Political news

• White working-class children failed by education system, says inquiry

  29-06-2026 12:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The inquiry spoke to thousands of young people and their parents, as well as hundreds of teachers.
  
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• Starmer says some road and energy projects will be scrapped to fund £15bn defence plan

  30-06-2026 12:47 via ft.com
  Publication of long-delayed blueprint is unlikely to end military figures’ calls for more funding
  
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• Keir Starmer unveils defence plan including £5bn for drones

  30-06-2026 11:58 via ft.com
  Long-delayed blueprint is unlikely to end military figures’ calls for more funding
  
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• Local government is a mess. Here is what Andy Burnham must decide

  30-06-2026 11:02 via ft.com
  Prospective PM’s challenge will be getting his devolution proposals functioning by the next election
  
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• Long-delayed defence spending plan to be published

  30-06-2026 07:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The defence investment plan will set out how billions will be spent on equipping the UK armed forces.
  
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• Quarter of UK water groups underspend investment allowances as network creaks

  30-06-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Utilities failed to use maximum allowed despite arguing that higher bills were needed to fund improvements
  
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• Refugees will be told to repay around £10,000 under new asylum rules

  29-06-2026 23:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ministers will be given powers to recover costs from adults who have received asylum support under new laws.
  
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• Keir Starmer to unveil defence plan with £5bn for drones

  29-06-2026 23:30 via ft.com
  Long-delayed blueprint is unlikely to end military figures’ calls for more funding
  
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• Will Andy Burnham's devolution plan raise economic growth?

  29-06-2026 21:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC Verify has looked at what impact further devolution could be expected to have on the UK.
  
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• Former Tory MP pleads guilty to cheating over bets on 2024 election date

  29-06-2026 20:19 via ft.com
  Craig Williams used inside information from his role as a parliamentary aide to Rishi Sunak
  
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• New 'No 10 North' plan will rebalance power in Britain, Burnham promises

  29-06-2026 20:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The man most likely to be the next prime minister says his devolution plans would "drive good growth in every postcode".
  
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• Burnham keynote speech as it happened: plan unveiled for devolution of power

  29-06-2026 19:31 via ft.com
  Britain’s prime minister-in-waiting says the country is in a ‘rut’ and needs a shift of decision-making away from Westminster
  
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• Burnham’s radical localism alone won’t fix the UK economy

  29-06-2026 19:17 via ft.com
  His speech hits the right political notes but fails to offer a clear roadmap for growth
  
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• Ex-MP Craig Williams pleads guilty over general election betting offence

  29-06-2026 18:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Williams was MP for Montgomeryshire and an aide to then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before the 2024 election.
  
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• Burnham’s devolution plan fits the corporate zeitgeist

  29-06-2026 17:48 via ft.com
  Centrepiece of prime minister-in-waiting’s speech involves a strategy most executives would approve of
  
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• Burnham has become more unpopular since Starmer’s resignation

  29-06-2026 17:42 via ft.com
  Britain’s prime minister-in-waiting says the country is in a ‘rut’ and needs a shift of power away from Westminster
  
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• Burnham's 'Manchesterism' could change the UK, but is not yet a full economic plan

  29-06-2026 17:41 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Andy Burnham's speech depicted a different way of seeing and running the UK, though there are many other questions about the detail.
  
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• Burnham’s Middle England challenge on devolution

  29-06-2026 16:26 via ft.com
  A boost for town centres and cities against the suburbs could come back to bite him
  
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• Burnham’s big challenges on devolution

  29-06-2026 16:26 via ft.com
  A boost for town centres and cities against the suburbs could come back to bite him
  
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• Five things we learnt from Andy Burnham’s speech

  29-06-2026 15:46 via ft.com
  UK’s likely next prime minister gave the clearest indication yet of his policy priorities — but left many questions unanswered
  
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• Burnham vows to ‘rewire’ British state

  29-06-2026 15:14 via ft.com
  UK’s prime minister-in-waiting takes aim at centralisation and promises voters help on living costs
  
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• Henry Zeffman: Andy Burnham offers a blueprint for his premiership

  29-06-2026 14:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Burnham offered a sense of what his time as prime minister would mean, but he did not lay out many details.
  
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• Chris Mason: The real test of Andy Burnham's plans

  29-06-2026 14:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The BBC's political editor speaks about Andy Burnham's first speech since launching his PM bid.
  
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• Burnham to open a PM's office in Manchester

  29-06-2026 13:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  In his first speech since launching his prime minister bid, Andy Burnham says he will open a PM's office in Manchester.
  
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• Burnham on when he'll make key appointments

  29-06-2026 13:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Burnham speaks about a potential cabinet in his first speech since launching a bid to become prime minister.
  
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• 'I am going to do things differently', says Burnham

  29-06-2026 13:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Andy Burnham has made his first major policy speech since launching his bid to become prime minister.
  
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• Badenoch: Burnham needs to act like a leader

  29-06-2026 12:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Conservative leader said Andy Burnham is prime minister in 'all but name' and urged him to tell the country about his plans.
  
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• Burnham sets out plan for historic shift of power away from Westminster

  29-06-2026 12:36 via ft.com
  Britain’s prime minister-in-waiting says the country is in a ‘rut’ and promises ‘Number 10 North’ to decentralise power from London
  
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• Burnham plans ‘Number 10 North’ in bid to reboot Britain

  29-06-2026 12:36 via ft.com
  Britain’s prime minister-in-waiting says the country is in a ‘rut’ and needs a shift of power away from Westminster
  
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• Britain’s case for meaningful devolution is overwhelming

  29-06-2026 10:50 via ft.com
  Andy Burnham is right to argue for a shift in power but he has to manage political risk
  
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