The Representation of the People Bill passed its third reading yesterday, but key amendments from backbenchers on voting reform and a donations cap were not heard.

Campaign group Unlock Democracy has branded the government’s failure to act on electoral reform and barriers to overseas voting “major missed opportunities”. 

Alex Sobel MP’s amendment, which called for a national commission to review alternatives to first-past-the-post for UK elections, was ruled out of scope by the Commons speaker.

This is despite widespread support for the amendment, which 185 MPs signed.

Democracy minister Florence Eshalomi responded to the amendment saying: “The government’s priority is a politics that works for all people in all places, not some people in some places. The Prime Minister remains committed to electoral reform as a way of supporting that objective.

“However, we must be honest, this is a complex constitutional matter and it is premature to legislate now for one approach. I would be very happy to meet with many Members from across the House to hear their views, and look at how we can work on a strong proposal and discuss the next steps.”

Tom Brake called the decision to rule the amendment out of scope “palpably absurd and an embarrassment”.

Brake said: “The Prime Minister says he wants to build cross-party consensus on changing the voting system before the next election. An independent commission is the best way to do that. It would put reform above the immediate interests of any one party and help build support for a lasting settlement.”

Labour MP Stella Creasy tabled two amendments on introducing a donations cap, neither of which were considered or voted on during the bill’s third reading yesterday.

One of her proposals, which was signed by more than 60 MPs, called for an immediate £500,000 limit which would reduce to £100,000 in the second calendar year.

The other called for a £100,000 cap on donations and was sponsored by 45 MPs.

On the government’s commitment to tackle “mega donors” in UK politics, Brake welcomed the fact that Angela Rayner and Louise Haigh have asked the Electoral Commission to review political spending limits.

Democracy Minister Florence Eshalomi announced a cross-government taskforce to tackle the issue of “UK-based mega-donors” during yesterday’s elections bill debate.

However, Brake added that “the Ministers’ statement from the despatch box leaves important questions unanswered. We know nothing about its membership, the options it will consider or when it is expected to report. A promise to act “as soon as possible” offers no guarantee that reforms will be in place before the next general election.

“These reviews must deliver real reform, not provide an excuse for putting off difficult decisions. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating – and whether the government is prepared to restrict the influence of big money in our politics.”

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

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Sagal Abdi-Wali is among the names being suggested as a potential Labour candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election triggered by Keir Starmer’s resignation from parliament.

Abdi-Wali is the Labour leader of Camden Council as of May. She came to the UK as a child refugee with her family more than 30 years ago.

In a disgraceful post on X, Yusuf, who is Reform’s home affairs spokesman, said: “The front runner being foisted on the people of Holborn by Labour to replace the former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in our Parliament was born in Somalia. Do you understand what’s happening?”

His comments were immediatly condemned, with Dan Hodges replying: “This is simply racism. No other word for it.”

Another social media user wrote: “Yes we understand Zia, it’s called a parliamentary democracy. Rather than being a racist twat, why not man up and run against her.”

Labour NEC member Abdi Duale replied to Yusuf: “You are a disgraceful racist.”

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Farage, who quit as an MP after facing questions and a Standards Committee probe into his failure to properly declare a £5million donation he had recieved from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne, decided to re-stand in the same by-election in a bid to deflect from difficult questions.

His stunt spectacularly backfired after all of the major parties decided not to stand and Farage was left to face satirical candidate Count Binface.

However, now that Farage is back in the Commons, the parliamentary investigation into his alleged failure to declare the donation has resumed.

If Farage is found to have broken the rules and is suspended by parliament’s standards committee for more than 10 days, yet another by-election could take place.

When the BBC’s Chris Mason asked Farage what was the point of last month’s by-election, the Reform leader claimed that he would not be given a fair hearing.

Then asked about a separate Metropolitan Police investigation into four large donations to Reform UK, Farage insisted “we live in a complainant society”.

He said: “If you complain about me, automatically that triggers an investigation. So we’re under investigation every day for virtually everything we do, because the other political parties are constantly writing to all the authorities.

“There is a whole ecosystem with a century of development around this, and we come along from virtually nowhere and threaten the whole thing.

