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Andy Burnham will promise to give people “more breathing room” when he gives his first speech as prime minister outside No 10 on Monday. He is expected to say he is “acutely conscious” of the UK’s high turnover of prime ministers – and that politics needs to be more stable and responsible. And he is…
Burnham was officially declared Labour Party leader on Friday following a short contest in which he was the only candidate, having secured the backing of 379 MPs. Some opposition parties have urged Burnham to call a general election in order to ensure he has a mandate for his premiership. However, Powell insisted Burnham would stick…
“This reprioritisation of public resource shows a change in direction towards improving everyday life and strengthening local economies over expensive national government schemes.” Plans for a digital ID scheme had initially been introduced by Sir Keir ahead of Labour’s conference last year. At the time, Starmer argued that mandatory digital ID for workers would make…
The relationship between Uefa and Fifa has been tense during the World Cup, with the governing bodies clashing over the Folarin Balogun incident and other issues. Uefa, Europe’s football governing body, said the decision not to uphold Balogun’s ban had “crossed a red line”, branding it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable”. Fifa has faced criticism for…
A total of 34 candidates have been confirmed for the Clacton constituency by-election, triggered by the resignation of Nigel Farage. The Reform UK leader resigned as MP on 7 July, following increased scrutiny over his finances and a parliamentary investigation, but is standing again. The list contains 20 independents and a number of joke candidates,…
An analysis of regional balance, internal challenges, and institutional sovereignty Iraq today is one of the most strategic countries in the Middle East. Its geographical position, its immense oil resources, and its history make it a central player in regional balances. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the country has sought to rebuild…
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, in her role as the chair of Labour’s ruling national executive committee, will announce Burnham as the new leader at the conference. It will mark a rapid rise to power following the former Greater Manchester mayor’s by-election win in Makerfield last month. Labour has trailed Reform UK in opinion polls for…
The economy saw a strong start to the year, but growth has faltered in recent months with the conflict in the Middle East having affected some businesses. The Iran war has pushed up oil and fuel prices, and also disrupted supply chains. The ONS said firms in a number of sectors had flagged the conflict…
A serious review of MPs’ security is needed following the death of Ann Widdecombe, Andy Burnham has said. The former Greater Manchester mayor, who is expected to become prime minister next Monday, said politics had “darkened” in the decade he had been away from Westminster. He said he was “shocked to see how much security…
Older teenagers in the UK will face an overnight social media curfew, the government has announced – though they will be able to opt out of it by changing their account settings. It would means apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube being set to be unavailable by default to 16 and 17-year-olds between midnight…
