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Matilda Martin

@matilda__martin

Matilda is a reporter at PoliticsHome. Previously she was a senior reporter at TES.

UK Student Interest In US Universities Falls Sharply
Education
UK Student Interest In US Universities Falls Sharply
The number of UK students showing an interest in going to university in the United States has fallen significantly in the wake of Donald Trump's second presidency, research shared with PoliticsHome suggests.
MPs Vote To Decriminalise Abortion
Health
MPs Vote To Decriminalise Abortion
An amendment to decriminalise abortion has passed the House of Commons, bringing it closer to law.
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott: “I See Smartphones As The Equivalent Of Giving Children Cigarettes'
Education
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott: “I See Smartphones As The Equivalent Of Giving Children Cigarettes"
Mobile phones as bad as cigarettes? Laura Trott tells Matilda Martin ministers need to help parents and children kick the habit – and councils aren’t doing enough to get truants back to school. Photography by Louise Haywood-Schiefer
'Everything Has To Be On The Table' When It Comes To Student Finances, Says Shadow Chancellor
Education
"Everything Has To Be On The Table" When It Comes To Student Finances, Says Shadow Chancellor
The Conservatives have said that "everything has to be on the table" when it comes to the question of university finance reform.
Spending Review Explained: NHS Cash Boost, £39bn For Housing And A Pledge To End Asylum Hotels
Economy
Spending Review Explained: NHS Cash Boost, £39bn For Housing And A Pledge To End Asylum Hotels
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her long-awaited Spending Review to the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Reform's 'Doge' Unit Will Struggle To Find Much Council Waste To Cut, Analysis Shows
Communities
Reform's 'Doge' Unit Will Struggle To Find Much Council Waste To Cut, Analysis Shows
Councils now run by Reform UK spent up to 78 per cent of their service spending on social care and homelessness last year, analysis shows, suggesting there is limited room for further cuts.
Zia Yusuf Resigns As Reform UK Chairman
Political parties
Zia Yusuf Resigns As Reform UK Chairman
Zia Yusuf has resigned as chairman of Reform UK after almost a year in the role. 
Keir Starmer Declares The UK Is Moving To 'War-Fighting Readiness'
Defence
Keir Starmer Declares The UK Is Moving To "War-Fighting Readiness"
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the United Kingdom is moving to "war-fighting readiness" as he sets out the government's plans for defence spending.
Support For Reform Is Rising In Places With Most High Street Decline, Study Finds
Communities
Support For Reform Is Rising In Places With Most High Street Decline, Study Finds
Support for Nigel Farage's Reform UK is particularly rising in areas that have seen the most acute high street decline in recent years, new research suggests.
Growing Numbers Of International Students Look At British Unis As Alternatives To Trump's US
Education
Growing Numbers Of International Students Look At British Unis As Alternatives To Trump's US
Young people worldwide are increasingly eyeing UK universities as an alternative to studying in the United States, new data suggests.
Universities Face Over £1bn In Funding Cuts, Sector Warns
Education
Universities Face Over £1bn In Funding Cuts, Sector Warns
Labour government policies have led to losses of more than £1bn from the higher education sector since it came to power in July, new analysis suggests.
Labour Faces Possible Strike Ballot Over University Cuts
Education
Labour Faces Possible Strike Ballot Over University Cuts
The government is facing a potential strike ballot by university staff over "shameful cuts" to university funding and hardened attitudes towards international students. 
Baroness Bousted: 'It's Difficult For Education To Compete With Trolleys In Hospital Corridors'
Education
Baroness Bousted: 'It's Difficult For Education To Compete With Trolleys In Hospital Corridors'
It is "very hard" for education ministers to compete with the health department for Treasury funding, according to Labour peer Baroness Bousted, former head of the National Education Union.
Universities In Financial Trouble Will Struggle To Tackle 'Cold Spots', Says New Report
Education
Universities In Financial Trouble Will Struggle To Tackle "Cold Spots", Says New Report
The financial crisis facing the higher education sector means universities will struggle to reverse the trend of "cold spots" where young people face barriers to studying, a new report will warn.
UK Suspends Trade Talks With Israel Over 'Abominable' Situation In Gaza
Foreign affairs
UK Suspends Trade Talks With Israel Over "Abominable" Situation In Gaza
The UK has suspended negotiations with the Israeli government over a new free trade agreement following Israel's "conduct of the war in Gaza".
Private School VAT Could Disproportionately Impact Pupils With SEND, Warns Sector
Education
Private School VAT Could Disproportionately Impact Pupils With SEND, Warns Sector
Independent schools have warned that the government’s VAT policy could disproportionately impact children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Conservative Mayor Paul Bristow: I Wouldn’t Have Voted Tory In July 2024
Political parties
By Matilda Martin
Conservative Mayor Paul Bristow: I Wouldn’t Have Voted Tory In July 2024
The new mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, has told PoliticsHome he would not have voted Tory at the last general election had he not been a Conservative candidate.
Cross Party MPs To Write To Government Over Care Worker Visa Changes
Health
By Matilda Martin
Cross Party MPs To Write To Government Over Care Worker Visa Changes
A cross-party committee of MPs is set to write to the government expressing concern over what changes to immigration rules could mean for the social care sector.
Labour MPs Warn New Restrictions On International Students Could Compound The University Funding Crisis
