All articles written by Ben Gartside on PoliticsHome.com

30 Sep Health

Dame Sally Powell's Campaign For Free Home Care, In Memory Of Iain Coleman

As a council leader, the late Labour MP Iain Coleman made his London borough the only place in England where care at home is free. Then he needed it. Ben Gartside speaks to his widow, Dame Sally Powell, about her campaign to secure reform

29 Sep Environment

The Choices Facing Burnham's Government On Water

Campaigning in Makerfield, Andy Burnham threatened Thames Water with public ownership – but has not so far followed through. Ben Gartside reports on a decision that will define his approach to privately owned suppliers of public goods.

17 Sep Technology

UK Diplomats Sought To Reassure US Over Tech Policy Before Burnham Became PM

British diplomats sought to reassure Trump officials Andy Burnham wouldn’t target US tech firms days before he became Prime Minister, PoliticsHome can reveal.

16 Sep Foreign affairs

UK Seeks Help From Trump White House On Radical Right

Exclusive: The British ambassador requested help from the Trump White House on dealing with the radical right in the UK, PoliticsHome understands.

15 Sep Technology

UK Reprimanded Over Social Media Laws By US Diplomats At Embassy Summit

Exclusive: British officials were hauled into a meeting at the US embassy on Monday and dressed down over the Online Safety Act, along with their plans to ban under-16s from social media and prioritise public broadcasters’ prominence online.

13 Sep Political parties

Anna Sabine, The 'Whispering' Lib Dem MP: "Do I Seem Weak Now?"

Anna Sabine’s emergency surgery led to the loss of her voice. The Frome and East Somerset MP tells Ben Gartside how she is returning to Parliament more determined than ever to be heard

17 Jul Brexit

The Campaigners For A Second Brexit Referendum – Where Are They Now?

The campaign for a second EU referendum, which heavily accented Brexit’s threat to young people’s futures, ended in abject failure. But Ben Gartside finds it did secure the futures of many of the youngsters involved

07 Jul Culture

Documentary Filmmaker Norma Percy On Boris Johnson, Mikhail Gorbachev And Slobodan Milosevic

To document the story of Brexit a decade after the result, the BBC turned to an 84-year-old American. Ben Gartside meets Norma Percy, a battle-hardened veteran of powerful men and the lies – and occasional truths – they tell

24 Jun Communities

"We Are The Cavalry": Shiv Malik's Plans To Build A New City Near Cambridge

Critics dismiss it as a fantasy but Shiv Malik’s plans for a huge new city outside Cambridge has attracted some credible backers. Ben Gartside explores whether Forest City will ever leave the drawing board

18 Jun Social affairs

"The Ministry Of Detail": The Quibble Campaigners Focused On Life's Little Frustrations

Most political campaigns try to bring about major change. Now, two political insiders are trying to make life better by focusing on the small things. Ben Gartside investigates

26 May Culture

The Much-Vaunted Soft Power Council Is Drifting Towards Oblivion

Launched with fanfare but sinking without trace, the Soft Power Council appears to be an object lesson in how the UK fails to leverage its cultural, sporting and educational assets, reports Ben Gartside

21 May Foreign affairs

Meet Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki, Who Loves Pubs, Paddington And The Premier League

Diplomacy is having a lean period as wars rage on, but it has found a star in Hiroshi Suzuki. Japan’s ambassador to the UK tells Ben Gartside about his love of the UK, the power of social media and travels with his stuffed toy

30 Apr Communities

"The Perfect Symbol Of Broken Britain": Nigel Farage's Pursuit Of Potholes

High-tech solutions are being touted for some of local government’s oldest problems. But will there ever be a future without potholes? Ben Gartside investigates

27 Mar Political parties

Brian Leishman: "We’re Miles Off Where A Labour Party Should Be"

After a life in golf and football, Brian Leishman finds himself at the sharp end of the new government’s whipping operation. He speaks to Ben Gartside.

