Guido reported the growing Labour pressure on the hopeful new assisted suicide Bill sponsor to change her mind before she has to present her Private Members’ Bill tomorrow. There’s still time…
Could Team Burnham now force her to make a U-turn at the 11th hour? Labour sources suggest the legislative plans of the likely incoming PM would be derailed by the PMB coming back to Parliament. It eats up a lot of time and effort, and Labour backbenchers are divided…
In an article published this morning, The New Statesman even suggested Starmer’s likely successor, Andy Burnham, may oppose the assisted suicide Bill if it returns and would NOT welcome its return. Many such briefings are flying around Labour land right now…
Burnham had previously set a precondition that hospices must be “properly funded and sorted out” before any law change. No one thinks that condition has been met…
In John Healey’s resignation speech:
“Britain must set the headmark of spending 3% on defence in 2030 and a clear path to 3.5% in 2035. The commitment all NATO nations have made to each other and to their people. And I believe this would commands wide cross party support…
At this dangerous time, I see the current Defence Investment Plans falling well short of what is required. A rise of 0.08% from next year to 2030. No date for reaching 3%. No path to 3.5%. By 2030, well over half of NATO members will be spending 3% or more. And when allies are looking for British leadership, we must not fall behind. When NATO needs European nations to step up, we must not fall short…
Our adversaries don’t follow timetables set by the Treasury. I appreciate how hard this is for cabinet colleagues and I’m very grateful to those who support what’s required.”
Also in the Commons chamber was Luke Pollard, who remains a minister at Healey’s request. The former Defence Secretary ungagged…
Al Carns also gave a speech angling for the Labour leadership. The usual maverick candidate there…
On Monday 15 June 2026 710 migrants crossed the English Channel on eleven boats. It was the single largest number to cross in a single day this year…
That comes after six days with no crossings following bad weather. Smash the gangs…
From YouGov:
“In earlier polls in this series, Andy Burnham achieved a positive net favourability rating (+9 at its peak). However, his popularity declined starting from the middle of May – the period that encompassed the Labour party revolt against Keir Starmer that included Wes Streeting’s resignation and Josh Simons stepping down in Makerfield, triggering the by-election that Andy Burnham is likely to win.
As a result, Burnham now takes a net favourability rating of -11 in our latest poll: 30% of Britons like the would-be PM, versus 41% who dislike him.”
The Manchester bubble has popped…
On defence and Healey, More in Common has done some polling:
16% for both…
Starmer at the G7:
“Very many times on my political journey, people have said to me, ‘It’s not possible’. They said it’s not possible to turn the Labour Party around. It’s not possible to win an election. It’s not possible, if you do win an election, to invest in your public services and stabilise the economy. Wrong every time.”
Inflation is up, the economy contracted in April, youth unemployment is through the roof, and the welfare budget is a farce. That’s a stable economy apparently. He also claimed the UK will play its “full part” in getting the Strait of Hormuz open. With what navy?
Trust in traditional news outlets has fallen to a record low, according to a closely-watched survey. No surprise there…
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report, based on an online survey of nearly 100,000 people across 48 markets. Trust in news has fallen to 37% globally, the lowest since the Institute began measuring it in 2015, down three points year on year. UK trust dropped five points to 30% and US trust sits at 25%…
For the first time, social media and video networks (54%) have overtaken news organisations’ websites and apps (51%) as the single most widely used way of accessing news globally. Adding AI chatbots brings the total to 56% – the shift is happening across all age groups. Labour will extend the ban to everyone, then…
Use of TV news has fallen 13 points and news websites 12 points since 2020. The UK saw no increase in AI chatbot use for news. Audiences are also dissatisfied with coverage of major running stories. Significantly more people – by eleven points – think the media covers immigration badly rather than well. Media business is technology business…
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Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”