I’m not writing my usual blog today but here, as an alternative, is the Politics Live readers’ edition. It is a place for you to discuss today’s politics, and to share links to breaking news and to the most interesting stories and blogs on the web.
Feel free to express your views robustly, but please treat others with respect and don’t resort to abuse. Guardian comment pages are supposed to be a haven from the Twitter/social media rant-orama, not an extension of it.
You can read all today’s Guardian politics stories here.
And here are some of the main ones on our site this morning.
- Owen Smith has broken ranks with Jeremy Corbyn to reopen the question of whether Brexit is “the right choice for the country” – and urge Labour to offer the public a referendum on the final deal.
- The European Union has recalled its ambassador from Moscow after leaders on the continent threw their weight behind Theresa May’s stance over the Salisbury attack.
- Scotland Yard has admitted that police officers are likely to have passed personal information to a covert blacklisting operation that was funded by major firms.
- Theresa May has refused to intervene in the case of Albert Thompson, the London cancer patient asked to pay £54,000 for treatment despite having lived in the UK for 44 years, as it emerged that there could be tens of thousands of people in a similarly uncertain immigration position.
- Toby Young has held on to his taxpayer-funded post running a free schools advisory service, despite his controversial views on women and genetics, but only after there were no other applicants.
On Thursdays local council byelections take place. There were eight yesterday. Britain Elects has six of the results.
Eight council by-elections tonight, a good number of which at risk of changing hands.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
Three Conservative defences, two Labour, two free-for-all and one UKIP. @andrewteale's previews: https://t.co/P7KDXumstq
Worksop South East (Bassetlaw) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
LAB: 77.3% (+21.1)
CON: 15.2% (+15.2)
LDEM: 7.5% (+7.5)
Labour HOLD.
No UKIP (-25.2), Grn (-10.3) and Ind (-8.3) as prev.
Labour GAIN Leek West (Staffordshire Moorlands) from Conservative.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
Leek West (Staffordshire Moorlands) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
LAB: 42.9% (+23.6)
CON: 32.6% (+0.6)
LDEM: 19.2% (+8.7)
IND: 5.4% (+5.4)
Labour GAIN from Conservative.
No Local Indy Group (-14.0), Grn (-11.1) and Ind(s) (-13.2) as prev.
Bunbury (Cheshire East) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
CON: 53.3% (-16.9)
LDEM: 27.5% (+27.5)
LAB: 14.3% (-3.4)
GRN: 4.8% (-7.2)
Conservative HOLD.
Conservative GAIN Ridgeway (Chiltern) from Independent.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
Told it's now a draw between Labour and the Tories in Ockendon (Thurrock). Coin toss?
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
Now told Tories won coin toss.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
Conservative GAIN Ockendon (Thurrock) from UKIP.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 22, 2018
Ockendon (Thurrock) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 23, 2018
CON: 36.2% (+7.8)
LAB: 36.2% (+11.2)
TI: 27.6% (+27.6)
Conservative GAIN from UKIP.
Result determined by drawing of straws/coin toss.
No UKIP (-46.5) as prev.
TI: Thurrock Independents.
Liberal Democrat GAIN Central & Walton (Aylesbury Vale) from Conservative.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 23, 2018
Central & Walton (Aylesbury Valey) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 23, 2018
LDEM: 40.9% (+18.1)
CON: 31.5% (-1.1)
LAB: 19.8% (+0.9)
GRN: 4.5% (-4.0)
IND: 3.3% (+3.3)
Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
No UKIP (-17.2) as prev.
