All articles written by Nick Thomas-Symonds MP on PoliticsHome.com

29 Mar Parliament

The government is realising the power to change the system lies in its own hands

Initiatives from the Cabinet Office this week to cut “sludge” in government are not a plan for a rewired state – but they might be the start.

13 Oct 2025 Parliament

We are giving the independent ethics adviser unprecedented powers

This Labour government is going further than any administration before us to restore public trust in politics.

27 Sep 2025 Political parties

Nick Thomas-Symonds: “The Prime Minister Makes His Own Decisions, Always”

EU minister Nick Thomas-Symonds shows Sophie Church how close the UK is to a youth mobility scheme, and how far the Prime Minister is from danger. Photography by Darren Britton/WNS

27 Sep 2025 Defence

Don't Fragment European Defence Through Fund Negotiations, UK Warns EU

As Europe ramps up its defence production, the UK has warned the EU not to negotiate an unworkable fee for UK participation in its €150bn defence fund.

27 Aug 2025 Foreign affairs

Minister Says Nigel Farage's Pledge To Renegotiate The Good Friday Agreement Is "Unrealistic And Irresponsible"

A Labour minister has said that Nigel Farage's claim that a Reform UK government would renegotiate Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement to make it easier to deport migrants was "unrealistic and irresponsible".

25 Jul 2024 Brexit

Labour Showing ‘Seriousness’ By Moving EU 'Reset' Job To Cabinet Office

Moving responsibility for dealing with the European Union closer to Number 10 shows “a level of seriousness” from Labour in resetting relations with Brussels, according to a former government special adviser on Europe who was involved in the Brexit negotiations.

18 Jan 2024 Books & culture

Nick Thomas-Symonds reviews 'Age of Hope': Labour, 1945, and the Birth of Modern Britain

Although not always convincing in its assertions, Richard Toye’s comprehensive history of the Labour Party is a useful and accessible read

09 Oct 2023 Books & culture

Compelling: Nick Thomas-Symonds reviews 'The Men of 1924'

Peter Clark’s well-written and finely observed study of the men who comprised the first Labour cabinet is a compelling dive into the party’s history

29 Nov 2021 Political parties

Yvette Cooper Makes Labour Frontbench Comeback After Keir Starmer Reshuffles Top Team

Former minister Yvette Cooper has made a comeback to Labour's frontbench as shadow Home Secretary after party leader Keir Starmer carried out a significant reshuffle to his top team.

24 Nov 2021 Communities

Government Accused Of "Lack Of Confidence" In Priti Patel With Small Boats Task Force

The assembly of a new small boats taskforce to tackle migrants crossing the Channel is a sign Boris Johnson has a “lack of confidence” in Home Secretary Priti Patel, Labour has said.

13 Jun 2021 Coronavirus

The Delta variant is only here because Conservative ministers failed

Throughout this pandemic, Labour has said put the national interest first. Our priorities are the priorities of the British people: saving lives, protecting livelihoods and supporting our NHS.

18 May 2021 Coronavirus

Government Accused Of Creating “Dangerous Chaos” Over “Amber List” Country Travel Confusion

The government has been accused of creating “dangerous chaos” over its traffic light system for travel just hours after opening up the UK’s borders again.

16 May 2021 Coronavirus

Major Lockdown Lifting Overshadowed By Indian Variant Spread

The spread of the Indian variant could cause disruption to the government's lockdown roadmap, Matt Hancock has suggested.

16 May 2021 Coronavirus

The Government were warned they risked importing a new Covid variant – and that's exactly what's happened

Watching the Prime Minister tell the country that hopes of reopening could be put at risk as a result of a new variant from overseas was the news we have been dreading.

15 Mar 2021 Coronavirus

Priti Patel Warns Brits Not To Attend More Protests And Backs Police Despite Scenes At Sarah Everard Vigil

The home secretary has warned Brits not to attend further protests despite the anger caused by the way police handled a vigil for Sarah Everard.

