Andy Burnham has declared his government can make “this next decade better than the last” in a confident and relatively non-partisan address to MPs. Speaking in parliament for the first time since becoming PM more than six weeks ago, Burnham gave a wide-ranging opening statement and then took questions from more than three hours. Burnham said:
When I stood outside Downing Street six weeks ago, I said Britain needs a circuit breaker after a decade of turbulence, negativity, point scoring and divisive politics.
A clear, coherent, and credible approach to growth that can unlock a feeling of positivity and possibility in every postcode in Britain.
Our job in here is to make it real by taking a place first rather than party first approach.
It starts with reasserting basic standards for Britain, that this is a country where no one sleeps rough and no community is blighted by an illegal waste tip.
And from there, working together to build a new sense of optimism around the country.
We can make this next decade better than the last.
We can lift the prospects of all our people and places.
Burnham repeatedly made a point of stressing his desire to collaborate with opposition parties, as part of his commitment to doing politics in a new way. He was relaxed and good-humoured and, although he faced criticism from some opposition MPs, he was generally given a fair hearing. He did not have any surprise new announcements, and much of what he said repeated arguments had made over the summer. On many issues he indicated that final decisions have yet to be taken. With the statement still running after three hours and 20 minutes, Burnham is still on his feet.
Keir Starmer is to quit as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, saying it is the right time for him to leave the Commons.
John Swinney insisted he still planned to introduce a legally binding price cap on bread, milk and other essential food items in Scotland despite fierce opposition from farming and business groups.
After Burnham had been taking questions for two and a half hour, Jeremy Corbyn told him the session had lasted “ longer than the longest World Cup match”. He asked if Burnham would back rent controls.
Burnham said he thought he and Corbyn took part in longer hustings debates during the 2015 Labour leadership contest. On housing, he said “ a package of measures to turn the housing market around” was needed.
Julian Lewis (Con) told Burnham he thought the local government reorganisation amounted to “ shameless gerrymandering”. Lewis represents New Forest East, and he said his constituency was being “torn apart” with part that looks towards the New Forest being taken over by Southampton.
Burnham said he would ask the community secretary to look at this.
Burnham says he is 'concerned' about plans for Freeview TV to be switched off by 2034
David Mundell (Con) asked Burnham if he would review plans for terrestial Freeview TV to be switched off in 2034. This decision would affect a lot of elderly people in rural areas, he said.
I am concerned about those plans. I know some of my constituents in Makerfield rely on Freeview. There is perhaps an opportunity to look at this as part of the BBC’s BBC charter renewal process.
I can’t give [Mundell] a final answer today, but I recognise it’s a genuine issue that he’s raised. I know it will be of concern to his constituents and let me have a proper look at it.
In response to a question from Labour’s Marsha De Cordova about Europe, Burnham said the next UK-EU summit might take place “the month after next” (ie, in November), but this was still being finalised.
In response to a question from Ellie Chowns , the parliamentary leader of the Green party, Burnham said that he was committed to a carbon neutral future and he was willing to work with the Greens on this.
Burnham says his Northern Ireland border poll comment 'misunderstood', and Good Friday agreement could allow one
Chris Law (SNP) criticised Burnham for ruling out a Northern Ireland border poll on his recent visit to Belfast.
Burnham said Law had “misunderstood” what Burnham was saying. He said he was ruling out a border poll now. He said he was “very aware of every word in the Good Friday agreement”, which says there should be a border poll if there is clear majority support for one, and he said he would “stick to it 100%”.
He also said he cared about Northern Ireland and visited it often.
Burnham suggests Shropshire could also get devolution benefits without being part of combined authority
Helen Morgan , the Lib Dem MP for North Shropshire, said there are no immediate plans for Shropshire to have a combined authority or mayoral authority. People there were worried this would mean they would lose out under Burnham’s devolution plans, she said.
Burnham said he thought devolution deals would only work with unitary local government. He went on:
I don’t think it will work with a two-tier system, but that’s why I said to colleagues in Cornwall, I’m quite happy to see if a deal can be done for a single unitary authority. [See 5.02pm .]
That is what I understand members of parliament for Cornwall want working with the leader of Cornwall council. If that is the settled view, I’m not going to try and impose something else. Let’s work with that.
And the same could be true in Shropshire, but it needs to be effective and functional and be able to stand on its own two feet.
Burnham urges Scottish government to back bringing Glasgow's bus service back under public control
Zubir Ahmed (Lab) asked Burnham if he could do anything to improve the bus service in Glasgow.
Burnham said he had been surprised to learn how expensive bus fares were in Glasgow. He said he thought there were moves to put the buses under public control in the city, but he had been told the Scottish government was not in favour. He said he hoped they would adopt that approach.
A great city like Glasgow should have public transport under its own control. And what I see in Scotland, there is something of the same problem as England, where the capital city has a public transport system that is way beyond what anywhere else has.
Burnham says he has 'open mind' about beefing up elections bill with caps on political donations
Labour’s Stella Creasy said Reform UK has raised £9m in donations this year, with £8m coming from just three UK-based donors. She went on:
Chequebooks are already circling the next general election, and if we wish to defend our democracy and make sure that all voices can be heard equally, we need to make sure it’s not money that talks.
She urged Burnham to accept amendments to the representation of the people bill that would put caps on how much individuals and companies can donate to political parties.
Burnham said that bill as drafted (which only caps the amount that can be given by donors living abroad) was just a start. He went on:
I don’t think anyone on the front bench is saying it’s the end of this matter. We do need to go further.
I would encourage [Creasy] to engage with the Defending Democracy taskforce.
And certainly I have an open mind about what those further measures might be.
Burnham says he '100%' backs getting social media companies to remove non-consensual explict content more quickly
Wera Hobhouse (Lib Dem) asked about women secretly being filmed on nights out. She said:
In many towns and cities across the country, women are secretly filmed on a night out and the videos are posted online with vile, degrading, misogynistic contents and comments.