Education
Labour MPs Warn New Restrictions On International Students Could Compound The University Funding Crisis
Labour MPs have voiced alarm over the decision to impose further restrictions on international students in the Immigration White Paper.
New UK-US Trade Deal Removes Tariffs On British Steel
Economy
By Matilda Martin
New UK-US Trade Deal Removes Tariffs On British Steel
A trade deal agreed between the UK and the US will see tariffs on British steel reduced to zero, the two sides announced on Thursday.
Sir Crawford Falconer Interview: “The House Is Still On Fire' After Trump's Tariffs
Economy
Sir Crawford Falconer Interview: “The House Is Still On Fire" After Trump's Tariffs
Sir Crawford Falconer was the UK’s chief trade negotiation adviser until the end of last year, when his contract ended – and the Labour government declined to renew it. To scrap the post makes for an interesting decision now that questions around global trade are so dominant.
PM Says Criticism Of India Trade Deal Is 'Incoherent Nonsense'
Economy
By Matilda Martin
PM Says Criticism Of India Trade Deal Is "Incoherent Nonsense"
Keir Starmer has described criticism of the UK's new trade deal with India as "incoherent nonsense".
Labour MP Campaigning For Bereavement Suites In Maternity Wards Was 'Fighting For Life' As A Newborn
Health
By Matilda Martin
Labour MP Campaigning For Bereavement Suites In Maternity Wards Was "Fighting For Life" As A Newborn
A Labour MP who is campaigning for every new maternity unit to include bereavement suites for grieving parents has told PoliticsHome that her premature birth left her and her mother "fighting for their lives".
UK Must Apply 'Wartime Mindset' To Energy Policy, Says Nato Official
Defence
By Matilda Martin
UK Must Apply "Wartime Mindset" To Energy Policy, Says Nato Official
Nato countries like the UK must apply a "wartime mindset" to decisions over energy policy, a leading figure in the military alliance has said.
Former Defence Minister Says Homes Must Stockpile Candles, Radios And Iodine Tablets To Prepare For Attacks
Communities
By Matilda Martin
Former Defence Minister Says Homes Must Stockpile Candles, Radios And Iodine Tablets To Prepare For Attacks
Households should start stockpiling emergency items, including iodine tablets in case of nuclear fallout, due to the growing risk of attacks on the UK, a former defence minister has said.
Council Leaders Say Reform's Cost Cutting Plans Are Detached From Reality
Communities
By Matilda Martin
Council Leaders Say Reform's Cost Cutting Plans Are Detached From Reality
Council leaders have pushed back against Reform UK's plans to cut spending if it wins control of local authorities at next week's elections. 
Tory MP Warns Energy And National Security Must Be 'Inseparable' After British Steel Saga
Defence
By Matilda Martin
Tory MP Warns Energy And National Security Must Be "Inseparable" After British Steel Saga
A Conservative MP has warned that government must treat energy and national security as "inseparable" as the UK faces growing questions over the role of foreign states in its critical infrastructure.
Reform Local Election Candidates Plan Musk-Style Savings And Diversity Cuts
Political parties
By Matilda Martin
Reform Local Election Candidates Plan Musk-Style Savings And Diversity Cuts
Reform UK local election candidates plan efficiency drives and cuts to diversity programmes if they win councils on 1 May.
Labour MP Warns Planning Reforms Could Overwhelm Environment Regulator
Environment
By Matilda Martin
Labour MP Warns Planning Reforms Could Overwhelm Environment Regulator
A Labour MP has raised concern about the feasibility of a key plank of the government's planning reforms.
Bill To Save British Steel Passes In One Day
Economy
By Matilda Martin
Bill To Save British Steel Passes In One Day
Parliament has passed the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill, providing the government with the power to direct steel companies in the United Kingdom and save British Steel from closure.
Reform Puts 'Mr Farage' Front And Centre Of Runcorn By-Election Campaign
Political parties
By Matilda Martin
Reform Puts "Mr Farage" Front And Centre Of Runcorn By-Election Campaign
Reform UK is putting leader Nigel Farage at the heart of its campaign in Runcorn and Helsby, where it hopes to claim its first ever by-election victory on 1 May.
Former Cabinet Minister Minister Gove Awarded Peerage In Rishi Sunak Resignation Honours
Parliament
By Matilda Martin
Former Cabinet Minister Minister Gove Awarded Peerage In Rishi Sunak Resignation Honours
Former cabinet minister Michael Gove has been awarded a peerage as part of the former prime minister Rishi Sunak's resignation honours and peerages lists. 
Universities Will Need Extra Money To Make Efficiencies, Government To Be Told
Education
Universities Will Need Extra Money To Make Efficiencies, Government To Be Told
Some universities will need financial support to deliver the efficiencies that the government wants them to make, a report on higher education reform is expected to say.
Trump’s Tariffs Are A “Profound” Challenge And “Not A Passing Phase”, Says PM
Economy
Trump’s Tariffs Are A “Profound” Challenge And “Not A Passing Phase”, Says PM
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned that Britain is in a "changing and completely new world" after Donald Trump's tariffs on countries including the UK sparked global economic panic.
Reform Is Yet To Decide How It Will Run Councils
Political parties
Reform Is Yet To Decide How It Will Run Councils
Reform UK has not yet finalised how it will run councils if it wins them on 1 May, after the person asked to complete the work resigned.
Trump's 'Liberation Day' Tariffs Could 'Knock Out All' Of Rachel Reeves' Headroom
Economy
Trump's 'Liberation Day' Tariffs Could "Knock Out All" Of Rachel Reeves' Headroom
Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on goods entering the US from the UK could "knock out" all of the government's fiscal headroom, the Office for Budget Responsibility said on Tuesday.