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Suella Braverman Joins Reform: A Major Tory Defection
Politics

Suella Braverman Joins Reform: A Major Tory Defection

BBC News5h ago
3 min read
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Key Facts

  • âś“ Suella Braverman, a former Home Secretary, has officially joined the Reform party, marking a significant career shift.
  • âś“ She is the fourth sitting Conservative MP to defect to Reform since the last general election, highlighting a sustained trend.
  • âś“ This defection adds to Reform's growing parliamentary presence and signals increasing momentum for the party.
  • âś“ The move reflects broader political realignments and potential dissatisfaction within the Conservative Party.
  • âś“ Braverman's high-profile status brings significant experience and visibility to Reform's ranks.

Quick Summary

In a move that has sent ripples through Westminster, Suella Braverman has officially joined the Reform party. The former Home Secretary stands as the fourth sitting Conservative MP to make this switch since the last general election, marking a notable moment in contemporary British politics.

This defection is not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of movement toward Reform. It underscores a shifting dynamic within the parliamentary landscape, where established figures are choosing to align with a party that has been gaining traction. The significance of this development extends beyond a single name change, hinting at deeper currents reshaping the political arena.

A High-Profile Move

The defection of Suella Braverman represents a major coup for Reform. As a former Home Secretary, she brings significant experience and a high public profile to the party. Her decision to cross the floor is a clear statement of her political direction and a notable development in her career.

Her arrival is particularly significant given her previous role in government. This move places her among a growing cohort of MPs who have chosen Reform over the Conservatives since the last election. The pattern suggests a strategic shift that could influence future political alignments.

Key aspects of this development include:

  • Braverman's status as a former Home Secretary
  • Her position as the fourth sitting Tory MP to join Reform
  • The timing of her defection relative to recent political events
  • The potential impact on party dynamics

The Broader Trend

This defection is part of a larger narrative of political realignment. The fact that Braverman is the fourth sitting Conservative MP to join Reform since the last election indicates a sustained trend rather than a one-off occurrence. It suggests that Reform is successfully attracting established political figures.

The cumulative effect of these defections can reshape party standings and influence in Parliament. Each new member brings their own constituency, experience, and political capital, potentially strengthening Reform's position and visibility. This trend highlights the fluid nature of political allegiance in the current climate.

Consider the progression:

  1. Initial defections began shortly after the last election
  2. Each subsequent move has added momentum to Reform
  3. High-profile figures like Braverman lend credibility
  4. The pattern signals a potential shift in the political landscape

Impact on the Conservative Party

For the Conservative Party, the departure of a senior figure like Braverman is a significant blow. It raises questions about internal cohesion and the party's ability to retain its members. The loss of experienced MPs can weaken the party's parliamentary presence and influence.

The defections also reflect potential dissatisfaction or ideological shifts within the party. When multiple sitting MPs choose to leave, it often points to broader issues that may need addressing. This situation could prompt introspection and strategic reassessment within Conservative ranks.

Factors contributing to such moves might include:

  • Differences in policy direction
  • Strategic disagreements
  • Perceived alignment with another party's vision
  • Personal political evolution

Reform's Rising Momentum

For Reform, each defection adds to a narrative of growing momentum. The party is positioning itself as a viable alternative, attracting MPs who are seeking a new political home. Braverman's join is a testament to this appeal.

The party's ability to attract sitting MPs suggests a strategic focus on building a credible parliamentary presence. This approach could help in future elections and in shaping policy debates. The trend indicates that Reform is not just a protest movement but a party with serious political aspirations.

Key indicators of Reform's growth include:

  • Increasing membership from established political figures
  • Enhanced media coverage and public visibility
  • A clear, consistent message that resonates with certain MPs
  • A strategic approach to parliamentary representation

Looking Ahead

The defection of Suella Braverman to Reform is a clear signal of shifting political tides. It underscores the party's growing influence and the potential for further realignments in the future. As the political landscape continues to evolve, such moves will be closely watched.

This development raises important questions about the future of party politics in the UK. Will this trend of defections continue? How will the Conservative Party respond to these losses? And what does this mean for the balance of power in Parliament? Only time will tell, but the current momentum suggests that the political scene remains dynamic and unpredictable.