And the women only find out once these videos have been shared 100,000 times and more, and they do not know what to do and we need to change something.
Will the prime minister support the campaign to end this vile practice, including looking at reform to make misogyny a hate crime?
Burnham said, as the father of two daughters, this issue was very much at the forefront of his mind. He said he had recently met Georgia Harrison, who was doing “amazing” campaigning in this area.
He said Harrison wanted social media companies to remove non-consensual explicit content immediately, not just within 48 hours, which is the current deadline. A 48-hour deadline was “totally unsatisfactory”, Burnham said. He said he would support changing that “100%”.
Burnham says E1 settlement on West Bank could kill off prospects for two-state solution for Israel and Palestine
Debbie Abrahams (Lab) asked Burnham would he would do to stop the building of illegal settlements on the West Bank.
Burnham said the plans for the E1 settlement were particularly worrying. They would “lead to decisions being made before the Israeli election which, as I understand it, could imperil, if not end, the two-state solution”.
So these matters are urgent. They do need to be confronted. And I believe we will be updating the house soon on those matters. [See 3.04pm .]
Burnham tells Reform UK's Richard Tice he's wrong to think it's either/or with fossil fuels and renewables
Richard Tice , the Reform UK deputy leader, asked when the government would approve the applications for the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas and oil fields in the North Sea. He repeated his claim about the rush to net zero being “stupid”.
Burnham said Tice needed a better grasp of the facts. He explained:
In Greater Manchester it costs £30 to charge a bus with electric charge, £200 plus to fill a tank of diesel. He really does need to look into the facts a little bit more before he makes statements like that in this house.
Solar panels on people’s homes can bring down the cost of their energy and it.
And, yes, we need to be pragmatic. We will still need to rely on oil and gas for some years to come.
The mistake [Tice] is making is saying it’s got to be one or the other for political purposes. The truth is, it’s going to have to be both.
Dave Doogan , the SNP leader at Westminster, said he agreed with many of Burnham’s criticisms of the way Westminster works, “although my prognosis would be terminal rather than treatable”. He asked when Labour would fulfil its promise to cut energy bills by £300.
(In fact, at the last election Labour said its policies would make energy bills £300 lower than they otherwise would be. But this nuance has been forgotten.)
Burnham said he agreed with SNP criticisms of Westminster more after he left the Commons than when he was here in the past. But he said, because he thought the state needed to be rewired, it was all the more important to keep the UK together.
When it comes to energy bills. I have acted already to bring in that cut on VAT on electricity bills. I recognise it’s just a start, but I hope he sees that as a sign of intent.
Stuart Andrew , the Conservative MP for Daventry, asked Burnham to look at solar energy policy. He said there was an application for a huge solar farm on agricultural land in his constituency. But big warehouses do not need to have solar panels on their roofs, he said.
Burnham said that was a good point. He would look into it, he said.
And he said he enjoyed deal with Andrew in the cross-party talks on social care reform.
Lib Dems welcome Burnham saying Cornwall won't need to merge with Devon to get benefits of devolution deal
Steven Morris is a Guardian reporter covering the west of England.
There has been cautious optimism from Cornish politicians over Andy Burnham’s announcement that No 10 North will work on a devolution deal for Cornwall. (See 4.05pm .)
Ben Maguire, the Lib Dem MP for North Cornwall, said:
Today’s comments from the PM certainly send promising signals, and seem to be a step in the right direction after months of Cornwall being overlooked on the devolution front.
For the first time, we’re hearing recognition from the very top of government that Cornwall won’t be forced to have a mayor or merged with another authority simply to access the powers and funding we’ve been promised for years.
Leigh Frost, the Lib Dem leader of Cornwall Council, said:
When I met the prime minister here in Cornwall, I made sure he heard our position loud and clear, including our red lines on a forced mayor or a merger with Devon.
It’s encouraging that he’s listened. There’s a lot of detail still to work through, but this feels like a genuine opportunity to get the right deal for Cornwall and I’m glad he has used his first speech in the Commons to set this out.
Burnham says government needs mandate for electoral reform, but it could happen in next parliament
Lisa Smart (Lib Dem) said her party would strongly back Burnham if he brought in changes to the voting system ahead of the next election.
Burnham said, standing as election for mayor of Greater Manchester under the supplementary vote system (where second preferences are taken into account), he was struck by how that changed they behaviour of candidates. They had to look for agreement with opponents, he said.
Where I will disagree with [Smart] is in saying that we do that ahead of any general election, because I do believe there needs to be a mandate to make that change.
There are different views in this house, but I believe we will need to get a consensus at the next election.
And if there is that consensus, then a change can be made in the next parliament.
Esther McVey (Con) asked Burnham why Avanti West Coast train staff got a generous pay rise . Was that because Burnham did not want the embarrasment of trains to Manchester running late.
Burnham said, as a north-west MP, McVey should know the “misery” people suffer travelling on the West Coast line. He said this pay deal would deliver a better service.
Andy McDonald (Lab) asked Burnham if he agreed the government needed to end outsourcing.
Burnham said the Labour manifesto committed the government to the largest round of insourcing for a generation. He cited employment support as an example of where this was needed. If this was insourced, and put in the hands of mayors, it would be much more effective, he said.
Burnham says he will focus on farming because he sees it as part of UK's 'sovereign production and manufacturing capacity'
In response to a question from Simon Hoare (Con) about farming, Burnham said:
I’m probably not renowned for spending much time on farms. I’m more likely to found in the northern quarter of Manchester.
But I was on a farm in Cornwall in the summer precisely to engage and understand the issues that they are facing, and I heard very clearly the issues that have been presented by this very difficult summer for farmers up and down the country.
And I will focus on farming because, for me, farming and food production is part of the sovereign production and manufacturing capacity of this country that will need to strengthen in years to come.
