Luke Alsford

I am a journalist covering news, investigative and human-interest stories for Metro.

Political reporting

I have covered British politics through exclusive investigations, breaking news and on the ground reports.

Metro •

We went to the Monster Raving Loony Party conference and it was, well, loony

It’s not every party conference where Donald Trump, Margaret Thatcher and Sir Sadiq Khan end up side by side.
Then again, the Monster Raving Loony Party’s annual conference isn’t pretending to be your typical political gathering.
Of course, those famous faces weren’t really in attendance at this year’s event, which was held in the quiet village of Ledbury in Herefordshire.
Instead it was the mask-clad members of the unmissable Loony party who turned up for their first day of fun and policy plann...
Metro •

David Lammy becomes Deputy Prime Minister in reshuffle after Angela Rayner quits

David Lammy has become the new Deputy Prime Minister hours after Angela Rayner quit the role over underpaid stamp duty tax.
The former deputy Labour leader stepped down after it was found she had broken the rules over stamp duty for her second home.
The Prime Minister subsequently used Rayner’s resignation to mix up his top team, moving key figures to new posts.
Yvette Cooper has been appointed Foreign Secretary, while Shabana Mahmood has been moved from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary in a...
Metro •

Keir Starmer says state is 'inalienable' right of Palestinian people

Keir Starmer has called the ‘starvation’ in Gaza ‘indefensible’, adding that the Palestinian people have an ‘inalienable’ right to a state.
The Prime Minister said the situation has ‘reached new depths and continues to worsen’ while urging Israel to change course.
In a statement shared on social media, he called for ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict that would establish a path to Palestinian statehood.
Starmer’s intervention came at the same time French President Emmanuel Macron announced h...
Metro •

Girl sent home from school for wearing Union Jack dress

A dad says he’s received dozens of messages of support after his daughter was put into isolation over her choice of attire on her school’s culture day.
Courtney Wright, 12, chose to celebrate being British with a Union Jack dress, similar to the one worn by Spice Girl Geri Halliwell at the Brits in 1997.
However, teachers at Bilton School said the year seven pupil’s outfit was unacceptable and she was told to leave her class until her dad Stuart Field, 47, came to collect her.
Since revealing...
Metro •

Keir Starmer says Rachel Reeves doing 'excellent' after crying in the Commons

Keir Starmer has said Rachel Reeves is doing an ‘excellent job’ after she broke down in tears in front of Parliament’s cameras this afternoon.
The Chancellor cried during Prime Minister’s Questions as the PM failed to confirm she would still be in her job at the next election.
The tears fell as Reeves faces scrutiny over the government’s welfare bill, which was gutted before being voted through on Monday evening.
However Sir Keir rode to his Chancellor’s defence, telling BBC Radio 4’s Political...
Metro •

MP admits getting staff member to put down his Labrador with a shotgun

A former Reform MP has called himself a ‘coward’ after he had his pet dog shot to death with a shotgun.
Rupert Lowe, who was a member of Nigel Farage’s party until a high-profile clash with the leader earlier this year, decided against having his beloved 17-year-old Labrador put down at the vet after it lost the use of its back legs.
Instead he reportedly told fellow MPs that he asked his gamekeeper Kevin to put dog Cromwell out of its misery with a shotgun on his Gloucestershire estate.
Lowe, w...
Metro •

More than 100,000 people sign Scope's petition against government disability cut

Volunteers from disability equality charity Scope today handed a petition to the government with the voices of 100,000 people opposing the cuts to welfare and PIP.
Today, members of the charity gathered at Downing Street after receiving the backing of people across the UK and the disabled community. 
In March, Labour announced plans to save £5bn a year by overhauling the welfare system, plans which have been called ‘barbaric’ by campaigners.
Volunteers for the charity included Rachel Batten, 53,...
Metro •