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Trump admin reportedly plans to use AI to write federal regulations
Technology

Trump admin reportedly plans to use AI to write federal regulations

The Trump administration is planning on using Google Gemini to draft important federal regulations, as reported by ProPublica. This is starting with the Department of Transportation, according to interviews with agency staffers. Regulations created by the DOT help keep us safe when traveling. The plan was initially presented to DOT staffers last month, with agency attorney Daniel Cohen writing to colleagues about AI's "potential to revolutionize the way we draft rulemakings." Gregory Zerzan, the agency's general counsel, has indicated that President Donald Trump is "very excited by this initiative" and that DOT will be "the first agency that is fully enabled to use AI to draft rules." This does suggest a pilot program of sorts, with eventual plans to bring AI to other departments. NEW: The Trump administration is planning to use AI to write federal regulations despite the risk of hallucinations. “We don't even need a very good rule,” @USDOT’s top lawyer said of the plan, per meeting notes reviewed by ProPublica. “We want good enough.” 🧵 pic.twitter.com/YKGvmlkMCt — Jesse Coburn (@Jesse_Coburn) January 26, 2026 Oddly, Zerzan doesn't seem that interested in high-quality regulations. ProPublica received transcripts of a meeting in which he declared that "we don't need the perfect rule on XYZ. We don't even need a very good rule on XYZ." He went on to say that "we want good enough" and that "we're flooding the zone." Let me remind you that DOT regulates the safety standards of commercial aircraft, along with rules involving the transport of hazardous materials and driver qualifications. The agency's rules touch on every aspect of transportation safety. Why would the federal government rely on a new technology that's notorious for making mistakes? AI “hallucinations” eg false/made-up info now becoming a problem in scientific publications. Kudos to @alexcdot et al on building an AI hallucination detector and finding that certain journals/authors have used LLMs to generate papers that also made it through peer review. Here’s… pic.twitter.com/i4Be1lS8xq — Daphne Zohar (@daphnezohar) January 22, 2026 The answer is speed. Writing and revising complex federal regulations can take months, but Google Gemini can spit something out in minutes. A DOT employee giving a presentation on the program suggested that many parts of these regulations are just "word salad" anyways, so AI should be able to do just fine. "It shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to get a draft rule out of Gemini," Zerzan said. The plan is to compress the timeline in which transportation regulations are written and reviewed. The department has already used AI to draft an unpublished Federal Aviation Administration rule. Federal agencies have used AI for years, but not to actually write regulations. It's primarily been used for the purpose of translating documents, analyzing data and categorizing public comments. Trump, however, is a huge proponent of the technology. He has released multiple executive orders in support of AI and once shared an AI-created video in which he flew a fighter jet and dropped what appears to be feces on American citizens. Skeptics say that large language models like Gemini shouldn't be in charge of drafting complicated and consequential regulations that impact millions of everyday Americans. Mistakes could lead to lawsuits and even injuries and deaths. Mike Horton, DOT’s former acting chief artificial intelligence officer, said using Gemini to draft regulations was like “having a high school intern that’s doing your rulemaking.” He also said that agency leaders under Trump "want to go fast and break things, but going fast and breaking things means people are going to get hurt." "Just because these tools can produce a lot of words doesn’t mean that those words add up to a high-quality government decision,” said Bridget Dooling, a professor at Ohio State University who studies administrative law. “It’s so tempting to try to figure out how to use these tools, and I think it would make sense to try. But I think it should be done with a lot of skepticism." DOT has experienced a net loss of more than 4,000 employees since Trump started his second term. This includes over 100 attorneys. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/trump-admin-reportedly-plans-to-use-ai-to-write-federal-regulations-175155111.html?src=rss

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Photos of Melania Trump's Slovenia hometown show her humble beginnings
Politics

