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.

  • Burnham set to meet Trump at UN as UK government signals focus on strong US ties

    Prime Minister Andy Burnham is preparing to meet Donald Trump face-to-face at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The UK government is emphasising the importance of developing cooperation with the United Sta

  • Merz faces mounting pressure as CDU risks state election losses

    Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain German chancellor and pursue economic, tax and welfare reforms after projected state-election defeats intensified pressure on his leadership. The CDU fell below the 5% threshold in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and was expected to lose to Die Linke in Berlin, fuelling speculation about a possible mid-term replacement. The AfD was projected to…

  • Moscow ablaze after Ukraine’s drone strike; Merz faces defeat; Burnham meets Trump

    Fires sweep Moscow after Ukraine’s biggest reported drone strike on the Russian capital. German voters head to the polls on Sunday with surveys showing heavy losses for Merz, whilst PM Burnham prepares to meet Trump.

  • US strike on suspected Caribbean trafficking vessel kills four

    The US military conducted a lethal strike on a suspected drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean on Saturday, killing at least four people aboard. The operation, carried out by US Southern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Spear, forms part of a broader campaign against narco-trafficking that has become controversial due to questions about evidence…

  • Watchdog reviews spending limits after Reform UK receives £72m

    Britain’s Electoral Commission is conducting a Government-commissioned review of political spending limits following Reform UK’s receipt of a record £72 million in donations from crypto-billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. The Electoral Commission chief executive stated the review will examine whether current spending rules are fit for purpose, with particular focus on ensuring elections are…

  • Republicans tone down Trump ties as midterm races tighten

    Republican candidates across the country have quietly removed President Trump from their campaign materials as they grapple with uncertainty over whether his campaigning will help or hinder them in the coming elections. With fewer than six weeks until polling day, candidates face a strategic dilemma: Trump remains enormously popular with the Republican base but his…

  • Ukraine’s largest Moscow drone assault kills two, damages refinery

    Ukraine carried out its largest drone attack on the Moscow region, striking the city’s main oil refinery and residential buildings. Russian officials said 450 drones heading for the capital were intercepted, though the assault still killed at least two people and wounded 20 others. The strike damaged three key units at the refinery, which supplies…

  • Merz convenes emergency talks after AfD gains in German state polls

    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered major electoral defeats in Sunday’s state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, with his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) achieving historically poor results. The CDU received just 5 per cent in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania—the party’s worst result in any state since the Second World War—whilst the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged…

  • Drone strikes hit Moscow refinery as fires spread across Russian capital

    Large fires broke out across Moscow and the surrounding region after Ukraine launched one of its largest reported drone attacks on the Russian capital, killing two people and injuring others. Russian authorities said drones struck the Moscow oil refinery, residential buildings and a logistics hub, while claiming the attack was intended to disrupt the final…

  • Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern votes test Merz amid CDU losses

    Local elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern test Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s political standing after his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered significant losses in recent weeks. These elections matter because they could trigger speculation about Merz’s tenure—he could potentially face mid-term replacement if the CDU’s downward trajectory continues. The contests come just 16 months into his chancellorship…