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Rachel Flynn Live reporter This we know for sure: Andy Burnham is the new MP for Makerfield He won 55% of the vote - that's 9,000 more votes than Reform's Robert Kenyon. Burnham is no longer the Greater Manchester mayor - an election to replace him is expected to take place on 30 July . He believes he is the change the Labour Party needs (if we read between the lines) When Burnham told Labour Party members it was the "final chance to change", read between the lines - he was saying he could be the change the party needs, political correspondent Alex Forsyth writes . So will Burnham be the next prime minister? That's something we definitely don't know. Both Burnham and former health secretary Wes Streeting have said they would stand in any contest to replace the PM, and Streeting has suggested he would be prepared to trigger a leadership contest to replace him as early as next week . But as of yet, no challenge to Starmer has been made. Contenders would need the support of at least 81 Labour MPs. What is Starmer thinking? Again, we don't know. We haven't heard a response to the by-election result from the prime minister. He previously warned Burnham against launching a leadership challenge if he won in Makerfield. Did Burnham get his celebratory pint? As the Makerfield MP left the count with his family , he got into a car he said he was going for a "pint". We have yet to see if he found anywhere open in the small hours of a Friday morning...

Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election, clearing a major hurdle for an expected challenge for the Labour leadership. In his victory speech, he said his win could mark a turning point for the country, while he pledged not to use the constituency as a stepping stone. The outgoing Greater Manchester mayor held off a challenge from Reform UK, which came second but more than 9,000 votes behind Labour. In Aberdeen South, the Scottish Conservatives won a Westminster by-election for the first time in more than 50 years taking the seat from the SNP while in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry the SNP held onto the seat in its by-election overnight. Burnham reassured voters he would not be turning away from the constituency as he headed to Westminster. "Everyone knows that politics isn't working," he said. "Everyone can feel that the country isn't where it should be. "Tonight could just be a turning point. "From hereon in I will give everything I have got to make it so, to ensure the name Makerfield is for ever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs." He added: "It [Makerfield] will never be a stepping stone to me but instead will be my touchstone." Makerfield has been a Labour stronghold for 120 years but the party threw everything at its campaign, following historic losses in May's elections with Labour losing ground to Reform in English council elections. Burnham's win against his nearest challenger Robert Kenyon, a plumber and Reform councillor, came after Labour MP Josh Simons, stepped down to allow Burnham an opportunity to contest the seat. Burnham had to be an MP if he wanted to launch a leadership challenge against the prime minister. Speaking from the count ahead of the result, Burnham's allies stepped up calls for Sir Keir Starmer to stand aside. Former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh, who has been managing Burnham's campaign, told the BBC she hoped the prime minister would reflect on the by-election result and results from six weeks ago. "I hope that he will consider an orderly and managed transition." But the prime minister has repeatedly insisted he has no intention of walking away from No 10.. If Burnham goes ahead with a challenge as expected, it would be his third leadership attempt, and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting is also expected to enter any contest. Any change to prime minister would mean the UK seeing its seventh prime minister within a decade. Douglas Lumsden won Aberdeen South by a convincing margin for the Scottish Conservatives, beating the SNP, with Reform UK coming third and pushing Labour into fourth place. In his victory speech, Lumsden told his supporters: "The destruction of the North Sea oil and gas industry must stop now." The seat had been held by the SNP's Stephen Flynn since 2019 but has shifted over the years, with a Tory MP in 2017, SNP in 2015, and Labour's Anne Begg between 1997-2015. Lumsden is to resign as North East MSP now that he has been elected for Aberdeen South because there is a Holyrood ban on dual mandates. The contest was held after Flynn had to give up being an MP following his election as an MSP in May. His SNP colleague Stephen Gethins who was also elected to Holyrood in May had to give up his Arbroath and Broughty Ferry seat at Westminster. Here the SNP held onto this seat in the by-election, with Lara Bird winning decisively by more than 5,000 votes, followed by the Tories, Reform and then Labour, who had fallen from second place in the 2024 election. Bird said: "The people of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry have rejected the politics of division and hate that some tried to sow. "We have demonstrated that our community is inclusive, hopeful and proud." Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

A Liberal Democrat MP has had the whip suspended pending the outcome of a police investigation, a party spokesperson said. It is understood that Tewkesbury MP Cameron Thomas was arrested by Gloucestershire Police on Wednesday. A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said they could not comment further while the police investigation is ongoing. Gloucestershire Police and Thomas have been approached for comment. A party spokesperson said: "Cameron Thomas MP has had the party whip suspended pending the outcome of a police investigation. "We are unable to comment further while the police investigation is ongoing." The former RAF officer has served as MP for Tewkesbury since the 2024 general election. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook , X and Instagram . Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630 .

Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to set a timetable for his departure from Downing Street after Andy Burnham won a resounding victory in the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge. A growing number of Labour MPs are urging Sir Keir to announce plans to hand power to the former Greater Manchester mayor, without the need for a potentially messy leadership contest. But the prime minister has insisted he will fight any challenge and will not "walk away" from the job. Burnham's allies have urged Sir Keir to reflect over the weekend and listen to his cabinet ministers, MPs and family. The former mayor's team - and that of another potential challenger Wes Streeting - have said they will not be giving any media interviews over the weekend, in an apparent bid to give the prime minister time to change his mind. The prime minister spent some of Friday phoning other cabinet ministers to gauge the level of support he has among his top team. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander suggested he set out a timetable to leave office, the BBC has been told. A spokesperson for Alexander said: "Heidi and the PM spoke this afternoon as part of wider cabinet calls. It was a private conversation and I am not going to reveal what was said." Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has also told the prime minister to set out a timetable to leave Downing Street, it is understood. Chancellor Rachel Reeves also spoke to the prime minister in the hours after the Makerfield result was announced and offered him her full support. Last month, following Labour's poor performance in elections, some ministers, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, urged Sir Keir to set a timetable for his resignation. It's understood that Mahmood and Sir Keir have not spoken since Burnham's by-election victory. A crunch moment for the prime minister could come next Tuesday, when all his senior ministers will gather for the weekly cabinet meeting. Asked if he would now set a timetable for his departure, Sir Keir told the BBC: "I was elected to serve my country with a mandate that we secured at a general election two years ago." He said he had achieved economic stability and got immigration "back under control" and there was more he wanted to do. But he added: "if there is a contest, yes I will run. I will stand and I have said repeatedly I am not going to walk away from that." In a lunchtime call, Sir Keir told Labour staff members that the party should "pull together". "The one thing we've got to avoid doing is plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement. "That has never worked. That's what the last government did. We need to learn that lesson." He has previously said that the party should now focus on winning the Greater Manchester mayoralty, which is vacant following Burnham's by-election win. The contest will take place on 30 July. Burnham will be formally sworn in as an MP in Parliament on Monday. The scale of Burnham's victory in Makerfield, where he increased Labour's share of the vote by 10% and beat the Reform UK candidate by more than 9,000 votes, has added to the clamour from his supporters to mount a leadership challenge. Celebrating at the grounds of Ashton Town Football Club, Burnham told them it was an "opportunity to turn the tide… make the country feel like it's working again". He said he would take the "energy" of the campaign forward and "change British politics forever". Burnham ally, and former Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh said she was hoping for a "managed and orderly transition". Jess Phillips, who resigned from Sir Keir's government following May's local election results, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday that Burnham's victory meant he had "earned the right" to make his case to Labour MPs. "If you want to be the leader of our country as well as leader of the Labour party, you should be tested with the rigour of at least some manner of contest," she said. Phillips, who would support Streeting in a potential leadership election, said it was important that prospective candidates set out their stall, adding that many Labour MPs "do not know Andy Burnham". Labour MP for Bracknell, Peter Swallow, had previously signed a letter backing the prime minister but on Friday evening told BBC Newsnight he now believed it was time for the prime minister to resign. "Frankly, our inability to agree a defence investment plan in a timely fashion was the last straw," he said and added he would be backing Burnham to be leader. Bassetlaw MP Jo White told BBC Radio 5 Live the prime minister now needed "to consider his position very, very carefully and he has the weekend". "I think he needs the peace and quiet of his family and listening to his ministers and I think he should announce on Monday morning that there will be a smooth transition and we allow Andy Burnham to become the next prime minister for the United Kingdom." She said voters in her Bassetlaw constituency were telling her "they did not want Keir Starmer to be the prime minister". But some Labour MPs have rallied round Sir Keir, with Justice Minister Catherine Atkinson telling the BBC's Any Questions that the prime minister had "grit and determination" and would not "walk away". "We saw the constant change of prime ministers under the Conservatives and it wasn't edifying. "We cannot afford to get distracted - there is just too much to do." Burnham's return to Westminster as an MP - after a gap of nine years - means he can now stand to be Labour leader, something he could not do as Greater Manchester mayor. In order to trigger a contest, the new Makerfield MP, or any other leadership challenger, needs the backing of 81 Labour MPs - a requirement Burnham is expected to meet with ease. Streeting has said he has enough support from MPs to join a contest - however he could step back if momentum in the party appears to be swinging behind Burnham. Under Labour's rules, Sir Keir, as the current leader, does not have to get any nominations from MPs to get on the ballot paper. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said his party's second-place finish was a "disappointing" result but that people had been attracted by a "vote Burnham, get Starmer out" message. He claimed there were "a couple of thousand voters" who would normally have voted for Reform but had opted for the Restore party instead. "I would say directly to them, what do you want? We are the challenger party to the left in this country. And I would urge you to think again, I really, really would." Alongside Makerfield, there were two by-elections taking place in Scotland. The SNP held on to the seat of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry but lost Aberdeen South to the Conservatives, the party's first Scottish by-election victory in more than 50 years. Speaking from the constituency, Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch said voters had "sent a message" to politicians to back more drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea. She also accused Labour of being "so obsessed about their own party drama that they are not interested in the cost of living, they are not interested in what is happening to people all across this country, what is impacting their lives". Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. 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"We promised people we weren't going to do this." There is exasperation in the voice of a long time Labour adviser. But as every hour passes, it is more likely the UK will soon have its seventh prime minister in 10 years. Talk of Sir Keir Starmer fighting is fading, his exit seems more likely as the weekend goes on. The prime minister is at his country retreat, Chequers, spending time with his wife. The man coming for his job, Andy Burnham, is spending the weekend with his family, away from home too. The reasons for Labour to switch leader are compelling. Andy Burnham looks like a winner. He has shown he can beat Reform, who until this moment have seemed a deadly threat to Labour. He is popular in the country, compared to most politicians at least. There are swathes of MPs eager to back him and his brand, believing he's the one who can improve the party's grim position. "He's an instinctive guy – that's his great talent," said one source. He's been successful and highly visible as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, known just as Andy everywhere he goes, one of his backers tells me. He's no stranger to government either, having served as health secretary, culture secretary, and as a Treasury minister years ago. And most of all, Burnham's shown in the Makerfield by-election campaign he has that valuable talent in politics – a capacity to make people feel good. Labour in Westminster has forgotten what that's like. There have been more than a dozen big U-turns. Resignations. The mess over Lord Mandelson's job. And after dreadful election results in 2025 and 2026, wipe-out in Wales. Starmer has seemed like a loser to many in his own party. It is not even two years since his massive win at the general election. But the political perception that he has an appeal to voters? Brutally, that's long gone. On Friday, the prime minister was still arguing to the cameras that he would fight if Burnham challenges him, refusing to acknowledge that is not an "if", it's a "when". Even privately some of his backers were still adamant he would run, talking of donors who've given money to run a campaign and office spaces being found. One source claimed his conversations with cabinet ministers in the afternoon were not about whether he had the authority to stay in office, but the arguments he'd make in a leadership race. Several sources told me Starmer really does believe he could beat Burnham in a leadership contest, and concluded that a fortnight ago after watching him on BBC Question Time on a Thursday, then failing to explain the borrowing and spending rules in a Newsnight interview on the Friday. A government insider said: "On Saturday he phoned his closest allies and said, 'I'm sure I could win'." But the widespread assumption this weekend in the party is that Burnham would beat him hands down, and another government source said "it's nuts" to imagine the PM could come out on top. An increasing number of ministers, previously loyal to Starmer, now think it's time as one cabinet source told me they "wouldn't want the prime minister to humiliate himself" in a race. The chances of him staying to fight are diminishing. But what is still a mystery this weekend is exactly how Starmer will respond. One of his colleague's frustrations with him has always been that he seems unknowable. "It's very hard for people to know a person who doesn't know themselves," said another government insider. Don't underestimate the anger towards Burnham inside Downing Street, and that's shared by some other ministers too. Not just for what's happening now, but how they see he's chipped in unhelpfully from the sidelines since the day Starmer moved into No 10. One Starmer ally told me: "This is not a chase, these are big decisions about who is going to run the country – it can't be rushed 20 minutes after a by-election." Many in Labour aren't sure what Burnham would actually do in office either. The former minister, Jess Philips, told the BBC this morning that Burnham or any other candidate must be "tested with the rigour of at least some manner of contest". One government minister, Mike Tapp, told me bluntly he'd never met him, and "I don't know his politics". A backer of the prime minister said that when Burnham had faced tough questions in the by-election campaign "he's fallen apart". There's also concern about the precedent of ousting a leader off the back of a by-election, the votes from a group of only 77,000 people deciding everything for the whole country. Burnham would have no mandate from the public without a general election. And what happens if Labour's standing didn't improve? Might those calling for a removal van for the current prime minister do the same again? What if there were another by-election when Prime Minister Burnham was in trouble? Is it mad to imagine that other big names from the past - David Miliband or even Ed Balls - might abandon New York and the breakfast TV sofa, and fancy a comeback too? Just as there are compelling reasons for Labour to make the switch, there are serious risks. There may yet be a contest, and another candidate aside from Wes Streeting could find the 81 names to run. But with 100 MPs now calling for Starmer to go and support for him to stay in the cabinet fading, one senior party figure predicts "he'll realise this weekend that he can't keep the Cabinet and ministers together and will have to go". Labour has found itself in a strange situation it promised you it would never reach – en route to removing the leader who delivered its first general election victory in 19 years. And congratulating themselves for winning a seat they already held, so they can get rid of the man whose campaigning won them all the seats they have. But whether Starmer reaches the conclusion that he will have to go himself, or he is forced into a contest, more agree with another veteran figure, "It's done". Starmer's success in getting Labour back to power after the crash of 2019 was remarkable. But his time in office has proved a very different story, of many frustrations and failure. One party source told me: "My experience of working with his administration is - the fundamental part of the job of prime minister and Labour Party leader is to be a political leader and he is neither political nor a leader." That is brutal. But many in Labour would agree it's true, even though they'd point to achievements during his time in power – progress on pushing down NHS waiting lists, immigration coming down, his handling of foreign affairs and a growing economy. The vow not to repeat the Conservatives' habit of switching prime minister might be the last political promise Starmer breaks. BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. Emma Barnett and John Simpson bring their pick of the most thought-provoking deep reads and analysis, every Saturday. Sign up for the newsletter here

Kemi Badenoch says the Scottish Conservatives' first by-election win since 1973 sends a message to Labour and the SNP. The Aberdeen South seat, vacated by the SNP's Stephen Flynn, was won by Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden. Shortly afterwards the SNP claimed a victory in the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election where Lara Bird held the seat for the party. Lumsden, who is unable to sit in both parliaments due to a Holyrood ban on so-called dual mandates, is to resign from Holyrood just six weeks after winning re-election as a north-east MSP. Badenoch told jubilant party activists: " I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be able to welcome Douglas Lumsden to parliament." The Conservative leader, who was flanked on stage by Lumsden and Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, thanked voters for putting their trust in the party. She also praised the positivity of Lumsden's campaign and said the result had national significance. Badenoch said the media had focused on the Makerfield by-election where Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham won 55% of the vote . He is now expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. Badenoch said: "The Makerfield by-election was about one man's job. "The Aberdeen South by-election was about thousands of jobs all over the country but especially in the oil and gas sector." She added: "Aberdeen has sent a message to the Labour government and the SNP that we will not be ignored. "Aberdeen will not be ignored. The sector will not be ignored." Badenoch also said the country needed to think about national security and energy security more than ever. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay described the result as a "sensational victory". He added: "This was a referendum on oil and gas." The Scottish by-elections were triggered when sitting MPs - Flynn and his SNP colleague Stephen Gethins - resigned from the House of Commons after being elected to Holyrood. First Minister John Swinney said he understood why the SNP lost. "The Conservatives mobilised a campaign which was about capturing the understandable anger there is in Aberdeen and the northeast about the issues affecting the oil and gas sector," he said. Swinney said he was trying to help the industry by urging Labour to scrap the Energy Profits Levy . At present, it means that operators are handing over 78% of their profits to the Treasury. Aberdeen is at the heart of the debate around the UK's energy future , and the UK government has chosen the city as the home of GB Energy - its fledgling publicly-owned energy company. Lumsden, a former oil and gas worker, said his constituents had sent a message that "the destruction of the oil and gas industry must stop now". The north-east MSP defeated SNP candidate Richard Thomson, a former MP for Gordon, by a margin of more than 6,000 votes, with the Tories taking almost half of all ballots cast. Amy Cameron, from Greenpeace UK, said "false promises" from the Tories would not deliver a prosperous economic future for people in Aberdeen. She said a just transition has to be strong enough for people to "let go of the industry that built their community" and "trust that the new economy will be ready to catch them". In Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, Lara Bird won the seat on Scotland's east coast for the SNP with a majority of more than 5,000 votes over the Conservatives. Bird, from near Kirriemuir, is a qualified lawyer who has worked as an SNP researcher and adviser at Westminster. She said voters had "rejected the politics of division and hate" and made it clear that Scotland's future "lies with independence". Labour slipped from second to fourth in the constituency, with Reform in third. Flynn, who is now Scotland's economy secretary, responded to the loss of his old seat on social media , posting: "A tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily." He added: "We lost Aberdeen South to the Tories in 2017, and we won it back two years later. "I've no doubt that we can do so again. If we get things right." Lumsden will have 49 days to resign as an MSP, under Holyrood's dual mandate ban. His place in the Scottish Parliament will be taken by the next candidate on the Conservatives' North East Scotland list, Fraserburgh councillor James Adams. The Conservatives last won a Westminster by-election north of the border in 1973, when they held Edinburgh North. The Scottish Tories had not gained a seat in a Westminster by-election since 1967, when they took Glasgow Pollok from Labour. The Aberdeen South defeat comes just six weeks after the SNP won a comfortable victory in the Scottish election. Within weeks the party was rocked by a scandal surrounding former chief executive Peter Murrell , who admitted in court to embezzling more than £400,000 of SNP funds over a 12-year period. He is due to be sentenced next week. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Andy Burnham is expected to seek the Labour leadership after his resounding victory in the Makerfield by-election. If Burnham succeeds in gaining the keys to Number 10, here are some of the MPs and advisers who could be given key roles. The former transport secretary was the first of Sir Keir's cabinet ministers to quit, after it emerged in November 2024 that she had a fraud conviction prior to entering parliament. On the backbenches she emerged as a crucial power broker on Labour's "soft left", and was at the heart of the huge rebellion which scuppered the government's welfare cuts in 2025. She has been a major figure in Burnham's Makerfield campaign, basing herself in the constituency, and is line for a big cabinet job. Midgley has only been the MP for Knowsley, not far from Makerfield, since 2024 but she has been an influential force in the Labour movement for much longer than that. She worked for Sir Keir's office in opposition following stints at the TUC, Unite and in former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's team. She is seen as a plausible candidate for chief whip or even to be political secretary in Downing Street, not a job usually held by an elected politician. Fahnbulleh resigned as a junior minister for communities in the aftermath of the May elections, but unlike most of those who quit the government she is from Labour's soft left, not its right. Since then she has been working on policy ideas for a potential Burnham government. She was previously a civil servant and ran the New Economics Foundation think tank. The man who gave up his seat for Burnham - and who was praised for his "selflessness" by the new Makerfield MP, in a speech to supporters on Friday morning. Simons is said to have been helping Team Burnham on policy, though he has a different ideological background to Fahnbulleh. He has been on a rapid political rollercoaster: he worked for and then fell out with Jeremy Corbyn; ran a pro-Starmer think tank; became an MP and quickly a minister, from which he had to resign over accusations about his conduct at the think tank. He is seen as a likely candidate for a role in a Burnham Downing Street. Currently Burnham's deputy mayor for policing and crime, Green has been canvassing MPs about their opinions on what a Burnham government should do and is seen as a possible candidate for a role in Downing Street. Before taking up her current role in 2023 she was an MP for 12 years, including a stint in Sir Keir's shadow cabinet. Burnham's closest adviser, Lee ran his first Labour leadership campaign in 2010, advised him when he was shadow health secretary and has been running his mayoral office since 2017. A dead cert for a role in a Burnham Downing Street. As the independently-elected deputy leader, Lucy Powell has her own big role to play regardless of who the Labour leader is. But as it stands she is not in the cabinet so only has influence over party matters and not the government. This is likely to change should Burnham become prime minister. The pair have worked closely together for years given she is a Manchester MP. When Miliband won the Labour leadership in 2010, Burnham came fourth. In that contest Burnham positioned himself to Miliband's right. Years later, the two have become aligned in their belief in a more interventionist state. Many around Sir Keir are deeply suspicious to say the least of Miliband's behaviour as energy secretary over recent months, believing he has been agitating for Burnham behind the scenes. He is thought to covet the role of chancellor, having spent many years advising Gordon Brown in the Treasury under New Labour. Only four MPs are left who voted for Burnham to become leader the first time he tried, in 2010. One of them is Alexander, now the transport secretary. She also backed him in 2015, a race he began as frontrunner, and is likely to be in line for a big job should he win. A veteran figure on Labour's progressive left as the founder of the pressure group Compass, Lawson has also been a leading figure in the fairly new organisation Mainstream, which has generally been seen as Burnham-aligned. But his ideas on electoral reform and alliances between progressive parties sit uneasily with others in Burnham's orbit - it will be fascinating to see if Lawson is given a role or not. Burnham consulted high-level advisers, especially on economics, in the days before his by-election win in Makerfield. In a sign he is preparing programmes for national policy, and to communicate stability to the markets should he become prime minister, Burnham has been taking advice from Lord O'Neill, a former Treasury minister and economist. He has also been advised by Hughes, the former chairman of the Office of Budget Responsibility, who resigned after an IT leak of Budget numbers.