Rough sleeping to be decriminalised with 1824 law finally scrapped

Rough sleeping will no longer be a crime in the UK as the government abolishes a ‘cruel’ 200-year-old law.
The Vagrancy Act 1824 was introduced amid a spiralling homelessness crisis after the Industrial Revolution.  
Most of the act has been repealed, though some parts are still in force in England and Wales to police begging and rough sleeping.
But the government announced today it will scrap the bill ‘for good’ by Spring next year.
Labour are pledging to tackle the ‘root causes’ of homelessne...
Metro •

Parliament unveils 'howler' Keir Starmer Toby jug that 'looks like Piers Morgan'

The Houses of Parliament has released their official Toby jug of the Prime Minister – leaving collectors gobsmacked.
The ‘limited edition’ Keir Starmer look-alike mug has drawn some interesting comparisons, with people saying it seems more like TV pundit Piers Morgan.
The Houses of Parliament’s gift shop has been selling ceramic Toby jugs for years, styling them off famous political leaders.
Officials have chosen the Easter recess as the perfect moment to unveil their latest jug recognising the...
Metro •

People in Birmingham 'desperately queueing online for slot to dump rubbish'

Birmingham residents are desperately trying to offload their bin bags and are praying for a quick end to the strikes.
A day after striking workers voted ‘overwhelmingly’ to reject an offer from Birmingham Council, Metro found rubbish piled up next to a GP and fly tipping ongoing.
Unite the Union said the offer was rejected as it did not address potential pay cuts for 200 drivers, and branded it as  ‘totally inadequate’.
As the strikes continue, logistical experts from the army have been called i...
Metro •

How I changed history for thousands of gay and lesbian couples

Michael Salter-Church promised his partner that it would be legal for them to get married one day.
Five years later he was in Downing Street, with his husband, standing next to the Prime Minister.
For those of you who don’t know him, Michael was the Conservative Party advisor who helped turned same-sex marriage from a pipe dream into reality, overcoming rightwing rebellions and religious objections along the way.
He also revolutionised the London Pride event and made it a key tool in his quest f...
Metro •

Rachel Reeves says she took free Sabrina Carpenter tickets for security reasons

Rachel Reeves has admitted accepting free tickets to see US pop star Sabrina Carpenter this month – but said it was due to her security needs.
The Chancellor confirmed reports she attended the gig at the O2 Arena in London, where the singer performed on March 8 and 9.
But she told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: ‘I do now have security which means it’s not as easy as it would be in the past to just sit in a concert.’
New rules for ministers receiving gifts were brought in by Keir Starmer...
Metro •

Labour release bizarre campaign video featuring giant AI-generated animals

The Labour Party has debuted its latest social media strategy to win over voters, featuring giant rabbits, dogs and cows dressed as nurses, police officers and builders.
Entitled ‘Labour’s Plan to Change Britain (as animals)’, Labour released the thirty second video featuring AI-generated animals and menacing music on TikTok yesterday.
The ‘bonkers’ video was slammed on TikTok as ’embarrassing’ and ‘maybe not the best way to get the message across’ by voters.
Starting with an AI image of a life-...
Metro •

Plumbers called to unblock 7,000 loos in government buildings in last two years

Civil servants have cost the British taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds clogging up their own loos.
Government buildings have suffered more than 7,000 blocked toilets and urinals in the last two years, data from the Cabinet Office and other departments have shown.
Toilets used by new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, Bridget Phillipson and Michael Gove have all gone out of order, with the Department for Work and Pensions being the biggest culprits.
The cost of plumbing jobs to fix civil servants’...
The London Economic •

Labour landslide heralds in new era of quangoism

Keir Starmer’s Labour landslide has heralded in a new era of quangoism in British politics.
The Prime Minister’s National Violent Disorder Unit, announced at a press conference on Thursday, adds to a long list of new national units, programmes and regulators already promised in Labour’s manifesto.The government now has plans to introduce as many as twenty-six public bodies with influence over swathes of policy and daily life.
The National Violent Disorder Unit will be established after the deadl...
The London Economic •

Labour to remove requirement for new homes to be 'beautiful'