In response to a question from Labour’s Barry Gardiner about leasehold, Burnham said he was committed to pushing ahead with the commonhold and leashold reform bill.
Burnham says too many young people on benefits - but blames education system for letting them down
Edward Leigh (Con), the father of the Commons (longest-serving member), asked Burnham to work with the opposition on tackling the “bloated welfare bill”.
I can’t defend a position where too many people in their 20s are on benefits.
But what I do say is, why is that the case?
And I do not believe we have an education system that is setting all young people up for success. I think there is more we can do to give young people work-related opportunity. At 16, I think there is more support we can provide them with mental health. Those are the approaches I think we can take.
Emily Thornberry , the Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee, asks if the government will back her amendment to the representation of the people bill banning all donations from people living abroad. Currently it caps them at £100,000.
Burnham does not give that commitment. But he says he is glad parliament is voting on these issues, and he says the Defending Democracy taskforce is considering these matters.
Burnham confirms he wants political reform, including looking at voting system
Ed Davey , the Lib Dem leader, asks if Burnham will back a national commission on political reform.
Burnham says he does want political reform.
He says the Cabinet Office has a Defending Democracy taskforce. He goes on:
I am interested in looking at how we restore trust in politics. I am prepared to look at all of those issues, alongside the voting system.
I believe that this parliament does need to be a circuit breaker for this country. I do not believe we can carry on as we are. We are losing the trust and faith of the public. We need to act together to turn it around, and I look forward to working with him precisely on that theme.
In response to a question from Meg Hillier , chair of Treasury committee, Burnham says he wants to ensure more public land is released so that council and social housing can be built there.
Burnham says he cut taxes twice in his first week, as he rejects Badenoch's attack on his economic policies
He starts with a joke. Badenoch went to Italy to meet Giorgia Meloni to be told not to do a deal with Reform UK. He could have told her that himself, he says.
On defence, he says the appointment of John Healey as chancellor should be taken as evidence of how serious he is about raising defence spending.
On small boats, he says it is “hard to accept” Badenoch’s claim that the Labour government has had nothing to do with the fall in small boat numbers.
I heard an opposition spokesperson on the radio this morning trying to find any excuse – the weather and all kinds of things – [to explain the fall in small boat arrival numbers]. Can they not just accept that the action that we’re taking is making a progress?
On prisoners, he says he hopes the opposition will work with the government on dealing with the problem of IPP sentences.
On the economy, he says he cut tax twice in his first week. (He is referring to cutting VAT on fuel bills, and business rates for pubs.)
I have to say to [Badenoch] that is the legacy that we are still struggling to reverse. It’s the reason why people paying such high water bills and the infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes.
Why are energy bills in this country the highest in Europe? Why do members opposite represent constituencies where bus services year after year have been cut and the fares have gone up?
He ends saying Badenoch has appointed the author of Liz Truss’s mini-budget [Andrew Griffith] as shadow chancellor.
In another six days, his government will have outlived Truss’s, he says.
Badenoch says Burnham's theory of growth 'completely wrong'
Kemi Badenoch is responding to Burnham now.
She starts by saying that, although she has heard him over the summer talking about how to make tea, and his views on pork scratchings, she has not been able to ask him any questions yet.
On defence , she asks if he will commit to raising defence spending to 3% of GDP by the end of this decade.
On small boats , she says the fall in the crossing numbers has nothing to do with Labour. It is a consequence of decisions taken in Europe, she says.
She asks if it is true that Burnham may revive a version of the Rwanda plan.
On the prisoner early release scheme , she says Burnham has” had five different positions on early release in six weeks”. She asks when foreign prisoners will be sent home.
On the economy , she challenges Burnham to rule out future tax rises.
She says Burnham’s theory of growth is “completely wrong”.
[Burnham] thinks that if government spends more money, we will all get richer. That is not how this works. Companies are not leaving our shores because there isn’t enough government.
She also says she has heard rumours Burnham is planning to miss PMQs next week.
Burnham says he will ensure areas in England without mayors can also benefit from devolution deals
Burnham says he has heard concerns about his devolution plans, and fears that areas without a metro or regional mayor won’t have the same advantages as those that do have one. He says he understands the concerns about the potential emergence of a two-tier England”.
I will not ignore [the concerns]. So I have asked No 10 North to begin work with Cornwall council and its six MPs on a devolution deal, with or without an elected mayor.
And I today extend the same offer to all parts of England without devolved power. The first secretary of state will today write to every member of this house setting out how they can engage No 10 North in the service of the places they represent.
I extended the same offer to the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, and the first and deputy first ministers of Northern Ireland when I met them over the summer, as they rightly pointed out, their situations are different, but there is interest in what a local model of devolution could look like in each of the home nations.
Burnham says he wants to give communities more control over services.
The government I lead will be relentless in giving people and places what they were promised 10 years ago, ownership and control, and from that control over their destiny comes change and growth.
And he says he can say this from his experience as mayor of Greater Manchester.
I say this with confidence. I do. Let me explain why. Because it is backed by a decade of personal experience.
Turning around one of the UK’s former industrial heartlands and turning it into the fastest growing city region in the country, bucking the low-growth trend.
Burnham claims he has 'clear diagnosis of what has gone wrong' with UK
Burnham says, coming back to the Commons after 10 years, he has “a clear diagnosis of what has gone wrong”.
From the 1980s, this country took a series of wrong turns. Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, the country de-industrialised austerity followed, hollowing out councils and depriving them of the agency to act to reverse any of this.
And then Brexit compounded the damage, ushering in a decade of low growth and stalled regeneration.
Change begins with honesty. I’m not hearing much of it this afternoon. Unless we are blunt about what went wrong, we won’t turn things around.
Far from taking back control, the combination of these policies took control out of the hands of communities up and down Britain.
For 40 years, too many places have been drifting. Too many British high streets tell the story of this decline. People yearn to see them restored to what they once were.
