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STORY

Senior cabinet ministers have reportedly told Keir Starmer that he should stand down as Prime Minister, as Labour’s internal crisis deepened after the Makerfield by-election. It is being reported that a sizeable number of cabinet ministers had told Starmer his time was up, while the Guardian reported that Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was among those urging him to leave office.

Reports also named Ed Miliband, Shabana Mahmood and Heidi Alexander as ministers who had told the Prime Minister he should set out a timetable for departure. Other ministers were reported to be continuing to support Starmer, including Rachel Reeves, Steve Reed, Pat McFadden and David Lammy.

The reports have not been formally confirmed by Downing Street, which has maintained that Starmer is focused on the work of Government. The situation leaves Labour facing the prospect of either an agreed transition or a leadership contest if Burnham or another candidate secures sufficient parliamentary support.

STORY

Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle has said Keir Starmer is reflecting on the political realities facing him, while saying he had no reason to believe the Prime Minister would announce his resignation on Monday. Kyle said Starmer was considering the political challenges after speaking to a wide range of colleagues.

Speaking to broadcasters, Kyle said it would be wrong to ignore the fact that the Prime Minister’s position was under pressure. He said Starmer had been calm and thoughtful in a conversation on Friday and had focused on what was in the country’s interest rather than his own position.

Kyle’s comments were treated at Westminster as significant because they stopped short of a direct statement that Starmer would remain in post. Ministers and Labour MPs are now waiting to see whether the Prime Minister makes a statement before a cabinet meeting expected this week.

STORY

Keir Starmer is facing renewed pressure over his position as Prime Minister after reports that he could announce a timetable for leaving Downing Street on Monday. The pressure follows Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election, which gives the former Greater Manchester mayor a route back into Parliament and the ability to launch a Labour leadership challenge.

Starmer is expected to set out plans for an orderly departure, although Downing Street has denied that he is preparing to resign and said he remains focused on governing. Reuters reported that a Government source said the Prime Minister was still getting on with the job, while senior Labour figures continued to assess whether he could survive a challenge.

Starmer had previously said he would fight any leadership contest, but the political position changed after Burnham’s win. Labour MPs who want a transition have argued that the party needs a new leader to respond to Reform UK’s rise in the polls, while Starmer’s allies have warned that a contested leadership battle would create further instability.

STORY

The Office for Product Safety and Standards and other regulators have issued a joint statement warning that consumer products containing asbestos must be removed from sale and recalled. The statement said the UK operates a zero-tolerance approach to asbestos in consumer goods, reflecting the ban on its use and importation since 1999.

The regulators said enforcement decisions are generally based on risk and proportionality, but that products found to contain asbestos must be recalled from consumers. They said the position was not an indication of the level of risk in any individual case, but reflected the legal approach to asbestos in consumer products.

The statement places responsibility on businesses to ensure they are meeting product safety obligations. It comes as ministers and regulators continue to focus on product safety, consumer protection and the removal of unsafe goods from the UK market.

STORY

The Government has launched a consultation on the framework for future decisions on a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Ministers said the consultation was intended to support a final planning decision in 2029 and would test proposals against noise, air quality, climate and economic growth requirements.

The Department for Transport said Heathrow handled a record 84 million passengers last year and argued that additional capacity would support jobs across the UK. The Government said the expansion process must demonstrate that environmental and community concerns can be addressed before any final decision is taken.

The issue has long divided political parties, environmental groups, business organisations and local communities. The launch of the consultation moves the third runway proposal into another stage of the planning process, although any final decision remains several years away.

STORY

Around 7,300 offenders are expected to be made to wear alcohol monitoring tags during the World Cup, the Ministry of Justice has announced. The Government said the tags would be used for offenders released from prison or serving community sentences where alcohol misuse was linked to their offending.

The tags test alcohol levels through the wearer’s skin and operate continuously. Ministers said they were intended to reduce alcohol-related crime during a period when drinking is expected to increase as football fans watch matches in pubs and at home.

The Ministry of Justice said alcohol-related offending places a significant cost on communities and public services. The policy forms part of the Government’s wider criminal justice programme, with ministers arguing that technology can be used to monitor offenders outside prison more effectively.

STORY

The Office for National Statistics has said an operational error affected the collection of labour market data between 3 May and 10 June. Reuters reported that the error reduced response rates for the Labour Force Survey, which is used to produce official employment and unemployment statistics.

The ONS said the issue was caused by too few interviewers being allocated to the survey while work continued on a replacement system. It said the quality of the July labour market statistics would be reduced as a result, with some smaller effects likely to continue into later releases.

The ONS has faced scrutiny in recent years over the reliability of economic data, particularly after falling response rates during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest issue comes at a politically sensitive time, with employment, wages and inactivity central to the Government’s economic agenda.

STORY

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75 per cent after its Monetary Policy Committee voted by seven to two to keep Bank Rate unchanged. Two members voted to increase rates by 0.25 percentage points to 4 per cent.

The Bank said the decision reflected uncertainty over inflationary pressures, including the impact of international energy prices. Governor Andrew Bailey said developments around the US-Iran agreement were encouraging, but the Bank continued to expect inflation to rise further before easing.

The decision leaves ministers facing continued pressure from borrowing costs, mortgage rates and household budgets. The Government has said its economic policy is focused on growth and stability, while opposition parties have continued to criticise Labour’s handling of the economy.