Already outraged that houses are to be built in their back yard, nothing could make the situation worse for NIMBYs than the news that those houses might be ugly.
That is, however, exactly what Angela Rayner and the new Labour government have in store for reeling NIMBY councils across the country, as they outlined plans to impose housing targets across the country. In Labour’s revised planning rule book, the government has deleted almost every use of the word “beautiful” in their requirements for...
The London Economic •

How Brexit resulted in immigration going up

Just weeks after the Conservatives left office with record-high levels of immigration, and years after Brexiteers voted to “take back control” of Britain’s borders, the latest round of Tory leadership hopefuls are promising to reduce immigration levels all over again.
The six leadership rivals have been queuing up to condemn the Party’s performance on immigration during their fourteen years in government. 
Robert Jenrick, one of the six running to lead the Party, admitted in a video on X that he...
Metro •

How does the Budget affect pensioners and DWP payments?

Rachel Reeves has announced a range of changes to Universal Credit, the state pension and the benefits system in her Autumn Budget today.
Let’s take a look at what the Chancellor laid out in her address and how it will affect pensioners and those receiving benefits.
Follow the latest updates on the Autumn 2024 Budget on our live blog
PIP benefits, issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), are for people who need help with costs associated with their health condition or disability.
It...
Metro •

Martin Lewis gives verdict on the 2024 Budget - as it happened

Martin Lewis described the Government’s plan to not make certain changes to child benefits as ‘bad news’ for single parents.
Major changes announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves today included changes to employer National Insurance contributions, increases to Capital Gains tax, a fall in the price of pints and smokers paying more for hand-rolled tobacco.
But the finance expert said the Labour government’s decision to not shift child benefit to household income from individual income was ‘bad news...
Metro •

Inheritance tax debunked: Loopholes, rules and 2024 changes explained

Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government has unveiled its first Budget on Wednesday, with changes to inheritance shaping Rachel Reeves’ plan to tackle a £22bn black hole.
The Chancellor announced that the inheritance tax thresholds would be frozen for a further two years, from 2028 to 2030, saying she understood the strongly-held desire to pass down savings to children and grand children.
Reeves also laid out changes to agricultural and business relief for inheritance tax, while promising to protect...
The London Economic •

Humza Yousaf says EDL should be made terrorist organisation following Southport riots

Muslim advocacy and community groups have joined a call from Humza Yousaf to proscribe the English Defence League as a terrorist organisation after the violent clashes in Southport last night.
The former Scottish first minister has urged the government to “deal” with Britain’s “far-right problem” and the “evil ideology” behind it.
Merseyside Police said “a large group of people – believed to be supporters of the English Defence League” – began to throw items such as bricks towards the mosque in...
Metro •

Who is Rachel Reeves? Everything we know about the UK's first female chancellor

Rachel Reeves is set to unveil her first budget as chancellor next week, which she said will involve ‘tough decisions’ to fill a £22 billion black hole in the nation’s finances.
Reeves became the UK’s first female chancellor after Labour won the General Election in July 2024.
She previously served in Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet as shadow chancellor from May 2021 until July.
As chancellor, Reeves has already overseen the scrapping of the winter fuel allowance for pensioners not on certain b...
The London Economic •

Badenoch once opened up about the profound impact Josef Fritzl had on her life, new biography claims

Kemi Badenoch once opened up about how the shocking case of Josef Fritzl had a profound impact on her life, a new biography has claimed.
The favourite to win the Tory leadership contest reacted in horror when it was discovered in 2008 that Fritzl had imprisoned and raped his daughter in a secret basement for 24 years.
Badenoch, who grew up in a Methodist household, later told a colleague that the revelations had such a profound effect on her that “something in my mind just switched” and she sto...
The London Economic •

£2.3 million Brexit border inspection post has conducted 2 checks since April

A post-Brexit border inspection post in Poole that cost £2.3 million has conducted only two checks since April.
The 2,000 square meter facility was launched in November, however delays to the government’s plans for a post-Brexit border regime saw physical checks on imports of plant and animal products from the EU only begin three months ago.
Back when the border post was first opened, chief executive of Poole Harbour Commissioners Brian Murphy expressed the port’s excitement “to start promoting...
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