Burnham says country needs 'substantial change', and he will deliver it
Burnham says his approach to the prisoner early release scheme is an example of doing politics differently.
This is politics done differently, problem-solving, over point-scoring. It is what the country needs. It is what the public want more of, and it will characterise my time in office.
He says another example has been starting cross-party talks on social care. Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, and Stuart Andrew, who was shadow health secretary until yesterday, participated, he says.
When it comes to the biggest issues facing the country, the economy and the cost of living crisis, people are looking for much more substantial change, as promised in our manifesto, and that is what I will bring.
Britain is not where any of us would wish it to be. Things are not working as they should.
Burnham says problems with indefinite IPP sentences have been 'ignored for too long'
Burnham confirms that the prisoner early release scheme rules are being changed to stop the killers of PC Andrew Harper being released.
And he says part of this plan will involve tackling the number of prisoners still in jail on indefinite IPP (imprisonment for public protection) sentences. This is an issue the Commons has “has ignored for too long”.
Burnham says he visited Dover in August where the government’s efforts to stop small boat crossings are delivering real results. He says numbers arriving over the summer have halved since last year. (See 9.29am .)
Burnham says he will attend Cop31 climate conference in Turkey later this year
Burnham pays tribute to the two police officers killed “in the line of duty on the A66”.
He expresses condolences to those affected by the flooding on the Nepal/China border.
And he confirms he will attend the next Cop conference on the climate crisis in Turkey.
[The floods in Nepal are] what the climate crisis looks like.
We have just ourselves experienced what is likely to have been the hottest summer on record.
This Government will meet the climate challenge, and I can confirm to the house that I will attend Cop31 in Turkey in November.
The Cop31 summit will be in Antalya, on Turkey’s southern coast.
Britain's defence 'starts in Ukraine', says Burnham
Burnham says the government will continue to “ stand firm in providing what help we can to enable Ukraine to defend itself from this illegal invasion”.
Britain’s defence starts in Ukraine and the defence of our nation will always be my first priority on public safety.
Burnham starts statement to MPs with tribute to Starmer, saying he gave Labour a platform 'and we will use it well'
Andy Burnham is making his statement to MPs on “government direction”.
He starts by saying he comes to the Commons having visited every region of the UK, and Ukraine, over the summer.
He says the UK is standing by Ukraine, in line with the policy set out by Keir Starmer.
And he pays tribute to Starmer, saying he took Labour “from one of its worst defeats to one of its best victories”.
Starmer gave Labour a platform, he says. “And we will use it well.”
John Swinney announces plans to slash number of NHS boards in Scotland
Scotland’s NHS boards will be slashed from 14 to two, John Swinney has announced. As the Press Association reports, the Scottish first minister announced the major shake-up of Scotland’s health service during his Programme for Government at Holyrood. “This will be the most significant structural reform of our NHS in the devolution era,” he said.
This is from Kemi Badenoch , the Conservative leader, on Keir Starmer’s decision to resign from parliament.
Wishing Keir Starmer all the best for the future.
I was surprised to hear he was standing down from Parliament. But I can understand why he would not want to spend time with the Labour MPs who treated him so badly after he won them their seats.
What election experts are saying about Holborn and St Pancras byelection
And here are some elections experts on the Holborn and St Pancras byelection.
Holborn and St Pancras’s local election results in May (ish): Labour 38% Green 29% Conservative 10% Reform 9% Lib Dem 7%
The post-Burnham MRPs show Labour winning Holborn and St Pancras with ~41% of the vote versus the Greens on ~22%. By-election dynamics could of course scramble that
Starmer’s parting gift to his successor: a tricky first by-election defence in a Labour seat where the Greens will fancy their chances...
Labour’s vote dropped 17 points to 48% in this seat in 2024, with a combined 29% going to the Greens (10%) and the left independent Andrew Feinstein (19%). A high profile Green candidate (Polanski?) consolidating that vote would only need a 10 point swing from Lab to win
The 2026 Camden local elections also underline Green strength on the ground in this seat - they were first or close second in all but 3 of the 11 wards wholly or partly in the seat (and in two of the others they stood aside in favour of “Camden People’s Alliance”)
The seat has exceptionally high shares of non-white voters (66%), graduates (51%) and young ppl (47% aged 16-39) - all groups that have swung Lab to Green in recent years. This could be a humdinger of a by-election
Just as Burnham standing in Makerfield transformed that race, Polanski standing here would transform this one, and for similar reasons: the opportunity to elect a national leader changes the nature of the contest
Holborn & St Pancras is well within the London crescent of seats where Greens are likely to come 2nd to Labour, under normal non-by-election circumstances
Bethnal Green & Stepney is highlighted as the one seat Greens are likely to flip based on current polling. Not too far from Holborn & St Pancras
Ed Miliband says government accepts need for 'step change' in action to stop expansion of illegal West Bank settlements
Ed Miliband is now taking questions in the Commons in his new role as foreign secretary. The first two questions were answered by junior ministers, but Miliband took the third question himself. It was from Labour’s James Naish , who asked what the government would do to stop the expansion of illegal settlements on the West Bank.
Miliband condemned the settlements and said that the government would “not acquiesce in the destruction of the two-state solution”. He said the government was consulting with allies, and that an announcement about the measures it would take was coming soon.
He said Andy Burnham himself spoke recently about the need to do more to ban trade with the illegal settlements.
Asked by Labour’s Martin Rhodes if a trade ban affecting the illegal settlements would apply to the trade in services, Miliband said Rhodes had made an important point. He went on:
We need to look and we are looking indeed at our wider economic relationship with the occupied territories and the different tools we have to tackle it.
I want to be very clear; we do not want British companies financing, constructing or advertising new settlements. The work we are now undertaking is how we can stop that.