“So I think what you’re seeing is the establishment, in a very coordinated way, fighting back. But do you know something, it isn’t going to work.”

Mason answered: “Doesn’t that sound a bit conspiracy theory-like? This ‘the whole world’s out to get us’ stuff.”

Farage insisted there was a “degree of collusion” between Reform’s opponents.

Rather than playing victim, maybe Farage could answer the questions about his failure to declare the donations?

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Polanski had previously said he would stand in a by-election if a seat became vacant in London and has now announced he is ready to fight one.

The high-profile contest has been triggered by the ex-prime minister Keir Starmer stepping down as an MP earlier this week.

As reported by the Camden New Journal, Polanski said he was “excited” by the prospect of representing Holborn and St Pancras in Parliament.

He told the local newspaper: “I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it.”

“It represents so many of the things that make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in Parliament.”

Polanski added: “We know that the Greens can win here, and by electing me, voters will have someone who will always fight their corner – never scared of big donors or the party whip.”

The Green party leader said that “too often Labour has stood up for corporations and big money”, adding “I will stand up for people struggling to pay their bills”. 

At the 2024 general election, Andrew Feinstein stood as an independent and came second behind Starmer with almost 19% of the vote.

It is unclear whether Feinstein plans to stand again. However, Polanski’s announcement suggests he may not, given that he teamed up with the Greens and Your Party at last year’s local elections to avoid splitting the vote.

LFF has contacted Feinstein for comment. 

Labour has yet to confirm its candidate. However, there is speculation that journalist Paul Mason, who previously backed Jeremy Corbyn before becoming a staunch supporter of Starmer’s project, could run as the party’s candidate.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

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On Tuesday evening, LFF reporter Olivia Barber received a rejection email. 

The email stated: “Thank you for your media accreditation application for the Reform UK 2026 National Conference. Unfortunately, on this occasion, your application has been unsuccessful.”

LFF asked Reform press officer George Pykov why the application had been rejected.

Pykov stated that he believed that the application had been rejected due to the application stating they were covering the conference as a freelancer. 

Barber attended as a freelancer last year.

The press officer also stated that the conference, which will take place from 3-5 September, was “overcapacity” for media applications. 

He said he did not know what the cap on the number of journalists was.

However, while Reform said it is “overcapacity” for journalists, the party had been selling additional late-registration media passes to journalists for £100. 

Shortly after contacting the Reform press team on Wednesday, Barber received an email stating “Your Media Conference Pass is confirmed”. 

Two hours later, an email was sent stating that her pass had been rejected.

Asked whether Reform declines conference passes if journalists are critical of the party, the press officer said: “No that’s not what it’s about.”

Other Left Foot Forward journalists have been barred from attending Reform’s conference in previous years.

Several journalists who have investigated Reform have also had their conference pass requests for this year’s event rejected. 

Investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan wrote on X that his conference pass had been rejected less than an hour after he published a story revealing how Isabel Oakeshott had privately called Reform mega donor Christopher Harborne “untrustworthy”. 

Veteran broadcaster Michael Crick also had his request for media accreditation declined.

Reform said it had rejected around 50 journalists from attending its conference, stating: “Reform UK accepted 950 of about 1,000 media applications from a variety of outlets.”

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The poll, carried out by YouGov on behalf of Sky, found that Labour had gained a point to go onto 23 points, while Reform remained unchanged on 23 points. Meanwhile, the Tories are on 20 points, while the Greens are on 13 points.

It comes after Andy Burnham made his first appearance in Parliament before MPs after becoming Prime Minister.

Burnham vowed to once more bring energy and water under public control during his address to MPs as he slammed over 40 years of political centralisation and economic privatisation.

The former Mayor of Greater Manchester has seen his approval ratings improve after taking over, pledging radical action on the cost of living, while Farage continues to struggle after facing a standards investigation into his financial affairs. 

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The More in Common survey revealed that Labour is in the lead with 26%, while the Tories are on 23% and Reform is trailing behind on 22%.

It is Reform’s lowest vote share since January 2025, and marks the first time in 18 months that the Tories have overtaken Reform UK in the polls.

It also puts Reform 10 points below their peak last autumn.

The poll will come as a major blow to Reform as the party prepares to hold its annual party conference from tomorrow until Saturday 5 September.

