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Fri, 18 April 2025
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Zoe Crowther

Zoe Crowther

Zoe Crowther is a Political Reporter for PoliticsHome. She was previously a social media journalist and did freelance reporting for national newspapers.

Government Announces Funding Boost And Reforms To Social Care
Health
By Zoe Crowther
Government Announces Funding Boost And Reforms To Social Care
The Government has announced a funding boost and immediate reforms to the social care system, alongside the launch of an independent commission investigating how to improve adult social care in the long-term.
Ukrainian Refugees Face Uncertainty With UK Visa Extension Scheme
Communities
By Zoe Crowther
Ukrainian Refugees Face Uncertainty With UK Visa Extension Scheme
As the war in Ukraine rages on, thousands of refugees in the UK are stuck in limbo due to uncertainty around the Government’s visa extension scheme.
What Will The Westminster Social Media Landscape Look Like In 2025?
Parliament
By Zoe Crowther
What Will The Westminster Social Media Landscape Look Like In 2025?
The interaction between Westminster politics and social media was a major talking point this year, with the dominance of X, formerly known as Twitter, challenged by alternatives like Bluesky. Zoe Crowther explores how the Westminster social media landscape might evolve in 2025.
2024: Parliament's Year In Words
Parliament
By Zoe Crowther
2024: Parliament's Year In Words
After a historic year in UK politics, what can the language used in Parliament tell us about 2024's key themes, top moments, and power players?
MP Says His Paternity Leave Was 'Not Enough' And Calls For Reform
Social affairs
By Zoe Crowther
MP Says His Paternity Leave Was "Not Enough" And Calls For Reform
A Labour MP who took more than the minimum paternity leave has said it was still "not enough" and called for “massive reform” to paternity rights and shared parental leave.
Young Tories Set Up Campaign To Help Party Avoid 'Terminal' Decline
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
Young Tories Set Up Campaign To Help Party Avoid "Terminal" Decline
A Tory campaign group is launching a bid to improve the party's offer to young people and avoid what it warns could be "terminal defeat" for the Conservatives.
NHS Boss Amanda Pritchard: There Will Be “Unprecedented Demand” This Winter
Health
By Zoe Crowther
NHS Boss Amanda Pritchard: There Will Be “Unprecedented Demand” This Winter
Amanda Pritchard, NHS England’s chief executive, tells Zoe Crowther she is making progress on the service’s productivity gap – but the Government’s pledged capital investment will be needed.
Bluesky Wants To Be Part Of The Westminster Conversation
Parliament
By Zoe Crowther
Bluesky Wants To Be Part Of The Westminster Conversation
A senior executive of Bluesky has said that she wants the emerging social media platform to be “part of the conversation” in Westminster and expand their public affairs team to have influence on the world stage.
NHS Boss Says Physician Associates Are 'Having A Really Hard Time'
Health
By Zoe Crowther
NHS Boss Says Physician Associates Are "Having A Really Hard Time"
The boss of NHS England has said physician associates are having a “really hard time” and need mental health support in the workplace.
Labour MP Not Afraid To Be 'Unpopular' In Calling For Council Tax Reform
Communities
By Zoe Crowther
Labour MP Not Afraid To Be "Unpopular" In Calling For Council Tax Reform
The Labour MP for Hartlepool has called on the Government to reform the “completely broken” council tax system, saying he has “no fear whatsoever about being unpopular” over it.
Labour MP Calls For Electoral Reform After 'Most Disproportionate' General Election Result Ever
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
Labour MP Calls For Electoral Reform After "Most Disproportionate" General Election Result Ever
Labour MP Alex Sobel, who is chairing the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections, has called on the Government to reform the UK voting system after this year's General Election delivered the "most disproportionate result in British history".
Tory MPs Urged To Claim Bluesky Usernames To Deter Fake Accounts
Technology
By Zoe Crowther
Tory MPs Urged To Claim Bluesky Usernames To Deter Fake Accounts
Conservative MPs are being advised to claim their Bluesky usernames to stop fake accounts from impersonating them on the increasingly popular social media platform.
Are we ready for the next Covid?
Coronavirus
By Zoe Crowther
Are we ready for the next Covid?
In our rush to turn the page on the Covid pandemic, Zoe Crowther explores whether we are at risk of failing to prevent the next world-stopping pathogen. Illustrations by Tracy Worrall
Labour MP Says Men Should Remember How To Be 'Gentlemen'
Communities
By Zoe Crowther
Labour MP Says Men Should Remember How To Be "Gentlemen"
A new Labour MP has said society no longer encourages men to be “gentlemen” and he believed “old-school traditional values” should be re-established around positive masculinity.
MPs Approach 'Tipping Point' To Move Away From Elon Musk's X
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
MPs Approach "Tipping Point" To Move Away From Elon Musk's X
A growing number of MPs are weighing up whether to leave social media website X and move to alternative platforms, with some encouraging the Government to do the same.
Committee Chair Says Finding Money For Climate Goals Will Be Biggest Challenge For COP29
Environment
By Zoe Crowther
Committee Chair Says Finding Money For Climate Goals Will Be Biggest Challenge For COP29
Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins, has said that money will be the biggest challenge for governments in the COP29 climate summit, at a time when there are “huge alternative uses for public money”.
Kemi Badenoch Accuses Keir Starmer Of A 'Student Politics' Approach To Donald Trump
Foreign affairs
Kemi Badenoch Accuses Keir Starmer Of A "Student Politics" Approach To Donald Trump
The new Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has accused Keir Starmer's Labour government of playing "student politics" and urged him to invite President-elect Donald Trump to address Parliament on his next visit to the UK.
Third Of Tory Voters Don't Think New Leader Will Fight Next Election
Political parties
Third Of Tory Voters Don't Think New Leader Will Fight Next Election