When Kit Malthouse (Con) criticised previous government ministers for mouthing “platitudes” on this issue “like goldfish”, and said they had completely failed to stop the expansion of illegal settlements, Miliband said that he agreed with Malthouse “pretty much entirely”.
And when the SNP’s Brendan O’Hara attacked Labour’s record on this, Miliband said the recognition of Palestinian statehood was significant. He went on:
I think we on this side of the house, as the prime minister has said, recognise the need for a step change in our approach, given the urgency and, as I say, he won’t have to wait too long [for an announcement].
Here are some comments from journalists on Keir Starmer’s decision to stand down as an MP.
If Polanski stands in Holborn, it’s kinda wild that three current party leaders will have all stood in by-elections in the past three months. By-elections rarely been so in vogue! (Burnham, Farage, Polanski)
Makerfield was proof of concept for Burnham to beat Reform. Now, conveniently, we have another opportunity for him to prove another concept...
It’s not a guarantee for Polanski. I imagine he’s quite fairly holding out for a Hackney but I don’t doubt he’ll feel pressure to stand...
I mean if Labour stands an arms dealer or member of Pinochet’s cabinet then yeah sure it’s an easier ask
There’s an emotionally generous way you could read this (he genuinely thinks it’s detrimental to the Labour Party and government to have to fight for his seat at the next election). But, to be honest, my sense is that Keir Starmer is a man who likes Being Important more than he’s interested in serving the public.
Big moment for Whacko Zacko just as Burnham’s entire strategy of stemming the Green bleed gets up and running with virtue signalling on Israel etc
All that crap about Keir Starmer being about public service
He wanted power for its own sake. That’s it.
He was only interested in climbing the ladder of power.
The ladder collapsed under the weight of his own cynicism, so now he’s off to try and find another ladder.
Having repeatedly taunted Rishi Sunak with suggestions he’d move to California after losing the General Election, Starmer himself is the one who cuts and runs. V apposite that his departure involves one final bit of shameless hypocrisy
Farage takes seat in Commons after winning Clacton byelection
In the Commons Nigel Farage , the Reform UK leader, has been sworn in as MP for Clacton. He was MP for Clacton before the summer anyway, but he triggered a byelection as a protest about the inquiry into claims he broke Commons rules by not declaring a £5m donation from the cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.
After he won the byelection in August, Farage gave an interview in which he said “maybe” he should have declared the donation after all – implying he does now accept the inquiry is justified. (But he is also angry about the inquiry being extended to include financial support he received from his friend George Cottrell that also wasn’t declared.)
From the start of this academic year student nurses, and other people doing healthcare courses in England, will get upfront payments to cover placement costs. That means they will get the money they need for travel and accommodation costs for clinical placements in advance, instead of having to claim the money back. The Department of Health and Social Care has a news release about this here .
How Zack Polanski told an interviewer in April he would 'almost certainly' stand in any London byelection
In an interview in April, Zack Polanski , the Green party leader, said he would “almost certainly” run in a future byelection in London. He told La Repubblica’s Antonello Guerrera:
So when Gorton and Denton came up and people asked me, obsessively, are you going to run? And I didn’t run because, although I’m from Manchester, I’ve lived in London nearly 20, or over 20, years now. And so there would have been a narrative to say, oh, it’s my hometown, I’m going back. But I think that would have been dishonest.
Secondly, I knew we had amazing candidates like Hannah Spencer, where I wanted a candidate from a local community. I think I was proven to be right.
If there was another byelection outside of London, I still wouldn’t be running in it. We have amazing candidates right across the rest of the country.
If there’s a byelection in London, I’ll almost certainly be running, well, depending on where it is. I live in Hackney, so if it’s somewhere around Hackney, so you could be looking to Hackney North, Hackney South, Walthamstow, Holborn and St Pancras, if Keir Starmer is going anywhere, and even, you know, Tower Hamlets. I think, generally, around the east of London, in the northeast, I’ve lived there for a long time. I have a connection to the place. I think there are other places in London where I’m already a London Assembly member, but I have less legitimate connection.
Keir Starmer has posed a statement on social media about his decision to stand down as an MP. It is much the same as what he told the Camden New Journal. (See 1.06pm .)
Is it unusual for a former PM to quit the Commons before a general election?
Keir Starmer is not the first ex-PM to change his mind about remaining in the House of Commons until the next election as a backbencher. David Cameron also resigned as PM in July, only to quit the Commons for good two months later. He initially thought he could stay as MP without causing trouble for his successor, Theresa May, but quickly realised on some issues he would not be able to support her. (He announced he was going very soon after she hinted she would lift his block on new grammar schools.)
Tony Blair did not even leave it that long; he resigned as an MP the same day he left Downing Street, realising that if he were to stay in the Commons with Gordon Brown as PM, that would probably be intolerable for both of them.
Boris Johnson also resigned early as an MP after leaving Downing Street – but that was because the privileges committee was about to say he should be suspended for lying about Partygate.
Other ex-PMs, like Theresa May and Liz Truss, have remained in the Commons after being forced out of No 10 midway through a parliament. May even stood for re-election at the subsequent general election (2019) following her return to the backbenches, as did Harold Wilson (in 1979).
Most PMs who lose office at a general election when their party loses only subsequently serve one more term in the Commons as a backbencher. But James Callaghan served for two more parliaments after he lost the 1979 general election, ending up as father of the house, and Edward Heath spent another 27 years in the Commons after losing both 1974 general elections.
Before the 2024 election critics claimed that, if Rishi Sunak lost, he would swiftly give up his seat and move to California. But he remains MP for Richmond and North Allerton and seems determined to stay until the next election.
Andy Burnham will start his Commons statement at 3.30pm. The Commons authorities have confirmed that there will be no urgent questions (which would have come first).
The statement is being described as being about “government direction”.
Afterwards, from about 5.30pm, Alex Norris, the justice secretary, will give one on the prisoner early release scheme. And then Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, will give a statement on policing in Cleveland.
