Andy Burnham will need a “Moscow test” for his policies if he becomes prime minister, the former Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has said. Burnham, the favourite to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, has previously said that new legislation must pass a “Makerfield test”, the constituency he was elected…
Andy Burnham’s triumph in the Makerfield byelection leaves the prime minister with only two options: fight openly for the Labour leadership, or leave office cleanly. The former Greater Manchester mayor easily saw off Reform UK’s candidate – winning 55% of the vote to his rightwing rival’s 35%. He won largely because he changed the political…
The resignations from the heart of government this week will only deepen the anti-Westminster mood ahead of the Makerfield byelection. The departure of the defence secretary, John Healey, and his deputy illustrates that Sir Keir Starmer’s problem is not just his unpopularity. It is that his claim to competence is being challenged from the inside….