"Delusional." "A bit deluded." "Utterly deluded." That's just a flavour of the messages I've been receiving from Labour MPs since Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election in the early hours of this morning. To be clear, it's Sir Keir Starmer they're talking about: the man who not even two years ago brought Labour back to the promised land of government after 14 years away, and only five years after Labour's worst ever general election defeat. These MPs span Labour factions, generations and ministerial ranks. But they are united in their view that Sir Keir has entered the endgame. To Sir Keir and his allies, it's those pushing for his exit who are deluded. Their case this morning is that the spectacle of a governing party consumed by internal conflict is exactly what the public voted Labour to end. "When the Tories lost the last election, Britons were most likely to see them as 'only interested in themselves', 'dishonest' and 'divided'," a document being circulated among the prime minister's supporters says. "We cannot allow ourselves to be tarnished in the same way." Yet for all Sir Keir's warnings against division, among many Labour MPs this morning there is actually a surprising amount of unity. They are increasingly unified in the belief that Burnham's destination of Downing Street is assured, and that the only open question is the precise path for getting there. The word being used more and more to describe the leadership contest which is now inevitable is "coronation". In other words, MPs are saying they do not believe a leadership election will get to the stage where Labour Party members have their say. Instead, they believe, Burnham will end up being the only candidate with the required backing of 81 MPs (and in this scenario he would get far more than that) and would therefore be elected by acclamation, as Gordon Brown was when he became Labour leader and prime minister in 2007. One complicating factor in any coronation could be Wes Streeting, who quit as health secretary in protest at Sir Keir's leadership last month . Amid a measure of scepticism from some of his colleagues, Streeting has been adamant in recent days that he has the backing of 81 MPs required to trigger a contest. We may find out within days, but he is likely to come under real pressure, including from some of his allies, to tuck in behind Burnham to enable a swift transition. Of course the bigger complicating factor is Sir Keir, who reiterated this morning that he would be a candidate in a leadership election. Under Labour's rules, Sir Keir does not need to hit the magic number of 81. As the incumbent, he is automatically placed on the ballot of party members. In that sense, there can be no coronation. Sir Keir's commitment to press on guarantees a ballot of Labour members. He doesn't need the backing of any of his MPs, let alone 81 of them. Yet that ignores the fact that he is prime minister as well as Labour leader. In our system, the prime minister can only lead if he commands the confidence of a majority of MPs. It was the reality that he could no longer put together a functioning government which forced Boris Johnson's demise in 2022 . Does Sir Keir still have the backing of enough of his colleagues to lead the government? That's really the core question which we will find the answer to over the next few days. Speaking to Labour Party staff this lunchtime, the prime minister said that a leadership election would "tear apart our party and our movement". But if - when - one is triggered, Sir Keir needs to prove that it's not his own desire for survival which is more responsible for Labour's chaos.

Nigel Farage says he is disappointed with Reform UK's performance in the Makerfield by-election, as he blamed his party's defeat on a desire among voters to eject Sir Keir Starmer from Downing Street. The Reform leader claimed frustration with the embattled prime minister had driven Andy Burnham's "emphatic" Labour victory over his party's candidate, Rob Kenyon, who finished more than 9,000 votes behind. He also conceded his party had also lost votes to right-wing rival Restore Britain, founded by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, which finished third in a breakthrough night for the fledgling party. He issued a plea for Restore voters to back Reform instead, as the main "challenger party to the left". Reform had sought to defeat Burnham in the Makerfield seat, giving it a high-profile scalp to boost its credentials as the likely main opposition party to Labour at the next general election. But Burnham increased Labour's majority over Reform in the constituency, in a rare feat for a candidate from the governing party. The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester is now expected to challenge Sir Keir for the Labour leadership and keys to No 10. He would otherwise be barred from doing so without a seat in Parliament, making the Labour leadership a key issue in the contest in Makerfield, just south of Wigan, which has been held by the party for over a century. In a video clip posted online, Farage said his party's second-place finish was a "disappointing" result, adding Burnham had won the contest with a "vote share that nobody could quite see coming". "In many ways, he's a popular local mayor, just as Boris Johnson was a popular mayor in London just a few years ago," he said. "But what really happened here is it was 'vote Burnham, get Starmer out'." He added that Reform had been "slightly hoist with our own petard", having previously framed a series of local and national elections in May as a chance for voters to put an end to Starmer's faltering premiership. He also expressed frustration with Restore, which sought to outflank Reform on the right with bold promises including "the most ambitious programme of mass deportations ever seen in Britain". "I thought we'd get 18,000 votes, we got just shy of 16 [thousand]. So I'm disappointed by that, no question about it," Farage added. "There's a couple of thousand voters there who would normally have gone out and voted Reform, that voted Restore. And I would say directly to them, what do you want? "We are the challenger party to the left in this country. And I would urge you to think again, I really, really would." Reform candidate Kenyon, a self-employed plumber who became a councillor in England's May local elections, had stood in the constituency in the 2024 general election, coming second to Labour. Although he grew Reform's share of the vote overall, this time around his campaign was dogged by controversy over past social media comments about women unearthed by journalists and campaign groups. The by-election marks the first time that Restore Britain, which was registered as a political party in March, has contested a Westminster seat, marking its emergence on the national political stage. It had been polling at around 3% nationwide but its performance in the high-profile Makerfield contest, where it captured around 7% of the vote, presents a strategic dilemma for Farage ahead of the next general election. In the run-up to the vote, Reform had announced plans to ban non-British nationals from social housing and tax companies hiring foreign staff, as it tacked rightward to shore up its voter base. Speaking after the result, a jubilant Lowe posted on X that his candidate Rebecca Shepherd had achieved a "remarkable" result, adding that previous new parties had taken "years to do what we did in a few months". "Restore Britain is now officially on the map," he added. The Makerfield vote was one of three by-elections taking place on Thursday, alongside two in Scotland sparked by the resignation of sitting MPs to take seats in the Scottish Parliament. The Conservatives won in Aberdeen South, taking the seat from the SNP, while the SNP held on in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

John Edwards, the UK's information commissioner, has resigned following a workplace investigation. "I have accepted that there have been occasions where I exercised poor judgement and made attempts at humour that were inappropriate and caused offence," he said in a statement on Friday. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is responsible for regulating AI in the UK and also oversees data protection regulation and the freedom of information law. Science Secretary Liz Kendall said she had "seen evidence of the vulgar and highly sexualised language that was used in his interactions with his staff and am extremely concerned that he continues to describe these incidents as misplaced humour". In a post on the networking site LinkedIn, she wrote: "Multiple women shared testimony to the investigator on feeling offended, shocked and uncomfortable following interactions with Mr Edwards. "I am deeply grateful to all who came forward to share their experiences as part of this investigation." The ICO later confirmed Edwards had resigned as information commissioner - a post he has held since early 2022. "As a Crown appointee and accountable to Parliament, Mr Edwards submitted his resignation to the DSIT," it said in a statement. "Mr Edwards had voluntarily stepped back from his duties at the end of February to enable an independent workplace investigation," it added - saying since then, the organisation's board and executive team has led its work. "The investigation concluded that there was a case to answer and made clear that his behaviour fell short of the conduct expected from a public official," it added. When asked by the BBC, the organisation would not elaborate on the findings, or if they concerned what Edwards described as "poor judgement" or "inappropriate" humour in his resignation statement. In his statement, shared on his LinkedIn page, Edwards said while he disagreed with how the investigation had been carried out, "I accept that my position has become untenable". He said he did not want to become "a distraction" from the ICO's work and had notified the government of his resignation as both commissioner and chair of the ICO "effective immediately". The ICO said in a statement on 10 June the independent investigation had been completed and, finding "there is a case to answer", said the commissioner would be "temporarily unable to act in fulfilling his responsibilities for the remainder of the process". It said on Friday its board and executive team would continue to lead the ICO "to ensure continuity in our leadership and regulatory work". Edwards' resignation comes amid increased scrutiny over the ICO's work, particularly in dealing with data protection complaints from the public. Campaign groups the Good Law Project and the Open Rights Group (ORG) recently launched action to challenge the watchdog - accusing it of "brushing aside thousands of public data complaints". "John Edwards' departure is a chance for the Government to appoint a regulator with teeth, and reset the regulators' approach of providing data protection in name only," ORG executive director Jim Killock said on Friday. "Parliament must ensure that the future Commission is run by professionals who want the law enforced, including against government data failures." Edwards said in his statement on Friday he was "proud" of his own contributions and that of ICO staff, more broadly. "While I will no longer be able to continue this work in my current role, my commitment to the principles, values, and objectives that have guided my professional life remains unchanged," he added. Jon Baines, senior data protection specialist at law firm Mishcon de Reya, said the commissioner's resignation was "unprecedented". "We have had Information Commissioners (initially called Data Protection Registrars) since 1984, and all have served their full term," he told the BBC. "This is the first ever resignation, and it is in extraordinary circumstances." The role of Information Commissioner was also "imminently" expected to be abolished and replaced by an Information Commission, he said - adding "the Government will need to recruit a new chair". The ICO is tasked with ensuring data and information rights are upheld in the UK. This includes making sure organisations are correctly handling people's data, and investigating potential breaches of the law. It has the power to take enforcement action against firms which do not comply. In serious cases, it can fine firms up to £17.5m, or 4% of their worldwide turnover in the previous financial year - whichever is higher. The ICO recently dished out a £14m fine to online platform Reddit , finding it had unlawfully used children's personal information and failed to adequately check the age of its users. Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here .

Andy Burnham's victory in the Makerfield by-election means there is now a real prospect he will challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party - and the country. During the by-election campaign, he set out a number of policy ideas. Burnham committed to the economic rules Chancellor Rachel Reeves set , in a signal that if he became PM, he would not oversee a large rise in borrowing. And he has also committed to Labour's manifesto promise not to increase the main rates of income tax, VAT or National Insurance, which would limit his ability to raise significant sums from tax. Helen Miller, director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: "Whoever is the prime minister, they will find that, within the fiscal rules, there is very limited scope to increase spending on a particular area without cutting back spending elsewhere or raising taxes." There are still many areas of policy which Burnham has not covered during his campaign, but here are some of the changes he might try to implement if he enters Downing Street. Burnham has repeatedly advocated bringing water "back under stronger public control", pointing to the Greater Manchester bus network, which is run by private operators but has public oversight and control, as a model. He has, however, advocated public ownership for companies like Thames Water. "We do need to bring down water bills, energy bills, rail fares, just as we brought down bus fares in Greater Manchester, to make life more affordable for people," he said in his victory speech after winning the Makerfield seat. The government estimated the cost of nationalising the water industry as a whole would be £100bn, although that has been disputed by some think tanks. But if a Burnham government followed the plan of bringing rail companies under public ownership gradually as their contracts came up for renewal - which Louise Haigh, who ran Burnham's campaign, instigated when she was transport secretary - that could reduce the cost significantly. It's hard to put a figure on how much "stronger public control" - without nationalisation - of key utilities would cost without more detail. Burnham has been a long term supporter of reform to social care, dating back to his time as a health minister under Tony Blair in 2006-07 and then health secretary under Gordon Brown in 2009-2010. He has repeatedly suggested inheritance tax should be replaced with a "national care levy" which, he said in a speech in 2023, would mean the "care [that] is provided is free" and "everybody would pay but obviously the wealthiest would pay the most." Asked about those commitments during the by-election campaign, Burnham said he did not "resile" from his previous stance on inheritance tax. But it's not clear how much that levy would raise. And the cost of reforming social care would depend on which model was adopted. The Health Foundation think tank estimated in 2024 that a NHS-style model of universal and comprehensive care could cost around £17bn in additional funding by 2035/36. But a model, like the one used in Scotland, of basic protection for everyone against some care costs would cost around £7bn by 2035/36 to replicate that in England. In his campaign launch speech, Burnham said he wanted "the biggest programme of council house building since the Second World War". He suggested this could be funded by rediverting the existing £39bn affordable housing programme entirely to social rent homes. In an interview with iNews, Burnham said he wanted to resurrect the northern leg of HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester . At the time it was scrapped by Rishi Sunak in 2023, the estimated cost of completing this was £36bn. Burnham has suggested some of that cost could be recovered by capturing the rise in value of land around new stations. "You don't take all the windfall off the landholder, but you share the proceeds of that windfall, and the increase in land values created by the infrastructure is captured to pay back the cost of the infrastructure," he told the paper. However it isn't clear how much could be recouped using this method. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has examined how Burnham might pay for this by looking at how previous big infrastructure projects were funded - CrossRail and the Northern Line expansion. The think thank says it is possible to fund rail investments by levying additional business rates in areas the network would connect up, and it is also possible to ringfence developer contributions or business rates growth. But it says most of this is not "new money". It is instead, the IFS says, a recognition that to the extent that new infrastructure boosts land values and economic activity, it can generate revenue which helps pay for it. Burnham has called for a "new drive of re-industrialisation" across the north of England and the rest of the UK. "It's about time we started backing British business and British industry so we can re-industrialise places like this," he said after winning the seat. During the by-election campaign, his team sent out a policy document promising a cut in business rates for pubs and music venues by 20%. That would be paid for, they said, by higher taxes of out-of-town warehouses used by online retailers like Amazon. Burnham also wants to raise the threshold at which business rates kick in, taking lots of small high street shops out of paying altogether. Over the years, Burnham has repeatedly emphasised the importance of young people having alternative routes to training and employment, aside from university. In his speech after victory in Makerfield, Burnham said he wanted an education system that was not dominated by the university route, but one which "offers a path for everybody, academic and technical in equal balance". He also said he wanted to secure more work placements for 16 to 18-year-olds and guarantees of apprenticeships. Burnham told BBC Newsnight he wanted to reconsider the increase in National Insurance paid by employers , brought in by Rachel Reeves in the 2024 Budget. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts the increase that would generate revenue of £16.1bn in 2029/30. Burnham isn't promising to overturn the raise completely, although he said it was the "wrong decision" - so it's not clear if he would seek to partially reverse the policy. Possibly one of the most pressing issues facing Burnham if he replaces Sir Keir in No 10 is the ongoing row over the government's defence investment plan. Last week, John Healey resigned as Sir Keir's defence secretary, claiming the draft government proposals would take UK defence spending to 2.68% of GDP by 2030, falling "well short" of the 3% target he considered necessary. It came amid reports that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was seeking £28bn more in funding between now and the end of the decade, but had only been offered an additional £10bn. Speaking to the Times a day after Healey's resignation, Burnham said alongside the 10-year approach to defence and security, there needed to be reform of public investment and procurement. He told the paper that this would reduce the welfare bill by bringing recipients into the workforce, ensuring more money was available for defence. "I am not squeamish about saying that the plan would be to reduce the welfare bill. Not at all," he said. Burnham has been a public supporter of the 3.6 million women born in the 1950s who claim they lost out because they were not properly informed of changes to the state pension age. The cost of a scheme to pay all the Waspi women would cost up to £10.5bn. Burnham was reported to have told a hustings event during the campaign he would "stick by the Waspi women because they deserve some recompense for the unfairness". But following concern about the cost of such a scheme, a spokesperson clarified that he "accepts the final decision" of the government not to grant compensation. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

As Andy Burnham gave his acceptance speech on the stage after he swept to victory in the Makerfield by-election, he spoke of "some sadness" that the appointment brought to an end "my wonderful nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester". He said it was a "wrench" to have to leave the job he loved, although promised he was not "leaving the service of Greater Manchester". But what is his legacy according to people living in the region? Some residents in Salford told of their sadness and disappointment at his departure, after Burnham's return to Westminster politics automatically triggered a mayoral election. Neil Townley, 59, from Worsley, said: "I'm quietly disappointed to be perfectly honest with you. "I've always thought Burnham had the North West at heart so obviously he will be sadly missed because of everything - the infrastructure that he tried to put into place, and Manchester has gone from strength to strength since he's been in charge. "He knows the people, he knows how we function, and basically, I wish him all the best, but he will be sadly missed." What is the Greater Manchester mayor and what do they do? "A great job" is how Spencer Keogh, 56, from Walkden, reviewed Burnham's time as mayor. He said whoever becomes mayor after the election, which will be held on 30 July, would find Burnham was "a hard act to follow". Townley agreed, adding: "The next mayor will have to be quite forthright trying to lobby government to make sure that they listen to the North West. "We've been overlooked for quite a few years and we're quite a powerhouse in the North West and we really need to be listened to." Jane Battersby, 59, from Tyldesley, in Wigan, said: "The buses have improved vastly, so I will say on that level he has done exceptionally well [as mayor]. "Other than that I've not really thought about it to be perfectly honest." She added: "I think Burnham's tried to do some good stuff. "He's a politician and he's always been a politician and I think he was biding his time with this to do exactly what he's done which is to get a seat and then go for prime minister. "He's played the long game and it's paid off for him." Reflecting on any future potential mayoral candidates, she said: "I don't know whether the new candidate will be as forceful as he was." But Battersby is clear on what needs doing, by whoever does get elected. "It saddens me every time I walk down Deansgate in the morning and I see the homeless," she said. "The new mayor needs to keep up with transport, not bring in the congestion charge because that's not needed. "And just hopefully work for the people of Manchester." Chris, from Roe Green, Worsley, said: "I'm disappointed that he won't be mayor because I think he's done a brilliant job, but wishing him all the best in the future. "He's done a good job with the transport and stuff like that, so you'd hope we get somebody as good as that next time." Jim, 78, from Salford, added: "He did a lot for Manchester, he did a lot for the North and we'll miss him." The Makerfield by-election came after Labour MP Josh Simons stepped down to allow Burnham an opportunity to contest the seat and return to Westminster, paving the way for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the party leadership. Mark Neild, 52, from Salford, said he had "mixed feelings" about Burnham's victory in Makerfield. "I think he's a great guy, a great politician here - but I'm absolutely delighted for the Labour Party because it's a significant victory. "I don't pay much mind to local politics, more national politics and I think he's the man to save the Labour Party." But looking to the future in Greater Manchester, Neild said: "We continually need investment, we continually need infrastructure. "We need hope and we need jobs for younger people my daughter's age. "To attract as much investment as possible and to try, if they can, to bridge the culture wars that are tearing us apart." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook , X , and Instagram . You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Direct talks between the US and Iran are set to begin in Switzerland despite the Iranian military saying it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again over Israel's attacks on southern Lebanon. The US military has disputed the claim, saying "traffic continues to flow". Iran said the Strait was closed in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Lebanon that were a breach of Tehran's agreement with the US to end the war. US Vice-President JD Vance landed in Switzerland early Sunday morning. The new round of negotiations is expected to start later in the day. An Iranian delegation including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived late on Saturday. Officials from the US and Iran will be joined at the talks by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the head of the country's armed forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir. Pakistan has acted as a mediator throughout the war , and hosted a previous round of negotiations between the US and Iran. "Pakistan will continue to support the implementation of the understandings between Iran and the United States," the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement ahead of the talks. Vance said he hoped to make progress "on the nuclear issue" and on the "Lebanon ceasefire issue". Speaking to the press before he boarded his flight, he was asked about clashes between Israel and Hezbollah and Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon and said: "Things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit." "It's going to be something we're just going to have to continuously manage to ensure that Israel and Lebanon are both safe and secure. That's fundamentally the goal of this, to make the whole region safe and secure," he said. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said his country would be "demanding that the other side fulfil its commitments". Earlier this week the US and Iranian presidents signed an initial agreement aiming to end the war, including in Lebanon, with immediate effect. It includes a commitment to further talks to reach a final deal over the next 60 days. Complicating matters are the ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia based in the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital Beirut. On Saturday, at least 47 people were killed in Lebanon following a series of Israeli air strikes, the country's health ministry has said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had struck 80 targets linked to Hezbollah and killed "dozens" of its members. The IDF says four of its soldiers were also killed. Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire since the deal was announced between the US and Iran, but on Friday afternoon an immediate ceasefire between the two was confirmed. Prior to the agreement, Israel had said it had no intention of withdrawing its forces from Lebanon and had insisted that its conflict with Hezbollah was separate from the war on Iran. Hezbollah said Israeli attacks in Lebanon were an attempt to "sabotage" the broader US-Iran deal. The US government has criticised Israel's ongoing operations in Lebanon, which was drawn into the war when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader. Lebanon's health ministry said 4,057 people had been killed since the re-start of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah on 2 March. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Israeli strikes on Lebanon violated ceasefire commitments and the Strait of Hormuz, which had been reopened after the US and Iran reached a deal to end the war, had been closed. Justifying its announcement that it was closing the strait, the Iranian military accused the US of violating the US-Iran deal by not implementing the first clause of their 14-point memorandum of understanding , which agrees to "the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon". However, after Iran's statement, US Central Command (Centcom) spokesperson Tim Hawkins said "traffic continues to flow". He said US forces were "monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case", adding that "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz". Centcom said 55 merchant ships transited the strait on Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil for global markets. Tracking data monitored by BBC Verify suggested that at least five tankers passed through the Strait on Saturday while several vessels appeared to have made U-turns in the area. Iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Israel attacked the country on 28 February - sending shockwaves through global energy markets. The strait is deep enough for the world's biggest crude oil tankers, and is used by major Middle Eastern oil and liquefied natural gas producers, as well as their customers. In 2025, about 20 million barrels of oil and oil products passed through the strait per day, according to estimates from the US Energy Information Administration. That is nearly $600bn (£447bn) worth of energy trade per year.

