British politician and current Deputy Prime Minister (since Sept 2025)
Defence ministers are negotiating funding for the Defence Investment Plan as the government considers how to meet targets for defence spending. The debate has moved from initial allocations to how to fund a sustained increase while balancing other public budgets.
Labour has won Makerfield by-election with a large margin, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to quit and paving the way for Andy Burnham to pursue leadership. Ministers are weighing resignations and Burnham is moving to establish a Downing Street operation while Starmer vows to fight on.
In a heated PMQs, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch trade barbs over Labour’s plan to tax private school fees to fund teachers in state schools. Badenoch labels Phillipson a “spiteful class warrior” as the exchange spills into social media and prompts a call for decorum from the speaker.
Two Independent articles outline the human impact of indefinite IPP detention, showing how uncertainty over sentences and repeated recalls drive despair, with fresh cases prompting calls for urgent reform.
The incoming UK prime minister is urged to boost defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 as experts warn current plans are too bare to deter threats from Moscow. A Defence Investment Plan is due to be published before the NATO summit, with ministers negotiating funding amid resignations in the MoD.
Britain will raise the starting point for domestic murders to 25 years, closing a long-standing gap with non-domestic killings. Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced the change after years of campaigning by bereaved mothers. The plan aims to ensure sentences reflect the harm caused by domestic homicide.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warns that AI poses a Hiroshima‑style risk unless international rules are agreed. She outlines concerns over climate change, migration and foreign interference, and argues for a stronger UK‑EU relationship in security and trade.
Posthumous conditional pardon is granted to Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in the UK, acknowledging a grave injustice linked to domestic abuse while noting flaws in responding to abuse within the justice system.
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, known as the Hillsborough Law, has secured passage for its final Commons stages with the government insisting it will force candour from public bodies. Amendments have brought intelligence services under the duty, with a secure disclosure process to protect national security. Debates signal the law’s autumn enactment and a lasting impact on accountability.
Lindsay Foreman and Craig Foreman have been on hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin prison since May, protesting their alleged espionage confinement. Reports show they are extremely weak after months of refusal to eat, with Britain urging Iran to ensure due process and humane treatment amid new details of extended sentences for speaking to the media.
Andy Burnham has become prime minister and has announced a cabinet that removes key Starmer allies, appoints John Healey as chancellor and moves Ed Miliband to the Foreign Office. Burnham has promised immediate measures to give households "breathing space", to end rough sleeping and to set out how he will pay for his plans this week.
Andy Burnham has been confirmed as Labour leader at a special conference in London and will become prime minister on Monday after Keir Starmer formally resigns to the King. Burnham has secured overwhelming support from Labour MPs, pledged a "distinctively Labour" government, and promised to devolve power, tackle social care and focus on growth outside London.
The UK is reforming marriage laws to let couples legally marry in venues chosen by the couple, with officiants approved for the ceremony. The changes aim to reduce costs and simplify ceremonies, allowing humanists to conduct legally binding weddings and potentially extending to back gardens, beaches, castles and vessels at sea. The consultation runs until 24 September.
Andy Burnham has become Labour leader following a political surge that has installed him as the UK’s prime minister-designate. The transition begins with formalities at Buckingham Palace and culminates in a Downing Street address after polling and a party mandate shaped by recent local elections.
Prime minister has announced an 850 million VAT cut on household electricity bills from October, funded by scrapping the Digital ID programme. The move is part of a broader plan to ease the cost of living, with ministers pledging to pass savings through to consumers as cabinet reshuffles unfold.
A new Prime Minister has accepted the King's invitation to form a government. He has vowed to raise standards, end rough sleeping, reduce the welfare bill, and push a 10-year plan to restore stability and build a preventative state. He is also reshuffling the cabinet and outlining measures to ease the cost of living in the coming days.
The Labour leadership has appointed John Healey as chancellor, with Andy Burnham promising rapid moves to cut living costs and boost growth, while reshaping defence and economic policy. Cabinet changes reflect a broader reshuffle aimed at reunifying Labour after leadership transitions.
New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has taken office, meeting the King and announcing a 10-year plan to stabilize the economy, end rough sleeping, and decentralize power. He has reshuffled the cabinet, replacing Starmer loyalists with allies, and pledged to re-industrialise Britain while facing a challenging economy and mounting debt.
UK prime minister Andy Burnham has taken office and pledged to deliver real change while promising a fully funded package to ease the cost of living. He is reshaping the cabinet, signaling a shift from the Starmer era, with Healey as chancellor and a plan to lay out a 10-year vision for Britain. Markets reacted with caution as investors weigh higher borrowing against intervention in the economy.
A Nigerian/Anglophone Africa-focused piece explores how couples share duties to support personal and professional growth. Across stories, couples describe negotiating chores, everyday logistics, and mutual support, with examples of couples who run businesses together.
The government has scrapped the planned digital ID program, shifting funds to ease households’ electricity bills. Burnham’s administration says the move aims to provide relief amid rising living costs, and reverses Starmer’s earlier plan that faced widespread opposition and a large petition.
The government has announced a review of early-release plans for prisoners, as ministers and the justice secretary examine possible exemptions amid a looming September rollout. Prison officers warn of chaos and pressure on staff, while victims’ groups and families express concern about the impact on safety.
As Labour’s Burnham forms a new government, cabinet changes place Ed Miliband as foreign secretary and Wes Streeting as defence secretary. Debates over arms sales to Israel and Gaza policy intensify, with critics calling for tougher action while supporters urge caution.
Two separate UK cases of family tragedy are driving campaigns to change laws governing domestic violence and murder investigations. In Wiltshire, Carole Gould and Julie Devey advocate for legal reform after their daughters were killed by an ex-boyfriend; in London, a Taylor Swift-themed incident prompts deeper scrutiny of school safety and accountability.
Sir James Cleverly has quit his frontbench role to pursue a 2028 London mayoral bid, arguing London needs a Conservative plan for enterprise and opportunity. Other reports show London’s mayoral race shaping up as Labour’s Sadiq Khan weighs a fourth term, with potential rivals and shifts within the Tory party.