Charlie Alford

Clacton breaks record for most candidates in an election

Post author:Willem Moore
Post published:18 July 2026
Post last modified:18 July 2026

Friday 17 July was the deadline for candidates to nominate themselves for the Clacton by-election. As it turns out, a lot of people made that deadline, with Politics UK listing the following: IN FULL: The 34 Clacton by-election candidates – the highest number ever recorded in a UK Parliamentary election Nigel Farage Count Binface Laurence Fox Kai Stephens Adham Alkhatip Joseph 77 Tony Cane Woke Trump Carrzee William Stuart James Clouston Rees Cowne Glenn Charles Cummings Martin Davies Andy Erlam Attieh Fard Tony Francis Robin Green Abi Hookway Nick The Incredible Flying Brick Howling Laud Hope Baron Von Thunderclap Stephen Richard Ingram…

Former Sharon Graham election organiser tells Unite members: “Vote Dubbins”

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:17 July 2026
Post last modified:17 July 2026

Unite official Matt Smith played an extensive role in Sharon Graham’s 2021 election campaign to become the union’s general secretary. But in the current general secretary election he is calling on members to back her rival Simon Dubbins for the job. Smith’s commitment to a Graham win was so great that he said “we will all work so hard to get Graham elected as Unite’s next general secretary”: Smith was then promoted in 2022 to Unite’s head of Member Relations: Changed tune But now, after five years of Graham running Unite, Smith has changed his mind completely. Now he has published…

Outrage as Reform plot to criminalise Gaelic and Scots election materials

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:14 July 2026
Post last modified:14 July 2026

Reform UK has sparked outrage after putting forward plans which would criminalise election campaign materials in Gaelic and Scots. Another case of English supremacy within the Union… The hard-right political party has endorsed plans to criminalise all political materials that are not written or spoken in English or Welsh. Nigel Farage‘s party has moved an amendment to a Westminster bill that would, if passed, make campaigning in other national languages illegal. If Reform’s amendment to the Representation of the People Bill passes, those breaching the law could face jail time for up to six months. Those prosecuted could also face unspecified…

Manchester mayoral election — Greens slam ‘unserious’ Labour as Reform ‘go to war’

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:13 July 2026
Post last modified:13 July 2026

The Green Party tells the Canary that Labour’s “contempt for Greater Manchester residents” is on full display as the mayoral election looms soon. The party slams Labour for failing to yet deliver a costed manifesto, saying that Greater Manchester voters need to know what they are voting for. It’s now just over two weeks until Greater Manchester goes to the polls on 30 July. Postal votes are already landing on doorsteps for the single most significant ongoing election in English politics outside of Westminster. But Labour’s candidate, Bev Craig, has failed to publish a manifesto yet. Even Reform UK, despite Clacton-caused…

Colombia’s Petro declares rigged presidential election invalid

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:8 July 2026
Post last modified:8 July 2026

Colombia’s left-wing president Gustavo Petro has declared the country’s recent presidential election illegitimate and de-recognised the election of far-right, US-allied Abelardo de la Espriella. De la Espriella has responded by saying that he is cancelling ‘transition arrangements. In June 2026, Petro condemned the hacking and tampering by Israeli and US organisations in voting and tally processes that were run by foreign ‘cybersecurity’ companies. He has reaffirmed that De la Espriella “did not win the elections”. De la Espriella is an eager supporter of Israel. Calling for the Colombian people to gather and march on the country’s 20 July Independence Day in…

Die-hard supporter turns publicly on Sharon Graham as Unite election begins

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:1 July 2026
Post last modified:1 July 2026

Dave Williams is a Liverpool-based Unite union stalwart and former member of its executive council. When Skwawkbox writer Steve Walker was chair of a Liverpool constituency Labour party (CLP) in the Corbyn era, Williams was the CLP’s ‘TULO’ (trade union liaison officer). He has also been an ardent supporter of Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham. And when Skwawkbox started to expose Graham’s failings and misdeeds as Unite general secretary, Williams was highly critical of it doing so. Very highly critical. But now he has, very publicly, changed his tune. With Graham in the middle of a highly-criticised re-election campaign and reeling…

UK election interference: new details of BlackCore Israeli influence operation emerge

Post author:Joe Glenton
Post published:13 June 2026
Post last modified:13 June 2026

An Israeli influence operation named BlackCore allegedly sought to undermine left-wing politicians and shape elections in the UK and US. The Canary previously reported on a joint French/Israeli media investigation into the shadowy outfit. BlackCore is also accused of setting up a bogus Palestine charity. Now a French domestic security agency is investigating too. Israeli newspaper Haaretz and French outlet Libération reported on 11 June: Israeli firm BlackCore, suspected of interfering in France’s local elections in March, is also ‌suspected of meddling in elections in New York City and Scotland, and operating in Angola and Togo, the head of France’s disinformation ⁠detection…

Pérez retains Real Madrid presidency after first election in 20 years

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:8 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

Florentino Pérez has retained his position as president of Real Madrid after winning the club’s first competitive election in two decades, securing a new five-year term at the helm of the club. According to the Guardian, Pérez secured around 65 per cent of the club members’ votes, beating his rival, businessman Enrique Riquelme, who received 35 per cent of the vote, in an election that reflected a stronger opposition movement than in recent years. In his first comments following the announcement of the results, Pérez described the victory as a “historic result”, emphasising that his achievement represented the second-best election result…

Indy-Green relationship boosted Sefton’s left-wing election surge

Post author:Ed Sykes
Post published:6 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

The 2026 local election in the Merseyside borough of Sefton saw a left-wing surge against Labour. And the positive relationship between community independents and the Green Party made a meaningful difference, with both increasing their voice on the council as a result. Community independents went from one councillor to five, and the Greens from one to three. And the Canary spoke to Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents to hear more about how they became the third biggest political grouping on Sefton Council. Common-sense relationships on the left can make a big difference There are places in the UK where local independents…

Rumours swirl of an early election if Burnham wins

Post author:Willem Moore
Post published:31 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Andy Burnham is running to become the MP for Makerfield, Wigan. As everyone knows, if Burnham wins, he’ll challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership, becoming the PM if he succeeds. Given that Labour has a huge majority and the party doesn’t have to call an election until 2029, most assume he won’t go to the polls early. If rumours are to be believed, however, he might be eyeing one up: EXCL: Andy Burnham is considering holding a snap general election if he becomes PM.https://t.co/4vTIQ2oH5Y — Kate Ferguson (@kateferguson4) May 30, 2026 Wargaming The latest rumours comes from the Sun, and…

Reform losers resurrect racist election smear after Manchester arrests

Post author:Ed Sykes
Post published:22 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Reform lost the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, but the Thatcherite bigots are still trying to call this massive defeat into question. How? With racist dog-whistles, and by talking about something different that some other people reportedly did somewhere else in Greater Manchester… Farage’s not-so-subtle dog-whistle Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, no stranger to dodgy tricks itself, reportedly got fake independent candidates to run in Tameside’s local elections to split the vote in its favour. And on 21 May, police arrested five people in connection to the controversial events in St Peter’s ward (which isn’t in the Gorton and Denton constituency).…