Italy's Giorgia Meloni has again hit back at US President Donald Trump on social media after he questioned her political popularity and repeated his claim that she asked "over and over" for a photo together. Trump said on Saturday that the prime minister was "doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity". He also accused her of not supporting US efforts to prevent Iran "from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon". In a statement on Instagram, Meloni said Trump's "constant, unprovoked attacks" were "senseless". "As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you," said Meloni. "My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours," she added. Earlier on Saturday, Trump also said Meloni had caused "a great logistical inconvenience" by barring the US from using Italian air facilities for American military operations in Iran. But the Italian leader said the use of Italian bases "is government by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am prime minister". On Friday, Meloni said she had been astonished by Trump's initial claim that she "begged" for a photo during a G7 meeting this week in France. The continuing exchange between the pair has highlighted a developing rift between the two countries since Trump's military action against Iran this year. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has cancelled a trip to the US early next week. Trump and Meloni were pictured in close conversation at the G7 summit, and the Italian leader later told reporters their relationship was unchanged and there had been "no recriminations". But soon afterwards, Trump gave a phone interview with Italy's La7 TV channel in which he alleged: "She begged me to take a photo with her; I felt sorry for her." "She's probably happy I spoke to her," he said. La7 did not produce Trump's original words in English, but voiced them over in Italian. Responding to the claim, Meloni in an Instagram video said she was "frankly stunned". "I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards allies," she said, adding it was not the first time it had happened. "But there is one thing he needs to remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg," she said. Meloni received support for her comments from across the Italian political spectrum. The leaders also clashed earlier this year after Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was "not a big fan". Meloni later said the comments were "unacceptable". The two country leaders have had a close political relationship, with Meloni the sole European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in January 2025.

More than 100 days after US and Israeli bombs began falling on Iran, both sides are claiming victory - a sign of how much each needed a way out. A deal has officially ended the fighting, but the harder negotiations are just beginning. Both sides have sold the deal to their public as a win but, as our analysts here explain, neither has fully convinced them and domestic critics on both sides argue that too many concessions were made. For Iran , the deal with the US offers something just as important as a ceasefire: a way to claim that it has not just survived the war without surrendering but has emerged from it stronger. From the start, Tehran's core objective was not necessarily to defeat the US and Israel in conventional military terms. It was to come out of the conflict with the Islamic Republic intact, its leadership still functioning and its negotiating position not completely broken. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – as the deal is known - allows Iran to say it has achieved that. The document, signed separately by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, sets out a 60-day framework for negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme but it also confirms an immediate halt to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, mutual respect for sovereignty, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian shipping. Iran's immediate obligations are significant, but relatively limited. Tehran has agreed to help ensure safe commercial passage through Hormuz, something that had long been the status quo before the war, reaffirm that it will not pursue nuclear weapons, and enter talks on the future of its highly enriched uranium and enrichment programme. The US commitments appear broader. According to the MoU, Washington will begin removing its naval blockade, issue waivers for Iranian oil exports, make frozen or restricted Iranian assets available, work towards easing sanctions and pursue with regional partners a reconstruction and economic development plan for Iran worth at least $300bn (£224bn). That helps explain why the reaction from Iranian critics has so far been muted. The MoU gives the leadership enough to present the deal as a victory: Iran's sovereignty is recognised, the blockade is due to be lifted, sanctions relief is on the table and reconstruction funding is explicitly mentioned. But that silence is unlikely to last. Even the first response of Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was carefully balanced: he allowed the deal to proceed, while making clear that it had been accepted on Iran's Supreme National Security Council responsibility. The most difficult issues have been deferred, not resolved. The future of Iran's highly enriched uranium, the scale of its enrichment industry and the rebuilding of damaged nuclear facilities will now be negotiated under intense pressure. That creates a problem for Tehran's leadership. State media, the Revolutionary Guards, parliament and hardline figures have spent weeks telling their base that Iran defeated the US and Israel. Expectations are now high. Any compromise over enriched uranium or nuclear infrastructure could be portrayed by critics as a concession made after victory had already been declared. But no compromise could be just as dangerous. If Tehran refuses to move on highly enriched uranium or the future shape of its nuclear programme, the process could collapse and the ceasefire itself may come under pressure. That would strengthen those in Washington and Israel who already argue that Iran has only used the MoU to buy time and could push both sides back towards war. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of parliament and head of Iran's negotiating team, has tried to frame the talks in defiant terms. "I am not a diplomat," he said on state TV, "but I know well how to make America understand." Khamenei's reaction has made that task even harder. He said he held "another view in principle" but had authorised the MoU after Pezeshkian, as head of the Supreme National Security Council, accepted responsibility for defending Iran's rights and those of Iran's allies. That wording keeps him close enough to the deal to allow it to proceed, but distant enough to avoid full ownership if it fails. For Iran's negotiators, that may narrow the room for compromise. They must satisfy Washington without appearing to have crossed lines the leader himself has not fully embraced. Ghalibaf's language is aimed as much at Iran's domestic audience as at Washington. The former Revolutionary Guards commander has to sell the deal to a hardline base deeply suspicious of compromise with the US. The comparison with the 2015 nuclear agreement is unavoidable. In Washington, some may present the MoU as worse than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the earlier agreement was known, arguing that Trump has accepted a framework that gives Iran sanctions relief and economic benefits while postponing the hardest nuclear questions. In Tehran, however, the danger is different. Hardliners may accuse the government and negotiating team of repeating what they saw as the betrayal of 2015, when President Hassan Rouhani came under attack by MPs, conservative media and political rivals who accused him of making too many concessions over Iran's nuclear programme. For Pezeshkian and Ghalibaf, the challenge is to turn a ceasefire framework into a political success before that backlash gathers force. Iran has gained time, relief from immediate military pressure and the prospect of major economic concessions. It has also avoided the outcome Washington demanded most publicly: total surrender. But it has not yet secured the final deal. The MoU strengthens Iran's hand in the short term because the system has survived and Washington has made visible commitments. The risk for Tehran is that the next 60 days expose the gap between the image of victory sold at home and the compromises required to keep the war from returning. Iran has come out of the war's first chapter stronger than many expected, but its next challenge may be harder: keeping its own political base behind the process long enough to reach a final deal, without allowing compromise to look like a concession or even a defeat. Donald Trump has hailed the agreement as a "major win" for the United States that ultimately accomplishes his overarching war aim of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. In the near term, however, a much more immediate "victory" is the re-opening of the global economy as a result of the Strait of Hormuz opening. As the conflict wore on and the Strait of Hormuz remained essentially closed, polls consistently suggested that the American public was growing exasperated with the high price of petrol and what the war meant for them at home. Dissatisfaction with the economy was among the primary reasons voters sent Trump back to the White House in 2024, and a perception that the war the president chose to initiate was hurting their pocketbook had become politically damaging for Trump. And while he may himself not be on the ballot in the November midterm elections, that unease came at a difficult time for fellow Republicans, many of whom have faced increasingly angry constituents, and would-be voters who were growing more and more vocal about the prospect of a long-running, frozen conflict. With that in mind, the deal gives Trump breathing room and, his political allies hope, the ability to portray himself as the figure who brought the conflict to a relatively quick close and avoided the sort of seemingly endless foreign entanglements of the forever wars that he campaigned against. However, critics of the agreement - including some from within the Republican Party - have already accused Trump of giving too much as far as concessions go. At the heart of this argument is the pledge that Iran will benefit from the $300bn reconstruction fund. "There is no 300 billion dollar payment to Iran by the US. That's fake news," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "All there is for the US is success, lower oil prices, and victory." While Trump and other administration officials too have made clear that none of this money will come directly from the US, it has some within the party feeling uneasy. "History teaches us that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea," Texas Senator Ted Cruz - an otherwise reliable ally of Trump - told The Hill. "I think the president is receiving some very poor advice." Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson who, despite recent criticism of the administration remains a powerful figure among the Maga base, put it more bluntly. "This is a pretty humiliating loss for the United States," he said on his show on X. "This is a loss." Notably, the administration has also been forced to acknowledge that several of its war aims have seemingly become non-priorities that go unmentioned in the MoU. Early on in the conflict, for example, Trump vowed that the US military would "destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground", leaving it "obliterated". Similarly, the MoU contains no references to Iran's ties with regional proxy groups, despite Trump's March promise that the US was working to ensure "the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund and direct armies outside of their borders". The administration has now backed away from that aim, with Vice-President JD Vance telling reporters that the US "expects" that Hezbollah will refrain from firing on Israelis. Ceasefires, he added, are a "little messy" and "flare-ups" can be expected to take place. That alone will make the deal unpopular among those Republicans who view US commitment to Israel's security as an ironclad aspect of US politics.

Andy Burnham said Labour has a "final chance to change" after his victory in the Makerfield by-election paved the way for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the party leadership. Burnham said his win could mark a "turning point" for the country, while he pledged not to use the constituency as a stepping stone. But Prime Minister Sir Keir defended his government's record on delivering change and insisted he would stand in any leadership contest, adding: "I'm not going to walk away." Burnham was joined by several Labour MPs at a victory rally on Friday, while his allies increased their calls for Sir Keir to stand aside and agree a "managed way forward" to avoid a bruising contest. There were three by-election results overnight and in Aberdeen South, the Scottish Conservatives won a Westminster by-election for the first time in more than 50 years taking the seat from the SNP; while in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry the SNP held onto the seat in its by-election overnight. Burnham won the Makerfield constituency after securing nearly 55% of the vote. The former Greater Manchester mayor held off a challenge from Reform UK, which came second but more than 9,000 votes behind Labour. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice said his party did not win as people had "voted Burnham to guarantee that the prime minister is ousted". Sir Keir congratulated Burnham and claimed recent by-election results suggest the "tide is turning on Reform", telling broadcasters: "They've reached probably the peak of their support, it's going down." He went on to argue his government was delivering on the "very considerable mandate for change" it secured in 2024. In a lunchtime call with Labour staff members, Sir Keir said the party needs to "pull together" and "take the fight to Reform" in the forthcoming Greater Manchester Mayor election. He went on to suggest a leadership contest could end up "tearing apart our party and our movement". Addressing supporters at the election count, Burnham told voters he would not be turning away from the constituency as he headed to Westminster. "Everyone knows that politics isn't working," he said. "Everyone can feel that the country isn't where it should be. "Tonight could, just could, be a turning point." He added: "It [Makerfield] will never be a stepping stone to me but instead will be my touchstone." In a direct message to Labour MPs he said: "I do say to my own party: this is a final chance to change. "This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. "We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance." Burnham told his victory rally at Ashton Town FC later on Friday morning that his campaign was won by a "band of strong northern power women" - thanking Labour MPs Louise Haigh and Anneliese Midgley - but he steered clear of speaking about the prospect of a leadership challenge. Burnham said voters had told him about the need to "make life more affordable", adding: "We do need to bring down water bills, energy bills, rail fares, just as we brought down bus fares in Greater Manchester." He went on to speak of a desire for a "new drive of reindustrialisation" and raised people's concerns about the "unfairness of the immigration system". Burnham added: "It is our last chance to change, but we're going to take it, aren't we? We are going to take that opportunity and we are going to lay out a new path for Britain." Haigh said she hoped the PM and Burnham can "speak and agree a managed way forward". Speaking to the BBC, the former transport secretary said "it's quite clear the prime minister can't take us into another set of elections" and that she hoped he "reflects on the results and does what's right in the interest of the country and the party". Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham also said it was "clear that there now needs to be an orderly timetable for a leadership election". And that call was echoed in the Labour party, with Polly Billington, MP for East Thanet, telling BBC Radio 4's World At One programme that she was "disappointed" to hear the prime minister talk of "fighting on" in a potential leadership election. "That's not the language that we need and it's not the process that we need," she said. "We need something that's both dignified for him, gives him the opportunity for a legacy, and gives us the opportunity to serve the people in the way we promised that we would two years ago." Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who is expected to enter any leadership contest, wrote on X that Burnham's victory "gives us all hope that Labour can still win". He added: "But Andy's campaign is proof that to do so we need to change." The by-election came after Labour MP Josh Simons stepped down to allow Burnham an opportunity to contest the seat, after Labour's ruling body blocked his attempt to run in February's Gorton and Denton by-election. Makerfield has been a Labour stronghold for 120 years but Reform were victorious in May's English council elections. Nigel Farage's party was running high in the polls at the start of the campaign, but Robert Kenyon, a plumber and Reform councillor, ending up in second place with 15,696 votes. Former Reform MP Rupert Lowe's rival Restore party ended in third place, with 3,111 votes for its candidate Rebecca Shepherd. In contrast to Burnham's victory, Scottish Labour was left in fourth place in both by-elections north of the border. Douglas Lumsden won Aberdeen South by a convincing margin for the Scottish Conservatives, beating the SNP, with Reform coming third and pushing Labour into fourth place. In his victory speech, Lumsden told his supporters: "The destruction of the North Sea oil and gas industry must stop now." The seat had been held by the SNP's Stephen Flynn since 2019 but has shifted over the years, with a Tory MP in 2017, SNP in 2015, and Labour's Anne Begg between 1997-2015. Flynn's SNP colleague Stephen Gethins, who along with Flynn was elected to Holyrood in May, had to give up his Arbroath and Broughty Ferry seat at Westminster. Here the SNP held onto this seat in the by-election, with Lara Bird winning by more than 5,000 votes. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

A Liberal Democrat MP has been arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling and coercive behaviour, the BBC understands. Gloucestershire Police said a man in his 40s from Tewkesbury was arrested on Wednesday before being interviewed and released on police bail. A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said Tewkesbury MP Cameron Thomas had been suspended from the party "pending the outcome of a police investigation". The BBC has contacted Thomas and the Liberal Democrats for further information on the nature of the allegations. Gloucestershire Police said: "On Wednesday, a man in his 40s from Tewkesbury was arrested on suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour and assault. "The man was interviewed by officers before later being released on police bail." A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: "Cameron Thomas MP has had the party whip suspended pending the outcome of a police investigation. "Allegations of this nature are extremely serious, and it is important that the police are able to investigate properly. "We are unable to comment further while the police investigation is ongoing." Thomas, 43, previously served as a RAF officer and has been the MP for Tewkesbury since the 2024 general election. He continues to sit as an independent MP, although the BBC understands his Parliamentary access has been temporarily revoked. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook , X and Instagram . Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630 .

The Conservatives won two council seats in by-elections held in Essex on Thursday. Danielle Belton won more than half of the votes cast as she took the Sweyne Park and Grange seat on Rochford District Council. She was leader of the council until she lost her seat on 7 May , but she will return to the council chamber in opposition to the Reform UK-led administration. Meanwhile, her husband Stuart Belton won the Rayleigh West seat on Essex County Council, with Reform pushed into third place behind the Liberal Democrats. "I was not predicting that kind of victory," Belton told the BBC. "It sends a message. This area is not prepared to be used as a stepping stone for opportunist Reform members." Belton lost her previous council seat of Hockley and Ashingdon in May to Reform by just 26 votes. But she picked up 56% of the votes on Thursday, with a turnout of 37% - which is unusually high for a by-election. The losses for Reform will not change the balance of power at either authority. Reform has a majority on Essex County Council, with 52 members. At Rochford District Council, the party is expected to remain in charge as a minority administration, as it is still the largest with 12 out of the 39 council seats. Belton said: "I'm quite comfortable sitting in opposition and scrutinising the decisions they are going to try and make." The two by-elections were held after Stuart Prior was expelled from Reform days after winning his seat at the local elections. He was accused of making racist and Islamophobic posts on social media by campaign group Hope Not Hate. He denied being racist when approached by the Daily Mirror newspaper. Peter Harris, the Reform leader at Essex County Council, was asked last month if it was a mistake to have selected Prior. "It looks like it doesn't it. I don't know the detail. But yes extremely disappointing," he told the BBC. Fifteen miles away, the Liberal Democrats also won a by-election on Thursday, retaining the seat of Springfield on Essex County Council. Richard Lee will pick up the baton from long-serving Lib Dem councillor Mike Mackrory, who died suddenly in April . Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds , Facebook , Instagram and X .

Two men have been jailed for conspiring to carry out arson attacks targeting property and a car connected to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych 22, was jailed for seven years while Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, was sentenced to two years imprisonment at the Old Bailey. The attacks in north London were ordered on behalf of Russia, the BBC has revealed . Lavrynovych carried them out after being recruited by Russian-speaking Telegram user "EL" who promised him payment. He had previously been hired by the same unknown figure to put up far-right posters. The judge, Mr Justice Garnham, described Lavrynovych as a "useful idiot" who could be easily manipulated. He said he had been "easily bought" and "accepted the job as you had accepted other grubby little tasks". Carpiuc played a "supporting role" in the "utterly reckless" attacks, the judge said. The court heard a Toyota car previously owned by the prime minister was found on fire on a street he used to live on in Kentish Town, on 8 May 2025. On 11 May, a fire was discovered at flats linked to Sir Keir in nearby Islington. He had lived there years before. A day later, a fire was discovered at the entrance to Sir Keir's Kentish Town home, which he still owned and was being rented out to his sister-in-law, Judith Alexander. She told the trial of the billowing black smoke going up the stairs while she, her daughter and partner were in the house. Lavrynovych and Carpiuc were found guilty at the court on Monday of conspiring together and "with others" to damage property by fire between 1 April and 13 May 2025. Lavrynovych was also convicted of alternate counts of damaging property by fire, being reckless as to whether life was endangered. He was acquitted of damaging property by fire with intent to endanger life. A third man, Petro Pochynok, 35, was found not guilty of the conspiracy charge. After Lavrynovych carried out the arson, "EL" contacted him on 12 May saying he would get crypto and should throw away his clothes. He urged Lavrynovych to leave the city but he was arrested hours later after officers stormed his home in Sydenham. In a police interview, Lavrynovych said he had no idea who the prime minister was and had not heard of Keir Starmer. James Scobie KC, representing Lavrynovych, said he was a "complete and utter foot soldier" and "fodder for this type of infiltration". He said Lavryovych is remorseful, telling the court of the "shame he has brought on the family in Ukraine". He told the court that a message from "EL" had made clear that damaging the front door was enough, as long as it generated media coverage. Carpiuc, who was living in Romford in east London, was arrested on 17 May at Luton Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Romania. Carpiuc's barrister Shahid Rashid said he had only been "the money man" and was not going to get anything out of the crimes. He added: "His motivation was helping a friend out who needed money desperately for his father's medical treatment." Carpiuc's father told the BBC outside court they thought the sentencing was unfair as "EL" had not been caught or punished. Lavrynovych's mother, who asked not to be named, said she felt "heartbroken and ashamed". She added: "Roman's poor health impacted his intelligence from the very early age, and I've tried hard to protect him from bad people. But he is so naive. "I wish my son was better sent to Ukraine, to defend our country on the frontline." Cdr Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: "I would like to praise the swift work of the investigation team who identified the men involved within a few days of the fires. "Crimes, such as arson, being directed by anonymous online accounts promising payment is a recurring trend in our casework."