Photos of Melania Trump's Slovenia hometown show her humble beginnings

Melania Trump grew up in Sevnica, Slovenia. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images ; Jure Makovec/AFP via Getty Images Melania Trump grew up in Sevnica, Slovenia, a small town of around 17,670 people. Her father was a car salesman, and her mother worked in a local textile factory. Sevnica's tourism doubled when she became first lady for the first time. Before Melania Trump became a fashion model and first lady of the United States, she was Melanija Knavs, the Slovenian daughter of a car salesman and a textile factory worker. As the first naturalized US citizen to serve as first lady and the second foreign-born first lady in US history, Trump's hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia, has become a tourist destination attracting visitors to see where she spent her early years. Here are some Sevnica landmarks from Trump's childhood. Melania Trump grew up in Sevnica, Slovenia. This general view shows the US First Lady's hometown of Sevnica, on October 30, 2020. - In contrast to the enthusiasm evident four years ago in Melania Trump's homeland Slovenia as she ascended to the status of US First Lady, now even her hometown has cooled on the country's most famous daughter. In 2016 Slovenia's media followed the US presidential campaign with bated breath, but now the coronavirus pandemic is dominating headlines and crowding out coverage of whether Melania will stay in the White House alongside her husband President Donald Trump after Tuesday's US election. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images Trump was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, on April 26, 1970. She spent her childhood in Sevnica, a small town 30 miles away. Sevnica is located along the Sava River in central Slovenia. This general view shows the US First Lady's hometown of Sevnica, on October 30, 2020. - In contrast to the enthusiasm evident four years ago in Melania Trump's homeland Slovenia as she ascended to the status of US First Lady, now even her hometown has cooled on the country's most famous daughter. In 2016 Slovenia's media followed the US presidential campaign with bated breath, but now the coronavirus pandemic is dominating headlines and crowding out coverage of whether Melania will stay in the White House alongside her husband President Donald Trump after Tuesday's US election. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images It has a population of 17,672, according to data collected by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia in 2023. When Melania Trump was born, Slovenia was a communist country ruled by President Josip Tito and known as Yugoslavia. SEVNICA, SLOVENIA - JANUARY 18: A general view of Sevnica where Melania Trump, lived as a child ahead of the inauguration of USA President Donald Trump on JANUARY 18, 2017 in Sevnica, Slovenia. Awakening/Future Publishing via Getty Images Slovenia became independent in 1991. Before Trump's rise to fame as a model and then FLOTUS, Sevnica was known for its furniture and clothing factories, as well as its annual salami festival. A picture taken on April 9, 2016 shows a general view of the hometown of Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump, in Sevnica. Until recently, Sevnica was best known for its lingerie and furniture factories and a charming 900-year-old castle. But that was before Donald Trump launched his bid to become US president. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP/AFP via Getty Images Sevnica produces over 150 kinds of salami, a feat celebrated at its annual Salamiada festival. Now, Sevnica produces a salami named after the first lady. Salami named First Lady is seen during the presentation of touristic products in Melania Trump's hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia January 20, 2017. Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters Sevnica's tourism doubled in the year before Donald Trump's first term as interest in Melania Trump grew, a tour guide told Reuters in January 2017. The small town capitalized on its claim to fame as the former FLOTUS' hometown, offering tours, foods, and souvenirs named after her. For 2017 as a whole, the number of foreigners visiting Slovenia jumped 17% when compared to the previous year, with a total of 3.4 million visitors, Reuters reported in January 2018. The number of visitors has risen in the years since, with just under 7 million visitors in 2025, The Slovenian Times reported. As a child, Trump — then known as Melanija Knavs — lived in this block of Communist-era apartments. SEVNICA, SLOVENIA - JANUARY 18: A general view of apartment block where Melania Trump, lived as a child ahead of the inauguration of USA President Donald Trump on JANUARY 18, 2017 in Sevnica, Slovenia. Awakening/Future Publishing via Getty Images Her father, Viktor Knavs, worked as a car salesman. Her mother, Amalija, worked at a local textile factory. Trump has one sister, Ines Knauss, and a half-brother, Denis Cigelnjak. Trump attended Sevnica's Savo Kladnik Elementary School. This general view shows Elementary School of Savo Kladnik Sevnica in US First Lady's hometown of Sevnica, on October 30, 2020. - In contrast to the enthusiasm evident four years ago in Melania Trump's homeland Slovenia as she ascended to the status of US First Lady, now even her hometown has cooled on the country's most famous daughter. In 2016 Slovenia's media followed the US presidential campaign with bated breath, but now the coronavirus pandemic is dominating headlines and crowding out coverage of whether Melania will stay in the White House alongside her husband President Donald Trump after Tuesday's US election. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images Mirjana Jelancic, a friend of Trump's who went on to become principal of the school, told ABC News in 2016 that the young Trump was "an angel" and "a very good student." Her family later moved to a modest house on Ribniki Street. This general view shows a former home of US First Lady Melania Trump in Sevnica, on October 30, 2020. - In contrast to the enthusiasm evident four years ago in Melania Trump's homeland Slovenia as she ascended to the status of US First Lady, now even her hometown has cooled on the country's most famous daughter. In 2016 Slovenia's media followed the US presidential campaign with bated breath, but now the coronavirus pandemic is dominating headlines and crowding out coverage of whether Melania will stay in the White House alongside her husband President Donald Trump after Tuesday's US election. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images When Trump and her sister, Ines, were in high school, the Knavs family moved to Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital. There, Trump was scouted by photographer Stane Jerko and signed with a modeling agency when she was 18. Trump remained connected to her hometown over the years, donating $25,000 to a medical center there in 2005. SEVNICA, SLOVENIA - JANUARY 18: A view of the Medica Center which received a donation from Melania Trump on JANUARY 18, 2017 in Sevnica, Slovenia. Awakening/Future Publishing via Getty Images Trump made the donation after her wedding in 2005, The New York Times reported. Residents of Sevnica celebrated President Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 election. Residents of Sevnica, hometown of Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential elect Donald Trump, raise glasses as they celebrate the victory of Donald Trump in the race for the White House in Sevnica, Slovenia on November 9, 2016. Republican Donald Trump has won the US presidency with at least 290 electoral votes, securing more than the 270 he needed to succeed Barack Obama. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images Trump is the second first lady born outside the US. The first was John Quincy Adams' wife, Louisa Catherine Adams, who was born in London. Sevnica locals also gathered to watch both of Donald Trump's inaugurations. Locals toasted Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration in Sevnica, Slovenia. Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters The Rotary Klub Sevnica held events in honor of Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017 and 2025. Proceeds from the 2025 event went toward a youth scholarship fund, the Slovenian outlet Dolenjski List reported. American artist Brad Downey commissioned a monument of Trump from Slovenian sculptor Ales "Maxi" Zupevc in 2019 that was erected in a field outside Sevnica. A picture taken on July 5, 2019 shows what conceptual artist Ales 'Maxi' Zupevc claims is the first ever monument of Melania Trump, set in the fields near town of Sevnica, US First Ladys hometown. - After Melania cake, Melania honey, and even Melania slippers, the Slovenian hometown of the US's first lady will now boast a statue of its most famous daughter -- albeit one which has faced decidedly mixed reviews. The life-size statue on the outskirts of Sevnica was inaugurated on July 5, 2019. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images The wooden statue, modeled after Trump's blue Ralph Lauren inauguration dress, garnered mixed reviews. A bronze statue replaced the original wooden one after it was vandalized and burned in 2020. SEVNICA, SLOVENIA - SEPTEMBER 15: A bronze replica depicting US First Lady Melania Trump, made by US artist Brad Downey, is seen after its unveiling in a field near US First Lady's hometown Sevnica, Slovenia on September 15, 2020. The statue of US First Lady Melania Trump is a replica of an original wooden statue made by Slovenian artist Ales 'Maxi' Zupevc, which was inaugurated on July 4, 2019 and later burned by unknown perpetrators on July 5, 2020. Ales Beno/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A plaque at the site says the new bronze statue is "dedicated to the eternal memory of a monument to Trump which stood in this location from 2019-2020." Trump, the first naturalized US citizen to serve as first lady, has spoken about her immigration journey. A sign reading "Welcome to the hometown of the first lady" in Sevnica, Slovenia. Jack Taylor/Getty Images At a 2023 naturalization ceremony held at the National Archives in Washington, DC, Trump said that becoming a US citizen is a "life-altering experience that takes time, determination, and sometimes even tremendous strength." She also recalled navigating a "labyrinth" of paperwork to obtain a worker visa during her modeling career. "I recall feeling a tremendous sense of pride and belonging after I recited the US oath of allegiance, as the pathway to citizenship is arduous," she said. Read the original article on Business Insider

