Conservative insiders say the party and the public are warming to Kemi Badenoch after a difficult first year

At a Conservative donors event last week, Kemi Badenoch was asked for a selfie by the former Spice Girl Geri Horner. The Tory leader was, her allies say, a little bemused. But they were clear about what the approach meant: cut-through.

Badenoch’s leadership got off to a poor start. Still reeling from the Tories’ worst general election defeat, she took over a diminished and disheartened party, which was languishing in the polls and facing an existential threat in the form of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

Human rights official says politicians are playing into the hands of the populist right as they seek to tackle migration

Keir Starmer and Europe’s hardline governments risk creating a “hierarchy of people” as they seek to address migration by curbing fundamental rights, Europe’s most senior human rights official has said.

Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, said that “middle-of-the-road politicians” are playing into the hands of the populist right.

Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to urgently change human rights laws so that member states can take tougher action to protect their borders and see off the rise of the populist right across the continent. But Labour has been condemned by campaigners and MPs who argue the proposals could lead to countries abandoning the world’s most vulnerable people and will further demonise refugees.

Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s political editor and host of Politics Weekly UK, Pippa Crerar

Exclusive: Culture secretary announces first national youth strategy in 15 years to help ‘vulnerable’ generation

Young people have faced “violent indifference” from the political establishment for decades, leaving them struggling to navigate a changing world, the culture secretary said as she announced the first national youth strategy in 15 years.

In an interview with the Guardian, Lisa Nandy said young people today were the most digitally connected but also the most isolated generation, adding that more could be done to police online spaces under new laws.

Exclusive: PM calls for members of European convention on human rights to allow tougher action to protect borders

• We must protect our borders to defend our democracies – here’s how

Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to urgently curb joint human rights laws so that member states can take tougher action to protect their borders and see off the rise of the populist right across the continent.

Before a crucial European summit on Wednesday, the prime minister urged fellow members to “go further” in modernising the interpretation of the European convention on human rights (ECHR) to prevent asylum seekers using it to avoid deportation.