The UK economy has taken a 6% hit from the effects of Brexit, according to economists' analysis of internal Bank of England data about the decisions, views and financial results of thousands of British companies since the referendum a decade ago. Examining data that the Bank uses to decide on interest rates, the study analysed lost growth by trying to reconstruct how the UK would have grown if it had not voted to leave the EU. It found that about half the economic hit came from the sheer surprise and uncertainty of the post-referendum period while the rest was from rising trade barriers after the UK left the customs union and single market in 2021. But some critics say the study does not fully account for the outperformance of the US investment and tech industries or the European energy shock four years ago. Co-author of the study, British professor Nick Bloom from Stanford University, said the UK was growing fast in the years before Brexit and could have at least partially kept up with the US without the disruption. He argued the Bank of England company data offered important corroboration. His paper concludes: "In the case of Brexit, there was a substantial economic impact on the United Kingdom, but it arose gradually over the subsequent decade". It comes as the Bank's top officials have in recent months become increasingly candid in explaining the economic consequences of Brexit in speeches and interviews. Recently, the Bank's governor Andrew Bailey told journalists that as a consequence of Brexit: "I think the level of activity and growth in the economy has been lower. "And the reason for that is that if you reduce the size of the markets that we trade with, so we reduce our export markets, then that does tend to have a negative impact on growth," he said, adding that productivity and the size of the market were also affected. However, Bailey said that although the impact on financial services was "not good", it was "nowhere near as detrimental as many people predicted at the time". Some policy economists have argued that it is difficult to model how much the UK would have grown without Brexit, and that such studies overstate Brexit's impact, especially at a time of so many global crises. The latest version of the study has been published just ahead of the 10 year anniversary of the referendum. It used the company data alongside five more traditional analysis methods. While the company level data point to a 6% hit over 10 years, the wider studies suggest an average of 8%. The study is co-authored by Bloom and economists at the Bank of England, with access to all the Bank's data - but the paper officially has a disclaimer that "the views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Bank of England". While various attempts have been made to isolate the impact of the extra uncertainty, and trade barriers with the EU on UK economic growth numbers, this study is the first time key Bank of England information about the British corporate sector has been used in this way. The Decision Maker Panel data is normally used to help inform the setting of interest rates, but it was actually set up by the Bank of England in 2016 specifically to give some insight into the economic impact of Brexit. The authors used years of answers to track firms' exposure to different aspects of Brexit, reported Brexit impacts, and any change in their financial accounts. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he will meet his EU counterparts at a summit in July to agree deals on food and farm exports, as well as electricity and emissions trading. Further areas of cooperation and alignment are expected to also be discussed. The BBC has contacted political parties for comment. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Sir Keir Starmer is reflecting on the "political realities" he now faces, a cabinet ally of the prime minister has said, in a sign he is contemplating stepping down. Business Secretary Peter Kyle told the BBC that any decision he makes "will always be about what's in the best interest of the country", while referencing the "chaos" of leadership challenges under the Tories. Calls for the PM to set out an exit timetable have grown after Andy Burnham's decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election means he can now challenge Sir Keir for the Labour leadership. A growing number of figures in government believe the prime minister is preparing to set out plans for his departure as early as Monday. In the immediate aftermath of Burnham's victory, Sir Keir continued to insist he would fight any formal leadership bid, meaning a contest in which Labour members and affiliated trade union supporters decide on the party's future would be needed. But in a shift in tone, Kyle told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the prime minister was "taking the time to think through what the political realties are today, compared to last week and the week before". He said he had spoken to Sir Keir on Friday and was sure that "every decision he makes today" about Labour's future would reflect "what's in the best interests of the country". "I don't want to come on here and be delusional that there is no process, there is no forces at work which are challenging the prime minister as leader," Kyle added. While using a formal process to change leader was "better wherever possible", this needed to be balanced against the need to maintain the government's authority "through any processes that may unfold", he said. The 2020 leadership race that led to Sir Keir being made Labour leader took six weeks, with some Labour MPs expressing concerns that disagreements that would accompany a similar contest could further damage the party's prospects. Concerns have also been raised that this could create uncreate unnecessary uncertainty for the markets and delay key government decisions. Burnham was able to fend off a challenge from Reform UK and increase Labour's majority in Makerfield on Thursday, bucking a recent trend of electoral losses. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper have since urged Sir Keir to set out an exit timetable, it us understood. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband had already done the same in the aftermath of devastating results for Labour in a series of elections last month. Burnham, who is understood to be spending time with his family this weekend, is expected to travel to Westminster on Monday to formally take up his seat as an MP. His allies urged the prime minister to reflect over the weekend and listen to his cabinet ministers, MPs and his family. Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a potential leadership rival to Burnham, has previously said he would join any contest, arguing the party needed to undergo a "battle of ideas" over its future direction. Jess Phillips, who was one of four ministers to quit in the immediate aftermath of May's election results, said: "It feels like we've come to the end of the road." But the former safeguarding minister, seen as a close ally of Streeting, said she hoped the party would find a means to question "what's coming next" even if this did not "end up with a full-scale contest". "You can't just come and take over," she told Kuenssberg. "You do have to come and present your ideas to, at the very least, the Parliamentary Labour Party." During the month-long Makerfield campaign, Burnham recommitted to Labour's manifesto promise not to increase the main rates of income tax, VAT or National Insurance, as well as the borrowing rules set by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. He has expressed a desire for "stronger public control" of utilities and repeated previous pledges to replace inheritance tax with a new "national care levy". However, he has yet to set out his thinking in other policy areas, including on defence spending, while Sir Keir has of late focused his efforts on rewriting government budgets to free up more cash for military investment. Labour MP Toby Perkins, a shadow minister in opposition, told Kuenssberg he did not want Sir Keir to stand down, adding it would mean the country would have its "seventh prime minister in 10 years". He said the PM "deserves a bit of time" and that he did not believe the government was "manifestly failing", noting it had lowered NHS waiting times, net migration and the asylum backlog. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

The signs are growing that Monday could see the prime minister set out a plan to stand down. Sir Keir Starmer has always insisted he will not walk away and will fight any leadership challenge. But the mood in government has shifted in the past 48 hours. Several government insiders now think that the prime minister could announce a timetable to quit - as soon as Monday. The signs were clear that things are moving quickly in what Business Secretary Peter Kyle told the BBC this morning. The prime minister, he said, would do "what is in the best interests of the country". Sir Keir, he added, was reflecting on the challenges he faces and political realities. The challenges for the prime minister have been steadily growing for some time. Labour MPs argue the problem isn't necessarily the party, it's the man at the top. They believe the prime minister is personally unpopular - and that it is Sir Keir who is holding his party back. The result of the Makerfield by-election looks set to be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Andy Burnham's victory wasn't even close - he beat Reform comfortably. For Labour MPs despairing about how they take the fight to Nigel Farage's party, they now have a leadership contender who can argue he has a track record of doing exactly that. Dozens of MPs had already said Sir Keir should quit. That list has grown since Thursday, with senior cabinet ministers adding their voices privately. The fact that it is known that ministers including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander have told the prime minister to go and yet they remain in their jobs speaks volumes about how Starmer's authority has collapsed. Burnham is now the overwhelming favourite to be the UK's next prime minister. If Sir Keir does resign in the coming days, the next question is whether there is any contest at all. Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, always said he would stand. But his allies are now saying there should be conversations between candidates for No 10 about what the future looks like. There are some hints a deal could be struck (even if Team Streeting are saying for now that their position hasn't changed). It is of course possible that someone else throws their hat in the ring - but they won't have long to find 81 MPs to back them to get on a leadership ballot. The next question is timing - when would the next prime minister take over? There are disagreements across the parliamentary Labour party about what an "orderly" transition would look like - and specifically how long it would take. Some influential figures in Burnham's camp want him to take over around the time of the annual Labour conference in late September, believing this would give him more space to prepare for government and ensure he can hit the ground running if he becomes prime minister. But other leading supporters of the former Greater Manchester mayor believe that timetable is far too slow, arguing that an interregnum of three months would grind government to a halt as speculation about what exactly Burnham's plans for government built into a frenzy. "His opportunity to define himself would be thrown off by endless speculation," a minister said. One crucial question which is already the subject of intense speculation is the matter of who Burnham would appoint as chancellor. In recent days this had been seen by some MPs as a straight fight between Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, and Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary. But Mahmood is now expected to stay in her current role if Burnham becomes prime minister. The prospect of Miliband as chancellor is causing serious consternation among those on the right of the Labour Party, who would see his appointment as a clear shift to the left. "If he picks Miliband, about 100 Labour MPs will be furious from the outset," a minister said. Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the trade union Unite, has already publicly urged Burnham not to appoint Miliband. Burnham and his allies have gone to ground this weekend. They wanted to give Sir Keir time to reflect on the Makerfield result and come to his own conclusion about his future. There are growing signs that is exactly what is happening. The next few days could be extremely consequential indeed - for the Labour Party and therefore for the country.

The Scottish Conservatives have won a Westminster by-election for the first time in more than 50 years, taking Aberdeen South from the SNP. The seat, vacated by the SNP's Stephen Flynn, was won by Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden. Shortly afterwards the SNP claimed a victory in the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election where Lara Bird held the seat for the party. Lumsden, who is unable to sit in both parliaments due to a Holyrood ban on so-called dual mandates, is to resign from Holyrood just six weeks after winning re-election as a North East MSP. South of the border, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader. The Scottish by-elections were triggered when sitting MPs - Flynn and his SNP colleague Stephen Gethins - resigned from the House of Commons after being elected to Holyrood. Aberdeen is at the heart of the debate around the UK's energy future , and the UK government has chosen the city as the home of GB Energy - its fledgling publicly-owned energy company. Lumsden, a former oil and gas worker, said his constituents had sent a message that "the destruction of the oil and gas industry must stop now". The North East MSP defeated SNP candidate Richard Thomson, a former MP for Gordon, by a margin of more than 6,000 votes, with the Tories taking almost half of all ballots cast. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has lauded her party's win in Aberdeen South as a "significant" result, promising that she will "never stop fighting" for its constituents. She said the result is "particularly significant" due to the support from those who had "never voted Conservative before". Badenoch added her party "is working to earn the trust of the country again", and is "grateful and humbled" that residents of Aberdeen South voted for the Tories. "Makerfield was about one man's job. Aberdeen South was about thousands of jobs in oil and gas across our country and the future of an entire city," she said. Amy Cameron, from Greenpeace UK, said "false promises" from the Tories would not deliver a prosperous economic future for people in Aberdeen. She said a just transition has to be strong enough for people to "let go of the industry that built their community" and "trust that the new economy will be ready to catch them". In Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, Bird won the seat on Scotland's east coast for the SNP with a majority of more than 5,000 votes over the Conservatives. Bird, from near Kirriemuir, is a qualified lawyer who has worked as an SNP researcher and adviser at Westminster. She said voters had "rejected the politics of division and hate" and made it clear that Scotland's future "lies with independence". Labour slipped from second to fourth in the constituency, with Reform in third. Flynn, who is now Scotland's economy secretary, responded to the loss of his old seat on social media , posting: "A tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily." He added: "We lost Aberdeen South to the Tories in 2017, and we won it back two years later. "I've no doubt that we can do so again. If we get things right." Lumsden will have 49 days to resign as an MSP, under Holyrood's dual mandate ban. His place in the Scottish Parliament will be taken by the next candidate on the Conservatives' North East Scotland list, Fraserburgh councillor James Adams. The Conservatives last won a Westminster by-election north of the border in 1973, when they held Edinburgh North. The Scottish Tories had not gained a seat in a Westminster by-election since 1967, when they took Glasgow Pollok from Labour. The Aberdeen South defeat comes just six weeks after the SNP won a comfortable victory in the Scottish election. Within weeks the party was rocked by a scandal surrounding former chief executive Peter Murrell , who admitted in court to embezzling more than £400,000 of SNP funds over a 12-year period. He is due to be sentenced next week. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

New defence secretary Dan Jarvis says he is "working around the clock" to finalise a military investment plan that his predecessor claimed fell well short of what was needed to keep the country safe. John Healey explosively resigned last week, delaying further the publication of the defence investment plan (DIP), which was originally due last autumn. Speaking after meeting his Nato counterparts in Brussels, Jarvis responded to questions from the BBC by vowing to ensure the UK's armed forces have the "resources that they need". But he declined to say whether he was looking to negotiate additional cash beyond the settlement that prompted Healey to resign. Healey said last week that draft government proposals would take UK defence spending to 2.68% of GDP by 2030, falling "well short" of the 3% target he considered necessary. It came amid reports that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was seeking £28bn more in funding between now and the end of the decade, but had only been offered an additional £10bn. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he has asked all government departments to trim their investment budgets to free up additional cash, promising the investment plan will be published in the coming weeks. Sir Keir said this week that Jarvis has his "own thoughts now on what the priorities should be", although there has been no suggestion from Downing Street that extra cash will be found. Speaking after his Brussels meeting, Jarvis was asked whether he was looking to negotiate a bigger settlement than Healey, but did not respond directly. He told reporters: "My priority now is to make sure that our armed forces have the resources that they need to do a very difficult job of work. "I'm working around the clock with my colleagues across government to make sure that we can get the [investment plan] completed". The UK has also come under international pressure to increase military budgets, having committed to spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, in line with Nato commitments. Nato General Secretary Mark Rutte has urged the alliance's members to present "clear, concrete and credible plans" for how they will raise defence spending ahead of a summit on 7 July. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also criticised some Nato members that have "yet to show a credible path" to higher defence spending. On Tuesday, the UK's chief of defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, warned the armed forces will have to "dial back" training and operations if they do not receive more cash than is currently being offered. The DIP, which was initially expected in autumn 2025, was due to be published last week but has been repeatedly delayed amid the funding talks. At the Brussels summit, Jarvis said the UK would provide funding to help Ukraine with 150,000 drones and 350 air defence missiles and radars by the end of the year. The equipment is funded by a £752m tranche of the UK's £2.26bn loan to Ukraine, financed with the profits of seized Russian assets. Speaking at the opening of Thursday's summit, Hegseth was critical of those Nato countries that he believes are not yet showing how they will meet their spending commitments. He said: "Some of Nato's largest economies, some of our richest countries, allies that are happiest to go on about the rules-based international order and middle powers banding together, still seem to think the era of free-riding is here." Hegseth also announced a six-month review of America's military footprint in Europe, which "will be designed to ensure that Nato is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading" on the continent's security. He added: "At the same time, going forward, our annual Nato dues will be contingent on other countries meeting their defence spending targets. "Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down. Nato will be a two-way street." On the eve of the meeting of defence ministers, Rutte made clear his desire for members of the alliance to show how they plan to raise defence spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035 ahead of the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey. The commitment is split into a 3.5% GDP core defence spending commitment, and a 1.5% GDP commitment to wider resilience spending. Rutte said: "Investing 5% of GDP in defence by 2035. That's what we agreed. "So, I expect nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans to reach that goal. "Ideally, well ahead of the agreed timeline. And many are already showing that they are doing exactly that." Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been cleared by the Greater London Authority (GLA) following a complaint over his failure to pay council tax on a houseboat in Hackney. Conservative Assembly Member Neil Garratt submitted a formal grievance against Polanski last month, suggesting he had breached the Nolan Principles and the GLA code of conduct during his time as a London assembly member. A GLA monitoring officer said on Thursday that "no further action" was needed and the case had been closed. They said the complaint "relates to the member's personal living arrangements" and "does not have a sufficient connection to his role as an assembly member". Polanski said the grievances, made by Garratt and Labour MP Anna Turley, were "politically motivated and not made in good faith". The issue was raised following reports that Polanski was registered to vote at a marina address in east London but was not paying council tax. In his submission, Garratt wrote: "As a London assembly member, Mr Polanski is responsible for voting to approve or reject the mayor's budget, and in doing so has the capacity to influence and set the level of council tax that Londoners pay via the mayoral precept. "I therefore believe that any conduct which is found to have fallen short of the required standards would also fall within his capacity as an assembly member, given he would have voted to set a tax level which he himself may not have paid." Polanski's lawyers said the complaint was "based on assumptions rather than established facts and must be viewed in the wider political context in which they have been made". Polanski said he believed any charges linked to the mooring, including council tax, were covered by the fees he paid, and insisted there was no intention to evade payment. Garratt told the Local Democracy Reporting Service : "Throughout this entire sad saga, Mr Polanski has avoided consequences the same way he avoided council tax: through happy accidents and gaps in legislation. "It is beyond parody that a left-wing politician who will take to the stage to demand other people pay their share of taxes, has then gone home and not paid his own or endeavoured to find out what tax he owes." In a statement previously given to the BBC , a Green Party spokesperson said Polanski had "taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe". They added: "Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook , X and Instagram . Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

The government has published its blueprint for a third runway at Heathrow, describing expansion of the airport as "critical to national growth". Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement (HENPS), setting out the conditions needed if the project is to be given the go-ahead. Two proposals to expand Heathrow have previously been presented to the government. The airport's owners, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), want to build a full-length, 3,500-metre runway, which would require the M25 motorway being moved. HAL's scheme is estimated to cost £33bn, including £1.5bn to move the M25, and is expected to be fully privately financed. It would see Heathrow's capacity increase to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers a year. Tycoon Surinder Arora, who makes a speciality of providing rooms for aircrew near airports, wants his company to install a 2,800-metre runway which would not involve moving the motorway. In November last year, Alexander announced her preference was for a full-length runway. She said the government considered the development covered by the HENPS was critical to national growth. "This is a signal of the importance the government places on the need for expansion and will be an important additional factor in the planning balance." The draft HENPS requires applicants to demonstrate how the transport network would accommodate increased passenger numbers, including how any necessary road and rail improvements would be delivered. Expansion must be compatible with the UK's legally binding climate targets, not cause new breaches of air quality limits and ensure noise emissions are not worse than 2024 levels, with reductions where possible. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was determined to get "spades in the ground" for the third runway, and for it to be built by 2035. She also claimed Heathrow was currently "not punching its weight" as a hub airport, and argued that Heathrow was "the perfect example of the problem in the UK in being able to get stuff done", with people knowing "for years, decades" that a third runway was needed but failing to build one. Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said he "strongly welcomed the government has taken this next critical step". He added: "The UK cannot realise its full economic potential without an expanded Heathrow and this is an important step towards delivering the capacity the country needs. "We will now focus on securing planning permission and delivering this vital project." Alethea Warrington, head of aviation at climate charity Possible, said the government was "living in a fantasy land if it thinks it can allow a new runway without making noise pollution even worse, making our air even more toxic, or crashing through our climate targets." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook , X and Instagram . Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

A shop worker has told how being a victim of abuse by a customer left her "terrified" and "scared to go to work". Finnola Tzagorakis, from London, said the man had subjected her to "racial remarks" and "even threatened to go after my children". She was in Parliament to share her story as MPs debated tackling abuse against people in customer facing roles. The debate was led by Chris Evans, Labour MP for Caerphilly, who said he was all too aware of the issue, having previously worked in a bookmakers and at a bank. The Home Office said tackling retail crime was a priority. MPs from different parties shared examples of abuse from across the UK in the Westminster Hall debate. Tzagorakis, who is also an Usdaw trade union representative, watched the debate and spoke to MPs and the BBC afterwards. She described her firsthand experience of the problem after asking a customer if they would like any help. "He started shouting at me, he was threatening me, he was swearing," she told the BBC. "He started saying racial remarks towards me. I started backing off to get away from that environment, then he started following me. He even threatened to go after my children. "It left my legs shaking. I was terrified, the next day I was scared to go to work. I shouldn't have to feel like that and nor should anyone else." The retail sector, Chris Evans, said, was "encumbered by appalling levels of aggression, harassment and violence". "These experiences range from being followed home at night to being knocked unconscious by a shopping basket. "Those facing such violence are ordinary, hardworking people, often with families at home. They deserve kindness, respect and the guarantee of returning home safe from work", he added. Jacob Collier, Labour MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, shared the stories of retail workers he had spoken to in his constituency. "Probably the most horrific story that I've heard when I spoke to those workers, was one female colleague that was doused in liquid and threatened with a lighter," he said. Adam Dance, Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil, called for more funding for rural police, reporting that one shop in his constituency had experienced over 100 shoplifting incidents a week. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 created a standalone criminal offence for assaulting a retail worker in England and Wales. Those found guilty can be sent to prison for up to six months and face an unlimited fine. Evans urged authorities to make use of the law and have a "stronger police presence" in retail parks, high streets and shopping centres. He also called for the law to be extended to cover other customer facing-roles like rail, hospitality and banking. Home office minister Sarah Jones, responding for the government, said measures to help included AI tools, more police and new rules stating that all thefts have to be investigated - including those under £200. She said abuse of shop workers would not be tolerated and the government would "keep working until we tackle it". On whether the standalone offence on assaulting shop workers should be extended to cover other customer-facing roles, Jones said the legislation had been kept deliberately "narrow" to avoid "ambiguity in the courts". She added: "If this piece of legislation makes a marked difference, which we hope it will, then of course we need to look at whether it should apply elsewhere." Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

The jury in the sex abuse trial of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson have not yet reached a verdict and will continue their deliberations on Friday morning. The seven men and five women were sent out by Judge Paul Ramsey to begin their deliberations at about 13:20 BST. The former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges, including one count of rape, arising from allegations he sexually abused two women when they were children. The trial at Newry Crown Court is in its fourth week. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies five charges of aiding and abetting his alleged offending. Earlier, the judge spent about two hours summing up the case on Thursday morning. He said jurors must be satisfied that the prosecution had proven the case against Sir Jeffrey beyond reasonable doubt before they could convict. "That is the law," he added. Sir Jeffrey, wearing a dark suit and a pink tie, sat in the dock with his arms folded while the judge delivered his remarks. The alleged victims, Complainants A and B, have both given evidence at the trial. Sir Jeffrey also testified over two days. The Donaldsons were arrested at their County Down home and charged on 28 March 2024. Sir Jeffrey, 63, is accused of rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 counts of indecent assault. The offences allegedly occurred between 1985 and 2008. At a pre-trial hearing last month, Lady Donaldson, 60, was declared unfit for a conventional trial on mental health grounds. She has not participated in proceedings and instead is undergoing a trial of the facts in her absence. The jury will decide if she committed the acts alleged, but it cannot result in a criminal conviction.

The Welsh government has said it is disappointed that a meeting promised by Sir Kier Starmer with First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth in June is not taking place. Shortly after the Senedd election Downing Street said the prime minister would meet the devolved leaders from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland this month. A Plaid source said the administration had tried to make the meeting happen but no date was agreed. A spokesman for the first minister appeared to blame "instability in Westminster". Downing Street said: "The prime minister remains committed to meeting with the first ministers as soon as possible." Ap Iorwerth and Sir Keir spoke in May in the aftermath of a historic Senedd election, which unseated Labour after two decades of running the Welsh government, making Plaid Cymru the largest party in Cardiff Bay. The two sides gave different accounts of the call at the time - with the Welsh government saying that Starmer had said he was "open to a conversation" about giving the Senedd more powers. A statement from Downing Street said the pair "discussed working together constructively in the national interest, including on easing the cost of living and our domestic response to the Middle East crisis, and agreed on the importance of partnership to deliver for the people of Wales". "The prime minister invited the first minister to meet in person in June, alongside the first minister of Scotland and the first minister and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, to continue discussions on shared priorities." No date for a meeting was ever publicly announced. It later emerged that the first minister had raised independence while speaking to the prime minister. On Wednesday the first minister's spokesman said: "It is disappointing that the meeting initially proposed for June is now no longer taking place. "We are still determined to establish a constructive relationship with the UK government and to press the case for fair funding, alongside the devolution of policing, justice, welfare, the Crown Estate and rail powers. "The current instability in Westminster must not be allowed to hamper our ability to pursue the issues which matter to the people of Wales." A UK government spokesperson said: "The prime minister remains committed to meeting with the first ministers as soon as possible, and our teams are continuing to work with theirs to agree a suitable time in everyone's diaries. "In the meantime, there is regular and constructive engagement at all levels with devolved administrations - as the government gets on with delivering for people right across the UK." Meanwhile, in the Commons on Wednesday, the Labour UK government's Welsh Secretary criticised the Plaid Cymru Welsh government for not confirming whether it "will support the UK's full membership of Nato". Jo Stevens had written to the government asking for a commitment to support Valor, a scheme to help veterans access care and support. Finance Minister Elin Jones' letter in response, dated 8 June, said: "I can assure you that the Welsh government is committed to upholding the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and ensuring fair access to healthcare, housing, employment, education, skills and training for veterans and their families." In a statement, the Welsh government said: "Defence and foreign affairs are non-devolved matters reserved for the UK government. Wales is a member of Nato by default through the UK, and all strategic decisions – including Nato commitments – are made in Westminster. "Any suggestion that the Welsh government has sought to undermine or withdraw support for the UK's membership of Nato is therefore incorrect and misleading."