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Ball x Pit's first update brings an endless mode and much more to the chaos
Sports

Ball x Pit's first update brings an endless mode and much more to the chaos

It’s time to jump back into the pit. Ball x Pit is one of the very best games of 2025 and there’s now even more to play around with in the brick-busting roguelite. The first major free update for the game (one of three that’s on the cards this year) just arrived on all platforms. It added a bunch more stuff to the mix, including two new characters, eight extra special balls with powerful abilities and an endless mode. Developer Kenny Sun wrote on the PlayStation Blog that because fans demanded it so much, endless mode jumped right to the top of the to-do list. After you beat a level’s boss, you can keep going as long as you can stay alive and really put your builds to the test. The Regal Update brought two more playable hunters to the mix as well. Opt to use The Falconer, and you’ll fire balls from two birds, one at each side of the screen. When balls return to The Carouser, they orbit around him to deal extra damage. Sun added that this character “twists ball trajectories with a personal gravity field that pulls shots off their usual paths.” Then there are the new balls. The Stone Ball is powerful, but disintegrates as it bounces. Two of the latest balls deal spins on fire damage and the Fireworks Ball seems like it’ll add even more chaotic visual flair. The update added a trio of passives too. I enjoy creating builds around baby balls (a secondary type of ball that doesn’t have a special ability), so I’m eager to try out Iron Onesie. This passive scales up the damage of special balls depending on how many baby balls are in play. Finally, the update introduced support for more languages. You can play Ball x Pit in Spanish (Latin America), Polish, Italian, Thai, Turkish and Ukrainian. In anticipation of the update, I jumped back into Ball x Pit over the weekend for a quick refresher. Before I knew it, four hours had gone by. This game is once again going to be an existential threat to my time. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ball-x-pits-first-update-brings-an-endless-mode-and-much-more-to-the-chaos-174306548.html?src=rss

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