Category: News Story

STORY

Labour MP Josh Simons has announced he will stand down from Parliament to allow Andy Burnham to contest a by-election in Makerfield, giving the Greater Manchester mayor a potential route back to Westminster during Labour’s leadership crisis.

Simons, who was elected as MP for Makerfield in 2024, said he was standing aside so Burnham could “return to his home” and seek election to Parliament. Burnham, who currently serves as mayor of Greater Manchester, has confirmed he will ask Labour’s National Executive Committee for permission to stand as the party’s candidate in the by-election.

The move is politically significant because Burnham cannot stand for the Labour leadership unless he is an MP. He has been widely discussed as a possible successor to Sir Keir Starmer, whose position has come under intense pressure after Labour’s poor local election results and a series of ministerial resignations.

Makerfield is not without risk for Labour. Simons won the seat in 2024 with a majority of 5,399 over Reform UK, and Nigel Farage has said Reform would put major resources into the contest. A Burnham victory would strengthen his claim to be a national Labour figure again, while a narrow result or defeat would be a damaging blow to his leadership prospects.

STORY

Wes Streeting has resigned as Health Secretary after saying he has lost confidence in Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership and believes the Prime Minister cannot lead Labour into the next general election.

In his resignation letter, Streeting said he was proud of his record at the Department of Health and Social Care, pointing to a fall of 110,000 in waiting lists in March, improved ambulance and A&E performance, the recruitment of 2,000 more GPs and increased public satisfaction with the NHS. He said those achievements would normally be strong reasons to remain in post, but that it would be “dishonourable and unprincipled” to do so after losing confidence in Starmer.

Streeting said Labour’s election defeats across England, Scotland and Wales were unprecedented in both scale and consequence. He warned that nationalist parties were now in power across the UK and said Reform UK represented a threat both to the integrity of the United Kingdom and to the values Labour should defend.

He blamed the Government’s unpopularity on a series of policy and political mistakes, including the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance and the Prime Minister’s “island of strangers” speech. Streeting said these had left voters unclear about who Labour was and what it stood for.

Although he praised Starmer for leading Labour to victory in 2024 and for showing “courage and statesmanship” on the world stage, he said the Government now lacked vision and direction. Streeting called for a broad leadership contest based on ideas rather than personalities or factionalism, saying Labour needed the “best possible field of candidates” to decide what came next.

STORY

The UK economy grew unexpectedly in March, delivering a boost for Rachel Reeves as the Chancellor argued that the Government’s economic plan was beginning to work. Official figures showed GDP rose by 0.3% in March, defying forecasts of a 0.2% contraction. The stronger-than-expected monthly figure helped the economy grow by 0.6% across the first quarter of 2026, up from 0.2% in the final quarter of 2025.

The growth was driven largely by the services sector, with computer programming and advertising among the areas performing strongly. Construction also grew in March, while production fell slightly. Across the quarter, services output rose by 0.8%, construction by 0.4% and production by 0.2%.

The figures are politically important for Reeves, who said they showed ministers had the “right economic plan” and warned against putting economic stability at risk during Labour’s leadership turmoil. She argued that a leadership contest could create further uncertainty at a time when the economy was showing signs of recovery.

STORY

Wes Streeting has resigned from his role as the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care saying that it is clear that Keir Starmer “will not lead the Labour Party into the next election”.

STORY

Angela Rayner has said Sir Keir Starmer should reflect on whether he should stand aside, adding to the pressure on the Prime Minister as Labour continues to struggle with the fallout from poor local election results.

The former deputy prime minister stopped short of launching a leadership challenge herself, but said Starmer should “reflect” on his position and on whether he remained the right person to lead the party. Her intervention is significant because she remains one of Labour’s best-known figures and has strong support across parts of the party and trade union movement.

Rayner’s comments came after she was cleared by HMRC of deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness over her tax affairs. The investigation had followed questions about unpaid stamp duty, which she has since paid, and had been seen as a major obstacle to any return to frontline Labour politics.

She also ruled out doing a deal with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, saying she was “not doing deals or anything like that”. However, her remarks will intensify speculation about who could succeed Starmer if he is forced into a leadership contest, with Wes Streeting, Burnham, Ed Miliband and others all discussed as possible candidates.

STORY

A bill that could allow the Government to nationalise British Steel has been introduced to Parliament, marking the first formal step in giving ministers powers to bring steel companies into public ownership.

The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill had its First Reading on Thursday, shortly after being announced in the King’s Speech. The Government said the legislation would apply across the UK and would allow ministers to nationalise steel companies, including British Steel, where it was necessary and where a public interest test had been met.

Ministers said the bill was intended to safeguard Britain’s steelmaking capability and protect the long-term future of the UK steel industry. The legislation would also include provisions for independently assessed compensation if the powers were used.

The Government said the measure builds on its Steel Strategy, launched in March, which set out plans to revitalise the sector, restore domestic production to sustainable levels and support steel’s role in national infrastructure, defence and clean energy.

Industry Minister Chris McDonald said the bill was an important first step towards safeguarding steelmaking capability and exploring options to modernise the industry. He said the fact it was among the first bills from the King’s Speech to begin its parliamentary passage showed the Government was putting domestic steel production high on its agenda.

STORY

Rachel Reeves has called for calm in Labour and warned MPs against plunging the party into a leadership election, arguing that political instability could damage the economy just as new figures showed stronger than expected growth.

The Chancellor said the Government should not put economic stability at risk by turning inwards after Labour’s poor local election results. Her intervention came as Sir Keir Starmer continued to face pressure from MPs demanding that he resign or set out a timetable for departure. Reeves said the country needed stability, not “chaos”, and urged the party to focus on governing.

The comments followed figures showing the UK economy grew by 0.3% in March and 0.6% across the first quarter of 2026. Reeves said the figures showed the Government’s economic plan was working, but warned that the recovery remained vulnerable if Labour entered a damaging internal contest.

STORY

The Government has set out a wide-ranging legislative programme in the King’s Speech, with ministers promising new laws on immigration, energy security, national security, public services and the possible public ownership of British Steel. The programme was presented by King Charles at the State Opening of Parliament, but the speech was written by the Government and sets out its plans for the new parliamentary session.

The package includes more than 35 bills and draft laws, with Downing Street saying the measures are intended to “restore order and control” to the immigration system, strengthen public services and reform the state. Sir Keir Starmer said the public expected the Government to “get on with the job” of changing the country, including cutting the cost of living, reducing hospital waiting lists and keeping Britain safe.

Among the most politically significant measures is legislation giving ministers powers to bring British Steel into public ownership if required. The Government has said the move would be subject to a public interest test and is intended to protect strategically important steelmaking capacity, including production at Scunthorpe.

The speech also included immigration legislation designed to toughen the system, including stricter rules on settlement, as well as national security measures aimed at countering state threats, cyber-attacks and extremist content online. Reports ahead of the speech also pointed to reforms affecting asylum, human rights interpretations and the response to hostile activity by countries such as Iran and Russia.

Energy and economic security were another major part of the programme. The Government is expected to introduce an energy independence bill to support clean power and nuclear construction, alongside wider reforms aimed at improving growth, infrastructure and resilience. Ministers are presenting the package as a response to global instability and domestic pressure on living standards.

STORY

The UK is to contribute drones, Typhoon jets and a Royal Navy warship to a multinational mission intended to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Defence Secretary John Healey announced the UK contribution at a virtual summit of defence ministers, with more than 40 nations represented. The Government said the defensive mission would become operational when conditions allow and would be backed by £115 million of new funding for mine-hunting drones and counter-drone systems.

The UK package will include advanced autonomous mine-hunting equipment, military mine-clearance specialists, Typhoon jets ready to conduct air patrols and HMS Dragon, which is deploying to the Middle East. The Royal Navy’s modular ‘Beehive’ system will also be available, using autonomous drone boats to help detect, track and identify potential threats.

STORY

Wes Streeting has held a brief meeting with Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street as the Prime Minister continues to face pressure over his leadership following Labour’s poor local election results.

The Health Secretary spent less than twenty minutes inside Number 10 on Wednesday morning, with reports putting the meeting at around 16 or 17 minutes. The talks came shortly before the King’s Speech, as Starmer attempted to project authority while dealing with the most serious internal challenge of his premiership.

Streeting has been widely discussed as a potential successor if Starmer is forced into a leadership contest. Speculation around his intentions has grown after several junior ministers resigned from the Government, including Dr Zubir Ahmed, a former health minister and ally of Streeting, who said Starmer’s leadership had become “unsustainable”.

There was no immediate sign after the meeting that Streeting was launching a formal challenge. The Guardian reported that UK bond yields fell after a Streeting challenge failed to materialise, while allies of the Prime Minister sought to play down the idea that Labour had a viable replacement candidate ready to move.