Starmer leaves 'shameful legacy', says Your Party
Your Party , the leftwing party founded by Jeremy Corbyn and others, has said Keir Starmer leaves a “shameful legacy”. A Your Party spokesperson said:
Keir Starmer leaves behind a party hollowed out, millions of voters disillusioned and a shameful record of British complicity in the genocide in Gaza. He entered politics as a human rights lawyer and leaves having abandoned those principles when they mattered most. Now he is abandoning his constituents too. That’s certainly a legacy!
Starmer may run, but he can’t hide from the shameful legacy he leaves behind.
Corbyn was suspended and then ultimately expelled from Labour after Starmer replaced him as the party’s leader.
Burnham says government has had 'strong sense of momentum' since he became PM
Andy Burnham told colleagues at cabinet that he thought the government had established “a strong sense of momentum” since he became PM.
At the No 10 lobby briefing, giving a readout from what was said at cabinet, the PM’s spokesperson said:
The prime minister opened cabinet by thanking colleagues for establishing a strong sense of momentum in his first weeks in office. He said the country had noticed a change of pace, with the government setting the agenda and starting the process of giving local areas the levers they need to create good growth. He said that during his summer tour it was clear that life was hard for many people, but that they wanted to have hope and hear a positive outlook for the country.
According to the spokesperson, Burnham also used his opening remarks to thank Alex Norris, the justice secretary, for his work on changing the prisoner early release scheme and Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, for her “relentless work on small boat crossings”. (See 9.29am .)
Starmer says it is 'right to step down' given his decision to focus now on international affairs
Here are some more quotes from the interview Keir Starme r gave to the Camden New Journal announcing his decision to stand down.
Starmer said he wanted to focus on issues like international affairs, defence, security, trade and technology. He said:
I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world.
I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely. It’s work I started before I became an MP and it’s work I’m keen to continue after I’m an MP. So international affairs on the one hand, and continuing my work on violence against women and girls on the other.
He said that, given his new priorities, he thought it was right to leave parliament. He said:
I think once you’ve been prime minister, it’s important to answer the question: what are you going to do next? Having decided I’m going to concentrate on international affairs, I think it’s right to step down [as MP].
He said he would not be backing any candidate seeking the Labour nomination to succeed him. He said:
The constituency Labour party has got many, many fantastic people and there will be no shortage of first class candidates.
He highlighted changes the Labour government had made to his constituency. He said:
In terms of some of the things that have changed: we are opening ten breakfast clubs across the constituency – five of them opened in April, five more will be opened when the schools go back this week. I think breakfast clubs make a huge difference for children and parents because everybody knows that a child that hasn’t eaten before they try to start learning is not going to learn as well as other children.”
Free school meals are coming again this week, that’s 4,600 children in the constituency that will now benefit, the minimum wage increase will make a difference to thousands of workers across Camden who are on or near the minimum wage and there’s an increase in the number of GPs. The two child benefit cap being lifted will affect 2,500 children in the constituency who will now begin to be lifted out of poverty. Then there’s the Renters’ Rights Act – 16,500 renters in Holborn and St Pancras – and of course everybody who is at work will benefit under the Employment Rights Act.
And he said no Labour leader had ever achieved what he did in rescuing the party from defeat. He said:
My years on the frontline were basically six and a half years because it was from picking up the Labour party in 2019 from the worst election result since 1935 and turning it around to a general election landslide victory in 2024, while most people said it wouldn’t be possible to win the election in 2024 – let alone win it with a landslide. No leader has ever pulled such a swing across from such a low base to a landslide in the way that we did.
Greens don't rule out Zack Polanski standing in Holborn and St Pancras byelection
The Greens have not ruled out Zack Polanski, the party’s leader, standing as their candidate to replace Keir Starmer as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, my colleague Jessica Elgot reports .
NEW - A Green party spokesman said: “Zack has always made it clear he would like to be a London MP. London has been his home for over 20 years.”
Sounds like Polanski might fancy a tilt at Holborn and St Pancras.
Tories describe Starmer's decision to trigger 'costly' byelection as 'yet another U-turn' given pledge to stay as backbencher
This is from Kevin Hollinrake , the Conservative party chair, on Keir Starmer resigning as an MP.
Whilst we have disagreed with almost all of Sir Keir Starmer’s decisions, I wish him and his family well for the future.
It is fitting that his final act as a member of parliament is yet another U-turn having pledged to stay on.
The decision to stand down will mean a costly byelection for taxpayers at a time when Andy Burnham are John Healey are plotting tax rises on hardworking families across the country.
The Conservatives look forward to giving the people of Holborn and St Pancras a chance to vote for a stronger economy and a stronger country in the weeks ahead.
In June, Starmer’s spokesperson said that Starmer would remain as an MP until the next election shortly before Starmer stood down as PM.
Starmer to quit parliament, triggering byelection in Holborn and St Pancras in north London
Keir Starmer is going to resign as an MP, his local paper, the Camden New Journal, is reporting.
When he resigned as PM, Starmer said he planned to stay as a backbench MP until the next election. But he has changed his mind, the paper reports. It says:
After weeks of speculation about his future plans, [Starmer] chose his local newspaper to explain why he felt it was the “right time” to leave the House of Commons and concentrate on new work on international affairs.
He told the New Journal that, after leaving Downing Street at the end of July, he had reflected on what lay ahead and that he was ready to “pass the baton to a successor”, adding: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country and to have taken over from Frank Dobson, who was such a great constituency MP and a member of the last Labour government. I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world.
“I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely. It’s work I started before I became an MP and it’s work I’m keen to continue after I’m an MP. So international affairs on the one hand, and continuing my work on violence against women and girls on the other.”
This means there will be a byelection in Holborn and St Pancras in north London, where Starmer had a majority of 11,572 at the last election. At one point there were fears this could lead to Labour losing the seat to the Green party, but in recent weeks Labour’s national poll ratings have been rising and support for the Greens is on the wane.
