Today Was The Day That Was

More Political Chaos....

The week in British politics has delivered another masterclass in incompetence, backpedalling, and the sort of desperate scrambling that makes you wonder if anyone in Westminster actually knows what day it is. Today, Monday 16 February 2026, the headlines are dominated by yet another humiliating U-turn from Keir Starmer’s government, this time on postponing local council elections. Add in fresh crackdowns on social media and AI, defence spending talk, and Rupert Lowe’s new party still making waves, and you have the perfect recipe for public exasperation.

Another Humiliating U-Turn: Starmer Backs Down on Council Elections

The big story is the government’s abrupt decision to scrap plans to delay elections in 30 council areas scheduled for May. Just days ago, Local Government Secretary Steve Reed was pushing ahead with the postponement, citing the need for local reorganisation and capacity issues. Reform UK, smelling blood, launched a legal challenge, arguing it smacked of democratic interference. The government blinked first. After receiving urgent legal advice warning they would likely lose in court, a spokesperson confirmed all elections will now go ahead as planned. They are even coughing up an extra sixty-three million pounds to help councils with the reorganisation mess, on top of last year’s funding.

This is classic Starmer: announce something bold (or in this case, conveniently self-serving), get pushback, then reverse course while pretending it was always about providing certainty. Nigel Farage was quick to claim victory, calling it a win for democracy and Reform’s pressure. Priti Patel blasted the initial plan for throwing councils into confusion and chaos. Even the Liberal Democrats and Greens weighed in, accusing Labour of authoritarian tendencies and disregarding voters out of fear. The critics have a point; this was never about efficiency. It looked like a naked attempt to dodge a likely drubbing in those areas, especially with Reform and independents gaining ground. Now the government looks weak, indecisive, and willing to waste public money on U-turns.

Starmer’s Nanny-State Push: Cracking Down on AI and Social Media

Starmer himself is out there today, visiting a community centre in south-west London to announce tougher rules on online safety for children. He is accelerating plans to extend the Online Safety Act to AI chatbots, closing loopholes that let some escape regulation. Providers like ChatGPT and Grok could face fines if they fail to protect users from illegal content. There is talk of bringing in an Australian-style social media ban for under-sixteens sooner rather than later, possibly within months if MPs agree after consultation. Starmer denounced certain platforms for allowing harmful image generation, standing shoulder to shoulder with worried parents. It is all very worthy, but you cannot help wondering if this is genuine concern or a distraction from the bigger picture: a government flailing on basics while lecturing on digital morals.

Defence Ambitions: Talk Tough, But Where’s the Cash?

Meanwhile, the prime minister is mulling a faster ramp-up in defence spending. Reports suggest he wants to hit higher targets earlier than planned, potentially by the end of this parliament. He told reporters we need to step up and go faster, echoing his Munich Security Conference rhetoric about European unity and readiness against threats. Treasury types are reportedly nervous about the billions involved, but with Russia still looming and global instability rising, it is hard to argue against bolstering the military. The question is where the money comes from when taxes are already punishing, the economy is limp, and public services are creaking. Starmer talks tough on security abroad while his domestic agenda looks like a string of retreats.

Lowe’s New Party Still Stirring the Pot on the Right

Over on the right, Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain launch from Friday night continues to ripple. The Great Yarmouth MP, now independent after his spectacular fallout with Nigel Farage, turned his political movement into a full national party in a draughty theatre on Britannia Pier. He promised mass deportations, zero tolerance on radical Islam, and restoring national purpose. Hundreds cheered; far-right figures lined up behind him. Elon Musk’s endorsement has given it real online traction. Polling still shows it nibbling at Reform’s support, potentially splitting the right-wing vote in key seats. Farage’s lot must be watching nervously as Lowe positions himself as the harder, uncompromised option. Whether it builds into anything substantial remains to be seen, but in First-Past-The-Post Britain, even a small splinter can spoil things for everyone else on that side.

There are other bits bubbling away. Ed Miliband and California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new clean energy pact in London, deepening ties on climate and investment. It is the sort of international virtue-signalling that sounds good in press releases but does little for the average Briton’s energy bills. Police are reportedly asking to withhold key emails in the ongoing Peter Mandelson Epstein saga, adding to the whiff of cover-up around Starmer’s early missteps. And somewhere in the background, the usual parliamentary grind continues: committees, petitions, and the slow churn of policy that rarely touches real life.

What ties it all together today is the sense of a government in permanent damage control. Starmer came to power promising competence and change. Instead we get U-turns, legal retreats, and announcements that feel like firefighting rather than leadership. The local elections fiasco is particularly damning; it handed Reform a propaganda win and reminded everyone why people are fed up with the lot of them. Throw in the online safety push, which many will see as nanny-state overreach, and defence ambitions that sound expensive without a clear funding plan, and the picture is bleak.

The public is not daft. They see the pattern: grand words, poor delivery, quick reversals when the heat comes on. Westminster remains a bubble where politicians talk strategy while ordinary folk struggle with costs, security fears, and a sense that nobody is listening. Until someone starts delivering plain results instead of endless resets, the cynicism will only grow.

Another day survived in this endless circus. Heaven help us for tomorrow.