Wes Streeting has suggested he would be prepared to trigger a Labour leadership contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister as early as next week. The former health secretary told BBC Newsnight that "uncertainty and paralysis" in the Labour leadership would have to be resolved if the party wins Thursday's Makerfield by-election. Both Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have said they would stand in any contest to replace the prime minister, but previously shied away from saying whether they would trigger such a contest. Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in France, Sir Keir reiterated his intention "not to walk away" but to "carry on with what I was elected to do". Burnham is standing to return to Parliament in the upcoming Makerfield by-election. If he wins and becomes an MP, he will be able to initiate or join a leadership race - something he is currently unable to do. Asked by BBC Newsnight's Victoria Derbyshire if he would trigger a contest if Burnham wins, Streeting said: "I think the prime minister should be given some space and time to reflect over the weekend and I think we should see where we are then. "I would prefer the PM to take a decision on his own terms rather than leave it for me or Andy or anyone else to trigger a contest. "If not we can't carry on with this uncertainty and paralysis and there will need to be a contest and I would be prepared to do that." Asked when he might launch a contest, he said: "I'm not going to get into 'is it Monday, is it Tuesday and all the rest of it' - let's give the prime minister a bit of space over the weekend to reflect on his position." Streeting earlier told the BBC he had the backing of the 81 Labour MPs he would need in order to launch a leadership challenge. At an event earlier on Tuesday, the former health secretary said any Labour leadership contest must not become a race of who can offer "the most expensive and popular pledges to the party faithful at the expense of the British people". He told an audience in central London he would not use a leadership campaign to make costly promises that he would have to later reverse. Streeting resigned from government last month, accusing the prime minister of drift and a lack of vision. In an hour-long speech, he set out his own vision for the economy, seeking to present himself as the financially responsible candidate who would encourage growth and bring taxes down. Polls have suggested that Burnham is more popular with Labour Party members and Streeting himself said he would be the underdog in a contest. But the former health secretary seemed keen to sketch out the battleground and strike the first blows, in a "battle of ideas" over the party's future direction. In an apparent dig at his leadership rival, Streeting cautioned against treating the bond markets, where the government borrows money, as "Bond villains", adding: "We must reject the reckless approach that says 'stuff the bond markets'". Last year, Burnham told the New Statesman magazine: "We've got to get beyond this thing of being in hock to the bond markets." Earlier this year, in a bid to reassure international investors, Burnham promised to stick to the government's existing rules on borrowing. In his speech, Streeting also contested Burnham's argument that the north of England had suffered from 40 years of "neoliberalism". "It's more complicated than that," he said, adding: "We've been through several waves of change that have delivered genuine strengths, but also deep weaknesses." Such was his emphasis on fiscal discipline - he cited former chancellors Gordon Brown and Nigel Lawson – some in the room mused whether he was making a subtle subsidiary pitch to be chancellor if he was the runner-up in a leadership race. But he insisted he could win the top job by convincing Labour members that he could win a general election, and unite the centre with the left. If he did become prime minister, he said he would rule out an early election and govern for the remainder of the parliamentary term. Elsewhere, the Ilford North MP said that he wanted to see tax on employment come down when "the public finances allow" and repeated his call for capital gains tax to be equalised with income tax rates. Asked if he would consider getting rid of the triple lock on pensions in order to pay for defence, Streeting said the measure, which guarantees certain rises in the state pension, was "here to stay for the entirety of this Parliament". In a jibe at another Labour colleague, Streeting suggested Energy Secretary Ed Miliband should approve North Sea oil and gas drilling projects in Rosebank and Jackdaw. "There is a pragmatic case for producing our own gas rather than importing from abroad," he said. When in opposition, Miliband had described a licence issued to Rosebank as "climate vandalism". A full list of the candidates standing in the Makerfield by-election can be found here. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Members of the Senedd from Plaid Cymru, Labour and the Greens walked out of a speech by a Reform MS on Wednesday where he joked that Welsh students are unable to read, and said Indian nurses were taking Welsh jobs. It was the second day that Joe Martin had upset members in rival parties, after Plaid had accused him of "racism" over a speech on Tuesday claiming attacks from Sudanese asylum seekers were "inevitable" . Presiding Officer Huw Irranca-Davies rebuked the MS for Caerdydd Penarth for the second of the two speeches - but the BBC heard some in Plaid believe the Senedd's figurehead should have been firmer with Martin sooner. Reform's Jason O'Connell said the walk-out was "shameful". Earlier the party's chief whip defended Martin's speech in first minister's questions on Tuesday , telling political rivals to "get used to it". In a Reform debate about international spending, Martin gave a speech where he mocked a list of examples of spending. He said: "We send Uganda money to plant trees as well, because we won that competition, who can find the stupidest use of taxpayers' money." He joked the same question was asked to "some Welsh students who had been through our underfunded education system, but we didn't get a reply because we emailed them and they couldn't read". In response to interruptions from across the Senedd floor, he replied: "Have a look at illiteracy rates for students graduating." Martin added it was great that nurses were being recruited from India "because it means that the Welsh people who would have otherwise become nurses can instead go on universal credit". Plaid's Caerdydd Fynnon Taf MS Zaynub Akbar then said: "I'm going to leave this because I don't accept any of this and I don't want to be a part of it." A Plaid source said most of the party's MSs who were able to leave did so. Mike Hedges from Labour and Welsh Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter also walked out. In his response to the debate, the minister for the constitution, Dafydd Trystan Davies, said the debate had descended "to the level of a public house" at points. Jason O'Connell from Reform said he was "deeply disappointed" at the walkout, which he called "shameful". One source told the BBC that the overall tone of Martin's contribution, as well as the comment about Welsh students not being able to read, sparked the walkout among Plaid MSs. Plaid Cymru's spokesperson said the party "will not stand by as Reform UK make a mockery of our democracy and mock the communities we represent". Wednesday's walkout followed frustration, the BBC was told, among Plaid MSs over how Irranca-Davies had tackled the comments about asylum seekers from Martin on Tuesday. Plaid had complained that the speech broke Senedd rules. At the opening of the Senedd on Wednesday Irranca-Davies asked MSs to avoid language that has "the potential to inflame debate or to increase tensions", but did not initially reprimand him directly. A Senedd spokesperson said no breach had been committed by the MS, although the BBC was told the presiding officer's comments could be construed as a final warning to all members. After the second speech from Martin, the presiding officer Irranca-Davies did reprimand him, saying: "I would like you to reflect, please, on the remarks and your contribution today. It was not in line with my expectations." The Greens' Anthony Slaughter said after the debate that Martin had been "completely disregarding the Llwywdd's opening statement today, showing a complete lack of respect for the Senedd and other members". Reform had called for an end to all Welsh government spending overseas in the debate, which was rejected by Plaid and Labour. On Tuesday, in a question to the first minister about the Welsh government's Nation of Sanctuary policy, Joe Martin made a series of allegations about Sudanese asylum seekers. He raised a recent attack in Belfast, for which a Sudanese man appeared in court for earlier this month , and the murder of Rhiannon Whyte by a Sudanese asylum seeker. He asked the first minister what he would do "to make sure that when the next inevitable attack happens, it doesn't take place in Wales". Dan Thomas, Reform's Welsh leader, nodded as Martin made his contribution, but the remarks were greeted with gasps from Plaid Cymru and Labour members. At the time the comments went without remark from the presiding officer, who is in charge of maintaining discipline in Senedd debates. Before Wednesday's events, Reform's chief whip Llŷr Powell said if there had been an incident like Plaid Cymru described on Tuesday then the presiding officer, also known as the Llywydd, "would have dealt with it there and then". Powell said it was "bad form" to "put the spotlight on the Llywydd like this by leaking it to the press". "I didn't hear anything I thought went over the line. "I was talking about the Nation of Sanctuary during the election, Joe Martin was talking about the Nation of Sanctuary in the chamber." He added: "Get used to it, it's the new norm are the words I use." Plaid Cymru's minister for government business Heledd Fychan said the remarks were "dangerous and derogatory" which "brought the Senedd into disrepute". Fychan, whose role is also known as the Trefnydd, added she would "always deal with instances of outright racism with the utmost seriousness and have written to the Llywydd seeking an urgent ruling on what I believe to be a serious and clear breach of Standing Orders". Joe Martin has been approached for comment.

The UK will play its "full part" in getting the Strait of Hormuz reopened "as soon as possible", Sir Keir Starmer has pledged. The prime minister said he and French President Emmanuel Macron were bringing together countries prepared to protect vessels in the Strait, a key oil shipping channel effectively closed by Iran since the war began in February. He told reporters at the G7 summit in France that the impact of the closure on energy prices had affected "every household across the country". The exact details of the US-Iran deal to end the war have not been released, but President Donald Trump has said the strait will fully reopen when the initial agreement is signed this week. Sir Keir said: "It's going to make a material difference to our economies, to stability in the world, and of course we're [G7 countries] all united in saying that Iran must not get... a nuclear weapon." He added that he had congratulated Trump on striking a deal with Iran, describing it as "a really important breakthrough". On Sunday, Sir Keir said that if required the UK would support the deal by "standing up the defensive, independent multilateral mission" to restore freedom of navigation to Hormuz, including offering to clear mines. In May, the government said the UK would deploy Typhoon fighter jets, drones and the HMS Dragon warship to a future mission in Hormuz. French President Emmanuel Macron has said France could have fighter jets patrolling the strait soon if required, adding that an aircraft carrier was already in the region. "About 20 countries have made concrete contributions," Macron said on Monday, adding four were "present in the region". Trump said on Monday that he did not believe the US would "need much help" in ensuring the free passage of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz because of its deal with Iran, before adding he did not think it was "a bad idea to have a ship or two" from other countries. However, the US president said he did not think it was "a bad idea to have a ship or two" from other countries based in the strategic waterway. The conflict in the Middle East began after the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran, killing the country's supreme leader on 28 February. Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf and by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz. Also on the agenda at the G7 summit is the war in Ukraine, with Sir Keir expected to hold bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later. The government has announced a package of 70 fresh sanctions targeting Russia, which it says is aimed at "choking off" the Kremlin's war effort. The sanctions will target Moscow's shadow fleet, financial networks and military supply chains. Sir Keir said there was "real unity" among G7 leaders on Ukraine, which he said was regaining territory and inflicting huge losses on occupying Russian forces. It comes as the Ministry of Defence said it was investigating reports a Russian warship fired warning shots near a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel. The incident, which happened at around 11:40am BST on Tuesday between the Isle of Wight and Normandy, reportedly involved the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich. It comes days after Royal Marine Commandos boarded one of Moscow's "shadow fleet" oil tankers off the south coast of England on Sunday. But it is understood British officials do not view this incident as being linked to Sunday's operation.

The UK's armed forces will have to "dial back" training and operations if they do not receive more cash than is currently being offered, the chief of the defence staff has warned. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said the government's Defence Investment Plan (DIP) did not include enough funding to support "day-to-day activities" in the short term. John Healey resigned as defence secretary last week, claiming the proposed cash settlement "would reduce the readiness of our Forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations". In a Commons statement earlier on Tuesday, he said his resignation had been "necessary in securing the future of Britain's armed forces and our alliances". "My decision last week was about our country, not career," he told MPs. And in a swipe at Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who he has said was "unwilling" to provide adequate funds to meet the threats facing the nation, he warned that "our adversaries do not follow timetables set by the Treasury". The government has committed to increasing defence spending to 3.5% of national income by 2035, in line with allies in the Nato military alliance. The DIP was due to be published last week but has been delayed further following Healey's resignation. Healey has said No 10 and the Treasury were prepared to commit around £10bn in additional funding over the next four years, around £18bn less than what military chiefs have reportedly asked for. New Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is currently reviewing how the money will be spent - but there has been no suggestion from No 10 that extra cash will be found. Healey says the UK needs to be spending 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2030. In his Commons resignation statement, he told MPs: "At this dangerous time, I see the current defence investment plans falling well short of what is required, a rise at 0.08% from next year to 2030, no date for reaching 3%, no path to 3.5%. "By 2030, well over half of Nato members will be spending 3% or more. And when allies are looking for British leadership, we must not fall behind." In his scathing resignation letter last week , Healey warned that the 10-year DIP plan "backloaded" spending increases, when the need "to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years". Sir Richard Knighton echoed Healey's concerns in evidence to the Lords International Relations and Defence Committee on Tuesday morning. "The thing that I'm most concerned about is the level of day-to-day activity funding, the resource departmental expenditure limit, because that funds operational activity and drives exercises and training," he told peers. "Those are the things that make sure the men and women of our armed forces are as ready as they can be with the equipment that they have got today, and without changes to the settlement, as John Healey set out, then those areas will come under pressure." He said the new defence secretary had to be given time to review the funding plan, which he said was still to be finalised. Sir Richard added: "We will have to dial back our activities and our exercise and operational activity if the level of resource funding that's available to us does not increase. "Now, that's still to be debated and decided." Healey was followed out the door at the MoD by armed forces minister Al Carns , who said in his resignation letter that the level of investment in the DIP was "inadequate to the task" of defending the country. In his Commons resignation statement, Carns added that the DIP did not pay enough attention to drone warfare, and was too focused on traditional defence hardware. Sir Keir said the government was increasing the defence budget from 2.3% of GDP to 2.6%. Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in Evian, France, the PM added that the DIP would give the UK "capability for the future" and he had already reallocated money from other departments to defence. Sir Keir added: "Obviously the new defence secretary is reading in, and we're talking to him about how and what we will spend that money on, in terms of capability, and he's got his own thoughts now on what the priorities should be, and so that's the discussion we're in the middle of at the moment."

A 24-year-old former Labour councillor has pleaded guilty to a computer misuse offence amid allegations that a party database was manipulated to help fix a parliamentary candidate selection in Croydon. Gabriel Leroy, a former councillor in Southend, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offence under the Criminal Law Act and the Computer Misuse Act. Three other Labour activists will face a trial in February 2029 after they entered not guilty pleas. Joel Bodmer, 40, his wife Shila Bodmer, 41, and former Croydon councillor Carole Bonner, 69, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit an offence under the Criminal Law Act and the Computer Misuse Act. Joel Bodmer, who stood for selection as Labour's candidate for the Croydon East constituency, also pleaded not guilty to a second count of perverting the course of justice. The process to select Labour's candidate for the parliamentary seat was abandoned in November 2023 amid alleged irregularities, and re-run four months later without Joel Bodmer taking part. The indictment alleges that Joel Bodmer "provided a PDF document and a Microsoft Excel file purporting to be his complete telephone records" but that "a telephone call to the Labour Party support team… had been deleted." Joel Bodmer's barrister Sean Caulfield told the court that on the first computer misuse charge his defence will be that "he had the authority to act", and on the second charge he had "no intention to pervert the course of justice". Judge Justin Cole told the court that the trial of Joel Bodmer, Shila Bodmer and Carole Bonner would start on 5 February 2029 and last four to five weeks. Gabriel Leroy is likely to have to wait until 2029 for his sentencing. All four have been suspended from the Labour Party pending the outcome of an investigation. A Labour Party spokesperson said: "These are incredibly serious charges. "When complaints were first raised with the Labour Party we conducted a thorough internal investigation and we referred the matter to the police as soon as potential criminal wrongdoing was identified. "We cannot comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing." Joel Bodmer is a regional organiser for the UK's largest trade union, Unison. A spokesperson for Unison said: "Joel Bodmer is an employee of the union and is currently on unpaid leave." In April 2026, when the four were charged, Frank Ferguson of the Crown Prosecution Service's Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division said: "Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. "We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police Service as it has carried out its investigation. "We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial. "It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings." Get in touch – politicsinvestigations@bbc.co.uk Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Relationships and sex education for 16 to 18-year-olds could be made mandatory in a bid to prevent violence against women and girls. The Labour MP for Hitchin, Alistair Strathern, has been pressing the government for change and pledged to end a postcode lottery of provision for teenagers in further education, with the introduction of his private member's bill. He said his draft law would extend the time school pupils are taught how to navigate complex issues in relationships and recognise coercive control and other forms of abuse. "For too long, children in further education have missed out because of gaps in provision of relationships and sex education," Strathern said. Strathern was drawn 14th in the private members' bills ballot. His draft legislation is due to be debated during Friday sittings in Parliament. The MP, who is also co-chair of the Labour group for men and boys, continued: "At a time when the worst corners of the internet are preying on teenagers, with their own harmful takes on what makes a healthy relationship, we surely owe young people far better than this." He said he hoped the bill would make it mandatory for all settings to give children space, support and advice. "With 16 to 19-year-olds facing the highest rates of domestic abuse of any age group, the real-world consequences of failing to act couldn't be clearer," he added. "Young people's exposure to extreme content online makes this legislation more important than ever." The Relationships and Sex Education (Further Education Sector) Bill follows a petition by the survivor-led campaign group Make it Mandatory, which called for sex education to be mandated to 18 and gathered more than 106,000. Faustine Petron, founder of Make it Mandatory, said: "As someone who experienced an abusive relationship I know how important such a change could be. "We now need government to honour its commitment to me and the bereaved families who support this campaign by taking it forward and ensuring it becomes law, as we know all too well that it has the potential to change and save lives." End Violence Against Women Coalition and the Sex Education Forum also welcomed the introduction of the Bill. Lucy Emmerson, chief executive at the Sex Education Forum, said: "It makes complete sense to extend relationships and sex education to further education because this is the time when many young people will be starting their first romantic and sexual relationships. "Having reliable information about healthy relationships provided by trusted adults is proven to help prevent harm. "There is overwhelming support for mandating RSE [Relationship Sex Education] up to 18 years old, and this move is backed by leaders in education, safeguarding, health and wellbeing and by colleges and young people themselves." Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds , Facebook , Instagram and X .