My colleague Richard Partington , the Guardian’s senior economics correspondent, grew up, like Andy Burnham, in the Warrington suburb of Culcheth. He has been home to find out what people there are saying about the new PM.
Badenoch names Alex Burghart as deputy Tory leader
Yesterday, Kemi Badenoch announced a reshuffle, replacing Mel Stride with Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor and Priti Patel with Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary.
Related: Andrew Griffith and Tom Tugendhat join Badenoch’s top team in Tory reshuffle
Last night, the Tories released a full list of shadow cabinet members. Alex Burghart was described as shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster and shadow Northern Ireland secretary, the job he was doing already and a title that underplayed his seniority. But he was in second place in the list, below Badenoch and above Griffith, and this morning the Conservatives are confirming that he has been made deputy leader. Until now, Badenoch has not had a deputy.
This means Burghart will deputise for Badenoch at PMQs. Without a deputy, Badenoch chose different shadow ministers to stand in for her on different occcasions.
Last week, Max Hastings, the former Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard editor, infuriated the Tories with a column in which he said he attended a party with senior journalists where it turned out that almost none of them could name any member of the shadow cabinet apart from Badenoch herself. In the light of that, you might have thought the Tories would publish the full list on their website. But it does not seem to be there, or easily available anywhere online, so for the record, here it is.
Leader of the Conservative party: Kemi Badenoch
Shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland: Alex Burghart
Shadow chancellor of the Exchequer: Andrew Griffith
Shadow secretary of state for business, innovation, science and trade: Claire Coutinho
Cover while on maternity leave: Julia Lopez
Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury: Richard Fuller
Shadow secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs: Tom Tugendhat
Shadow secretary of state for the home department: Chris Philp
Shadow secretary of state for defence: James Cartlidge
Shadow minister for policy renewal: Neil O’Brien
Chairman of the Conservative party: Kevin Hollinrake
Shadow secretary of state for work and pensions: Helen Whately
Shadow secretary of state for energy security: Andrew Bowie
Shadow secretary of state for education: Laura Trott
Shadow secretary of state for justice: Nick Timothy
Shadow secretary of state for health and social care: Damian Hinds
Shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs: Victoria Atkins
Shadow secretary of state for transport: Richard Holden
Shadow secretary of state for housing, communities and local government: Katie Lam
Shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport: Rebecca Paul
Shadow secretary of state for Scotland: Harriet Cross
Shadow secretary of state for Wales: Mims Davies
Shadow secretary of state for women and equalities: Joy Morrissey
Shadow leader of the House of Commons: Jesse Norman
Shadow leader of the House of Lords: Lord True
Andy Burnham has vowed to “stamp out antisemitism for good” in a tribute to the victims of the Manchester synagogue terror attack.
We send our love and support to the Jewish community in Manchester and beyond who last night gathered to remember Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, who were killed defending their synagogue last year. My thoughts are with their families and all those who have been affected by the attack.
I know for many Jewish people, the sorrow and fear from that day has not lifted and I know we must do more to protect communities across the country.
I want Jewish people to know that their safety is a priority of mine and I’m determined to stamp out antisemitism for good.
Higher public spending alone won't make UK richer, Darren Jones tells Burnham
Andy Burnham has refused to rule out tax rises to fund higher public spending in the budget – although he has also played down the prospect of big changes.
In an article for the Times , Darren Jones , who was chief secretary to the PM under Keir Starmer but who left government when Burnham took power, has warned that higher public spending on its own won’t make Britain richer. He says:
Britain is poorer than we often think. We won’t get richer based on higher public spending alone, and we can’t tax billionaires who don’t live here.
We shouldn’t rely on public spending as a route to some romantic version of making Britain great again as we look in the rearview mirror for a great history that is no longer available to us. We must face the future, and I know my colleagues are up to the challenge.
Jones says that the chancellor should avoid big tax rises in the budget and that the key decisions will come in the spending review. He calls for a focus on growth.
Crucially, we must create the right conditions for a dynamic, thriving market. This includes getting ahead of what artificial intelligence will mean for our services-dominated economy.
Politically, we shouldn’t see conflict between growth and fairness, or business and workers, or the market and the state. These are false choices.
Economic growth is the foundation of a better life for the people we represent.
In his article Jones, who is seen as a Starmer loyalist, says Burnham has “done an impressive job this summer in cementing his positive ratings with the public and improving my party’s position in the polls”. But the article implies Jones is worried Burnham might cave in to pressure to embark on a leftwing spending spree.
Long-term UK borrowing costs reach 28-year high
The long-term cost of borrowing for the government has reached a 28-year high, Julia Kollewe reports on the business live blog.
Related: Long-term UK borrowing costs at 28-year high as rising oil prices trigger global bond rout – business live
Andy Burnham has been chairing cabinet. Here are pictures of some of the ministers arriving in Downing Street before the meeting started.
Healey says next year's spending review will set out 'clear path' to raise defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035
Last week it emerged that John Healey , the chancellor, will not set out how the UK will raise defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 in the budget in October. Instead, he will set out plans to raise defence spending in the spending review next year.
Related: Healey’s budget to duck setting a date for 3% defence spending target
The revelation led to Healey being accused of hypocrisy because he resigned as defence secretary in Keir Starmer’s government after Starmer refused to commit to raising defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 in the defence investment plan published this summer. Healey’s resignation contributed to Starmer deciding to step down, and Healey returning to government in a more senior role as Andy Burnham’s chancellor.
In an interview with the Times , Healey has said he is “100%” committed to raising defence spending. He told the paper:
For the first time at the spending review, we will set out a clear path about how we will meet that Nato commitment in 2035, of 3.5% of GDP. And as part of setting out that clear path, we will set that target date for 3%.
