Minister says elections to ‘zombie councils’ pointless as dozens of authorities request delays – UK politics live

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 8 min read 100% complete by Andrew SparrowJanuary 15, 2026 at 11:10 AM

AI Summary

long article 8 min

The UK political landscape is experiencing turmoil, with Kemi Badenoch sacking Robert Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet for allegedly plotting to defect, potentially to Reform UK. Badenoch cited "irrefutable evidence" of Jenrick's secret plans to damage the Conservative Party. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, is holding a press conference in Scotland. Separately, Steve Reed criticized upcoming elections for "zombie councils," as at least 22 authorities have requested delays for the May elections. Other news includes Wes Streeting expressing shock over a police chief's continued position following a Maccabi Tel Aviv ban, Liz Kendall praising Elon Musk's actions against Grok, and positive economic news with a 0.3% growth in the UK economy in November.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

England 30% Elon Musk 30% Liz Kendall 30% Scotland 30% Steve Reed 40% Nigel Farage ×250% Conservative Party 60% Reform UK ×260% Robert Jenrick ×580% Kemi Badenoch ×590%

Keywords

political defection 90% kemi badenoch 80% robert jenrick 80% sacking 70% conservative party 60% political psychodrama 60% elections delay 50% reform uk 50% zombie councils 50% nigel farage 40%