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The Government borrowed more than expected in May, increasing pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she seeks to keep within her fiscal rules. Public sector net borrowing reached £23.3 billion during the month, according to figures reported by Reuters, around 30 per cent higher than in May last year.

The increase was driven in part by higher debt interest costs, with inflation affecting the cost of servicing index-linked gilts. Borrowing over the first two months of the financial year was also reported to be ahead of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast, adding to the challenge facing the Treasury before the next Budget.

Reeves has said reducing borrowing costs remains an important priority for the Government. The figures come as Labour faces wider political pressure over public spending, tax policy and the fiscal implications of possible changes in leadership.

STORY

Andy Burnham’s allies have said they are increasingly confident that he could replace Keir Starmer without a prolonged Labour leadership contest, following his victory in the Makerfield by-election. Reports said supporters of the new Labour MP believe his parliamentary backing has grown sharply since the result, with some arguing that the party should now move towards an orderly transition.

Burnham won the seat with 54.8 per cent of the vote, defeating Reform UK and returning to the House of Commons after serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester. The result has intensified pressure on Starmer, who has said he will fight any leadership challenge and warned against internal division.

Labour figures remain divided over whether any change of leader should take place through a negotiated handover or a formal contest. Burnham has not formally declared a leadership challenge, but his victory has made him eligible to stand and has turned Labour’s internal debate into the dominant issue at Westminster.

STORY

Liberal Democrat MP Cameron Thomas has been arrested on suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour and assault. Gloucestershire Police said a man in his 40s from Tewkesbury was arrested on Wednesday 17 June, interviewed by officers and later released on police bail while enquiries continue.

Thomas, who represents Tewkesbury, has had the Liberal Democrat whip suspended pending the outcome of the police investigation. His party membership has also been suspended. A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said the party was unable to comment further while the police investigation was ongoing.

Thomas was elected to Parliament at the 2024 general election, winning Tewkesbury from the Conservatives. Before entering Parliament, he served in the Royal Air Force and worked as a military police officer. He sits on the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

STORY

Emergency services have been called to a collision involving two trains near Bedford, with injuries reported and major disruption on the Midland Main Line. British Transport Police, Bedfordshire Police and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said they were responding to the incident, while passengers were told to avoid the area.

The crash led to all lines being blocked between Luton and Bedford, with Thameslink suspending services on that section and East Midlands Railway saying trains could not run between London St Pancras and Leicester while emergency services dealt with the incident. The Times reported that Bedford Hospital had been preparing for a significant number of casualties, while emergency services including air ambulances were sent to the scene.

Footage posted online appeared to show a damaged Luton Airport Express train and passengers standing beside the tracks, although the cause of the collision has not yet been confirmed. The incident happened during the evening peak and rail operators advised passengers to delay travel or check before starting their journeys while the emergency response continued.

STORY

Andy Burnham’s victory in Makerfield has intensified pressure on Keir Starmer, with Labour MPs and former ministers expected to consider whether to force a leadership contest. Around a quarter of Labour MPs had already called for Starmer to resign after the party’s recent local election losses.

Under Labour rules, a challenger would need support from 20% of Labour MPs in the House of Commons to trigger a contest. This would currently mean 81 MPs backing a single candidate, including the challenger, before members could vote in any leadership election.

Burnham has said that he would stand in any Labour leadership contest. Starmer has said he would contest any challenge and warned his party against creating political instability, but the scale of Burnham’s win has strengthened the position of those calling for a managed transition.

STORY

Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election for Labour, clearing the immediate parliamentary obstacle to a possible challenge against Keir Starmer. Burnham secured 54.8% of the vote, with Reform UK in second place on 34.5%.

The contest had been watched closely because Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, needed a seat in the House of Commons before he could realistically seek to replace Starmer as Labour leader and Prime Minister. His victory returns him to Westminster after nearly a decade away from Parliament.

Burnham said in his victory speech that the result could be a turning point for British politics and told Labour that it had a final chance to change direction. Starmer congratulated him, saying voters had chosen Labour’s campaign over division and hate.

STORY

A three-year-old boy has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after an incident at a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons Zoo near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire Police said officers were called at 1.24pm on Thursday following reports of a child in the enclosure, with the boy later taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

Police said the child was in a critical but stable condition and that a 30-year-old man from Norfolk had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Detective Inspector Verity McCann said officers were speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time to understand more about the circumstances. Police said they did not believe the man arrested and the child were known to each other.

The zoo, based at Johnsons of Old Hurst, describes itself as being home to more than 100 animals, including lions, Bengal tigers and crocodiles. Police said officers were supporting the boy’s family at hospital and asked witnesses to assist the investigation. Local MP Ben Obese-Jecty said the incident was being treated as a critical incident and urged people not to speculate while the criminal investigation continued.