Search

Armed forces minister quits after Healey exit as defence funding row deepens

Starmer over funding for the military. Al Carns resigned on Thursday evening, writing to Sir Keir to tell him the government's defence investment plan (DIP) was "neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded". It came

Thames Water rescue deal threatened by uncertainty over next prime minister

Keir Starmer’s position](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/18/keir-starmer-not-setting-out-timetable-departure-david-lammy-andy-burnham-labour) as prime minister. Starmer’s most likely successor, the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, has talked about bringing utility companies under public control, with his supporters advocating

‘King of the North’: Who is Andy Burnham, a potential UK prime minister?

Keir Starmer, are reportedly being asked to stand aside should the 56-year-old mayor win a by-election. However, just how far outside the establishment is Burnham, what is his background, and what might

Energy bills, business rates and HS2: What are Burnham's potential policies?

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 to promise free summer bus rides for children and food tariff cuts in living costs package

Keir Starmer [announced that the government will postpone the planned increases in fuel duty](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/20/planned-fuel-duty-rise-to-be-scrapped-says-keir-starmer) that were due to take effect in September and December, and give lorry drivers free vehicle tax. Speaking

Friday briefing: Andy Burnham wins Makerfield byelection to set up possible leadership bid

Keir Starmer should agree to an “orderly and managed” handover of power. After a week in which Starmer doubled down on his vow to stay put as prime minister, despite more than 100 backbenchers having

‘Hold the line’: Burnham tells allies in parliament he still has options to return

funded Reform campaign there, and especially a focus on the town’s dark legacy of grooming gangs. Burnham’s allies had previously been confident they had potential seats in St Helens and Warrington

Plan to ban ‘private equity sharks’ from social care dropped, Wes Streeting says

challenges of our age” but an “absence of good political leadership” was holding back change. “In opposition, social care became a victim of our overcautiousness, which prohibited policy ideas from being floated for fear

Labour-supporting unions predict Starmer will not lead party into next election

Keir Starmer will not lead his party into the next general election, Labour-supporting unions have predicted, in an intervention that threatens to further destabilise the prime minister after a damaging few days

Burnham accuses Blair of ignoring inequality as he hits back at ex-PM

challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership if he wins a by-election later this month, [told the Observer](https://observer.co.uk/news/politics/article/andy-burnham-slams-tony-blair-for-ignoring-inequality-in-his-defence-of-radical-centre) Sir Tony "doesn't mention inequality once" in his critique of where

Burnham starts byelection campaign with thinly veiled pitch for No 10

fund](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/10/rachel-reeves-to-unveil-39bn-housing-boost-in-spending-review-shake-up) for affordable housing to council homes rather than allocating any to private developers. He reiterated [his broad support](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/20/burnham-to-back-shabana-mahmoods-immigration-changes-allies-say) for immigration changes spearheaded by Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary

Monday briefing: How is it possible the prime minister didn’t know about Mandelson’s vetting failure?

Keir Starmer, for Olly Robbins, and for the wider intelligence and security establishment – all of which is just starting to pan out. --- **What actually happened?** After Labour’s July 2024 election victory, Mandelson quickly

From tourist tax to digital ID: BBC correspondents on the key bills

leadership, Sir Keir Starmer has said he will "get on with governing" and the speech outlines his agenda for the next parliamentary session. Here, BBC correspondents analyse some of the potential new bills Sir Keir

Tuesday briefing: How the UK’s military spending row exposes Starmer’s defence dilemma

Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria, arriving in Geneva before the G7 meeting. Photograph: Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street There isn’t a lot of agreement about what Starmer has got right in government

‘An hour of abuse thrown at me’: Jeremy Corbyn on being the target of a Labour coup

Keir Starmer leaves Downing Street on 13 May with his wife, Victoria, whom he has described as ‘his rock’. Photograph: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock It was on the evening of Saturday 25 June in 2016, a couple

Are the Downing Street dominoes about to fall?

leadership contenders raring to go. But his record on security and managing foreign allies is often cited by the remaining Starmer loyalists as the reason he has to stay. "What does Andy know about defence

Tuesday briefing: With unease at home spreading, what next for Russia’s isolated leader?

fund a lavish personal lifestyle. 4. ***Cost of living*** | Higher prices could persist over the summer even if ceasefire talks between the US and Iran bear fruit, consumers have been warned, with [economic shock waves