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Zoe Crowther

Zoe Crowther

Zoe Crowther is a Political Reporter for PoliticsHome. She was previously a social media journalist and did freelance reporting for national newspapers.

Labour Middle East Council Launched To 'Turn A New Page' In Foreign Policy
Foreign affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Labour Middle East Council Launched To "Turn A New Page" In Foreign Policy
Exclusive: A new initiative is being launched to "turn a new page" on relations between a potential future Labour government and countries across the Middle East, as senior diplomats predict a "paradigm shift" in British foreign policy.
Former Science Minister Resigned Because He Could Not Afford Mortgage Rise
Economy
By Zoe Crowther
Former Science Minister Resigned Because He Could Not Afford Mortgage Rise
George Freeman resigned as Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation last year in part because he could not afford to pay for an increase in his mortgage on his ministerial salary.
Former Northern Ireland Negotiator Says There Are Still Lessons To Learn From Bloody Sunday
Communities
Former Northern Ireland Negotiator Says There Are Still Lessons To Learn From Bloody Sunday
Jonathan Powell, an instrumental figure in the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement, has said the UK government must learn from Bloody Sunday and involve victims in truth and reconciliation processes in Northern Ireland.
Climate Protest MP Tells Voters To Use Locals To Shift Net Zero Plans
Environment
By Zoe Crowther
Climate Protest MP Tells Voters To Use Locals To Shift Net Zero Plans
Former Conservative MP Chris Skidmore, who resigned over the government's plans to offer new oil and gas drilling licences, believes voters should "go local" to encourage policy to achieve net zero by 2050.
UK Increasing Diplomatic Engagement To End Houthi Attacks On Red Sea
Defence
By Zoe Crowther
UK Increasing Diplomatic Engagement To End Houthi Attacks On Red Sea
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that "diplomatic engagement" would be increased to aid UK and US efforts to end Houthi rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea, following a second joint airstrike operation targeting Houthi operations.
Tory MP Says BBC Impartiality Reforms Should Be Extended To Cover All Online News
Culture
By Zoe Crowther
Tory MP Says BBC Impartiality Reforms Should Be Extended To Cover All Online News
Conservative MP John Penrose said the government's media impartiality reforms must go beyond just the BBC's online services and address the "double standard" surrounding regulation of bias across different forms of media.
Former Middle East Minister Says UK Has 'Missed Opportunities' To Bring Stability To Yemen
Defence
By Zoe Crowther
Former Middle East Minister Says UK Has "Missed Opportunities" To Bring Stability To Yemen
As the UK and US continue to carry out joint air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen to little avail, former Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood has warned that the UK government must learn from past mistakes in the region.
Labour MP Calls For Urgent Arms-Length Body Review To Avoid Future Post Office Scandal
Parliament
By Zoe Crowther
Labour MP Calls For Urgent Arms-Length Body Review To Avoid Future Post Office Scandal
Labour MP Kevan Jones has said that a review of arms-length bodies in the UK is urgently needed in order to prevent the Post Office scandal repeating itself.
Rishi Sunak Warns House Of Lords Against Opposing His Rwanda Bill
Home affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Rishi Sunak Warns House Of Lords Against Opposing His Rwanda Bill
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sought to pre-emptively shift blame over risks his Rwanda Bill still faces, warning the House of Lords against opposing the legislation, which has already sparked divisions in the Commons.
Rishi Sunak Wants Rwanda Flights To Take Off By Spring Despite Deep Tory Divisions
Home affairs
Rishi Sunak Wants Rwanda Flights To Take Off By Spring Despite Deep Tory Divisions
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted that the government plans on getting flights to Rwanda off the ground by spring, despite the ongoing divisions in his own party and the possibility that the government could be defeated on its landmark Rwanda Bill.
Rishi Sunak Says UK Strikes Against Houthis Were Self Defence
Defence
By Zoe Crowther
Rishi Sunak Says UK Strikes Against Houthis Were Self Defence
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged people to not "fall for the malign narrative" that the UK strikes on the Houthis in Yemen were concerning the conflict between Israel and Gaza, arguing it was instead a simple matter of self defence and upholding freedom of navigation for British vessels.
Keir Starmer Urged To Bring Back 'GOATs' If Labour Win Election
Economy
By Zoe Crowther
Keir Starmer Urged To Bring Back "GOATs" If Labour Win Election
Labour peer Lord Paul Drayson, one of the so-called ‘GOATs’ – Government of All Talents – of New Labour, has said that if elected this year, a Labour government should emulate the model if it is to succeed in recovering and growing the economy.
