UK government borrowing overshoots expectations on day Burnham elected June 19, 2026 UK government borrowing jumped higher than expected than expected in May, official data has shown, with Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield now setting up a potential shift in public finance forecasts. The Office for National Statistics said the government’s net borrowing was £23.2bn in May, above economists’ £19bn prediction. Further government borrowing came as debt [...]
Burnham warns Labour of ‘final chance’ after Makerfield win June 19, 2026 Andy Burnham has warned Labour MPs they have a “final chance to change” after sweeping to victory in the Makerfield by-election and setting the stage for a leadership challenge against the Prime Minister. Allies of Burnham called on the Prime Minister to hand over power after he bucked a national slide in Labour’s popularity to [...]
City investors raise alarm on Burnham’s Chancellor pick June 18, 2026 Andy Burnham’s bid to return to parliament poses a risk to financial markets, City analysts have warned, as his next pick as Chancellor could heavily sway traders’ views. City analysts have said they will be closely watching out for developments on Friday as results from the Makerfield by-election emerge in the early hours of the [...]
War bonds to lift defence spending ruled out June 17, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out issuing defence bonds to fund an uplift in spending as a spokesperson said it was “just another form of borrowing”. In his absence at Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer’s deputy David Lammy appeared to open the door to defence bonds being created to fund a rise in spending. The Liberal [...]
Starmer: I would make Andy Burnham a Cabinet minister June 17, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has said he would offer Andy Burnham a “big role in government” if he is elected as an MP in the Makerfield by-election this week. The Prime Minister indicated that the current Manchester mayor would be given a Cabinet role as he said he had “spoken to him many times in recent [...]
Burnham’s focused on spending but at least Streeting’s thinking about growth June 17, 2026 So, what’s it going to be? An end to 40 years of neoliberalism or a future shaped by progressive capitalism? That, at least, is the choice represented by Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting. The former health secretary delivered an impressive speech yesterday, offering an alternative economic vision to the more left-leaning instincts of Labour’s candidate [...]
Healey condemns Reeves: ‘Our adversaries do not follow timetables set by the Treasury’ June 16, 2026 John Healey has delivered a stinging criticism of Rachel Reeves’ handling of defence spending, warning that the UK’s enemies “do not follow timetables set by the Treasury”. In his resignation speech in parliament, the former defence secretary took aim at Sir Keir Starmer and Reeves for failing to fully fund the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), [...]
Musk brands UK a ‘police state’ as Big Tech rebels against Starmer’s social media ban June 16, 2026 Elon Musk, Meta and Google’s YouTube have all attacked Keir Starmer’s planned social media ban for under-16s, warning the restrictions will drive teenagers towards less safe corners of the internet and create sweeping new surveillance powers. The backlash comes as ministers consider forcing Apple and Google to carry out age checks on millions of British [...]
Streeting attacks Burnham’s pledges as ‘appeal to party at expense of Brits’ June 16, 2026 Former health secretary Wes Streeting levelled a series of thinly-veiled attacks against Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, ahead of a crucial by-election that will likely set a Labour leadership contest in motion. In a speech in Tower Bridge in London, Streeting appeared to criticise Burnham’s political campaign in Makerfield in the weeks leading up to polling [...]
Thames Water on cusp of public ownership after ‘weak’ deal June 16, 2026 Thames Water is on the cusp of being placed in temporary public ownership after the government raised concern with a proposed £10bn rescue by its lenders. It was reported last night that the environment secretary Emma Reynolds had outlined a number of concerns to the industry regulator Ofwat ahead of a final decision on the [...]