Labour claims Reform UK won’t protect women, as poll suggests Farage’s party heading for ‘seismic’ wins in May – UK politics live

Labour claims Reform UK won’t protect women, as poll suggests Farage’s party heading for ‘seismic’ wins in May – UK politics live

double quotation markThe Telegraph’s projection shows that Plaid will be the largest party in Wales for the first time, winning 33 of the 96 seats, followed by Reform with 29 and Labour with 17.

double quotation markOf the 136 English local authorities facing elections, Labour currently controls or is the coalition leader in 83.

The party could suffer its worst night in local election history – winning just 42 authorities – with almost half of that total in London.

double quotation markThe expected Green surge in the capital will split the Left vote, but Zack Polanski’s party is set to gain control of just two of London’s 32 boroughs.

However, it will come second in many of the other 19 London councils Labour is on course to hold.

double quotation markAt the highest end of predicted results, Nigel Farage’s party would gain control of up to 69 councils – half of the number voting this year – by gaining support from Labour voters in the Red Wall and Conservatives in the East of England.

Even on a more modest prediction, it would net 56 councils, compared with 42 for Labour, 17 for the Liberal Democrats and 15 for the Conservatives.

double quotation markKemi Badenoch’s Blue Wall of shire councils across the south of England is also set to crumble.

Reform is on course to seize Essex, the county council including Mrs Badenoch’s own constituency, along with Suffolk and Norfolk.

The Tories are also on course to lose East Sussex, West Sussex and Hampshire, finishing second or third behind either the Lib Dems or Reform. The Tories’ vote share could fall as low as 15 per cent in East Sussex …

With new boundaries in the Tory stronghold of Surrey, the Conservatives are also set to lose both East and West Surrey, slumping from an overall vote share of 42 per cent in the county five years ago to 24 per cent.

Iran war truth-telling in government seems to be spreading. After Rachel Reeves described Donald Trump’s war as “folly”, Keir Starmer made a point of saying that it was helping Vladimir Putin.

The comment came in the readout issued by Downing Street of Starmer’s meeting yesterday with his Dutch counterpart, Rob Jetten. Normally these readouts are bland to the point of meaningless, but on this occasion someone decided to include a line about who is gaining most from Trump’s folly.

double quotation markTurning to recent events in the Middle East, the prime ministers updated on their recent diplomatic meetings, including Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to the Gulf, and Prime Minister Jetten’s meetings in Washington.

The summit on the strait of Hormuz on Friday would be a vital moment to continue to drive diplomatic, military and economic work, the leaders underlined.

Both also reiterated their deep concern at the situation in Lebanon and the need for deescalation. On Ukraine, the prime minister thanked Prime Minister Jetten for The Netherlands’ unwavering support and reflected on Ukraine’s momentum on the battlefield.

Putin was benefiting from the events in the Gulf, and it was vital partners looked at how they could step up pressure on Russia to mitigate that, the prime minister added.

This article by Simon Goodley last week explains why Russia is doing so well from the war.

Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is in Washington where later she will be meeting the US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. Yesterday he defended the war against Iran, saying “small bit of economic pain” was worth the long-term security benefits. He told the BBC:

double quotation markI wonder what the hit to global GDP would be if a nuclear weapon hit London... I am saying that I am less concerned about short-term forecasts, for long-term security.

Reeves, who is in charge of an economy that will suffer more than any other in the G7 as a resut of the war, according to the IMF, is unlikey to agree. Yesterday she called the war “folly”.

Graeme Wearden has more on this on his business live blog.

Good morning. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is publishing a revised women’s health strategy for England today. As Andrew Gregory reports, the strategy implicitly accepts that women have been let down by a (largely male) medical establishment which has not always taken their health concerns seriously.

But, for Labour, this is not just a health announcement. The English local elections are just over three weeks away, and Labour is using this announcement as a platform to attack Reform UK, saying that Nigel Farage’s party can’t be trusted to stand up for women.

Labour HQ has sent out a briefing note backing up this claim with this list of 10 reasons why is says Reform are not on the side of women. For the record, here is the list in full.

double quotation mark1. Reform want to reopen the debate on abortion limits

Nigel Farage has described the current 24-week abortion limit as “utterly ludicrous” and called for Parliament to revisit it - raising concerns about rolling back long-established reproductive rights.

2. Reform figures have questioned women’s bodily autonomy

Senior Reform figure, Danny Kruger MP, has argued that women do not have an “absolute right” over their own bodies in the context of abortion, undermining a fundamental principle of women’s healthcare and rights.

3. Reform would scrap the Equality Act

Suella Braverman MP, Reform’s equalities spokeswoman, has pledged to repeal the Equality Act - removing key legal protections against sex discrimination in workplaces, services and public life.

4. Reform have links to anti-abortion campaigns

Farage has accepted payment to speak at events linked to anti-abortion groups, while candidates with similar views are standing for the party - raising concerns about the direction of travel.

5. Reform would roll back workplace protections

Plans to scrap the Employment Rights Act would put at risk protections for maternity leave, workplace discrimination and job security - undermining progress made for women at work.

6. Reform would bring back the two-child benefit limit

This policy disproportionately impacts women, particularly single mothers, pushing families into poverty and limiting financial support for children.

7. Reform figures have made regressive comments about women at work

Farage has previously backed claims that employers avoid hiring women because of maternity rights - echoing outdated attitudes that penalise women for having families.

8. Reform figures have criticised breastfeeding in public

Farage has suggested women should not breastfeed in a way that is “openly ostentatious” - policing women’s behaviour in public spaces.

9. Reform has platformed and defended controversial figures