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  • Rachel Reeves – 2026 Resignation Statement

    Rachel Reeves – 2026 Resignation Statement

    The statement made by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 20 July 2026.

    It has been the privilege of my life to serve as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The economy today is stronger, fairer and more resilient because of the choices we have taken as a Labour Government over the past two years.

    Stability restored, investment delivered and reform to our economy under way. I said when I was appointed Chancellor that I would judge my time in office if the lives ordinary working class people have been improved.

    I’m proud to say that they have. And to every young woman and girl let my time in office show there should be no ceilings on your ambitions, your hopes or your dreams. I wish the very best of luck to my successor, Andy and his cabinet.

    You have my full support, and I will continue to play my part in helping this Labour government deliver the change the country needs.

  • Donald Tusk – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham Becoming Prime Minister

    Donald Tusk – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham Becoming Prime Minister

    The comments made by Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, on 20 July 2026.

    Congratulations, Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Wishing you lots of strength and success in your new role. Poland and the United Kingdom are close friends and allies. I look forward to working together with you for a safer and stronger Europe

  • Andy Burnham – 2026 First Speech as Prime Minister

    Andy Burnham – 2026 First Speech as Prime Minister

    The speech made by Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, on 20 July 2026.

    I have just come from Buckingham Palace, where I have accepted His Majesty the King’s invitation to form a government.

    In doing so, I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last ten years to walk up this street, the seventh Prime Minister since 2016.

    Making this a moment for reflection and new resolution.

    It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game, and rise to the new challenge.

    Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge, to make politics work, to make it work better.

    I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you. And I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough, and we need to be better.

    We will be.

    We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last forty years.

    A new political model and a new economic model.

    In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns. Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, large parts of the country de-industrialised, and they still haven’t recovered.

    Many feel as though they’re still in decline, and they don’t have the ability to turn things around.

    And that’s why we will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem solving than point scoring.

    We will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land so that they can do more.

    And in doing more, build a new economy where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again.

    Re-industrialising Britain, using public procurement to back British industry.

    Later this year, I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan, laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support.

    But I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living.

    And I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them.

    We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support.

    And we will build more council homes.

    That is the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down, to meet our fiscal rules, and to honour our commitments on defence to our international partners.

    We will help people to live well, building a more preventative state, investing in people’s success, rather than paying for failure.

    And that work starts now.

    I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction: to end rough sleeping in our country.

    It’s about putting the right values and the right standards at the heart of government.

    I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do.

    I will give this my all, and I ask you all to pull with me.

    Let’s build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity.

    Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again.

    The moment we bring back hope.

    Thank you very much everybody.

  • PRESS RELEASE : King Confirms Appointment of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister

    PRESS RELEASE : King Confirms Appointment of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister

    The press release issued by Buckingham Palace on 20 July 2026.

    His Majesty received in audience the Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new Administration. The Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.

    Ms Marie-France van Heel was also received by His Majesty.

  • Keir Starmer – 2026 Final Speech as Prime Minister

    Keir Starmer – 2026 Final Speech as Prime Minister

    The speech made by Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street on 20 July 2026.

    Today I am here to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as Prime Minister. My work is done.

    In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024.

    Since then, it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as Prime Minister. I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago.

    Our economy is stronger. Our public services are on the up, with the biggest fall in waiting times for 17 years. Children are being lifted out of poverty every single day. Immigration is down significantly. Our defence and security are on a far stronger footing. And our international reputation is greatly enhanced.

    Yet the thing I will always take away with me, the most humbling aspect of this job, is the front row seat you get to witness the greatest things of this country in action. To see, every day, immeasurable acts of resolve, grit, decency and compassion. From people who serve our country, whether that’s in their regimental colours, NHS scrubs, or simply the millions of people in their communities who volunteer their time and their effort to the ground beneath their feet.

    We face a world now where our enemies will stop at nothing to divide us because of our values, our freedom, our decency, and frankly, because of our unflinching resolve towards the brave people of Ukraine. And so under this attack, it is vital that we remember the greatness of the Britain all around us. That while we debate how to fix our problems, there is something we inherit from our country and our character that can give us confidence that we can change our country for the better; that we can create a Britain where every child can go as far as their talent will take them. And we can unite different people under our common flag if we don’t succumb to that division.

    So, as I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success. He has my full support.

    And finally, I want to thank once again my family, Vic and our children, my team, all the staff here and across the Labour Party, everyone at Number 10 and across the civil service, and everyone who has supported our efforts along the way.

    For all the focus on individuals, politics will always be a team sport. And the changes we’ve delivered for our country and our party belong to everyone who has fought for them. I thank them again today.

    And I thank the British people for the opportunity to serve. I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved. Thank you very much.