Tory MP Says UK Government Must Not 'Turn A Blind Eye' To Afghanistan
Defence
By Zoe Crowther
Tory MP Says UK Government Must Not "Turn A Blind Eye" To Afghanistan
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood has repeated his call for the UK government to engage with the Taliban and reestablish the UK Embassy in Afghanistan, despite being “bruised” by the negative backlash to his comments about the Taliban last summer.
David Cameron Blames Foreign Office And Home Office Disconnect For Historic Failures On Immigration
Foreign affairs
By Zoe Crowther
David Cameron Blames Foreign Office And Home Office Disconnect For Historic Failures On Immigration
Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said he "blamed" his own government for allowing the Foreign Office and Home Office to pull against each other when trying to tackle illegal migration.
Government Denies Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill Is 'Smoke And Mirrors'
Energy
By Zoe Crowther
Government Denies Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill Is "Smoke And Mirrors"
The government has defended its Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill in the face of ardent opposition from some of its own MPs and peers, in the latest row exposing divisions within the Conservative Party.
Veteran Tory Tells MPs To 'Get Their Act Together' And Unite Behind Rishi Sunak
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
Veteran Tory Tells MPs To "Get Their Act Together" And Unite Behind Rishi Sunak
Former cabinet minister David Lidington has said that the government and Conservative MPs must "get their act together" and start behaving in the “national interest” rather than sniping at one another if the party is to have any chance of winning this year’s general election.
Keir Starmer Asks Cynical Voters To Believe In Politics Again
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
Keir Starmer Asks Cynical Voters To Believe In Politics Again
Labour leader Keir Starmer has issued a plea to the British public to believe in the country and in politics again with 2024 likely to be an election year, and attacked the Conservative government’s record in power, which he said had driven "the country I love into the rocks of decline".
MPs Share Their New Year's Resolutions For 2024
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
MPs Share Their New Year's Resolutions For 2024
With next year set to be just as tumultuous as the last, MPs are looking ahead to work out what they want to achieve for themselves, their constituents, and their political parties in 2024.
2024 Could Be 'Acid Test' For Democracies Against The Threat Of Misinformation
Foreign affairs
By Zoe Crowther
2024 Could Be "Acid Test" For Democracies Against The Threat Of Misinformation
More people across the world vote in elections in 2024 than in any other year in history. But rather than signalling the flourishing of global democracy, politicians and experts have warned that it could mean the world is more under threat from misinformation and disinformation than ever before.
2023 In Politics: From Doomed Pledges To The Rise And Fall Of Top Political Players
Economy
By Zoe Crowther
2023 In Politics: From Doomed Pledges To The Rise And Fall Of Top Political Players
Many hoped 2023 would be a calmer and more harmonious affair than the chaos of the previous year, which saw three Prime Ministers in three months, the death of the Queen, war in Europe, and a cost of living crisis.
All MPs Want For Christmas Is... Trainers, A Nap, And A General Election
Parliament
By Zoe Crowther
All MPs Want For Christmas Is... Trainers, A Nap, And A General Election
As Westminster quietened down for the Christmas period, PoliticsHome asked MPs across the political divide what was on their wishlist from Santa.
Rishi Sunak Says 'Hostile' International Environment Is The Greatest Challenge Facing UK
Defence
By Zoe Crowther
Rishi Sunak Says "Hostile" International Environment Is The Greatest Challenge Facing UK
Rishi Sunak told senior MPs that the "increasingly complex and hostile international environment" was the greatest challenge facing the UK, as he was questioned by the Liaison Committee on his work as prime minister.
Cross-Party MPs Urge Home Office to Abolish Forced Swim Test On Animals
Home affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Cross-Party MPs Urge Home Office to Abolish Forced Swim Test On Animals
A group of cross-party MPs have called on the government to ban the use of forced swim tests on animals, with animal rights group PETA calling the practice “outrageously crude and cruel”.
Former Energy Minister Worries UK Could Act 'Against' Climate Commitments
Environment
By Zoe Crowther
Former Energy Minister Worries UK Could Act "Against" Climate Commitments
Conservative MP and former energy minister Chris Skidmore has said he will be turning his attention to “one thing” in 2024: campaigning for net zero to be in every party’s manifesto commitments “regardless of what the government wants to do”.
