- 2d ago
Bev Craig wins Greater Manchester mayoral by-election with 66% of vote, succeeding PM Andy Burnham
Bev Craig secured 66.3% of the vote after second preferences, defeating Reform UK's Sian Astley in the by-election triggered by Andy Burnham's move to Downing Street.
- 2d ago
UK chancellor Healey sets first budget for 28 October, tells ministers to find cuts for Burnham's pledges
Chancellor John Healey announced his first budget will be delivered on 28 October and told cabinet ministers they must reprioritise existing budgets to fund Andy Burnham's new policy pledges, warning that no new money is available.
- 3d ago
Labour readmits Diane Abbott and Joani Reid after suspensions under new leader Andy Burnham
Diane Abbott, the longest-serving female MP, and Joani Reid have had the Labour whip restored following independent disciplinary processes, just weeks after Andy Burnham became prime minister.
- 4d ago
UK invests £8.4bn in Dreadnought nuclear submarines as Burnham ties defence to jobs
Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveiled £8.4 billion for the next phase of the Dreadnought-class submarine programme during a visit to Barrow-in-Furness, framing the nuclear deterrent as both a security guarantee and an engine for reindustrialisation.
- 5d ago
Green leader Polanski refuses to apologise to Farage over guillotine T-shirt post as police investigate
Green Party leader Zack Polanski says sharing a guillotine T-shirt image on Instagram was an inadvertent mistake, but refuses to apologise to Nigel Farage, whose Reform UK party reported him to police for incitement to murder.
- 6d ago
UK cedes Stone Cloak IP to Ukraine, letting Kyiv mass-produce the drone jammer at home
On his first foreign-leader visit as prime minister, Andy Burnham welcomed Volodymyr Zelenski to Portsmouth and transferred intellectual property for the Stone Cloak electronic-warfare system, enabling Ukraine to manufacture the tablet-sized inhibitors domestically.
- Jul 24
UK consumer confidence surges six points to -17 in July, largest gain since 2023, amid new PM and World Cup
GfK index rises to -17, the largest monthly gain since November 2023, driven by optimism over new PM Andy Burnham, England's World Cup run, and summer heatwaves.
- Jul 22
Sánchez and new UK PM Burnham discuss Gibraltar and shared agenda in first phone call
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez held his first conversation with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Tuesday, one day after Burnham took office following Keir Starmer's resignation.
- Jul 22
Burnham scraps electricity VAT and digital ID, pledges £340m to tackle homelessness
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his first cabinet meeting to announce the elimination of VAT on household electricity bills, the scrapping of a digital ID scheme, and £340 million in extra homelessness funding.
- Jul 21
Romanian president Nicușor Dan congratulates new UK prime minister Andy Burnham, pledges deeper NATO cooperation
Romanian president Nicușor Dan congratulated Andy Burnham on his appointment as prime minister of the United Kingdom on Monday, expressing confidence that bilateral and NATO cooperation will deepen under the new Labour leader.
- Jul 21
UK borrowed £16bn in June, undershooting forecasts, but first-quarter deficit overshoots by £2.7bn
Britain borrowed £16 billion in June, a third less than a year earlier, but the first-quarter deficit of £57.6 billion exceeded official forecasts by £2.7 billion, underscoring the fiscal challenge for new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
- Jul 21
Andy Burnham names Chris Bryant as Northern Ireland Secretary, replacing Hilary Benn in late-night reshuffle
Prime Minister Andy Burnham appointed Chris Bryant as Northern Ireland Secretary late on Monday, 20 July 2026, after Hilary Benn confirmed he would not continue in the role he had held since Labour returned to power in 2024.
- Jul 20
Andy Burnham sworn in as UK's seventh prime minister in a decade, pledges immediate cost-of-living relief
Andy Burnham was received by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Monday, becoming the seventh UK prime minister in a decade. He pledged immediate action on living costs and a long-term plan to reindustrialise Britain.
- Jul 20
Andy Burnham appointed UK prime minister after Keir Starmer resigns: 'We must be better'
The former Greater Manchester mayor took office following a formal audience with King Charles III, becoming the sixth prime minister in a decade.
- Jul 17
Burnham pushes for written constitution as Labour's Bev Craig wins Manchester mayoral race
Prime minister says decentralisation programme strengthens argument for codified rules, as Labour's Bev Craig wins Manchester mayoral contest.
- Jul 16
Jingye Steel demands full compensation after UK nationalises British Steel, calling move 'outright robbery'
The Chinese owner of the Scunthorpe plant says it will pursue legal action after the UK government took full control on Thursday, citing national security.
- Jul 15
UK to impose default midnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds, with opt-out option
The British government will block 16- and 17-year-olds from social media apps between midnight and 6 a.m. by default, though the teens can change the setting to lift the restriction. Addictive features like infinite scroll will also be turned off automatically, with rules coming in spring 2027.
- Jul 14
Hillsborough Law clears Commons, imposing 'duty of candour' on UK public officials after 37-year campaign
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, known as the Hillsborough Law, was unanimously approved by MPs on Tuesday, creating a legal obligation for public officials to tell the truth during investigations into tragedies.
- Jul 14
Andy Burnham secures Labour leadership with 349 MP endorsements, set to become UK prime minister on 20 July
With the backing of 349 Labour MPs, the former Greater Manchester mayor cleared the endorsement threshold, leaving no rival able to enter the race. He will be installed as party leader on 17 July and take office at Downing Street on 20 July.
- Jul 10
Ann Widdecombe killing was 'targeted attack', UK counter-terror police say; foreign interference not ruled out
Counter-terrorism police confirmed on Tuesday that the killing of former Conservative minister and Reform UK figure Ann Widdecombe, 78, was a targeted attack, and said investigators are keeping an open mind on whether foreign state interference played a role.
