulletin released 16 September 2026. England was 1,459 pounds, Wales 846, and Scotland 1,013 in that same month. Northern Ireland was 874 pounds in the 12 months to June 2026. This is a national average, not the rent cap where you live.
Work permit
A Skilled Worker visa usually requires pay of at least 41,700 pounds a year, or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. GOV.UK also says some applicants can qualify at 33,400 pounds, and healthcare and education use different pay rules. The page was updated on 14 September 2026.
FAQ
Election figures: parliament.uk. Offices: GOV.UK, 20 July 2026. Culture figures: Gallup 2016 and MIPEX 2020 only.
Pew asks adults for their opinion of a country. That is a view of the country, not of its people or of any visitor. We never estimate a pair that was not asked; it shows as unknown.
InterNations ranks come from expats living in the country (46 destinations in 2025). Gallup's Migrant Acceptance Index runs from 0 to 9. MIPEX scores integration law and policy from 0 to 100.
Welcoming index: the mean of the Gallup index rescaled to 0–100 (score ÷ 9 × 100) and the MIPEX overall score, rounded to one decimal. It is derived, not a survey result, and the two inputs come from different years. If either input is missing the index is unknown: it is not estimated, it sorts last and it is left out of the average.
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