Gorton & Denton proves our polarisation, but there has got to be space in the middle ground

They called it Operation Certain Death — Adam Holloway sailed 1,000 miles in secret with a group of native Chagossians to defy the British handover deal

Hannah Spencer says there are three reasons she beat Labour and Reform — the climate isn’t one of them

It’s about more than his old foe Peter Mandelson, a biographer writes — 16 years after leaving No 10, the former PM still burns with a sense of injustice

The disenchanted voters sought solace with Reform and the Greens — and confirmed that Keir Starmer has the opposite of the Midas touch

Jacob George will take no further part after social media posts came to light praising JK Rowling and questioning an Olympic boxer

The Labour prime minister has seen his approval ratings collapse. Follow the latest opinion polls with our live popularity tracker

Victory in the Gorton & Denton by-election has cemented Zack Polanski’s party as an electoral force. From wealth taxes to immigration, here’s what it stands for

Plus: Omid Djalili finds safety in the rail network; the Lords need a plumber; and Gimli the dwarf expected a flop instead of a £3bn blockbuster

The home secretary will copy Denmark’s Social Democrats to seize the immigration narrative from Reform UK and appeal to working-class voters