Andy Burnham's first speech as the new Prime Minister, outside No.10 Downing Street, earlier today, struck exactly the right tone. After years of political instability, he spoke of restoring trust, rebuilding Britain, devolving power and creating a new economic and political model. It was hopeful, ambitious and refreshingly optimistic. Britain has been crying out for a politics that inspires rather than merely manages. One pledge particularly struck me: his commitment to make ending rough sleeping his first instruction as Prime Minister. It speaks to values I share about dignity and compassion. Yet it also comes with a note of caution. ...
Andy Burnham in 2012 (Photo: Andrew Page) Britain has a new Prime Minister. Andy Burnham becomes the seventh person to lead the country in little more than a decade, inheriting a nation that is weary not only of economic stagnation and overstretched public services but of politics itself. His first speech outside Number 10 recognised that reality with unusual honesty. "I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street... I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you and I want to be honest with ...
Judit Polgár, widely regarded as the strongest ever woman chess player, is to to be offered the presidency of Hungary. The Guardian reports that the Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar will meet Polgar to discuss the matter on Monday: "Our country needs unity, peace and a president that all Hungarians can be proud of," he wrote on social media. "Judit Polgár's name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades." The announcement by Magyar follows a months-long standoff between the newly elected leader and Tamás Sulyok, the president appointed during former leader Viktor Orbán's time in power. Since his ...
The British political establishment will be pulling off another stunning magic trick. With Sir Keir Starmer's departure from Downing Street, the Labour Party has crowned its new leader, and Andy Burnham will be going through the black door of 10 Downing Street on a regular basis. The flags will be red, the rhetoric will be unashamedly Labour, and the history books will record it as a victory for the governing party's soft-left faction. But if you ignore the partisan badges and look closely at the actual structural blueprint Burnham is bringing from Manchester to Whitehall, a fascinating question emerges: Are ...
"He's not the Messiah," a voice from the Conservative benches heckled during Andy Burnham's swearing-in. Quite right. Britain doesn't need another political saviour. We've spent far too long investing our hopes in the next charismatic leader, only to discover that no Prime Minister, however capable, can fix our beleaguered country with a laying on of hands. If I had 15 minutes with Andy Burnham as he crosses the threshold of Number Ten, I wouldn't expect him to work miracles to rescue Britain. Instead, I'd ask him to help build a Britain that no longer needs rescuing. 1. Redistribute power Power ...
The latest edition of the BBC's After Dark podcast deals with the R101 airship disaster of 1930: "It's like the Titanic, except you've never heard of it. And in a way, it's even weirder." So says today's guest, Cautionary Tales' host, Tim Harford, about the disastrous story he's taking Anthony and Maddy through. Airships were the ocean liners of the skies, and in the 1920s, Britain had ambitions to connect the Empire in this way. Until it all went tragically wrong. I blogged about this myself back in 2022. There I suggested that the way the victims of the disaster ...
One of the few clearly articulated commitments which Andy Burnham has made is "the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period". No sooner had he made the pledge than critics were lining up to pan it. The Economist, far from being Labour's fiercest critic, described it as "the wrong fix" and the council house system as "wasteful, unfair and a barrier to growth". Others have dismissed it as impractical, even if desirable, and a throwback to a bygone age. It is not clear if the Burnham pledge is to use councils – either mayoral combined bodies or single ...
Mon 20th
08:53
After the murder of Ann Widdecombe, we must all be more careful of the language we use in political ...
Like everyone else in the United Kingdom I was appalled at the death of Ann Widdecombe. Political Murders and political violence are not unknown in our country, just look at the 30 years of so-called troubles in Northern Ireland. We should also recall the deaths of three members of parliament over the last 30 years and the increased violence on our streets with demonstrations from the likes of Tommy Robinson and the extremists within the otherwise peaceful Gaza campaigns. I did not like Ann Widdecombe and I did not like the policies that she espoused. Over the past few years ...
In many ways, Andy Burnham's decision not to proceed with his predecessors digital ID scheme is a welcome evisceration of low-hangimg fruit. The programme was hugely problematic, expensive, a threat to civil liberties, and the embodiment of a touching faith in new technology to solve all our problems. As the Guardian reports, that the new Labour leader plans to redirect the resources earmarked for the scheme towards tackling the cost of living. However, the paper adds that it is unclear how much money the decision to scrap the controversial project will save as Starmer's government did not set out a ...
Alex Cole-Hamilton's recent article on LDV is right about one thing: Palestine should be run by Palestinians. Israelis, likewise, should determine their own future in peace and security. But that aspiration is not advanced by presenting a highly selective reading of history that assigns Britain primary responsibility for a century of conflict while overlooking the choices made by Palestinian leaders and the wider Arab world. The central premise of his article is that Britain deliberately prevented Palestinian self-determination and that today's conflict flows principally from decisions taken during the Mandate. That is a powerful political narrative. It is also an ...
We're used to stories of rural primary schools closing, but yesterday the Guardian had something different: a report on the uncertain fate of Soho Parish C of E primary school: Sandwiched between a strip club, a West End theatre and a pub might not be the most obvious location for a school but Soho Parish C of E primary has thrived for decades among the colourful charms of inner London. But in an area that once had 16 schools, Soho Parish is the last remaining and its time may soon be up, a victim of the post-Covid downturn and falling ...
Jonathan Simons fears that Labour have picked a new leader who communicates well, but whose instincts are wrong: "This easy, reflexive tilt back to the left being about class, and steel mills and coalfields and shipyards and dockyards, and Northern men in Northern towns, is politically weird in 2026." "Two weeks ago, the Sunday Times published a scoop: that Farage had failed to declare donations from George Cottrell, a convicted money launderer. In doing so, it thrust a new character on to the national stage. Only George Cottrell isn't a new character. He has operated at the highest levels of ...
At full council in Gateshead last week, the ruling Reform group put forward a motion calling for meetings to start at 4.30pm and be limited to a maximum of two hours. The aim of the changes is to make it easier for people to become councillors and attend meetings. So let's look at this in detail.In days gone by, most people would have worked standard 9 to 5 shifts. Daytime council meetings
Less than two months into Southwark's new Liberal Democrat-Green Joint Administration, we've secured an encouraging early win. One of our first decisions was to support the legal challenge against the Mayor of London's proposal to reduce the affordable housing threshold from 35% to 20%. That proposal has now been dropped. It is welcome news for everyone who believes London's housing crisis will not be solved by making fewer homes affordable. For us, this was about more than planning policy. It was about what kind of politics we want to practise. Southwark faces one of the most acute housing crises in ...
This is perhaps typical of the sort of track I hear on BBC Radio 6 Music and like. It's a little bit retro, stronger on melody than rhythm and involves white boys and guitars. Could it be that I'm getting old? Still, Song Bar likes it too: A crisp, catchy, acoustic sound with orchestral strings and their distinctive vocal harmony style sees a welcome return from the London-based art-rock quartet of David Maclean, Vincent Neff, James Dixon and Thomas Grace, heralding their upcoming sixth LP Doveland, out in November via Clouds Hill. Produced by Nick McCarthy (Franz Ferdinand), the title ...
With 34 candidates lined up to fight the Clacton by-election next month and with Nigel Farage the only one representing a party currently topping the opinion polls, it looks like the Reform UK leader will be back in the House of Commons in short order, all ready to face the music with the Standards Commissioner. But is it that straightforward? The Independent reports that Farage has, in the words of one constituent in Clacton, "gone full conspiracy theory" in explaining to voters there why he has called his surprise by-election: A look at the local Facebook pages and other forums ...