04 Feb 2021 Coronavirus

Hotel Coronavirus Quarantine Plans "In Chaos" As Chains Say They've Still Not Been Consulted

Labour has accused the government of a chaotic approach to its roll out of Covid-19 quarantine hotels as plans are still to be unveiled and hotel chains say they have not been consulted.

02 Feb 2021 Coronavirus

Sage Advisers Warned It Is "Likely" There Are Undetected Cases Of South African Covid Variant

Boris Johnson reportedly overruled his leading scientific advisers following their warnings that only a mandatory quarantine of all new passengers arriving in the UK would help slow the spread of new variants of the virus.

18 Sep 2020 Home affairs

Exclusive: The Shadow Home Secretary Says It's "Disgraceful" The Priti Patel Bullying Investigation Hasn't Been Published

Labour's Nick Thomas-Symonds has expressed concern the government has "something to hide" as the findings of an inquiry into the home secretary's behaviour are still to be released after seven months.

28 Jul 2020 Home affairs

Criminals should fear ‘knock on the door’ from police, says Labour’s new shadow home secretary

Labour wants criminals to fear the “knock on the door from law enforcement”, the party’s new home affairs spokesperson has declared.

22 Jul 2020 Defence

Boris Johnson considers new spying law in wake of damning Russia report

Boris Johnson is considering toughening up Britain’s security laws in the wake of a damning report on its response to the threat posed by Russia.

12 Jul 2020 Home affairs

Labour demands ‘immediate’ publication of Priti Patel bullying probe amid ‘political interference’ claims

Labour is demanding the “immediate” publication of a report into whether Home Secretary Priti Patel bullied staff.

26 Jun 2020 Home affairs

Labour calls for judge-led review into 'lone-attacker' terror threat following Reading stabbings

Labour have urged ministers to establish an independent review into the threat posed by 'lone-attackers' following the Reading terror attack.

14 Jun 2020 Home affairs

Labour would back new law to protect war memorials with 10-year jail terms for vandals, says shadow home secretary

The shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said Labour would back a new law to protect war memorials in the wake of recent protests.

18 May 2020 Coronavirus

Labour claims Immigration Bill a ‘threat to health and social care sector’ amid coronavirus pandemic

Labour has accused the Government of posing a “threat to our health and social care sector” as ministers press ahead with a wide-ranging shake-up of the immigration system amid the coronavirus pandemic.

05 May 2020 Coronavirus

Just 300 passengers who arrived in UK from coronavirus hotspots quarantined out of 18 million, new figures show

Fewer than 300 of the 18 million who arrived in the UK from coronavirus hotspots in the three months before lockdown began were put into quarantine, new figures show.

12 Apr 2020 Coronavirus

Priti Patel unveils extra help for domestic abuse support lines amid surge in demand during coronavirus lockdown

Domestic abuse helplines will receive a £2m funding boost so they can support people affected by the crime during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, the Home Secretary has vowed.

16 Mar 2020 Political parties

Review: Peter Shore – Labour’s Forgotten Patriot by Kevin Hickson

Responding to the renewed interest in the life of the Eurosceptic Labour politician Peter Shore, the authors have produced a timely reappraisal of a man of principle, writes Nick Thomas-Symonds MP

02 May 2019 Political parties

The mining valleys remember Thatcher using hardship as a political tool

The Thatcherite creed was one of individualism, not the common good, writes Torfaen MP Nick Thomas-Symonds

23 Jan 2019 Home affairs

Labour secures independent review of the Prevent Strategy

Shadow Minister for Security Nick Thomas-Symonds MP says it is only by ensuring that this scrutiny of Prevent is robust and transparent that we can fully rebuild trust.

01 Jul 2018 Health

A difficult birth: Nick Thomas-Symonds on the creation of the NHS

A healthcare system based on need, not wealth? It may enjoy almost universal support in Westminster now, but passing the National Health Service Act in July 1948 was not an easy task, as Labour MP and Nye Bevan biographer Nick Thomas-Symonds reports