Kevin Maguire

England

Associate Editor at The Daily Mirror

@DailyMirror associate editor. @NewStatesman columnist. @GMB commentator. @sunderlanduni visiting prof. England's North East Riviera. kevmag on @bluesky

Articles

Nigel Farage’s booze offensive

1 week ago | newstatesman.com | Kevin Maguire

Champagne breakfast with Nigel Farage, four bottles of fizz delivered to the stand, chauffeur service so the permanently inebriated don’t drive and a porter on tap are merely a few reasons why a corporate £250,000 “accelerator package” at Reform UK’s weekend national conference in Birmingham this September is one of the most, ahem, unusual to be offered by a political party aspiring to power.
Farage lives rent-free in Starmer’s head

2 weeks ago | newstatesman.com | Kevin Maguire

Keir Starmer’s rough ride at a Parliamentary Labour Party meeting where one MP counted 26 questions, all critical, brought him back to Earth with a bump after his EU love-in with Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa. The PM was, another backbencher observed, the “stranger in the room”, with a mutinous air in the usual committee corridor venue and an overspill linked by video. The compliance of members of a newly installed governing party is over, jubilation replaced by fear.
The long arm of Reform

3 weeks ago | newstatesman.com | Kevin Maguire

City slicker Nigel Farage making the political weather after tribute act Keir Starmer’s “island of strangers” speech means it’s beginning to feel in Westminster as if Reform packs not five but 50 or even 500 MPs, groaned a despairing Labour newbie. The hard-right grouplet is behaving like that too. Mel Stride was put up by the Conservatives to denounce as “economically illiterate” a Reform financial wish list. The shadow chancellor is known as “Minor Party Mel” in Reform HQ. Rupert Lowe?
Paralysis as usual in Starmer’s No 10

1 month ago | newstatesman.com | Kevin Maguire

Bruised by the loss of hitherto safe Runcorn and a council kicking, Keir Starmer’s Downing Street continues to instil dread in frustrated ministers. One groaned that the latest conflict is between chief enforcer Morgan McSweeney and Tony Blair-era veteran Liz Lloyd, hired as director of policy, delivery and innovation after a money-making sojourn in banking. McSweeney signs something off and Lloyd raises objections or she gives a green light and he flashes red, complained a weary victim.
Famous athletes struggle with their mental health, too

1 month ago | umassmedia.com | Kevin Maguire

From the outside looking in, it’s easy to assume that professional athletes have it all. They make a substantial living and enjoy constant media attention, all by simply playing a children’s game. With their fame and fortune, it’s hard to imagine anyone in their position facing mental health struggles. After all, how could someone living the dream possibly suffer? However, beneath the surface lies an internal struggle that often goes unnoticed.
Why would the NFL ban the ‘tush push?’

1 month ago | umassmedia.com | Kevin Maguire

For the past few seasons, the play widely recognized as the “tush push” has become a hot topic in the NFL. The play itself involves all eleven players crowding around the line of scrimmage, with teammates pushing the quarterback forward in a short-yardage situation as an evolution of the traditional quarterback sneak. It closely resembles a rugby scrum and is typically used to gain only a few yards at a time.
Does anyone want a Tory-Reform alliance?

1 month ago | newstatesman.com | Kevin Maguire

Discussions are starting in Westminster’s bars and restaurants over the possible shape of a potential Tory-Reform pact which both Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage deny wanting. Bottom line emerging for Conservative MPs is they receive free runs in all 121 seats saved in last July’s bloodbath. Reform senior figures in turn insist they must face no Tory opponents in southern constituencies as well as Labour Red Wall targets in England’s north and Midlands, and in Wales.
Educating Bridget

1 month ago | newstatesman.com | Kevin Maguire

The big talking point as MPs return from their Easter hols is whether Bridget Phillipson has been given a makeover and instructed to smile brightly on TV. Labour colleagues noticed the Education Secretary has started beaming in front of the cameras after previously appearing stern. The warmer tone comes after class troublemakers briefed she could be permanently excluded in a summer reshuffle.
New England Patriots gearing up for a strong season

1 month ago | umassmedia.com | Kevin Maguire

After a disappointing 2024 season culminating in a 4-13 record and the dismissal of first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, the New England Patriots entered the offseason laden with pressing questions. With ample salary cap space and a potential franchise quarterback, 21-year-old Drake Maye, there was reason for optimism. However, the team’s leadership would need to make the right decisions to turn things around. The first order of business was to fill the head coaching vacancy.
Payton Pritchard deserves the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year

1 month ago | umassmedia.com | Kevin Maguire

The 2023–24 season marked a true breakout for Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard. After three years of inconsistent minutes and lingering trade rumors, the then-26-year-old finally carved out a steady role and became a key contributor to the Celtics’ pursuit of Banner 18. He emerged as a fan favorite, with his gritty play style and elite half-court shooting making him an indispensable piece of the Celtics’ rotation.