Elections

Reform UK has received the largest political donation in British history, MPs have voted down assisted dying legislation, and the ground is shifting ahead of both a Westminster by-election and the American midterms. This hub follows the mechanics and drama of electoral politics on both sides of the Atlantic: who funds campaigns, who gets selected to fight for a vacant seat, and how governments quietly time contentious decisions to avoid handing opponents ammunition before voters go to the polls.

Elections shape who holds power and how that power is exercised, which is why the manoeuvring around them, donor influence, candidate selection rows, delayed rulings, party infighting, often reveals as much as the vote itself. In Britain, attention is turning to a closely watched contest for a former Labour leader's seat, with rival parties jostling for position and local issues such as North Sea drilling becoming entangled in the timing of national announcements. In the United States, both major parties are already framing the narrative around the midterms, trading accusations of foul play and reading the runes for who stands to lose ground.

Expect ongoing coverage of campaign finance, candidate controversies, parliamentary votes with electoral consequences, and the wider jostling between parties as they position themselves for the next test at the ballot box.

  • Trump hits lowest point in YouGov poll since return to office

    President Trump’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level in the Economist/YouGov poll since he returned to office, with more Americans disapproving than approving of his performance. The result is a warning sign for the White House and Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The survey found that 34 per cent approved of…

  • Polls close in Georgia as voters decide successor in special election

    Polls have closed in Georgia in a special election to choose a successor to a vacant seat, with the result being watched as a test of party strength in the state. The vote coincided with a runoff election in South Dakota, creating what the article describes as an unusual “split-screen” election day, as both contests…

  • Brits urged to avoid dangerous plug adaptors this summer – what to watch out for

    Consumer group Electrical Safety First has warned holidaymakers to be cautious when buying travel plug adaptors online, after tests found that 14 products bought from AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay and TikTok Shop all failed to meet UK safety standards. The charity said some of the adaptors could expose users to serious electric shock or fire…

  • Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes’ daughter Suri legally changes her famous last name

    Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ daughter, Suri, has legally dropped her father’s surname, changing her last name from Cruise to Noelle. The 20-year-old, who is studying at Carnegie Mellon University, made the change according to records obtained by Fox News Digital, marking a symbolic step away from her famous surname as she carves out her…

  • eBay and its former execs settle cyberstalking case brought by journalist couple

    eBay has settled a lawsuit brought by journalists Ina and David Steiner, who were subjected to a campaign of cyberstalking and harassment by eBay employees in 2019 after Ina’s newsletter EcommerceBytes published critical coverage of the company. Prosecutors’ evidence showed then-CEO Devin Wenig told his communications chief to “take her down”, with the instruction passed…

  • Willie Nelson criticises spread of data centres across America

    Willie Nelson has spoken out against the rapid spread of data centres across the United States, describing them as “water thieving” and “light polluting” developments that communities should resist. In a statement addressing projects being built nationwide, the country music legend and veteran activist said his own community, like many others, needs to fight against…

  • eBay pays $46M to journalists it targeted in bizarre harassment campaign

    eBay and three of its former executives have agreed to pay nearly $56 million to settle a lawsuit brought by journalists Ina and David Steiner over a bizarre cyberstalking and harassment campaign carried out against them in 2019. The campaign, run by former eBay employees, was intended to silence the couple’s reporting on the company…

  • Live results: Rhoden fights to hang on to South Dakota governor’s mansion in GOP primary runoff

    South Dakota Republicans are voting in a runoff to choose their gubernatorial nominee between incumbent Governor Larry Rhoden and businessman Toby Doeden. The contest matters because the Republican nominee is expected to be strongly favoured in the November election in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since the 1970s. Rhoden became governor…

  • SEE IT: Mark Kelly blames Trump’s agenda for boosting AOC as Dems presidential pick

    Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona has attributed a surge in support for further-left figures such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, arguing that Trump’s actions are pushing Democratic voters towards more socialist-leaning candidates. His remarks came after a new poll showed Ocasio-Cortez as the leading choice among Democrats for their…

  • Boebert guest hosts on pro-MAGA network show

    The article’s content is unavailable because the supplied page text only shows an access-denied notice. Based on the title alone, it appears to concern Lauren Boebert guest hosting a programme on a pro-MAGA television network, but this cannot be independently confirmed from the provided material. Without the article text, there are no reliable details about…