A survey by YouGov published yesterday also found that just 19% of voters see Farage as a prime minister in waiting.

More voters said they view Kemi Badenoch as a prime minister in waiting than Farage. 

A total of 71% of Brits also used at least one negative term to refer to Farage, with the most frequent being accusations that he is a racist (used by 15%) and a liar (12%). 

Farage’s favourability rating is also down to -44, from its peak of -27 last summer.

Amid the scandal of Farage’s undeclared £5 million donation and scrutiny of donations that Reform received from convicted fraudster George Cottrrell, support for the Reform leader and his party is now starting to wane.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

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Burnham made his first appearance before MPs in the Commons yesterday since becoming Prime Minister after the summer recess where he answered questions and set out his vision for the country.

Tice stood up and claimed that the increase in energy prices was because of the ‘rush towards net stupid zero’ and due to the ‘multiple increase in renewables such as solar farms’. He called for more drilling in the North Sea and asked Burnham when he would approve licences at Rosebank and Jackdaw.

Burnham replied: “I don’t know if the honourable gentleman was listening a moment ago when I was talking about how renewables can bring down the cost of living, and I gave a very clear example in Greater Manchester it cost £30 to charge a bus with electric charge, £200 plus to fill a tank of diesel, he really does need to look into the facts a little bit more before he makes statements like that in this house.”

The Prime Minister said that he accepted the need for the use of oil and gas in years to come but that we shouldn’t think it’s one or the other between oil and gas and renewables just for the sake of political purposes.

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Farage returned to Parliament yesterday after forcing a by-election in his constituency when he resigned as an MP on 7 July.

The Reform leader triggered the by-election amid mounting scrutiny over an undeclared £5 million donation he received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. 

As Farage entered the Commons chamber flanked by Reform deputy leader Richard Tice and Reform MP Andrew Rosindell, MPs groaned.

After the Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle called for the MP who “wants to take his seat” to come forward, one MP joked “who is it”, prompting laughter across the Commons.

After Farage had taken the oath and been sworn in, Conservative MP for Hinckley and Bosworth Luke Evans said “until the next by-election”.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg resumed his investigation into Farage’s £5 million gift hours after he was re-elected as Clacton’s MP on 13 August.

If the standards commissioner finds Farage has broken Parliamentary rules, he will refer the case to the Commons Standards committee.

If the standards committee of MPs then recommends a sanction of more than 10 days of suspension from parliament, Farage could end up facing a second by-election.

After being sworn in, Farage told GB News that he planned to spend less time in parliament and would be leaving more Westminster work to [the Reform deputy leader] “Richard Tice and the gang” while he goes on a tour of the country.

Farage also claimed he was “constantly under investigation” and refused to answer a question about the prospect of a second by-election.

Responding to Farage having been sworn in, a Labour spokesperson said:  “Farage’s summer circus might be over, but the questions about his dodgy finances haven’t gone away.

“Now he’s back in Parliament, he should drop the excuses, come clean and finally take some responsibility. Fighting a bin didn’t clear his name – it just proved he had so much more to hide.”

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

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Burnham condemned the manner in which political power had been centralised and economic power privatised, as he pledged once more to set out plans for stronger ‘public control’ of essential services.

He told Parliament that “Britain is not where we would wish it to be”, but promised to “build a new sense of optimism around the country”.

Following his 10 years away from Parliament, Burnham said he was returning with a “clear diagnosis” of what had gone wrong in the country.

He said: “From the 1980s, this country took a series of wrong turns.

“Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, the country deindustrialised, austerity followed, hollowing out councils and depriving them of the agency to act to reverse any of this.

“And then Brexit compounded the damage, ushering in a decade of low growth and stalled regeneration.”

He went on to add: “For 40 years too many places have been drifting, too many British high streets tell the story of this decline, people yearn to see them restored to what they once were as the communities secretary and I heard on our visit to Ilkeston in the summer.”

“They see no hope if we continue on the same path. With a failed economic model which does not trickle down much to places like theirs and instead allows wealth to be extracted and siphoned out. Britain’s water industry stands as a leaking monument to that approach, a country run in the private rather than the public interest.” 

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