More than a third of 2024 Conservative voters do not expect the new party leader to last until the next general election.
Mel Stride And Priti Patel Get Top Jobs In Kemi Badenoch's New Shadow Cabinet
Political parties
Mel Stride And Priti Patel Get Top Jobs In Kemi Badenoch's New Shadow Cabinet
New Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has appointed Mel Stride as Shadow Chancellor, Priti Patel as Shadow Foreign Secretary, and leadership rival Robert Jenrick Shadow Justice Secretary, along with the rest of her Shadow Cabinet.
Labour MP Says 'Unneighbourly' Use Of Fireworks Is 'Hugely Detrimental' To Vulnerable People And Pets
Communities
Labour MP Says "Unneighbourly" Use Of Fireworks Is "Hugely Detrimental" To Vulnerable People And Pets
Labour MP Sarah Owen has said the use of noisy fireworks is becoming “unneighbourly” as she leads a cross-party effort to restrict their sale to the public.
Kemi Badenoch Wins Conservative Party Leader Election
Political parties
Kemi Badenoch Wins Conservative Party Leader Election
Kemi Badenoch has won the contest to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.
Rachel Reeves Announces End To Income Tax Threshold Freeze In Her First Budget
Economy
Rachel Reeves Announces End To Income Tax Threshold Freeze In Her First Budget
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that she will end the threshold freeze on income tax and national insurance, but raised a number of other taxes and increased spending by billions of pounds in her first Budget.
Keir Starmer Says Austerity Is 'No Solution' For Fixing The Economy
Economy
Keir Starmer Says Austerity Is "No Solution" For Fixing The Economy
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that austerity is "no solution" to sluggish economic growth and struggling public services ahead of the Budget.
West Midlands Mayor Accuses Whitehall Of Being 'Resistant' To Greater Devolution
Communities
West Midlands Mayor Accuses Whitehall Of Being "Resistant" To Greater Devolution
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker believes civil servants in Whitehall are “resistant” to supporting government plans for more regional devolution, and hopes the Budget will allow mayors greater flexibility over their own finances and projects.
Downing Street To Host Regular Government Briefings For MP Staff
Political parties
Downing Street To Host Regular Government Briefings For MP Staff
No10 has started hosting regular briefings for MPs' staff members in order to directly communicate the work being carried out by the Government.
New Report Urges Government To Overhaul Asylum Seeker Accommodation System
Home affairs
New Report Urges Government To Overhaul Asylum Seeker Accommodation System
An influential left-leaning think tank has urged the Government to overhaul the provision of asylum seeker accommodation and give more powers to local bodies.
Labour Voters Are Slightly Optimistic About The Economy, Poll Suggests
Economy
Labour Voters Are Slightly Optimistic About The Economy, Poll Suggests
There is fragile optimism among Labour voters that the economy will improve in the next year, according to new polling.
Middle East Association Revived To Boost UK Understanding Of The Region
Foreign affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Middle East Association Revived To Boost UK Understanding Of The Region
Exclusive: A former senior UK diplomat has resurrected the influential Middle East Association to act as a platform for “strategic, high-level” discussions between powerful politicians, ambassadors, experts, NGOs and businesses.
Uyghur Rights Leader Urges Labour Government To 'Honour Their Promises' To Condemn China
Foreign affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Uyghur Rights Leader Urges Labour Government To "Honour Their Promises" To Condemn China
A leading Uyghur human rights campaigner has called on the Government to fulfil its promises to condemn and take action against China's persecution of Uyghur Muslims, as reports emerge that ministers have softened their stance.
Labour MP Says 'Unthinking Conservatism' Makes Life Difficult For Working Parents In Parliament
Social affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Labour MP Says "Unthinking Conservatism" Makes Life Difficult For Working Parents In Parliament
Labour MP Josh Simons has said "unthinking institutional conservatism" continues to create barriers for parents working in Parliament, and wants to see improved paternity provisions for fathers in Westminster and across the UK.
Labour MP Wants Promised Levelling Up Funding Delivered For His Town
Communities
By Zoe Crowther
Labour MP Wants Promised Levelling Up Funding Delivered For His Town
Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash has said he wants levelling up funding that was promised to his town to be delivered by the new government, and hopes the Autumn Budget will offer “clarity” on the funds which have been cast into doubt.
James Cleverly Eliminated From Tory Leadership Race
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
James Cleverly Eliminated From Tory Leadership Race
James Cleverly has been voted out of the race to be the next leader of the Conservative Party, in a shock result.
Tom Tugendhat Knocked Out Of Tory Leadership Race
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
Tom Tugendhat Knocked Out Of Tory Leadership Race
Tom Tugendhat has been voted out of the race to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.
No10 Says It Was 'Right To Reflect' On Government Operations
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
No10 Says It Was "Right To Reflect" On Government Operations
The Prime Minister's spokesperson has said No10 was "right to reflect" on whether the previous structures at the head of government were operating effectively, following the departure of Sue Gray as chief of staff.
Labour MP Calls For 'Sense Of Urgency' In Stepping Up Support For Ukraine
Defence
By Zoe Crowther
Labour MP Calls For "Sense Of Urgency" In Stepping Up Support For Ukraine
Labour MP Tim Roca has said that support for Ukraine needs to be “stepped up” urgently as the war enters a “new phase”.
Senior London Tory Refuses To Vote For Any Leadership Candidate
Political parties
By Zoe Crowther
Senior London Tory Refuses To Vote For Any Leadership Candidate
Andrew Boff, Chair of the London Assembly, has said he will not vote for any of the Conservative leadership candidates as he is "appalled" by their approaches to migration and human rights.