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.
- Russia failed at the United Nations security council to prise apart the British diplomatic alliance that accuses Moscow of being responsible for the poison attack last month on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury.
- A former senior police officer has warned that Scotland Yard appears to have lost control of London’s streets and has accused the Metropolitan police leadership of a “deafening” silence as the capital’s murder toll for the year moved past 50.
- A group of peers, including Alan Sugar, have written to the Metropolitan police to report antisemitic abuse on Facebook pages backing Jeremy Corbyn.
- Facebook was in discussions with major medical institutions about sharing user and patient data for a research project, the social media company admitted on Thursday, after revelations in a news report.
- Young people’s happiness across every single area of their lives has never been lower, research by the Prince’s Trust has found.
On Thursdays local council byelections take place. There were four yesterday. Britain Elects has the three of the results, and Election Maps UK has some detail.
Four council by-elections tonight: two Conservative defences, one SNP, one free-for-all.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 5, 2018
Read @andrewteale's previews here: https://t.co/smBCPLI9p6
Two safe Tory wards on the seaside, two wards in remote parts and opposite ends of the UK. All having by-elections today. Learn more with Andrew's Previews for @britainelects: https://t.co/HVpqfBumbu
— Andrew Teale (@andrewteale) April 5, 2018
Conservative HOLD Heyhouses (Fylde).
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 5, 2018
Heyhouses (Fylde) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 5, 2018
CON: 58.1% (+11.5)
LAB: 17.9% (-13.3)
LDEM: 12.2% (-10.0)
GRN: 11.8% (+11.8)
Con HOLD.
Con HOLD #Heyhouses on #Fylde council (#Lancashire). They increased their majority with a 12.4% swing from Lab to Con. pic.twitter.com/V2ji6zfhIo
— Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) April 5, 2018
Milford (New Forest) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 5, 2018
CON: 76.4% (-3.3)
LDEM: 14.5% (+14.5)
LAB: 9.1% (-11.2)
Con HOLD.
Con HOLD #Milford in #NewForest (#Hampshire) taking 76% of the vote (which was actually a decrease!) LD finished 2nd, Lab drop to 3rd. pic.twitter.com/9v7HNavOdS
— Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) April 5, 2018
Wiveliscombe & West Deane (Taunton Deane) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 6, 2018
GRN: 44.7% (+35.5)
LDEM: 29.0% (+17.3)
CON: 26.2% (+2.5)
Green GAIN from Independent.
No Ind(s) (-55.4) as prev.
Green GAIN #Wiveliscombe & West #Deane on #Taunton Deane council (#Somerset).
— Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) April 5, 2018
Stunning win from nowhere which gives them their first seat on the council. pic.twitter.com/OR4nVkO4xO
Updated
