Tag: 2026

  • James Cleverly – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham’s Opening Statement

    James Cleverly – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham’s Opening Statement

    The comments made by James Cleverly, the Shadow Housing Secretary, on 20 July 2026.

    In his speech in Downing Street, Burnham promised he would ‘go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country’.

    But there is precious little detail on how this will be paid for. Burnham must come clean on what other MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) programmes have been salami-sliced to fill the gap.

    In Manchester, Burnham promised to end rough sleeping, but failed because he didn’t do the hard work necessary. Now, again, he is making pledges without any plan for delivery.

    If he is really serious about government, he should lay out proposals cut welfare, fund defence and get Britain working again.

  • David Lammy – 2026 Statement after Being Dismissed

    David Lammy – 2026 Statement after Being Dismissed

    The statement made by David Lammy after being dismissed as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice on 20 July 2026.

    It has been the greatest privilege of my life, coming from humble beginnings in Tottenham, to serve in government as Keir Starmer’s Foreign Secretary, Justice Secretary and Britain’s first Black Deputy Prime Minister.

    I am immensely proud of what we achieved, in Opposition and in Government.

    I would have been proud to continue serving in Cabinet. But a new Prime Minister is entitled to build his own team, and I wish Andy Burnham and the new Cabinet every success.

    I will continue to serve the great people of Tottenham, support this Labour government from the backbenches and do everything I can to help defeat Reform again at the next general election.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • John Redwood – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham’s Financial Options

    John Redwood – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham’s Financial Options

    The comments made by John Redwood on 20 July 2026.

    Mr Burnham today should set out which companies he will nationalise. Will he make taxpayers pay compensation to owners or will he confiscate the assets? Does he realise people’s savings and pension funds are at risk if he steals them and foreign investors could stop investing?

  • PRESS RELEASE : Southern Water fined £7.1 million for sewage pollution [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Southern Water fined £7.1 million for sewage pollution [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 17 July 2026.

    Beaches forced to close, local trade hit, equipment failure and lack of oversight by company.

    Southern Water has been fined £7.1m after repeated illegal sewage pollution incidents forced the closure of beaches, harmed coastal communities. Serious failures were exposed in the company’s management of wastewater.

    Sentencing Southern Water at Canterbury crown court today, Mr Justice Johnson KC heard how preventable equipment failures and poor operational oversight led to repeated discharges of untreated sewage between 2019 and 2021, some at the height of summer.

    The prosecution comes almost exactly five years after Southern Water received a record £90 million fine for nearly 7,000 illegal sewage discharges.

    Across five major pollution incidents, Southern Water repeatedly failed to maintain critical pumping equipment, delayed reporting pollution to regulators and allowed untreated sewage to enter coastal waters.

    In July 2019, an Environment Agency investigation found that around 10m litres of sewage was discharged for almost 24 hours. It could have been prevented but staff showed a lack of system knowledge.

    Southern Water is legally obliged to report pollution to the Environment Agency as soon as possible, but they failed to do so until the next day. It meant Thanet District Council couldn’t warn people against getting into the water.      

    More discharges

    Little over a year later, around the August bank holiday in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, another illegal discharge.

    A failed pump at Margate pumping station was out of order for weeks, leading to the release of sewage into the sea. A second pump then failed. At least 16m litres of sewage were released into the sea across two days. Like earlier, the Environment Agency was only told by Southern Water about the pollution a day later.

    On that same August day six years ago, untreated wastewater and human waste was also discharged into seawater from a pumping station at Broadstairs, in the region of 1.6m to 3.2m litres, for more than two hours.        

    Late reporting

    Southern Water only told the Environment Agency weeks later. Their failure to report it sooner meant Thanet District Council was again unable to warn the public. 

    Lindsay Faulkner, environment manager for the Environment Agency in Kent, said:

    Southern Water allowed this repeated pollution to happen. Stronger oversight by the company is needed, and plain to see from their track record. These preventable incidents harmed the environment and local communities, but like so much pollution caused by water companies, they were avoidable and should never have happened.

    The Environment Agency demands much more from Southern Water. Our inspections of sewage treatment sites, including pumping stations at fault in this case, will continue. We are holding them to account.

    Skip to February 2021, another pumping station fault, more pollution. Now a computer broke down at Broadstairs, as did a back-up. This time, the Environment Agency was told about sewage and debris off the coast, and both they and the council gave advice to swimmers to stay away from a 5km-stretch of Kent coastline for 24 hours.

    The Environment Agency told the court Southern Water should have picked up the fault earlier, a fairly basic diagnosis.   

    Possibly the most damaging of the five main incidents leading the Environment Agency’s case, as far as the impact on beaches and bathing waters, came in June the following summer. Again, simultaneous failures at Margate and Broadstairs pumping stations, when after lockdown, everyone was desperate to get outdoors.  

    As the sun rose, Thanet District Council closed 11 of them. Advice to keep out of the sea for a week at the height of summer was also posted on Swimfo, the Environment Agency’s online guide to bathing water quality.

    Equipment breakdown sent more sewage and debris into the sea for hours. A poorly-maintained circuit board caused the power supply to stop, causing a domino effect for the rest of the plant.

    October 2021, and more badly-managed equipment caused a power shutdown at the Broadstairs plant, with more untreated sewage and sanitary towels pumped into the sea. In all, 10 beaches were closed by the council. 

    Southern Water also admitted to another 35 illegal discharges also between 2019 and 2021, and that a pump used to move sewage around its network was out of action for more than a year. They were fined £7,127,083, with costs to the Environment Agency of £149,000, and a victim surcharge of £181.