Keir Starmer Says Everybody Is 'Paying The Price' For Tory Party 'Meltdown'
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
Keir Starmer Says Everybody Is "Paying The Price" For Tory Party "Meltdown"
Labour leader Keir Starmer told Prime Minister's Questions that everybody was "paying the price" for a "meltdown" in the Conservative Party.
Mark Drakeford Steps Down As First Minister Of Wales
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
Mark Drakeford Steps Down As First Minister Of Wales
Mark Drakeford is stepping down as First Minister of Wales after five years as leader of the Welsh Labour Party.
'Bulk' Of Right Wing Tory MPs Refuse To Support The Rwanda Bill
Home affairs
By Zoe Crowther
"Bulk" Of Right Wing Tory MPs Refuse To Support The Rwanda Bill
A collective of Conservative MPs on the right of the party has confirmed that it will not support the Rwanda bill in its current form, with the "bulk" vowing to abstain when voting on its second reading on Tuesday night.

Asylum Seeker Dies On Bibby Stockholm Barge
Home affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Asylum Seeker Dies On Bibby Stockholm Barge
An asylum seeker has died onboard the Bibby Stockholm in Dorset, the barge used by the government to accommodate hundreds of asylum seekers.
Rishi Sunak Tells Covid Inquiry 'Eat Out To Help Out' Was The 'Right Thing To Do'
Coronavirus
By Zoe Crowther
Rishi Sunak Tells Covid Inquiry 'Eat Out To Help Out' Was The "Right Thing To Do"
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended his own decision-making as chancellor during the Covid-19 pandemic, and told the Covid Inquiry that the Eat Out To Help Scheme was the "right thing to do".
Conservative MP To Push For Law To Avoid A “Post-Truth World” Online
Technology
By Zoe Crowther
Conservative MP To Push For Law To Avoid A “Post-Truth World” Online
Conservative MP John Penrose has said that legislation to tackle online bias and misinformation is needed to prevent the emergence of a “post-truth world”, as he plans an amendment to the Media Bill.
Boris Johnson Denies His Approach To Covid-19 Was 'Let It Rip'
Coronavirus
By Zoe Crowther
Boris Johnson Denies His Approach To Covid-19 Was "Let It Rip"
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has denied ever saying government's approach to the pandemic should be “let it rip” and allow Covid-19 to kill older and more clinically vulnerable people.
Rishi Sunak Insists Rwanda Scheme 'Blocks Every Single Reason' For Legal Challenges
Home affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Rishi Sunak Insists Rwanda Scheme "Blocks Every Single Reason" For Legal Challenges
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has issued a robust defence of the government's emergency legislation on the Rwanda migration scheme, insisting opportunities for legal challenges to the scheme would be "extremely narrow".
Boris Johnson Blames 'Default Mindset' For Failings In Government's Early Response To Covid-19 Pandemic
Coronavirus
By Zoe Crowther
Boris Johnson Blames "Default Mindset" For Failings In Government's Early Response To Covid-19 Pandemic
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has blamed a "default mindset" for the early assumption by government that Covid-19 would not seriously impact the UK, when questioned at the Covid Inquiry.
James Cleverly Signs New Treaty With Rwanda With Guarantee Refugees Won't Be Sent To Unsafe Countries
Foreign affairs
By Zoe Crowther
James Cleverly Signs New Treaty With Rwanda With Guarantee Refugees Won't Be Sent To Unsafe Countries
UK Home Secretary James Cleverly signed a new treaty with Rwanda, which he believes will "amplify" the relationship between the two countries in the face of criticism from international bodies and courts.
Mental Health Commissioner Could Offer 'Sustained Leadership' For Patients
Health
By Zoe Crowther
Mental Health Commissioner Could Offer "Sustained Leadership" For Patients
The government should create a Mental Health Commissioner for England role in order to offer “sustained leadership” and to put mental health “at the heart” of policymaking, according to a new report.
Keir Starmer Says Labour Would Bring In 'New Era' Of 'Obsession' With Growth
Economy
By Zoe Crowther
Keir Starmer Says Labour Would Bring In "New Era" Of "Obsession" With Growth
Labour leader Keir Starmer has said that Britain is now in a “new era” that needs a “new economic consensus” with an “obsession” for growth and security, in what he described as a “very unusual” stance from Labour.