The paper has headlined its story: “John Healey: I’ll prove I’m no hypocrite on defence.” But Healey did not use those words himself (it is the Times summarising his stance), and in the interview Healey did not confirm the 3% target would be met by 2030.
Justice secretary Alex Norris says prisons will still function under plan to turn laundries into cells
Alex Norris , the justice secretary, has insisted prisons will “still function properly” amid concerns over government plans to turn laundries into cells in a bid to tackle overcrowding.
As Ben Quinn reports, the Ministry of Justice announced overnight that it will spend £110m creating new cells in prisons using existing spaces like unused offices, laundry rooms and other areas.
Related: Burnham warned running prison capacity near limit is ‘big risk’
Norris was giving interviews this morning and he said “hundreds of places” would be created by converting existing spaces inside prisons into accommodation.
He declined to confirm Tory claims that there are 700 fewer prison places than a year ago, noting that the estate “fluctuates” because of issues such as fire damage.
Asked where clothes would be washed if laundry rooms were converted into cells, Norris told BBC Breakfast:
Of course we’re going to make sure that the prisons can still function properly.
This is a creative look, as I say, around our estate and being able to use some space that we can re-prioritise.
He said wider plans – including building entire new prisons – would see 14,000 new places on top of the 3,200 prison places delivered in the last two years, “but that takes time”, while the conversion plans would add “in the hundreds of spaces”.
Pressed on the Conservatives’ claim that there are 700 fewer prison places than in 2025, Norris said the estate “fluctuates” because of planned and unplanned events affecting the Victorian-era buildings.
Those wouldn’t necessarily be the numbers I’d use, but it is possible that places come out of the estate. For example, you know, there can be damage, fire damage. We’ve got a very old estate.
Small boat crossings during summer months have fallen to seven-year low, Home Office says
In line with Andy Burnham’s emphasis on “positivity” (see 9.04am ), the Home Office has put out a press release overnight saying that summer small boat crossings have been at a seven-year low this year. The figures aren’t particularly new, and anyone following the story closely will know that small boat arrival numbers have fallen sharply. But these statistics have not been publicised prominently in the rightwing media, which is one reason why almost half of Britons wrongly think small boat arrival numbers are going up.
Usually some of the busiest months in the year, with criminal gangs exploiting good weather, latest data shows that June, July and August (up to the 30th August) recorded the lowest combined total of small boat crossings since 2019, and the lowest number of small boat migrant arrivals since 2020.
• August crossings (up to 30 August) fell to their lowest level since records began in 2018, down 46% on last year, with the lowest number of migrant arrivals since 2020, down 35% on last year.
• July saw the fewest crossings of any July since 2019, down 64% on 2025, with the lowest number of migrant arrivals since 2020, down 58% on last year.
• June recorded its lowest level of crossings since 2019, down 50% on 2025, with the lowest number of migrant arrivals since 2021, down 47% on last year.
It is important to recognise the distinction between small boat crossing numbers and arrival numbers. The number of people arriving on small boats has fallen significantly, but the number of small boat crossings (ie boats, not people) has fallen even more because people smugglers are using bigger boats (in part because smaller boats are being seized).
Burnham to say he wants to unlock ‘positivity’ in first statement to MPs since becoming PM
Good morning. Andy Burnham became prime minister six weeks ago, but today will be the first time he addresses MPs in the Commons. It will also be the first time he has spoken as a minister from the dispatch box in more than 16 years. As MPs return to Westminster, they will be telling each other about how they spent the summer holiday and, for Burnham, it has undoubtedly gone well. He has unveiled a blitz of announcements which, broadly, have had a good reception and he has delivered the kiss of life to Labour’s poll ratings.
Today Burnham will chair cabinet in the morning and then make a ministerial statement in the Commons after 3.30pm. Normally a prime ministerial statement has a specific focus; it will be about a major policy decision, or a foreign affairs crisis. From the briefing that we have had so far, it sounds as if Burnham’s will be more of a wide-ranging rehash of all the things that he has been talking about this summer. In her preview, Jessica Elgot says he will talk about his intention to bring more essential services back into public control.
Related: More public control is the way to grow UK economy, Burnham to tell MPs
According to the BBC’s preview , Burnham will say he wants to “unlock a feeling of positivity and possibility” in every part of the country.
For the past six weeks, Burnham’s tone has been relentlessly positive. He repeatedly says he wants to focus on “problem-solving, not point-scoring”, and he clearly means it. Labour MPs chose Burnham as leader because they thought Keir Starmer would not be able to stop Nigel Farage becoming PM, but over the summer Burnham has said very little in public critical about Farage, or Reform UK, or the Tories. He views partisan mud-slinging as part of the old politics that he would like to reject.
But can he do that when he has to perform politics in the House of Commons? It sounds as if Burnham will not have much new to announce in his statement and so journalists will probably focus instead on what Labour and opposition MPs say to him, and how he responds. Burnham may not approve of “point-scoring”, but in the Commons, tradition, culture and even the architecture (front benches supposedly two swords’ length apart) prioritise conflict and it will interesting to see if he can get through the afternoon without resorting to the usual aggressive ding-dong. This will be an even bigger challenge for him at PMQs tomorrow.
And even if Burnham can remain upbeat for two hours in the Commons chamber, he will soon find that there are some places in the country particularly resistant to “positivity” – like the newsrooms at the Mail and GB News.
Still, it is probably worth a try. Here is the agenda for the day.
Noon: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
2.30pm: Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, takes his seat as an MP after winning the Clacton byelection during the summer recess.
2.30pm: Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
After 3.30pm: Burnham gives a statement to MPs.
Late afternoon: Alex Norris, the justice secretary, gives a statement to MPs about changes to the prisoner early release scheme.
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When I stood outside Downing Street six weeks ago, I said Britain needs a circuit breaker after a decade of turbulence, negativity, point scoring and divisive politics.
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Andrew Sparrow. Published 1 Sept 2026, 05:52 pm.