  • NEWS STORY : Lord Timpson leaves Government as Burnham prepares prisons reshuffle

    NEWS STORY : Lord Timpson leaves Government as Burnham prepares prisons reshuffle

    STORY

    Lord Timpson has stepped down as prisons minister after it has been reported that Andy Burnham decided not to keep him in the role as part of his first Government reshuffle. The businessman and prison reform campaigner became the first ministerial departure on the day Burnham took over from Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.

    Timpson was appointed Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending in July 2024 after leaving his role as chief executive of the Timpson Group. His appointment was seen as one of Starmer’s more unusual early ministerial choices because of his long record of employing former prisoners and campaigning for rehabilitation.

    The Times reported that Burnham had decided to free up the prisons brief for a Labour MP as he builds his new ministerial team. Timpson is expected to return to the family business, which is best known for key cutting, shoe repairs and other high street services.

    Confirming his departure, Timpson said it had been an honour to serve as minister for prisons, probation and reducing reoffending. He said he was leaving with the prison and probation service in a “much healthier and happier state” than when he took office two years ago.

  • NEWS STORY : UK invests £62 million in homegrown space technology

    NEWS STORY : UK invests £62 million in homegrown space technology

    STORY

    The Government has announced more than £62 million in funding for British businesses, universities and researchers to develop homegrown space technology. Ministers said the investment would strengthen national resilience, improve satellite communications and help protect the UK’s independence in a strategically important sector.

    The funding was announced by Space Minister Liz Lloyd at the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday 20 July 2026. The UK Space Agency said the money would support new satellite communications systems, space innovation projects and technologies designed to help monitor and protect assets in orbit.

    The Government said space-based services were increasingly important to daily life and national security, including broadband for remote communities and mobile connectivity on trains, aircraft and ships. Ministers said building more domestic capability would reduce dependence on overseas technologies and strengthen Britain’s ability to act independently. The package includes £42 million for the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit programme, known as C-LEO. The programme is opening its third funding round for UK businesses, universities and research organisations developing satellite communications technology.

    Projects applying for C-LEO funding must focus on at least one of five areas: on-board processing, active antennas, optical links, networking and routing, or user terminals. The latest round will bring total C-LEO funding for UK organisations to up to £77 million. A further £20 million will be made available through the National Space Innovation Programme. The funding call will support industry, universities and research organisations, with projects due to begin in April 2027.

  • NEWS STORY : Thames Water warns funding could run out before end of year

    NEWS STORY : Thames Water warns funding could run out before end of year

    STORY

    Thames Water could run out of money before the end of 2026 unless it secures further financial support, placing renewed pressure on the Government to decide whether the troubled utility should enter special administration. The company supplies water and wastewater services to about 16 million customers across London and the Thames Valley.

    The company said it had £588 million of liquidity available at the end of June, consisting of £515 million in cash and £73 million from an undrawn loan facility. It said that, with the continuing support of creditors, it had sufficient funding only until the final quarter of 2026.

    Reports suggest the company could become insolvent as early as November if a longer-term rescue agreement is not reached. Thames Water has accumulated debts of about £20 billion following years of borrowing, underinvestment and criticism of its environmental and operational performance.

    A consortium of creditors has proposed a rescue package involving £3.35 billion of new equity and billions of pounds of further borrowing. The plan would also write off a substantial portion of the company’s debt and introduce a programme intended to improve performance and infrastructure.

    The proposal has proved politically controversial because creditors have sought concessions over regulatory penalties and other liabilities. Ministers have expressed concern that any agreement must protect customers and the environment rather than provide an overly generous settlement for investors.

    Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reported to be considering placing Thames Water into the Special Administration Regime, which would allow essential services to continue while the company was restructured or transferred to new ownership. The process would represent the first use of the special water administration arrangements for a major British utility.

  • NEWS STORY : Rupali Wagh jailed after fraudulently claiming more than £200,000 in Covid loans

    NEWS STORY : Rupali Wagh jailed after fraudulently claiming more than £200,000 in Covid loans

    STORY

    Cardiff businesswoman Rupali Wagh has been jailed after fraudulently claiming £216,250 from the Covid Bounce Back Loan Scheme across four companies. The Insolvency Service said Wagh secured five loans between May and September 2020 by inflating company turnover figures, obtaining duplicate loans and using public funds for personal purposes.

    Wagh, of Harrison Way, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud at Cardiff Crown Court in November 2025. She was jailed for two years and three months when she appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday 17 July 2026.

    The 50-year-old made her first fraudulent application in May 2020 for One2Four Accounting Ltd, a bookkeeping company she had set up in 2018. She claimed the company had a turnover of £65,000, although its actual turnover for the previous calendar year was £39,000.

