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Another four Labour MPs have been suspended from the party whip, this time not for a specific rebellion but for what Keir Starmer says is a pattern of behaviour. The idea seems to have been to display strength so as to fend off future rebellions after the damaging events of recent weeks. But former Labour whip Tony McNulty fears the effect will be precisely the opposite. McNulty says the Labour leadership seems “more interested in enforcing conformity than in building consensus”.
The row is likely to deepen now that a fifth Labour MP has been suspended, albeit under different circumstances: Diane Abbott for comments she’s made about racism. And in starting another argument, Starmer has managed to overshadow what some will see as potential achievements from this week. He has confirmed, for example, that the voting age will be lowered to 16 for the next election. Andrew Mycock is a leading voice on this issue, having conducted extensive research on the matter for some years. He argues it’s an opportunity to strengthen British democracy.
Important changes are also being made to sex education in England that will see pupils taught about incels and misogyny. Our expert guide sets out what to expect. We also wanted to zone in on one change in particular that parents might be surprised about: sexual choking will now be a topic for discussion in school for the first time. Let us explain why.
And what are we to make of the news that eight apparently healthy babies have been born thanks to technology that provides them with DNA from three different people? Here’s what we know and what we still want to find out.
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Laura Hood
Senior Politics Editor, Assistant Editor
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Starmer has removed the whip from four ‘persistent rebel’ MPs.
Flickr/UK Parliament
Tony McNulty, Queen Mary University of London
Poor messaging and internal strife are undermining this government’s promise.
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Campaigners have long argued that 16-year-olds are allowed to do many things but could not vote.
Alamy/Dinendra Haria
Andrew Mycock, University of Leeds
Changing the law opens space for a wider conversation about where young people sit in British society.
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Daniel Hoz/Shutterstock
Sophie King-Hill, University of Birmingham
Sex and relationships education should create a safe space for open discussion.
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World
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Jonathan Este, The Conversation
Russia seems unworried about the US president’s decision to resume arming Ukraine.
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Brian Brivati, Kingston University
Netanyahu has so far prolonged the war to remain in power. Now as another party leaves his coalition government, he is reportedly considering calling an early election for the autumn.
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Robert Dover, University of Hull
Trump’s dismissal of Epstein conspiracies has caused a rift with his support base.
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Birte Julia Gippert, University of Liverpool
The fragile 30-year peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina is under threat from Serbian nationalists.
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Politics + Society
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Sam Power, University of Bristol
The results of last year’s election show how pointless it is to continue raising spending limits.
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Arts + Culture
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Wanja Kimani, University of Cambridge
In her new book, Akinkugbe explores the way art history is taught, and the exclusion of blackness from mainstream art spaces.
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Tim Penn, University of Reading
It’s up for debate what the big shoes found at Magna mean and that’s an integral part of archaeological research
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Business + Economy
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Robyn Klingler-Vidra, King's College London
Japan and South Korea’s national firms use startups as resources to help them compete internationally.
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Steve Nolan, Liverpool John Moores University; Rafaela Neiva Ganga, Liverpool John Moores University; Tamara West, Manchester Metropolitan University
The UK must find better ways to assess value for money when it comes to culture – otherwise valuable projects could miss out on funding.
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Education
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Alexandra Fanghanel, University of Greenwich
It’s only by talking about it in sex education classes that young people can learn there is no safe way to strangle or choke their partner.
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Environment
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Daniel James Jolly, University of East Anglia
While non-plastic textiles are not as long-lived as plastics, they can last long enough to accumulate and cause damage to plants, animals and humans.
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Tim Lamont, Lancaster University; Gita Alisa, IPB University; Tries Blandine Razak, IPB University
Researchers found that photos of restored reefs were rated just as beautiful as those of healthy reefs.
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Willow Neal, The Open University
Following on from ‘the year without a butterfly’, 2025 has seen sightings soar in the UK and across Europe.
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Health
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Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University
These Ayurvedic ingredients may support digestion, diabetes and hormones - but they’re not without risks.
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Cathy Herbrand, De Montfort University
Groundbreaking treatment works, but why the ten-year silence?
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Science + Technology
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Emma Watts, Swansea University; Derek Keir, University of Southampton; Thomas Gernon, University of Southampton
A new ocean is slowly forming from beneath Africa.
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William Barter, University of Edinburgh
The finding could also open the door to the discovery of new particles.
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Podcasts
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation
Four battery researchers talk about the future of power storage on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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