For the third time in four years, we appear on the brink of a prime minister announcing their plan to leave office, not because they have lost a general election but because their own party has concluded they would be better off without them. Many people within government and in the wider Labour Party expect Sir Keir Starmer to say just this, perhaps as soon as this morning. Four years ago, and three prime ministers ago, Boris Johnson was running the country. He was arguing defiantly he would carry on, but that defiance drained away as it became clear his capacity to viably govern was deserting him. In early July 2022, I was standing in Downing Street as the lectern appeared and Johnson set out that, despite winning a big majority just a handful of years before, his own MPs were fed up of him and so reluctantly he was standing down. Three months later, I was in the street again, as this time Liz Truss said she was leaving as she too had lost the support of her party. And now here we are again, in all likelihood, with Sir Keir, less than two years after he won the general election to take over from Rishi Sunak. His premiership, in the eyes of many on his own side, has been deflating for months. And for months he has been trying to raise the bar as high as possible for any of his potential successors. He made it very clear, via those close to him, that he wouldn't give up and he would stand in any leadership contest. He blocked Andy Burnham's first attempt to contest a Westminster seat – when a vacancy arose in Gorton and Denton earlier this year . And as recently as last week he said Burnham's first priority if he won the Makerfield by election should be helping Labour win the Greater Manchester mayoralty he has now vacated, and that he would offer Burnham a seat in cabinet. But Burnham's victory last week – and the scale of it – uncorked the bottle of Labour Party dissent that had been constrained by the by-election campaign. Not only is Burnham now an MP, but he has proven, albeit in a region where he is very popular, that he can beat Reform UK. And so, to many Labour MPs, frightened at Reform's popularity and recent electoral success, he is a better bet than Sir Keir. The prime minister spent the weekend mulling his options , knowing he was, frankly, running out of them. We know of at least four cabinet ministers – the home and foreign secretaries among them – to have told Sir Keir he should set a timetable for his departure . It isn't plausible to simultaneously leave them in their roles for long and ignore their demands. So option one, then, is sack them, replace them and stumble on, as the hot favourite to be your successor barrels down the West Coast Mainline to Westminster. Burnham is expected in Westminster on Monday afternoon to be sworn in as an MP and a photo is then planned with Labour MPs. But who knows what the prime minister may have said by then? Option two for Sir Keir is seize what agency he retains and shape what happens next by setting a timetable for going. Then there is the question of how long to hang around. Some in the party see a contest as key to stress-testing Burnham and any others. Some fret such a contest could appear inward-looking, gratuitous and drag on all summer. The alternative, which appeals to some Labour MPs, is a process involving them, with hustings at Westminster – but not a full-blown vote involving trade unions and party members. In that scenario a new PM could potentially be in place within a week or two – and sooner still if the momentum behind Burnham is overwhelming. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Andy Burnham is expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership as pressure mounts on the prime minister to stand down. With the former Greater Manchester mayor winning a seat in Parliament in the Makerfield by-election this week, a growing number of Labour MPs and cabinet members are calling for him to set out a timetable for leaving office. Sir Keir has said he plans to fight any challenge and, if he wins, he would continue as prime minister. However, if he loses, the winner would replace him in Downing Street without the need for a general election. Labour performed badly in May's local elections, losing almost 1,500 councillors in England, while the party lost power in Wales and recorded its worst ever result for the Scottish Parliament. More than 90 Labour MPs have publicly urged the PM to resign immediately or draw up an exit plan - though more than 150 MPs have either indicated support for Sir Keir or say it is not the right time for a leadership contest. Discontent towards Sir Keir's leadership had been rising before the elections, including over his decision to change direction on three major policies in a month after pressure from within his own party. Sir Keir's decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US also led to questions about his judgement and the wider Downing Street operation. Lord Mandelson was sacked after new information came to light about the depth of his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. MPs unhappy with Sir Keir remaining in post could try to force a leadership election. This would require 20% of the party's MPs to back a replacement candidate. There are 403 Labour MPs, so the support of 81 would be needed. Once a Labour leadership election is triggered, other candidates could join the contest if they also had 81 backers. Sir Keir would not be required to gather support as he would be automatically on the ballot paper were he to chose to contest the leadership election. He would continue as prime minister during any contest. No Labour prime minister has ever faced a formal leadership challenge from their MPs. Party members and affiliated trade union supporters vote by ranking the candidates in order of preference – putting a one next to their favourite, two for their second choice and so on. If one candidate receives more than 50% of first preferences then they will be declared the winner. If not, then the candidate who finishes bottom will be eliminated and the voters who put them first will see their vote moved to their second choice. This process of elimination continues until one candidate receives more than half of the votes. The timetable for the leadership ballot would be decided by Labour's decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC). In 2020, candidates had time to secure their nominations before a ballot took place over a six-week period. That leadership contest was triggered when Jeremy Corbyn announced he would stand down following the party's defeat in the 2019 general election. Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, newly elected MP Andy Burnham and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner are considered the main potential challengers to Sir Keir. Wes Streeting After stepping down as health secretary, Streeting told the prime minister he had "lost confidence" in the Labour leader. He has confirmed that he would enter any potential Labour leadership contest. Streeting is seen as the cabinet's best communicator and can point to a fall in NHS waiting lists as one of his achievements in government. Andy Burnham Burnham has argued Labour "needs to change if we are to regain people's trust". His first stint as an MP ran from 2001 to 2017 when he represented Leigh. He served as a minister in the governments of Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, but failed to win two Labour leadership elections when the party was in opposition. Burnham left Westminster to stand for election as the mayor of Greater Manchester, which he won in 2021. He was re-elected in 2024. He won the Makerfield by-election on June 18, paving the way for him to challenge Sir Keir as party leader. Angela Rayner Rayner is favoured by some on the left of the party. She has called for Labour to offer regional mayors more economic powers and raise the minimum wage. "We are in danger of becoming a party of the well-off, not working people," she said. She resigned as deputy prime minister in 2025, after admitting she had not paid enough tax when buying a new home. However, she has settled £40,000 of unpaid stamp duty and said she has been "exonerated" by HMRC of the accusation that she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax". Prime ministers hold office unless and until they resign. Sir Keir has said a leadership contest would be a "bad thing" for the country and that he intends to fight any challenge. However, if this changed, he could choose to stay in post during a transition period before handing over to a successor, who would be both Labour leader and prime minister. If Sir Keir chose to resign with immediate effect, a member of the cabinet would replace him in a caretaker capacity, under Labour Party rules. This would involve a decision by the cabinet, who would consult the NEC. Deputy Prime Minster David Lammy would not necessarily fill the caretaker role. A leadership contest would follow. In this scenario, each potential challenger would need support from 20% of the party's MPs and to be supported by either 5% of constituency Labour parties (CLPs), or at least three affiliated organisations - of which two must be affiliated trade unions. Whoever won a Labour leadership election would automatically become the prime minister without the need for a general election. However the PM must have the "confidence" of the House of Commons to govern, which means they must be supported by a majority of MPs. If the leader of the opposition, currently the Conservative's Kemi Badenoch, introduces a motion of no confidence, the government is expected to provide parliamentary time for a debate and a vote. To succeed, the motion needs just one more vote in favour than against. If the government loses the vote, a general election is usually called. Important caveats to note are that 403 of Westminster's 650 MPs are Labour. Several Labour MPs would therefore have to support any motion for it to succeed, which is very unlikely. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Andy Burnham - a man who hopes to be the next prime minister - stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a man in a fox costume and an "intergalactic space warrior" with a bin for a face when he was announced as the winner of the Makerfield by-election. These costumed characters barely registered as unusual to members of the public and supporters, as Count Binface, the fox and another, Howling Laud Hope, all shook hands with Labour's Burnham before he gave his victory speech . Eccentric scenes like this have become a common sight in British politics, and candidates are often motivated to run for a variety of different reasons. But their satirical stances often give more serious messages a moment of attention - and can even influence future laws. Rob Pownall spends most of his time running Protect the Wild, which advocates for British wildlife, but in recent weeks he ran for the Makerfield seat dressed as a fox. "It was a brilliant display of British democracy in action," says Pownall - who sees people running in costumes as a part of Britain's "unique eccentric energy". It was not his first time running as a candidate. In May he dressed as a giant gannet while running as a candidate for Scottish Parliament to call for the end of the Guga hunt, a centuries old Hebridean tradition to hunt the bird . His motivation was to "shine a light on issues that don't get the headlines" and as he shook Burnham's hand, Pownall took the opportunity to speak about his advocacy for British wildlife. "I urged him if he is to become prime minister to actually do something to protect animals - whether to finally end fox hunting for good or committing to a complete end to the badger cull." Another character that has regularly appeared up against well-known politicians including former prime ministers Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, Theresa May and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, is Count Binface . He has become an expected part of elections, with a manifesto for Makerfield published on his website including policies to be "the UK's entrant at Eurovision 2027" and "wifi on trains that works. Also trains that work". Speaking to Sky News , he said reasons for running included to "rephase the traffic lights on Liverpool road", "price cap Wigan kebabs at £2" and "build at least one affordable house". "I believe elected mayors should serve out their terms before they're eligible to stand for parliament," was another point raised by Count Binface. The BBC has contacted him for comment. Currently it costs £500 to run as a candidate for elections. Those who poll above 5% of the total valid votes get that sum returned. Another costumed character running for Makerfield was Alan "Howling Laud" Hope, the leader of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party who has played a key role in the tradition of running for election in a costume for more than 40 years. Hope has previously run against former prime ministers David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Theresa May, and told the BBC he has run at least 38 times. The party has put up more than 200 candidates over the years. The party was formed in 1982 and founded by Hope and the late David Sutch - also known as Screaming Lord Sutch. Also a rock 'n' roll musician, Sutch first ran in 1963 in the Stratford by-election and also ran against former prime minister Harold Wilson in the 1966 election. He ran for a total of 41 parliamentary seats. While The Official Monster Raving Loony Party kicks members out if they stand a chance of winning an election, certain policies it has campaigned on since it formed in 1983 have become law. For example, throughout the 1980s the party campaigned for pubs to remain open during the day, rather than shutting in the afternoons - something which came into force in 2005. The party also called for the reduction of the voting age to 16 since it formed - 16 and 17-year-olds can now vote in certain elections in Scotland and Wales. Labour also introduced a bill in February to lower the voting age to 16 for all UK citizens. In 1985, the Conservative government, then led by Margaret Thatcher who Sutch also ran against, introduced laws that candidates who poll less than 5% of the total valid votes will lose their deposit. However, a year later, then-home office minister David Mellor conceded the policy had not worked, as candidates including Sutch ran in the 1986 Fulham by-election in costume. "[The election] took place against a backdrop of a lot of people dressed like idiots, behaving like idiots and waving idiotic slogans," he told the BBC at the time. "I think we probably are just going to have to live with this."

Andy Burnham's victory in the Makerfield by-election represents a remarkable personal success. Last year in the Runcorn by-election, Labour's vote fell by 14 points. Four months ago in Gorton & Denton, it collapsed by 25 points. In Makerfield itself, Labour were 20 points behind Reform in the local elections on 7 May. Even at the best of times, support for the party of government nearly always falls in by-elections. Yet, in yesterday's ballot, Burnham not only retained every bit of the 45% share of the vote Labour won in the seat in 2024, but actually pushed his party's share up by 10 points. With Labour stuck at just 19% in the national polls, much as it has been ever since last autumn, there has been no evidence of any marked change in Labour's popularity in the last few weeks to account for this turnaround. Indeed, Labour saw its vote fall heavily in both the Scottish by-elections also held yesterday – by 19 points in Aberdeen South and 18 points in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry. Moreover, polling conducted during the Makerfield campaign suggested Labour would have lost quite badly if anyone other than Burnham had been Labour's standard bearer. There appears to have been two key foundations to Burnham's success. First, he managed to persuade many of those who voted for the party in 2024 to return to the fold. Polls published last weekend suggest that four in five of those who backed Labour two years ago voted yesterday voted for Burnham. In contrast, the national polls suggest that only a little over half of 2024 Labour voters are currently minded to vote for the party again. Second, as the polls also anticipated, Burnham seemingly benefited from a squeeze on the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens. They won just 3% of the vote between them, down 19 points on 2024. The 0.4% won by the Liberal Democrats represented their worst ever by-election performance, while the 2.2% won by the Conservatives was only marginally better than the all-time low of 1.9% recorded in Gorton and Denton four months ago. Both patterns were probably occasioned by a mixture of motives. Some people will have voted tactically to keep Reform out, some will have been hoping to bring about the downfall of the prime minister, while others will simply have been persuaded by Burnham's personal style and his record as Greater Manchester mayor. Meanwhile, Makerfield should have been prime territory for Burnham's principal opponents, Reform. The party's support is heavily concentrated among those who voted for Brexit 10 years ago, and as many as two-thirds of voters in Makerfield voted Leave in the referendum. Failure to take the seat will thus be a particularly bitter blow for Nigel Farage. His party's support was up by just three points on 2024, well short of the 21 point increase it registered in Runcorn and the 15 point rise it enjoyed in Gorton and Denton, as well as the 12 point increase it currently has in the national polls. At the same time, the by-election campaign saw emerge from the shadows another new challenger - Restore Britain, the breakaway party founded by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, that is campaigning for an even tougher stance on migrants than that advocated by Reform. It was the only party other than Labour and Reform to keep its deposit. How many of the 7% who voted for Restore might otherwise have voted Reform is difficult to tell. But Farage will certainly not welcome the emergence of competition for the support of pro-Brexit, socially conservative Britain that Restore – currently running at 3% in the national polls – potentially represents. But if the Conservative vote collapsed in Makerfield, the very opposite happened in Aberdeen South. In a city that was once made rich by oil but which has now fallen on harder times, the party turned the ballot into a referendum on the net zero policy of both the UK and the Scottish governments. It was rewarded with a 25 point increase in its share of the vote, a record for the party in a post-war by-election and its first by-election gain in Scotland since 1967. Last night's by-elections will reverberate around Westminster for a long time. A challenge to Sir Keir Starmer's tenure in Number 10 now seems inevitable. But just as importantly, the government's energy policy could well now find itself in the midst of a serious political storm. John Curtice is professor of politics at Strathclyde University, and senior fellow at National Centre for Social Research and 'The UK in a Changing Europe'. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Andy Burnham is no stranger to Labour leadership contests. More than 10 years ago he ran twice, unsuccessfully, for the top job. Now he's backed by many Labour MPs as the party's best chance of recovery, after months of languishing in the polls and a devastating set of election results in May. Burnham's victory in the Makerfield by-election saw him hold off a challenge from Reform UK, which came second but more than 9,000 votes behind Labour. It also saw the former Greater Manchester mayor increase Labour's share of the vote from 45% at the 2024 general election to almost 55%. Beyond the numbers, Burnham's victory ensured he cleared a major obstacle to any leadership challenge as those wanting to stand in a contest need to be an MP. Before polling day, Burnham said he would seek to enter any potential leadership contest to challenge Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer should he win in Makerfield. Born in Liverpool in 1970, Burnham grew up in Culcheth, a quiet commuter belt village in Cheshire, near Warrington. His father, a BT engineer, and his mother, a GP receptionist, were both staunch Labour supporters and he developed an early interest in politics. Burnham has described how he was inspired to join the Labour Party at the age of 14, after being moved by the BBC TV drama, Boys from the Blackstuff, about life on the dole in Liverpool. A lifelong Everton fan, his friends remember Burnham as a competitive, sports-mad child, who was a fast bowler for Lancashire schoolboys cricket team. At school, the local Roman Catholic comprehensive, his English teacher recalls how he stood to be a Labour candidate in mock elections - and won by a landslide. Burnham and his two brothers were the first in their family to go to university, with Andy studying English at Cambridge. In his book, Head North, Burnham wrote that he "struggled to feel part of things" at university and felt like an "imposter". However, the music-lover - who is a fan of northern indie bands like The Smiths and The Stone Roses - said his "growing interest in Manchester music gave me an identity and an advantage". After graduating, he started out in journalism, working for trade magazines including Tank World and Passenger World Management. In his early 20s, he got his first break in politics, working as a researcher for the late Tessa Jowell, then MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, who would go on to be a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Despite his later contempt for Westminster politics, Burnham rose quickly through the ranks, becoming a special adviser to Culture Secretary Chris Smith before being elected as the MP for his hometown of Leigh, in Greater Manchester, in 2001. He first served as a junior minister under Blair, but joined the cabinet as chief secretary to the Treasury, and later culture secretary and health secretary, under Brown. It was as secretary of state for culture, media and sport that Burnham was heckled at a memorial service marking the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Ninety-seven Liverpool fans were killed in the stadium crush of 1989. The heckling spurred Burnham on to raise the issue in cabinet, contributing to the launch of a second inquiry into the disaster. In 2010, after Brown resigned following Labour's general election defeat, Burnham ran to become the party's leader. He came fourth out of the five contenders, losing to Ed Miliband, but spent the next five years building up his appeal with the party's grassroots. In 2015 he tried again, beaten this time by Jeremy Corbyn. Burnham's critics have branded him a weather vane, whose views have blown with the political winds to give him the best chance of success. A Remain supporter during the Brexit referendum, he has expressed a desire to see the UK rejoin the European Union in his lifetime. However, despite recently reiterating his belief that there is a case for rejoining "in the long-term", he has said he will not be advocating for this in the Makerfield by-election - which is taking place in an area which vote strongly for Brexit. He served in Corbyn's shadow cabinet, as shadow home secretary, despite being seen as on the Blairite centre-right of the party. Burnham's views have moved increasingly to the left, backing the nationalisation of water and energy. He was not one of those who resigned in protest at Corbyn's leadership in 2016. Instead he stood down in 2017 to run to be the first mayor of Greater Manchester. Burnham won the contest with more than 60% of the vote and was re-elected by an even bigger margin in 2021. As mayor, he has drawn praise for his transformation of the region's transport system. Under his leadership, Greater Manchester was the first area outside London to bring bus services back under public control, while integrating them with other modes of transport under the branding of the "Bee Network". Other bold pledges included ending rough sleeping in the region by 2020 - although the target was missed. His profile rose further during the Covid pandemic, when he accused the Conservative government of treating the north of England with "contempt" over regional lockdown restrictions. The stand-off helped earn him the nickname "King of the North". By the autumn party conference season of 2025, Burnham was openly on manoeuvres for the top job, as he refused to rule out a leadership bid. His interventions appeared to backfire, after he provoked a backlash by suggesting the government was "in hock" to the bond markets - a reference to the government's self-imposed rules limiting spending and borrowing. In January a potential opportunity for a return to Westminster arose when Greater Manchester MP Andrew Gwynne announced he was standing down, triggering a by-election in his Gorton and Denton constituency. However, Burnham was blocked from standing by Labour's ruling body, with the approval of the prime minister. By May, the situation had changed. Labour suffered a poor set of election results in England, Scotland and Wales, with Reform riding high in the polls and the party seeing success in Burnham's backyard. Sir Keir faced increased pressure over his future, with some MPs calling for change and ministerial resignations taking place. Josh Simons announced he would step down as Labour MP for Makerfield to make way for Burnham to mount a bid to return to Parliament. Burnham went on to be selected as the Labour candidate for the constituency and the following month he secured his return to Westminster. 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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch became a frequent flyer in the final weeks of the by-election campaign in Aberdeen South. She visited the city three times for photo opportunities with her Scottish counterpart Russell Findlay. She was back at Aberdeen Airport again today as she arrived to celebrate an unexpected victory over the SNP. Badenoch has boosted her own personal approval rating in recent months, but the Tories as a party remain stranded behind Reform UK in the polls. In terms of election results, the direction of travel has continued to be downward for the Conservatives - as confirmed in the Scottish Parliament and English local elections last month. That was until today, and that win in Aberdeen South. The Conservatives threw everything they had at this seat and, in the end, their candidate Douglas Lumsden won comfortably . And the party may take as much encouragement from the fact they came second, less than 200 votes ahead of Reform, in the other Scottish by-election in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry. The SNP won that one by a decent margin, but the increase in the Tory vote is a sign of effective campaign organisation from a party that should still be picking itself off the floor. Looking ahead to the next general election, it looks like a big part of the battle will be convincing voters that they want to get rid of a Labour MP, and that the Tories are a better bet than Reform. The Tories tested that tactical voting strategy against the SNP in these by-elections and will be pleased with the results. There were specific factors at play in Aberdeen South that might not be repeated elsewhere. Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell's guilty plea to embezzlement charges is fresh in people's minds. He is due to be sentenced next week. The ongoing fallout for the nationalists has not helped the party's brand. In addition, Aberdeen is the heart of the North Sea oil and gas industry. The Conservative campaign was built around the job losses the city is suffering with the steady decline of offshore drilling. It targeted Labour and the SNP over their continued support for the net zero agenda. That message won't translate everywhere across the UK - and with the SNP first minister and both leading Labour leadership contenders suggesting it may be time for more North Sea oil and gas extraction, other parties are catching up. It's a debate Reform UK has tried to own as well, but there was a sense that the party's attention was focused on the by-election in Makerfield rather than those in Scotland. Where energy policy meets the cost of living, it does seem this is an issue where the Tories have the public's attention. In sharp contrast with the result from Makerfield, Labour had a terrible night in Scotland, losing nearly 20% vote share in both seats. For some in the party, the results will spell out the risk to Labour of going into the next set of elections without a change of personality at the top. Even though they held on in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, and have only just won a fresh mandate at the Scottish Parliament, the result in Aberdeen South also holds a warning for the SNP and its leader, John Swinney. The two Scottish by-elections were called because SNP MPs were elected to Holyrood and had to give up their seats at Westminster. One of them, the former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, has been put straight into Swinney's cabinet, but is widely believed to have leadership ambitions of his own. Following the result, he tweeted it was "a tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily". Who could he mean? Flynn hasn't said - yet. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Andy Burnham's return to parliamentary politics has automatically triggered an election to find a new mayor for Greater Manchester. Sitting MPs cannot serve as regional mayors, because the regional role incorporates the role of police and crime commissioner. The date for the Greater Manchester vote is 30 July. Burnham, who won the Makerfield by-election for Labour with a 55% share of the vote, became the region's first directly elected mayor in 2017 , and won two further terms in 2021 and 2024. In 2024, he won 63.4% of the vote, with 420,749 voters backing him. He won in every borough in the city region, including in Wigan, where the Makerfield constituency sits. The cost of finding a new mayor to replace Burnham is estimated to be about £4.7m - which was one of the reasons Labour gave for blocking his bid to become its candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February. Burnham's win in Makerfield means voters there are set to go to the polls for the third time in three months when they chose a new regional mayor, having just voted in the local elections for Wigan Council in May. The mayor effectively chairs a cabinet made up of the leaders of all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. This post incorporates the role of police and crime commissioner and managing the fire service. As a result of the involvement in setting policing budgets and having influence over the force, MPs cannot sit in the role because of the inherent conflict of interest in them being responsible for making policing laws in Westminster. Watch BBC Radio Manchester's Makerfield by-election special The mayor also set transport budgets and have shared responsibility for the £6bn health and social care budget. They also have involvement in the leadership of local NHS services, and control over the post-19 adult education budget. It was under these powers that Burnham introduced free travel for 16 to 19-year-olds and a half-price pass for 18 to 21-year-olds. Burnham also took control of the region's bus network under the integrated Bee Network brand. The mayor oversees the Metrolink tram service, and it is envisaged that by 2030, all local rail services will be part of the network. Burnham told a BBC North West debate for Makerfield by-election this could not legally be overturned by a future mayor. As he made his victory speech at the by-election count in Wigan, Burnham said it would not have been possible for Greater Manchester to achieve everything it could without changes being made at a national level. He is expected to launch a leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer once he takes his seat in Westminster. He said: "It's with some sadness this result brings an end to my wonderful nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester. "This city region has given so much to me, and it's a wrench to have to leave the job you love. But I'm not leaving the service of Greater Manchester. "I've always been clear it can't achieve everything it should, and we can't close the north-south divide, and we can't make all the great northern cities be what they should be without big changes at the national level." On Wednesday, The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment Order) 2026 reintroduced Supplementary Vote (SV) in combined authority and combined county authority mayoral by-elections. The next election will use the SV system, rather than the first-past-the-post system (FPTP) used by parliamentary elections. Under the Supplementary Vote system, voters get to choose a first and second choice. If no single candidate wins more than 50% of the vote share after first preference votes are counted, the top two candidates go into a run-off second round, in which second preference votes from the eliminated candidates are taken into account. This system was in place for police and crime commissioners and mayors until 2022, when it was switched to FPTP, under which there is one round and the candidate with the most votes wins. The Conservative government at the time argued that FPTP was a "fair and simple" system which ensured "clearer accountability". The Electoral Reform Society has said that a SV election can have an impact on the nature of how an election is fought. "Candidates can't just focus on the needs of their core electorate. Because of this, the Supplementary Vote encourages a more positive style of campaigning as candidates try to win the second preferences of voters outside their usual support base," it said. Political parties now have just over one month to chose their candidates and campaign to win the regional mayoral election. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook , X , and Instagram . You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reshuffled his Cabinet three times since coming into power in July 2024. Health Secretary Wes Streeting quit as part of a leadership bid, following a disastrous set of elections across the UK in May. And Defence Secretary John Healey resigned in June in a row over defence spending. The first happened in September 2025 following the resignation of deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner over underpaying stamp duty tax, which she paid off with no penalty from HMRC on 14 May. You can learn more about the Labour MPs who are in key positions in the government in the short biographies below of each member of the cabinet and the ministers who attend its meetings.