    After receiving the £16,250 loan, Wagh transferred the money into her personal bank account. The Insolvency Service said she spent most of it paying off debts and buying stocks and shares.

    The following month, Wagh applied for a £50,000 loan for Talensetu UK Ltd. She claimed the business had a turnover of £218,000, even though dormant accounts filed by the company showed that it was not trading.

    Within days of receiving the money, Wagh transferred the full £50,000 into her personal account. The Insolvency Service said she spent the money on personal finance and stocks and shares, and transferred more than £25,000 to an account in India.

    Wagh then applied for a second £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for Talensetu UK Ltd in July 2020, using a different bank. She falsely declared that this was the company’s only application under the scheme.

    A fourth fraudulent application followed in August 2020, when Wagh sought £50,000 for White Coconut Ltd, which traded as an Indian street food outlet in Cardiff. The Insolvency Service said she claimed a turnover of £252,000, contradicting a £72,000 estimate she had provided on a bank account application.

    Her final fraudulent application came in September 2020 for Indian Canteen Ltd, another street food business. She claimed the company had a turnover of £206,000, despite previously estimating turnover of £82,000 on a bank account application.

    David Snasdell, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said Wagh had systematically targeted a scheme designed to help genuine businesses survive the pandemic. He said she lied about turnover, obtained duplicate loans for the same businesses and used the money to pay off personal debts and buy stocks and shares.

    The Insolvency Service said Wagh initially tried to blame a third party for one of the loan applications, claiming someone else using her computer had made the application without her knowledge. She later retracted the claim and accepted that she had acted alone.

    Wagh admitted using the funds to clear personal credit card debts and loans, saying she believed that paying off her personal debts would help her businesses. The Insolvency Service is now seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

  • Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Letter to Andy Burnham

    Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Letter to Andy Burnham

    The letter sent by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, to Andy Burnham, the incoming Prime Minister, on 20 July 2026.

    Dear Andy,

    Congratulations on your appointment as Leader of the Labour Party. Later today you will take over as our Prime Minister. In the interest of our country, I wish you every success.

    As you know, however, it is my job as Leader of the Opposition to hold you to account, and I will never shirk from doing so. You will enter office without having set out a clear plan on any of the issues facing our country. You have refused calls to come to Parliament for questions from MPs, and you have not submitted yourself to serious media scrutiny. This is not a promising start.

    Economically you will have a challenging inheritance from your predecessor. Borrowing, inflation and unemployment have all risen since the 2024 election. Britain faces an unsustainably high tax burden which is hurting families and businesses. The benefits bill is on course to hit £110 billion a year by 2030, the Jobs Tax has created a youth unemployment crisis, and we are borrowing so much that the debt interest alone is more than we spend on defence. The Defence Investment Plan is inadequate to meet the challenges we face and unfunded to the tune of £6 billion.

    I know you have instructed officials to develop a ‘July package’ of announcements. But it’s crucial that you set out how you will pay for each announcement at the same time. Given taxes are already too high, and we are already borrowing far too much, you must commit to making spending cuts and to addressing our debt burden.

    You must not repeat the mistakes of Keir Starmer’s premiership which failed because he refused to stand up to his left-wing Labour backbenchers and their endless demands for tax rises to pay for more welfare. As the Welfare Secretary himself said: every meeting he had with Labour MPs was about who they could tax more to pay for more benefits. Britain cannot go on like this without becoming a welfare state with a country attached.

    I made multiple offers to work together with Keir Starmer in the national interest to bring down the benefits bill. Sadly, he refused these every time. We both know that Labour backbenchers will not vote to cut benefits, so I make the same offer to you. Meet with me, and if we reach agreement on a plan to bring down the benefits bill, 118 Conservative MPs will vote for it on a three-line whip.

    Turning to taxes, I was disappointed by your recent comments that there was room for movement on tax and that you might ask people ‘for a little more’ in tax. I urge you to rule out any new tax rises now, otherwise we will face a damaging summer of speculation, affecting business investment, home owners and family finances.

    Another area where you can make an immediate difference is energy. Ed Miliband has been a disaster for Britain: a one man deindustrialisation machine, destroying thousands of jobs which rely on the North Sea. I welcome the media reports that you intend to grant licences for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. As I heard in Aberdeen on Thursday, just two pieces of paper stand in the way of Jackdaw and Rosebank which alone could secure £4 billion of tax revenues by 2034. But you must not stop there. You should overturn the destructive ban on new oil and gas licences which amounts to unilateral energy disarmament. Getting Britain drilling will be good for our energy security, good for our national security and good for our financial security.

    We need common sense policies to get Britain working again. That means cheaper energy, lower taxes, cutting welfare, and stronger borders. Where we support your agenda, I will say so. But I will always stand against the instincts of Labour MPs for higher taxes and more spending.