07 Mar Defence

How The Defence Industry And MoD Ended Up At Loggerheads Over 'Britishness'

When the Ministry of Defence launched a string of reforms targeted at improving its work with small business, they did not stint on the rhetoric.

01 Mar Political parties

Why Are Prime Ministers Struggling To Govern?

Britain’s two-party system has outlived previous predictions of its demise but could a breakdown of party discipline at Westminster mean this time the duopoly really is in a death spiral, asks Ben Gartside

18 Feb Home affairs

Whitehall’s Whispers: Inside The Antonia Romeo Row

As the Prime Minister prepares to appoint Antonia Romeo as Cabinet Secretary, Ben Gartside looks at the fierce battles to block her appointment

15 Feb Energy

Octopus Energy Founder Greg Jackson: “I Don’t Believe In Party Politics”

Charming and well-connected, Octopus founder Greg Jackson is one of the most influential businesspeople in this Labour government’s orbit. Ben Gartside explores his politics and reach

11 Jan Defence

Spies Have Been Hidden In Embassies For Years. But For How Much Longer?

Spies have operated under diplomatic cover in foreign cities for decades. What does the future hold for this legal peculiarity? Ben Gartside reports

17 Nov 2025 Home affairs

The Home Office Secretly Funded A Boyband To Sing Songs About 7/7 In Muslim Areas

Exclusive: A secretive Home Office department funded a little-known boyband to travel around Muslim areas of the UK and sing songs with anti-radicalisation themes during the height of ISIS terror attacks, PoliticsHome can reveal.

17 Aug 2019 Brexit

Boris Johnson set to meet Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron as Brexit showdown looms

Boris Johnson will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel next week ahead of the G7 summit in Biarritz.

17 Aug 2019 Environment

Theresa Villiers vows post-Brexit 'farm to fork' overhaul of UK's food system

Theresa Villiers has vowed to "reshape our food system from farm to fork" with a new review first promised by her predecessor Michael Gove.

17 Aug 2019 Economy

Sajid Javid floats stamp duty shake-up that could see sellers pay

Sajid Javid has announced he is looking into a controversial shake up of stamp duty and other supply-side economic policies in his first interview since being appointed as Chancellor.

06 Feb 2019 Brexit

EXCL Home Office 'risking another Windrush' as hundreds of carers face post-Brexit uncertainty

Hundreds of single parents and carers could be swept up in the Home Office's "hostile environment" immigration policy unless they are given fresh guarantees on their post-Brexit rights, the Government has been warned.

16 May 2018 Political parties

ANALYSIS Could the Lewisham East nomination be the battleground for the next Corbynite war?

The left loves nothing more than to factionalise - and it looks like the race to pick the Labour candidate for the Lewisham East by-election will be no different.

28 Apr 2018

Donald Trump 'set to snub Jeremy Corbyn' on UK visit

US President Donald Trump is set to snub Jeremy Corbyn during his visit to the UK later this year, it has emerged.

28 Apr 2018 Communities

Voter ID plans branded ‘deeply flawed’ ahead of local elections

Ministers' controversial Voter ID plans have been branded as "deeply flawed" by the Electoral Reform Society, only days before their trial at the local elections.

28 Apr 2018

David Davis 'could quit over customs union' as Theresa May doubles down

David Davis is on the brink of quitting the Cabinet if Theresa May does not shelve her plans for a post-Brexit ‘customs partnership’ with the EU, it has been reported.

28 Apr 2018 Home affairs

Theresa May has ‘full confidence’ in Amber Rudd despite mounting pressure over deportation targets

Downing Street has insisted that Theresa May has “full confidence” in Amber Rudd, as the embattled Home Secretary was said to be "hanging by a thread" following a leaked memo on her department’s deportation targets.

10 Apr 2018 Political parties

John Woodcock under pressure from Labour members over Jeremy Corbyn criticism

John Woodcock is facing a backlash from Labour members over his criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn.