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STORY

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who congratulated him on his appointment. Downing Street said the two leaders discussed cost-of-living announcements made during Burnham’s first days in office.

They also discussed the UK-Canada relationship and Canada’s decision to join the Global Combat Air Programme as an observer. The call covered defence collaboration on strategic projects.

The leaders discussed the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank and the Multilateral Defence Mechanism. Downing Street said they also touched on the growing trade relationship between the two countries.

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The Council of the EU has agreed its partial negotiating position on financial support for migration, border management, visas and internal security for 2028 to 2034. The three regulations form part of the EU’s next long-term budget package.

The Council said the funds would support implementation of the pact on migration and asylum, management of external borders and visa processing, and action against internal security threats. The mandate excludes financial envelopes and horizontal issues still being discussed in broader budget talks.

The position will be used in negotiations with the European Parliament. The Council said support in these areas would be delivered through national and regional partnership plans prepared by member states.

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Chancellor John Healey has addressed Treasury staff after taking office under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. He used the speech to set out five priorities for the department and paid tribute to former Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Healey said his priorities were fiscal discipline, growth in every postcode, backing British industry and apprenticeships, wealth creation, and affordability for households. He said the Treasury would meet the Government’s fiscal rules.

The speech followed Burnham’s Cabinet appointments earlier in the week. Healey has taken charge of the Treasury after previously serving as Defence Secretary.

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Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook has directed Basildon Council to make progress on its local plan after Government concerns about the age of the authority’s planning framework. Basildon has not adopted a local plan since 1998.

The minister’s intervention letter requires the council to begin Regulation 19 consultation by 10 August. The council has also been directed to submit the plan for examination by 31 December 2026.

Basildon councillors have criticised the intervention and backed a motion calling for the Government to revoke its housing target for the area. The council also sought a commitment that new housing should be matched by infrastructure and public services.

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham is visiting Scotland today for meetings with Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth. Downing Street said the visit forms part of the Prime Minister’s first week in office.

The meetings are taking place in Glasgow before Burnham attends the opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. He is expected to discuss devolution, economic growth and the cost of living with the devolved leaders.

Downing Street said Burnham is also expected to visit Northern Ireland in August. The Government said he will meet the First Minister and deputy First Minister during the wider UK tour.

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Single bus fares in England outside London will be capped at £2 from 1 January 2027 under a Government announcement made during Burnham’s first week as Prime Minister. The Government said the cap would apply for the rest of 2027 and would cut maximum fares by a third.

The measure is backed by £400 million in additional funding. Ministers said the funding would support everyday travel for work, education, healthcare, childcare and leisure.

Current single fares outside London remain capped at £3 until the end of March 2027. The Government said the new £2 cap would prevent fares rising next spring and would give local authorities more time to plan services.

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Harlow Council has become the latest local authority to launch a legal challenge against the Government’s local government reorganisation plans in Essex. The council described the decision-making process as deeply flawed, rushed and lacking proper evidence.

The challenge concerns proposals to replace the current two-tier system across Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock with five new unitary councils. Harlow Council said the timetable proposed by ministers was not deliverable.

The authority has joined other councils pursuing legal action over the plans. It said the reorganisation would involve substantial transition costs and would abolish Harlow Council in 2028 if implemented.

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EU member states have approved UK participation in the European Union’s Ukraine support loan framework. The Council of the EU said the decision means Ukraine will be able to use loan financing to buy defence products made by UK-based companies.

The wider support loan makes €60 billion available for Ukraine to invest in defence industrial capacities. A further €30 billion is being made available as direct economic and budgetary support.

The Council said the UK had met the conditions for participation in the defence procurement part of the framework. The loan is intended to cover Ukraine’s urgent budgetary and defence needs in 2026 and 2027.

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Peter McGuigan, 56, of Shop Lane, Telford, has been convicted after admitting that he acted as an unlicensed gangmaster. The Fair Work Agency said he supplied workers to an abattoir near Kenilworth between January 2022 and June 2023 without holding the required licence.

Coventry Magistrates’ Court heard that McGuigan supplied around 125 workers to the abattoir. He had previously been investigated in 2017 and his licence was revoked in 2019 after an inspection found he was not operating to the required standard.

McGuigan pleaded guilty on 15 July and was fined £1,000. He was also ordered to pay a £400 victim surcharge and £85 in costs, and the court imposed a 12-month Labour Market Enforcement Order.

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a 20% cut in business rates bills for pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England from April 2027. The Government said the measure would apply to nearly 32,000 venues and would save the typical pub an estimated £1,100 next year.

The announcement was made with the Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. Ministers said the support package would be worth around £100 million a year.

The Government is also reviewing reliefs for businesses it says do not make a positive contribution to local communities, including vape shops. It has also launched a consultation on online marketplace VAT compliance.