The Guardian Politics

The Guardian view on Andy Burnham’s first week: polished politics allow an upbeat start | Editorial

With a flurry of cost-of-living measures and a day in Number 10 North, the new prime minister has hit the right early notesAppropriately enough, Andy Burnham ended a week of political signalling and first impressions back in Manchester on Friday. At the offices of the new No 10 North – where the prime minister hopes to work at least one day a week – regional mayors sat alongside ministers in an example of Burnhamism at work. It was an early statement of intent, ahead of what Mr Burnham

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

Martin Rowson on Andy Burnham’s first week as prime minister – cartoon

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politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

Scoff at cheaper bus fares and No 10 North if you like, but Andy Burnham knows what he’s doing | Jonathan Freedland

Retail politics while taking power out of London: if this works, Burnham’s premiership could be seriously transformationalOne of Andy Burnham’s first policy moves brought back a sharp memory. On Wednesday, he announced that single bus fares across England would be capped at £2, starting from January. It was part of a series of small, practical measures designed, said the new prime minister, to offer a little “breathing space” to a hard-pressed public, but this was the one that registered with me

politics  2d ago

BBC Politics

Green-led council 'won't assist immigration raids'

Lewisham has become the first council in the UK to refuse to assist Home Office immigration raids.

politics  2d ago

BBC Politics

Faisal Islam: The UK's Trump trade deal no longer looks world-beating

While the US tariffs imposed on the UK are effectively unchanged, other countries now have a better deal.

politics  2d ago

BBC Politics

Andy Burnham's first week pledges - how much do they add up to?

BBC Verify has looked at how much Burnham's new spending commitments cost and how they will be paid for

politics  2d ago

BBC Politics

Chris Mason: What his first week in power tells us about Andy Burnham

The fledgling Burnham administration has been seeking to find its feet and make a decent first impression at the same time, the BBC's political editor Chris Mason explains.

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

‘It’s generations of decline’: can Andy Burnham really end rough sleeping?

Outreach workers on the frontline of England’s homelessness crisis react to PM’s flagship policy pledgeUK politics live – latest updatesIt is close to midnight, as two outreach workers from Spear, a homelessness charity in south London, shine their torches around bushes on the edge of a Twickenham park.Suddenly they alight on an array of sleeping bags, airbeds, toilet rolls and plastic bags stuffed with belongings – a new rough sleeping encampment that has popped up in the last two days. Continu

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

Digested week: History shrugs off Keir and makes room for brilliant Kerr

A low-key PM leaves the stage briskly, while a breathtaking athlete misses out on the attention he deserves And so it was over. You normally get a bit more notice when a prime minister is about to deliver their resignation speech outside No 10. The buildup. The sense of occasion. Keir Starmer did things differently. Continue reading...

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

So many British people have it better than they think – it’s up to Burnham to make them see that | Polly Toynbee

A new survey suggests voters are becoming more cynical and pessimistic. A few goodwill gestures from No 10 won’t change all that – but it’s a startWho are we, the people Andy Burnham now governs? He inherits a miserable lot: grudging, angry pessimists, expecting the worst of all politicians, trusting no one to lead the country well, according to a long-running study. British folk feel the social contract is broken, they feel let down. Ignorant of basic facts, they are willfully misled by malevol

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

Burnham is acting like he’s mayor of everywhere – that’s not devolving power to local communities | Simon Jenkins

The new PM’s localism agenda doesn’t stop the UK being one of the most centralised counties in Europe. Can you imagine Meloni in charge of social care or Macron discussing buses?Was this a joke? Andy Burnham claimed on coming to office to be a localist. Not for the new prime minister the hotspots of the capital, of posh Downing Street and Whitehall. His were the squares of Manchester and the pavements of Wigan. The centre was the enemy of local democracy.Yet his first week in office has been con

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

The demographic makeup of Andy Burnham’s first cabinet – in charts

Women have half the seats at the top table for the first time, but Oxbridge maintains its gripAndy Burnham has appointed the first cabinet of his premiership. Much has been made of how key allies of his predecessor, Keir Starmer, have been demoted or sacked, but what is the demographic makeup of the new team of senior ministers, and how does it differ from other governments? Continue reading...

politics  2d ago

BBC Politics

Angela Rayner rules out rent controls in England

The housing secretary tells the BBC that the Renters Rights' Act is already having a significant impact on the market.

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

My generation shouldn’t be scared of a care tax – we’re paying one already | Gaby Hinsliff

If Andy Burnham is minded to grasp the nettle, he will need to sell it to people like me. The right will call it a ‘death tax’ – why not a levy for ageing well?One of the last things Andy Burnham did before entering Downing Street was to go and see his father.Now living in a nursing home, Roy Burnham has Alzheimer’s and isn’t really aware of his son’s new job. But perhaps the prime minister wanted, in part, to try to explain why he might not be visiting so often in future.Gaby Hinsliff is a Guar

politics  2d ago

BBC Politics

UK complacent about war threat, warns BAE boss

The threat of attack has never been higher, the boss of Europe's biggest defence contractor has warned. Dr Charles Woodburn

politics  2d ago

BBC Politics

Burnham to spend first day working from northern branch of No 10

Various ministers are also set to work regularly from the northern branch of Downing Street.

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

It’s not just a No 10 in the north, it’s an engine for growth throughout the whole UK | Andy Burnham

Power has been too centralised in Britain and tackling that is key to progress and prosperity. This initiative is ambitious: we’re remaking the stateAndy Burnham is prime minister of the United KingdomOn Monday, while the cameras were fixed on that famous black door in Downing Street, something important was happening 165 miles away. A small team of officials and advisers were walking into an office building in Manchester to set about the remaking of the British state.This was the beginning of N

politics  2d ago

The Guardian Politics

Take Centrica’s gas storage warning seriously – Britain still needs secure supplies | Nils Pratley

One task awaiting new energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is devising a plan to avoid a crisis by the end of the decadeWelcome to the energy secretary job, Miatta Fahnbulleh. You have a politically tricky decision to make on whether to approve production at the Jackdaw gasfield and the Rosebank oilfield. But here’s another one that can’t wait much longer: what’s the broader plan to ensure Britain avoids a gas supply crisis in 2030?By way of reminder, one of the more alarming reports published by

politics  3d ago

The Guardian Politics

Gary Lineker wants millionaires like him to pay wealth tax – The Latest

Millionaires including former footballer Gary Lineker are asking Andy Burnham to tax their wealth more. More than 100 UK-based millionaires have signed an open letter to the prime minister, saying: ‘We want you to tax us. We can afford it.’ So should the government introduce a wealth tax? And why is the idea getting more popular? Nosheen Iqbal speaks to columnist and senior economics commentator Aditya Chakrabortty – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

politics  3d ago

BBC Politics

Burnham on how he will fund business rates cut

The new prime minister was speaking after announcing a business rate cut for pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

politics  3d ago