Roy Hattersley, who has died at the age of 93, was one of Labour's cleverest and most articulate post war politicians. But he was fated to spend more than two-thirds of his career in opposition, and only briefly achieved cabinet rank. A moderniser before the term was invented, he vigorously opposed Labour's shift to the left after Margaret Thatcher's victory in 1979. As Neil Kinnock's deputy leader in the 1980s, he encouraged his party to embrace multilateral disarmament, the market economy and the European Union. As a result, they saw off the challenge of the SDP and laid the foundations for New Labour which, eventually, resulted in the 1997 Blair landslide. Roy Sydney George Hattersley was born in Sheffield on 28 December 1932, into a family steeped in Labour history. His mother, Enid, who served a term as the city's Lord Mayor, described herself as being born into the party. His father, also called Roy, shared her political drive. He had once been a Catholic priest - before quitting the church to run off with Enid, two weeks after he'd married her to someone else. Young Roy was a political campaigner in his early teens, delivering leaflets and knocking on doors in support of local councillors and parliamentary candidates. He won a scholarship to Sheffield Grammar School before going to the University of Hull to read economics, following a friend's suggestion that it was an essential subject for any budding politician. On leaving Hull, he worked briefly in a Sheffield steel mill and spent two years teaching in further education. In 1956, he was elected to Sheffield City Council, and served, for a time, as chairman of the housing committee. But his political ambitions lay at Westminster. In 1959, he fought the seat of Sutton Coldfield, failing to dislodge the sitting Conservative MP as Harold Macmillan won a landslide nationally. And over the next three years, Hattersley unsuccessfully applied for 25 seats before being selected for the Conservative marginal of Birmingham Sparkbrook. In the general election of October 1964, Hattersley won the seat as Labour scraped back into power with a parliamentary majority of just four. His career got off to a slow start. This was partly due to his previous support for the former Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell, who was an opponent of unilateral disarmament and other policies sacred to the Trade Unions. As a result, Harold Wilson kept Hattersley at arms length. He got his first foot on the ladder when he was appointed parliamentary private secretary to pensions minister Margaret Herbison. But it was three years before he received his first ministerial posting. In 1968, Roy Jenkins and Tony Crosland urged Wilson to promote him, and he became an under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour, under the forthright Barbara Castle. His first task was to help implement the unpopular Prices & Incomes Act, which sought to hold down wages to curb inflation. At the same time, Castle was trying to roll back the power of the Trade Unions. She outlined her proposals in a White Paper, In Place of Strife. Amongst other measures, it suggested a ballot was needed before strike action was taken. There was a bruising row in cabinet and Castle's plans collapsed, and Hattersley moved to the Ministry of Defence. In 1969, he was required to sign the order that sent British troops into Northern Ireland - while his boss, Denis Healey, recovered from a trip to hospital. Hattersley also disbanded the B Specials, the controversial reserve police force, replacing it with the Ulster Defence Regiment. In the 1970 general election, he held his seat but Labour was out of office and he spent all but five of the next 27 years in opposition. Hattersley was appointed shadow spokesman on foreign affairs, and became a keen supporter of the Common Market. And he was one of 69 Labour MPs who voted, with the Conservative government, in favour of British entry - an issue that would split the Labour Party for the next two decades. When Labour regained power in 1974, Hattersley was made minister of state for foreign affairs. His primary task was the renegotiation of the terms of British membership of the EEC - the organisation that later became the European Union. In 1976, he supported Jim Callaghan in the leadership election, and was appointed secretary of state for prices and consumer protection. But three years later, Labour was swept out of office following the industrial strife of the Winter of Discontent, and the Conservatives held power for the next 18 years. Hattersley became shadow minister for the environment and helped organise Denis Healey's unsuccessful leadership campaign. But Labour was ideologically split down the middle, and it was the candidate of the left, Michael Foot, who won. Hattersley was appointed shadow home secretary. Despite believing that the Labour left was leading the party to oblivion, he refused join many of his political soulmates, who had left to form the centrist SDP. In 1983, Labour stood on a leftwing manifesto and was soundly defeated. In the aftermath, Hattersley stood for the leadership but was defeated by Neil Kinnock - and settled for the post of deputy leader. Together, the so-called "dream ticket" worked to eradicate Militant - a Trotskyite far-left group - in the hope of making Labour electable again. This meant throwing out policies previously seen as party shibboleths, but victory remained elusive. After two election defeats, both Hattersley and Kinnock resigned. They had rejected unilateral disarmament, accepted that Britain's future lay in Europe, stopped short of full-throated support of the miners' strike, and spoke warmly about the market economy. But it had not been enough. Hattersley supported John Smith in his successful bid for the leadership, but - having turned 65 - left Parliament at the 1997 election. He was created a life peer, Baron Hattersley of Sparkbrook, and - having done so much to pave the way for New Labour - promptly became one of its most visible critics. "Blair's Labour party is not the party I joined", he declared and publicly backed Gordon Brown. But when Brown finally entered No 10, Hattersley continued the offensive claiming that Labour had managed to alienate all sections of society. "By attempting to be all things to all voters," he wrote, "it seems to have lost both its moral compass and its nerve." Away from Parliament, Hattersley was a prolific author. He published a number of autobiographical books, as well as biographies of John Wesley and William and Catherine Booth, the founders of the Salvation Army. After widespread press coverage of an incident when his dog killed one of the Queen's geese in St James's Park, Hattersley produced Buster's Diaries, purportedly written by the animal itself. A dedicated supporter of Sheffield Wednesday, he continued to write for newspapers and magazines, and was a frequent political pundit on radio and television - where he was critical of New Labour and Tories alike. Following his failure to honour a number of commitments to appear on the BBC's topical quiz show, Have I Got News For You, he was once replaced by a tub of lard - something he took in good part when he finally made an appearance. He took the same relaxed view about his latex puppet in the satirical series, Spitting Image, which mocked his slight speech impediment and sprayed saliva when it spoke. In 2013, he separated from Molly, his first wife, after 57 years of marriage. Later that year, he married Maggie Pearlstine, his literary agent. Five years later, he retired from the House of Lords - briefly re-entering the political fray after the Brexit referendum, when he helped campaign for a second vote. Entering his tenth decade, he remained alert and politically engaged, opining that he thought Sir Keir Starmer would be a "steady" prime minister after the 2024 general election. Hattersley once joked that Margaret Thatcher changed the political weather, and "it hasn't stopped raining since". And because of her, he never had the opportunity to serve in one of the great offices of state. It was hugely frustrating for him not to have been able to implement the policies in which he passionately believed. And instead, he will be remembered for reforming the Labour party, when many like-minded colleagues left it.

Defending the realm is supposed to be a prime minister's first priority. Yet Sir Keir Starmer is accused by two departing defence ministers of failing to provide the means to meet that vital aim. So who is right? Is the government not doing enough to keep us safe? Or is this merely a Whitehall spending row that has gone catastrophically wrong? The government currently allocates about £66bn for defence. That supports the UK's armed forces which remain highly regarded by friend and foe alike. The money also pays for the nuclear deterrent. The UK is surrounded by water and has strong allies. All of these factors contribute to keeping us safe. But successive governments have struggled to get a grip on defence spending. They spent less after the Cold War ended and failed to spend more as the world became more dangerous. As a result, the army, navy and air force contracted. To its many critics, the Ministry of Defence failed to spend well what money it got, botching procurement after procurement, delivering new equipment late and over budget. Whitehall often failed to resolve its internal tensions, both No 10 and Cabinet Office unable - or too weak - to manage repeated rows between Treasury and MoD. What is different about this row is its context. The world is changing fast. The nature of the threat against the UK is changing. Less immediate concern about non-state actors and militant groups such as al-Qaeda or ISIS. More focus instead on state-on-state aggression such as from Russia and Iran. That threat is increasing. In his letter replying to John Healey's resignation, the prime minister wrote: "The world today is more dangerous and uncertain than at any point in our lifetimes". The nature of warfare is also changing. Less need, perhaps, for traditional armour and ships. More focus on drones, cyber, space and technology as the wars in Ukraine and the Gulf have shown. What matters is the mass production of cheap and lethal projectiles that are adapted in real time, not long-term investment in big and vulnerable platforms that become outdated fast. And all this is happening at a time when the United States has made it clear that it is no longer prepared to subsidise the defence of its European allies, demanding they finally meet their Nato spending targets. These factors have made the need to spend more on defence more pressing. In response, the government made bold promises. The UK spent 2.3% of gross domestic product – or national output – on defence last year. Labour says that will rise to 2.5% by next year. And then, it promised to increase spending further, along with other Nato allies, to 3.5% of GDP by 2035. At the Munich security conference in February, the prime minister pledged: "We are going to have to spend more faster". The government has also been ambitious in the commitments it has promised allies: to deploy land forces to Ukraine after a future ceasefire; to lead a multinational force protecting the Strait of Hormuz if the fighting ends; to provide Nato with a strategic reserve corps; to lead the alliance's defence of the High North and Arctic. The accusation against Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is that they were and are not willing to find the money to meet these targets and commitments. Justin Crump, CEO of the Sibylline risk intelligence firm, told Forces News: "The government is not prepared to put its money where its mouth has been." The delayed "defence investment plan" was supposed to deliver the money to meet the shopping list set out in last year's "strategic defence review". But earlier this year, the defence chiefs warned ministers they needed an additional £28bn over the next four years simply to meet existing commitments. This infuriated No 10 and the Treasury which had believed the SDR commitments could be fully funded by existing budgets. Since then, a furious Whitehall battle saw that number reduced first to £18bn. Now it has reportedly settled somewhere around £13bn. Healey resigned because he did not think that was enough. As he wrote to the PM: "I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our Forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe." To get a sense of the shortfall, consider this: the Treasury is currently thinking of giving the MOD an extra £13bn or so over the next four years . Bee Boileau, a research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, told me recently that that was what would be needed every year for the government simply to get defence spending up to 3% of GDP by 2030. In his resignation letter, John Healey said: "I am certain that a headmark date for 3% of GDP on defence in 2030 is what Britain must set. This commitment would have strong cross-party support. Other European allies are stepping up in this way." Last week the prime minister said publicly that UK intelligence believed "there could be an attack by Russia on Nato as soon as 2030". One senor defence figure told me that if that were true, "then we should be doubling spending". So in the absence of a defence investment plan, huge uncertainty remains. Defence firms are struggling, some even going bust, because contracts have been repeatedly put on hold. Each of the three services face uncertainty over what weapons, equipment and resources they may get. The modernisation of the nuclear deterrent, with new submarines and warheads, may be protected. So too may be plans for new attack submarines via the Aukus partnership with the US and Australia. But will the army get a full roll out of its new AI digital targeting system? Will it have to temper its orders of the long-delayed and ill-fated Ajax armoured fighting vehicle? Will the navy get its hybrid fleet of uncrewed ships? Will its programme to renew its frigates face further delays? Will the RAF get as many 6th generation fighter jets as it wants? Will it have to cut orders for F35 warplanes? Will the services be able to restock their arsenals of missiles and munitions, much of which have been given to Ukraine? And crucially, will the armed forces get what they need for future wars? In his resignation letter, Al Carns said: "We are still purchasing capability suitable for the last war while our adversaries arm for the next one." In particular, will the military get the drones and integrated air defence systems they need to defend the UK's skies from the kind of threat experienced not just by Ukraine but also the Gulf? A decision of some sort is needed soon to avoid further damage to Britain's reputation overseas. Next week new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis will meet his Nato counterparts in Brussels. They will want to know what he plans to do to resolve this crisis. They know the UK is slipping down the alliance's spending targets. They also know the UK is, according to defence insiders, almost at the bottom of the Nato leaderboard for meeting its capability targets. Next month, at a summit in Turkey, the prime minister will himself have to face fellow Nato leaders, including Donald Trump, and set out what money he is prepared to spend on defence. They may be hard conversations.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he will quit as Labour Party leader, paving the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister. Speaking in Downing Street, Sir Keir said he accepted he was not best placed to lead Labour into the next general election and he had informed the King of his decision to step down. Sir Keir added he has asked Labour's governing body to set out a timetable to replace him, with nominations opening on 9 July and ending by the summer recess on 16 July. He said if there was a contest then a new leader would be in place before Parliament returns in September, and he will "do everything" he can to ensure an "orderly" transition of power. Sir Keir said he would remain as prime minister until the leadership contest is complete. He added he would also give his successor "my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago". Andy Burnham is regarded by many as the frontrunner to replace Sir Keir after he secured an emphatic win over his Reform UK rival in last week's Makerfield by-election . Burnham announced on Monday that he would put himself forward as a candidate in the leadership contest, before he boarded a train to London to take his parliamentary seat. His chances were given an immediate boost by former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who had been viewed as his main rival, offering his backing to the former Greater Manchester mayor. Speaking to the BBC as he arrived at Euston station, Burnham praised Sir Keir's "dedication and service". Asked if he would call a general election in the event that he became prime minister, he replied: "You're jumping several hurdles ahead. My priority is to be sworn in as the MP for Makerfield." On being formally sworn in as an MP in the House of Commons, Burham was greeted by loud cheers from Labour benches and a few heckles from the opposition, with one MP shouting: "He's not the messiah." Sir Keir was elected leader of the Labour Party in April 2020 and became prime minister on 5 July 2024 following Labour's landslide general election victory. He will leave Downing Street as the shortest-serving Labour prime minister in history. His period in office will last longer than his Conservative predecessors Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss but behind all six previous Labour prime ministers. Sir Keir's decision to step down also means the UK will soon have its seventh prime minister since 2016. Speaking at a lectern in Downing Street, Sir Keir said his party had asked "whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election". He said: "I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace." Sir Keir was accompanied by his wife, Victoria, as he walked out to deliver his resignation speech at 09:30 BST in the blazing sunshine. Watched by his supporters, colleagues and No 10 staff, Sir Keir's voice cracked with emotion as he spoke of what his focus will be on next. He said: "When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job: being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife Vic, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad; and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and my joy." The sound of Beethoven's Ode to Joy could be heard playing in the background as Sir Keir delivered his speech, with the EU anthem being played by a protester. Sir Keir once described it as the piece of music that best "sums up" his party, telling Classic FM in 2023 that the symphony had a "sense of destiny and is hugely optimistic... it's that sense of moving forward to a better place". Chancellor Rachel Reeves paid tribute to Sir Keir for helping to "build a stronger, more secure Britain", saying the pair had "achieved a lot together to be proud of, and there is more to do". Former Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said "history will remember not just the challenges he faced but the achievements he oversaw", as she pointed to reforms to employment and leasehold legislation. Burnham thanked Sir Keir for his leadership and said the country now expects "stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get". Announcing his widely-expected decision to stand in the leadership contest, he wrote on X: "People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation." Streeting had previously outlined his intention to join any Labour leadership contest ", but on Monday said he had "spoken at length with Andy in recent days" and called on colleagues to back Burnham. Streeting said he was convinced that Burnham "is committed to building an inclusive party that draws on the best of our political traditions" and that he "can win the fight of our lives against the force of nationalism". Sir Keir had spent the weekend mulling over his future at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence in Buckinghamshire. Pressure from within Labour had been mounting on Sir Keir to outline a timetable for his departure following Burnham's victory in the Makerfield by-election. Discontent towards Sir Keir's leadership had also been rising before a poor set of election results in England, Wales and Scotland in May . This included over his his decision to change direction on three major policies in a month after pressure from within his own party. Sir Keir's decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US also led to questions about his judgement and the wider Downing Street operation. Lord Mandelson was sacked after new information came to light about the depth of his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Sir Keir opened his resignation speech by defending his record in government, including on employment rights, immigration and child poverty. He also argued that he had changed Labour after inheriting a party that was "politically, financially and morally bankrupt". Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described Sir Keir as a "terrible prime minister" and attacked his policies, including the rise in employer National Insurance contributions and "giving up on real welfare reform". She wrote on X: "But the problem isn't just Starmer. "Labour MPs only want higher taxes to hand out more benefits, as the welfare secretary has pointed out. These are Labour's choices and their values, regardless of who is running the party." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the British people were "sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of prime ministers while nothing really changes". He said: "This time must be different. It can't just be about changing who's in Number 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country." Reform leader Nigel Farage demanded a general election, saying: "If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another thing coming." Green Party leader Zack Polanski said the country "needs a bold change of direction", adding Sir Keir "lost the confidence of the country because of his abject failure to challenge the power and wealth of an establishment".

Sir Keir Starmer has announced his resignation as Labour leader, heralding the end of his time in 10 Downing Street. He has said he will stay on as UK prime minister until his successor is in place. Pressure on the Labour leader had been building for a while, amid dire approval ratings for the party generally and him personally. His premiership was further destabilised earlier this year, after the release of documents by the US Department of Justice reignited a scandal over his decision to make Peter Mandelson his US ambassador. A damaging by-election defeat in February, where Labour lost a formerly safe seat to the Greens after Sir Keir blocked the then Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing, turned a series of local and national elections in May into a litmus test of his leadership. The results of those May elections were devastating, even worse than many in the party feared, prompting Wes Streeting to resign as health secretary as well as a clutch of more junior ministers. Sir Keir fought on, but his authority ebbed further when a long-simmering row behind the scenes over defence spending prompted Labour stalwart John Healey to resign as defence secretary earlier this month. Andy Burnham's decisive victory at the Makerfield by-election last week, where he successfully held off a challenge from Reform UK, cleared a path for him to return to Westminster and launch a formal leadership bid. After Burnham's election, Sir Keir initially insisted he would contest any leadership challenge - before concluding over the weekend that Labour MPs wanted someone else to lead them into the next general election. An official party timetable is yet to be announced, but in his resignation speech Sir Keir said contenders to replace him would have between 9 and 16 July to garner the necessary support to stand. The party's rulebook says candidates need to be nominated by 81 Labour MPs, as well as either 32 of Labour's 634 local branches, or three organisations affiliated to the party (including two trade unions). If more than one MP clears this threshold, there would then be a vote among party members and affiliated trade union supporters to pick a winner before Parliament returns from its summer recess on 1 September. But there are already signs that this may not be required. Burnham has confirmed he will be putting himself forward and is widely regarded as having more than enough support among Labour MPs to get on the ballot. But as yet no other Labour MP has said they will stand, whilst potential leadership rival Wes Streeting ruled himself out and threw his weight behind Burnham within hours of Sir Keir's resignation. If no other MP throws their hat in the ring, Burnham would automatically become Labour leader, allowing him to enter Downing Street as the UK's new prime minister as early as mid-July. The prospect of such a curtailed contest has already led to some calls from Labour MPs for Burnham, who has been out of Westminster for nearly a decade, to set out further details of his blueprint for office. It has also raised questions over how Sir Keir would achieve his stated desire to ensure an "orderly handover of power". The prime minister had promised to publish the defence spending plan that triggered Healey's resignation before a Nato leaders' summit on 7 July - but it is unclear whether that plan will now be pushed back yet again. And an EU summit planned for 22 July, at which Sir Keir had been due to unveil a series of agreements to "reset" the post-Brexit relationship with Europe, has already been postponed in the wake of Sir Keir's announcement. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Few politicians have endured a more dramatic fall from grace than Sir Keir Starmer. Less than two years ago, he was celebrating a landslide general election victory and was seemingly set to dominate British politics for years to come. Now he has been ejected from power by his own party and instead of ushering in a "decade of national renewal," as he had promised, he is contemplating a return to the back benches. In an emotional resignation speech, delivered at a lectern outside his Downing Street front door, he said his party had asked "whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election". "I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace." The scale of Labour's victory in 2024 puts Sir Keir in very rarefied company - only two previous Labour leaders, Tony Blair and Clement Attlee, had managed to win elections with three-figure parliamentary majorities. But it was achieved on an historically low share of the national vote, and Sir Keir's popularity with the electorate nosedived within weeks of him arriving in Downing Street, after a series of mis-steps and policy U-turns, and never really recovered. The fact that he will go down now in history as Labour's shortest-serving prime minister will be a bitter pill for him to swallow. Sir Keir Starmer was always an unusual Labour leader. He had come late to politics, only becoming an MP in his 50s after a high-flying career in law. Unlike most of his predecessors, he had not spent decades honing his political skills and building alliances with colleagues. It was not always clear where he stood on the political spectrum. He saw this lack of baggage as a strength, once boasting that there would never be such a thing as Starmerism. But the growing army of critics among his own MPs felt that he lacked a clear ideology and was, simply, not very good at politics. He had set out his stall as a sensible, pragmatic leader who would always act in the national interest - a serious man for serious times. His procedural, methodical style was summed up by his Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who dubbed him "Mr Rules". But his opponents claimed he lacked the communication skills to get Labour's message across. In an age when authenticity and emotion dominate politics, he could come across as stiff and wooden. In his election victory speech outside 10 Downing Street in 2024, Sir Keir promised to restore trust in politics and return the country to "calmer waters". Signalling a clean break with what he had called the chaos and sleaze of the Tory years, he vowed to "restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives and unite our country". But what followed was one of the shortest honeymoon periods in British political history. The new prime minister and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, spent their early days in Downing Street warning that the scale of the economic problems they had inherited from the Conservatives was far worse than they had expected. Taxes would have to rise. Sir Keir later admitted that this had been a mistake and they should have given voters more hope. But it was the government's decision, in July 2024, to axe winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners, which pollsters would later identify as the moment Sir Keir's personal ratings began to go into freefall. John McTernan, political strategist and former adviser to Tony Blair, told the Financial Times: "You get one chance to make a first impression. People looked at that and thought 'Now you've told us who you are'. Anger has curdled into contempt." Sir Keir did a U-turn on winter fuel payments in May last year, by which time he had established a pattern of reversing policies that had not gone down well with the public or his own, increasingly mutinous, MPs. The most frequent complaint was that Sir Keir lacked a strong enough sense of purpose, that he did not know what he wanted to achieve with power. This was despite a series of relaunches and the setting out of "missions" and milestones" for his government to achieve a fairer, more prosperous Britain. In speeches and interviews, he would speak about his burning desire for social justice, and how his humble origins had shaped his political beliefs. Born in Oxted, Surrey, his Labour-supporting parents named him after the party's first leader, Keir Hardie. In September 2022, when he was still in opposition, he told the BBC: "My dad worked in a factory and my mum worked as a nurse, and I actually do know what it is like to sit around the kitchen table not being able to pay your bills. "I remember our utilities, our phone being cut off because we couldn't pay the bill, so I know what is going through people's minds." References to his father being a toolmaker became something of a running joke in his speeches, but he also spoke movingly about his mother, who suffered from Still's Disease, a rare form of inflammatory arthritis which eventually left her unable to walk or eat. He excelled at school and became the first in his family to go to university, studying law at Leeds University and later Oxford. A high-flying career as a human rights lawyer followed. His political opponents claim he defended some of the worst in society - yet he was also appointed Director of Public Prosecutions in 2008, responsible for dragging thousands of criminals to court every week across England and Wales. He was later awarded a knighthood for his time in office. It was through his job he met his wife, Victoria, who now works in occupational health for the NHS. The couple married in 2007 and have two children. He had entered politics at the age of 52, when in 2015 he was elected to the safe Labour seat of Holborn and St Pancras in north London. His first front bench role was shadow immigration minister under Jeremy Corbyn. He was among dozens of shadow ministers who resigned in the aftermath of the 2016 Brexit referendum in an attempt to oust Corbyn. In his resignation letter, Sir Keir - who had supported Remain - said the referendum result was "catastrophic for the UK" and a new leader was needed to address the challenge of Breixt. However, when Corbyn survived the leadership challenge, Sir Keir returned to serve as his shadow Brexit secretary. After Corbyn quit following the disastrous 2019 general election, Sir Keir won the contest to replace him. He won over party members on a left-wing platform which included pledges to renationalise the water industry and scrap university tuition fees. Almost all of these promises were abandoned when he got the job, with him arguing that Labour's policies must be affordable to win the trust of voters. And he later turned on Corbyn, throwing him out of the party for suggesting the scale of antisemitism under his leadership was overstated and barring him from standing as a Labour candidate. He initially struggled to make an impact as Labour leader, after winning the contest in the middle of a Covid lockdown, delivering his victory speech in a video message from an empty room. But his lowest ebb in opposition came after the 2021 Hartlepool by-election, when the former Labour stronghold fell to the Conservatives for the first time in its history. Sir Keir seriously considered standing down but was persuaded by aides and his wife to stay on. Chris Ward, a former close aide, told Starmer's biographer Tom Baldwin: "Keir kept saying that he felt he would have to go, that the result showed the party was going backwards and he saw it as a personal rejection. I told him it was far too soon for that kind of thing, but it was a rocky few hours." Starmer himself is reported to have told friends: "I'm not fulfilling some lifelong dream here. I could happily work in the bookshop or something." But not long after, Labour's fortunes began to change. Helped by public anger over parties at Downing Street during the pandemic and the economic turmoil of Liz Truss's mini-Budget, Labour saw its poll ratings rise. When the general election came in 2024, Sir Keir's strategy of ditching Corbyn-era policies and presenting Labour's priority as economic stability paid off. He fought the 2024 election campaign on a single word slogan: change. And he put his own political brand - steady, competent and embodying the highest moral standards - front and centre. But it did not take long for the shine to come off Sir Keir's squeaky clean image. Just three months into his premiership, he paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality he had received since becoming PM, including tickets to see Taylor Swift. While within the rules, reports of ministers accepting thousands of pounds worth of freebies from wealthy donors did not sit well with the public. The row contributed to the resignation of Sir Keir's chief of staff, Sue Gray, who had been tasked with preparing Labour for government and then delivering on its priorities. Gray's critics blamed her for the dysfunction of the Downing Street operation in its early months. But the resignation was also the result of an internal power struggle between Gray and the man who would replace her: Morgan McSweeney, who had masterminded Labour's 2024 election victory. While Sir Keir faced troubles at home, he won praise for how he navigated the world stage. He built an unlikely friendship with US President Donald Trump, as well as playing a leading role among European countries in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. However, his focus on foreign affairs and the frequency of his trips abroad also led critics to label him "never here Keir". The special relationship between the UK and the US became increasingly strained after Sir Keir refused to be drawn into the war with Iran - although polling suggested the PM's approach had the backing of voters. On the domestic front, Sir Keir faced strikes by doctors, while the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats continued to rise. Despite having made economic growth his top priority, it remained sluggish and effects of wars in Ukraine and Iran intensified the the cost-of-living pressures facing the country. This challenging backdrop, as well as missteps by the government, were exploited by Reform UK, which overtook Labour in the polls in spring 2025 and has maintained its lead since then. In May last year, Nigel Farage's party saw electoral success at the expense of Labour, winning control of its first councils and mayoralties, as well as the Runcorn and Helsby by-election. Rumblings over Sir Keir's leadership continued to grow as his personal poll ratings hit record lows. In the autumn, the government was rocked by the sacking of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner for failing to pay enough tax when buying a flat. Speculation Sir Keir could face a leadership challenge continued, as allies of the prime minister told journalists he would fight any attempts by Labour MPs to remove him. The row over Lord Mandelson's appointment reignited after the latest tranche of documents released by the US as part of the Epstein Files unearthed new evidence of the depth of the relationship between the pair. The scandal led to the resignation of Sir Keir's chief of staff McSweeney, who had been pushing for Lord Mandelson to get the job of US ambassador despite his continued friendship with Epstein being public knowledge at the time. But it was also the beginning of the end for Sir Keir himself. Anger bubbled over again when it emerged Lord Mandelson was given security clearance for the role, despite concerns being raised by vetting officials. Although Sir Keir was not made aware of this until April, it led to accusations he misled Parliament when he claimed "full due process" was followed during the appointment. The saga also raised further questions about Sir Keir's grip over the Downing Street operation and his judgement in appointing Lord Mandelson in the first place. While he hung on for several more weeks, the PM's authority was ebbing away. Some polls suggested he was the most unpopular prime minister in British history. It was not clear to Sir Keir and his inner circle quite why he was so disliked by voters, although polling guru Sir John Curtice pointed out that the public had never taken him to their hearts, even before the 2024 election. "Sir Keir Starmer has never been a popular leader," said Curtice. Jonathan Hinder, Labour MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, told the Times: "The sense you pick up from conversations with voters is that Keir simultaneously doesn't stand for anything and yet is incredibly sanctimonious, his style embodying the HR proceduralism that people can't stand from their workplace." Election results in May - which saw Labour kicked out of power in Wales, suffer its worst ever result in the Scottish Parliament and lose almost 1,500 councillors in England - were the final straw for many of the party's MPs. More than 100 of them went public with calls for him to stand down, and Wes Streeting quit as health secretary, criticising the government's "drift" and lack of "vision". Starmer dug in, promising bolder action and arguing that the country was starting to turn the corner under his leadership, with NHS waiting lists falling and reductions in legal migration and small boat crossings. He announced plans for a ban on social media for under 16-year-olds - seen as an attempt to secure a political legacy - and his supporters pointed to initiatives like more free breakfast clubs in schools as evidence that the government was tackling the cost of living. Above all, he warned against plunging the country into the chaos and instability of a leadership campaign. But Streeting was by now openly campaigning to replace him. A further blow came when his widely-respected defence secretary John Healey resigned in protest over defence spending plans. However, it was the return to Westminster of Andy Burnham that proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Sir Keir's premiership. Burnham, who had long coveted the top job, fought the Makerfield by-election with the aim of becoming an MP again so he could challenge for the Labour leadership. His resounding defeat of Reform UK in an area that had just voted for Farage's party in local elections was seen by many Labour MPs as proof that he was the man to lead their party into the next general election. In his resignation speech, Sir Keir did not mention his would-be nemesis by name, and announced that there would now be a contest to select a new Labour leader. It remains to be seen if any other candidates emerge. Standing at the lectern outside his front door, he said: "Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life." There was little hint of bitterness in his brief address, as he listed what he had achieved in the past two years in his familiar dry style and promised to give his successor his full support. It was only as he came to the end of his speech that the emotion so rarely seen during his time in office bubbled to the surface. "When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife, Vic, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad, and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and my joy." Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon is to team up with ex-Conservative minister Michael Gove in a new reality television show. Sturgeon will serve as deputy prime minister, with Gove as prime minister, at the head of a fictional UK government at war with Russia. The four-part Sky TV show, The Wargame, will also feature former Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy as foreign secretary and ex-Tory MP Dame Penny Mordaunt as defence secretary. The cross-party cabinet will hold Cobra-style emergency meetings following a fictional Russian attack on UK soil. Sky's Phil Edgar-Jones said the show would "challenge some of the most experienced political and military minds in the country to imagine how they might respond under threat of war". He added: "At a time when we are facing increasing threats from all sides, this series couldn't be more timely." Sturgeon's appearance on the show has been announced following her estranged husband's admission that he embezzled more than £400,000 from the SNP - prompting criticism from political opponents. Peter Murrell, who served as SNP chief executive for more than 20 years, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to using the funds to buy goods including cars, a motorhome and cosmetics. Sturgeon has denied any knowledge of his crimes and said she was "deceived, betrayed and lied to" by Murrell. Tory Douglas Lumsden, the newly elected Aberdeen South MP, said: "Eyebrows will be raised at Nicola Sturgeon's decision to cash in on a lucrative TV show while her ex-husband awaits sentencing for defrauding SNP members out of at least £400k. "This new series claims to put the sharpest political minds to the test. Let's just hope they don't ask contestants to spot a giant motorhome parked a few feet away – or the former SNP leader could be heading for an early exit." Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: "This bizarre career move won't distract anyone from the unanswered questions Nicola Sturgeon has to answer about her husband's theft." Sturgeon has been asked to comment. The Wargame - to be aired in September - will also feature Labour's Baroness Harriet Harman as home secretary, Tory Baroness Sayeeda Warsi as attorney general and Labour Baroness Ayesha Hazarika as director of communications. Retired British Army general Sir Richard Barrons will serve as chief of defence staff and former diplomat Lord Kim Darroch will feature as national security adviser. The UK cabinet will be opposed by a team of Russia experts, led by British writer Keir Giles. There will also be international roles with Anthony Scaramucci playing the US secretary of state and Lord George Robertson as Nato secretary general.

Wales' first minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has called for a "new relationship" between his country's government and Westminster following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation. Ap Iorwerth spelled out a list of demands from the prime minister's successor including more powers for the Welsh government, and said the ability of his administration to engage had been hampered by turmoil in UK politics. Welsh Labour MPs told BBC Wales that Sir Keir, who announced on Monday that he remain in post until a new Labour leader is selected by the party in September , had done the right thing. Interim Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates praised the prime minister and said he had brought his party "back from oblivion". But Reform's Welsh leader Dan Thomas called for a general election, saying: "The public must decide who governs the country, not Labour members." After ap Iorwerth's Plaid Cymru toppled Welsh Labour in May's historic Senedd election , Sir Keir promised a meeting with the first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in June, but it has failed to materialise. Following the prime minister's resignation, ap Iorwerth said he was "disappointed" that the Welsh government's ability to engage with the prime minister had been "hampered by the turmoil in Westminster". In a statement, he said: "I wish Sir Keir Starmer well as he prepares to leave office. I would like to see his successor recognising that Wales needs a new relationship with Westminster, with a focus on greater powers, fair funding and respect for the democratic mandate delivered by the people of Wales. "My government and I will always seek a constructive relationship with whoever is in Number 10, but we have clear expectations that the respect agenda must work both ways." Plaid had promised at the Senedd election to negotiate further powers and cash for Wales, with many of the demands shared by Welsh Labour members in the Senedd, such as the devolution of justice. But none materialised under Sir Keir's tenure as prime minister. Welsh Labour MPs Tonia Antoniazzi and Ruth Jones told BBC Wales they both thought Sir Keir had "done the right thing". One Labour minister who did not wish to be named said "many" in the UK government had wanted Sir Keir to announce his departure. "It's never pleasant and sad for him personally, but the most important thing is to do what is best for the country - and this is," they said. Former first minister Mark Drakeford said he hopes Manchester mayor Andy Burnham will become prime minister, having campaigned together in the recent Makerfield by-election which saw Burnham elected as an MP . "I think he has an ability to persuade people in this country to have some hope again about the future," Drakeford said. "People have lost faith in the possibility of improvement." He said Burnham, who has announced he will stand to replace Sir Keir, has "seen devolution from both ends of the telescope" and had "run a major local authority and has seen devolution from that local perspective as well". But another Welsh Labour source added that while Burnham would need to engage with the Welsh government "in a positive and proactive way", he "also needs to be unafraid of calling them out". "Right now the Welsh government has a shopping list significantly larger than its wallet," the source said, saying he would need to help the government prioritise the cost-of-living crisis. In a press conference, ap Iorwerth said: "If it is Andy Burnham that is in Number 10, one would hope that his understanding of devolution, through his time as the mayor of Manchester, would perhaps give him a greater understanding of what the importance of getting devolution right is. "But whoever holds the key to 10 Downing Street, my asks will be the same." Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens described Sir Keir as "a man of dignity, duty and commitment to our country and our party". She said the prime minister "through sheer hard work, bravery and determination, he transformed our party, rebuilt public trust and led us to the greatest election victory in my lifetime". Interim Welsh Labour leader Skates said Sir Keir had "brought our party back from oblivion and delivered one of the greatest victories the Labour Party has seen", noting his delivery of an increase to the minimum wage and announcement of £14bn for rail in Wales . "He has led the country through exceptionally tough times with dignity and authenticity and I want to put on record my deepest thanks to him," Skates said. He said he would back Burnham if there was a contest. Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick said a change in prime minister "won't change much unless Labour finally confronts the structural problems that continue to hold Wales back". Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar said despite Sir Keir's exit "Labour's failures do remain". "The very last thing that Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom needs at this moment time is another Labour leader who won't stand up to Labour MPs on welfare, energy, defence spending and action on the cost of living," he said.

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Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says he is "proud" of his work with Sir Keir Starmer after the prime minister announced he would resign. Sarwar was the first major Labour figure to call for Starmer to quit , arguing in February that "too many mistakes" had been made by the UK government. Newly elected MP Andy Burnham is in pole position to succeed the prime minister after winning the Makerfield by-election. Responding to Starmer's announcement, Sarwar praised him while saying he had made "missteps". Sarwar told BBC Scotland News: "I will always be proud that together. We got rid of the Tories after 14 years of misrule, that a Labour government helped end austerity, lifted half a million children out of poverty and secured shipbuilding on the Clyde for a generation. "That's something that no-one can take away from Keir Starmer, that's a legacy he can be proud of." He added: "Were there missteps? Yes, but I think Keir Starmer is always trying to act in what he thought was the best interest of the country." Sarwar called for the party to "move very quickly to focusing on the issues they were elected to do - and that's delivering for the great people of this country". He refused to back any potential leadership candidates, saying he would wait to see their proposals. Sarwar had called for the prime minister to resign in the run up to the Holyrood election, aiming to distance Scottish Labour from the unpopular Westminster administration. However, cabinet ministers rallied around Starmer at the time and Scottish Labour subsequently endured a poor Holyrood election result. Sarwar refused to be drawn on whether he believed that his party's performance would have been better if the prime minister had stepped down earlier. Sarwar repeatedly butted heads with Downing Street following Labour's landslide general election victory - including disagreements over winter fuel payments for pensioners, Starmer's comments about Israel and the two-child benefits cap. The prime minister confirmed he would remain in office until Labour chooses a new leader, which he said would happen by the time parliament returns from recess in September. The appointment could happen sooner if the party gets behind one candidate without the need for a contest. Shortly after Starmer's statement, Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander backed Burnham to succeed him. He told BBC Radio 4's World at One that Burnham was a proven winner and "one of the most experienced political leaders in Britain today". Alexander refused to confirm whether he had asked Starmer to step down. First Minister John Swinney said Starmer had made the correct decision. "It was past time for him to face reality and the fact he now has allows some hope that things can change," he said. "However, rather than simply a change of personnel, what is needed is a fundamental change of direction. Labour's time in power has been characterised by broken promises, poor judgement and, ultimately, failure." Swinney said a "fresh start" was possible for Scotland, "but only with independence". Scottish Green co-leader Gillian Mackay argued there was no reason to believe that Burnham would fare any better as prime minister. She said: "The problem isn't the person behind the wheel. It is a party that once worked to serve the interests of working people but now serves only the interests of billionaires and their corporate donors." Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said Starmer would be "remembered as the prime minister of U-turns and broken promises".

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Sir Keir Starmer has announced he is stepping down as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, here is his resignation speech in full: Thank you. Thank you. Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. A page in our country's history turned after years of disappointment and despair. The chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That's what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy. Six years ago, I inherited a Labour Party that was politically, financially and morally bankrupt. I was told, time and time again, that my party was finished. That we were consigned to history, that a majority at the general election, let alone a landslide majority, was impossible. But we proved those people wrong because we changed our party. Ripping out the poison of antisemitism, restoring trust on the economy, defence, and national security. And becoming a party that, once again, stood proudly with, not against, our national flag. The hard work of change was with a singular purpose. Not power for power's sake but to change Britain for the better. To build a fairer country, with dignity and respect, where everyone is seen, everyone is valued. Wealth and opportunity for all, not just the privileged few. And look at what we've achieved in just two years. An economy that is stronger, growing faster than our peers. Wages rising faster than inflation in every single month since we came to power. Investment secured, infrastructure being built. An end to austerity, with the fastest fall in NHS waiting lists for 17 years. The biggest improvement in rights for workers and renters in a generation. The biggest uplift in defence spending since the Cold War. Small boat crossings falling, asylum hotels closing, protecting young people from social media, and half a million children being lifted out of poverty because of the choices that I made. Our reputation in the world restored, with Britain once again standing up for decency, respect and the rule of law. Securing trade deals, standing with Ukraine, standing up for our values, and rebuilding our relationship with our allies in Europe. Change promised by a Labour government. Change fought for by a Labour government, change delivered by a Labour government. But I know the question being asked now is not who was best placed to change the Labour Party, to take us into power, and to begin the vital work of improving lives for millions of people. Those questions have been answered. The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace. Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision. I will ask the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party to set out a timetable with nominations opening on 9 July and completed by the summer recess. In the case of a contest, this will ensure a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September. I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power. I will also give my successor my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago, better prepared for the challenges ahead, and better able to ensure the Labour Party secures a second term in office. I want to thank all of those friends and colleagues who have been at my side for these past six years or so for their incredible commitment, service and support. I want to thank the brilliant No 10 staff and our country's extraordinary civil service, who dedicate their lives to public service. And when I leave, the biggest job in the country. I shall spend more time on the most important job. Being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife, Vic, who has been a rock by my side, through good times and bad. And being the best dad I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and my joy. Thank you very much.

After losing the confidence of his MPs and key members of his Cabinet, Sir Keir Starmer appeared outside Downing Street on Monday to announce his resignation as prime minister. BBC Verify looks at the record of his time in government in key areas from immigration to energy bills since he took office in July 2024. In August 2024, just a month after taking office, a YouGov poll suggested that only 36% of people thought Sir Keir was doing well as prime minister and 43% said he was doing badly, giving him a net popularity rating of minus 7. This month 74% said he was doing badly, versus 18% who thought he was doing well, suggesting his net popularity had slipped to minus 56. Other polling from Ipsos suggests that Sir Keir's personal ratings among voters fell below his predecessors as prime minister in modern times, including Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson. Labour's manifesto pledged "to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7", made up of the US, the UK, Japan, France, Italy, Germany and Canada. There had been some progress. Between the second quarter of 2024 - just before Labour came to power - and the first quarter of 2026 data from the OECD suggests that the UK economy grew by 2.3% in total, faster than the rest of the G7, apart from the US which grew by 3.7% over that same period. And the UK economy did register the fastest growth among the G7 nations in the first quarter of 2026, when it expanded by 0.6%. But most forecasters do not expect this performance to last, partly because of the energy shock from the US conflict with Iran. The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest forecast suggests UK GDP growth over 2026 as a whole will fall to 0.8% in 2026, which would be lower than the forecast for the US (2.3%), Canada (1.5%) and France (0.9%). The IMF also projects weaker growth for the UK than the US and Canada in 2027. On small boats, Sir Keir pledged to "smash the gangs" behind them but these Channel crossings have continued under his premiership. Last year's total was the second highest after 2022's peak under the previous Conservative government and total crossing under his premiership have passed the milestone of 200,000 since 2018 . However, there are signs of a slowdown in the rate of arrivals. The number of crossings detected so far in 2026 is down 41% on the same period in 2025. Under Labour overall immigration to the UK and net migration (the difference between immigration and emigration) have both fallen significantly. In the most recent official estimates for 2025 net migration was 171,000, down 48% over the previous year and down from a peak annual rate of 944,000 in 2023, under the Conservatives. On health Sir Keir pledged that 92% of patients in England would be seen within 18 weeks by the end of the Parliament. The latest official data for April 2026 shows 65% of patients being seen within that time, up from 58.9% in June 2024, the month before Labour took office. The overall number of waits for treatment in England in April was 7.22 million, down from 7.62 million in June 2024, a decrease of 400,000. Labour promised to reduce average household energy bills by more than £300 over the course of the Parliament, but in reality bills have gone up. The latest domestic energy price cap set by Ofgem, the energy regulator, for the summer of 2026 is an annual rate of £1,862 for a typical household - in part reflecting the impact of global events like the Iran war. That's an increase of just under £300 on the £1,568 price cap that was in place in the summer of 2024, which Labour inherited. Sir Keir attempted to curb the rising working-age welfare bill, but was forced by his own backbenchers to retreat in June 2025. The latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) show the total UK welfare bill, which includes the state pension, rising from 10.7% of UK GDP in 2024-25 to 11.1% by 2029-30. A major driver of this increase is projected to be health and disability welfare payments to working-age adults, in particular more grants of Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The total working-age adult health and disability benefit bill is forecast to rise from £58.2bn in 2024-25 to £78.1bn in 2029-30. Sir Keir also legislated to remove the two-child limit on Universal Credit. The official impact assessment suggests that this will result in 450,000 fewer children in relative poverty - after housing costs - by the end of the Parliament than there otherwise would have been. Additional reporting by Tom Edgington, Becky Dale, Aidan McNamee, Jess Carr, Wesley Stephenson and Daniel Wainwright What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?