There's a text version. It's a letter to Burnham.

The headline 8 things

>Restore a competitive tax regime for internationally mobile residents.

>Release green belt land within walking distance of railway stations.

>Cut red tape on major projects.  

>Raise childcare staffing ratios towards continental norms.

>Pause the uncommenced provisions of the Employment Rights Act 2025.

>Recognise the decisions of trusted foreign regulators.

>Remove tariffs on consumer goods.

https://economicaffairs.co.uk/p/a-letter-to-andy-burnham

The government says the policy, which is expected to cost more than £500m, will "help with the cost of living and give people the breathing space they need".

At the start of last year, the England-wide bus fare cap rose to £3 under Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government, although in Liverpool and Manchester fares were held at £2.

Burnham said affordable transport links were an essential, adding: "Lower fares will help people get to where they need to."

The measure gives people "a little bit of hope" in a time when many are grappling with higher living costs - especially after fuel costs spiked as a result of the US-Iran war, transport secretary Heidi Alexander told the BBC's Today programme.
However, she admitted the measure was "not the whole solution".

The new cap will take effect from January next year for fares on participating buses outside of London. The cost of a non-discounted single bus journey in London is £1.75.

The Burnham government said going back to a £2 cap should particularly help passengers in rural and coastal areas, where single fares can be higher.

The Campaign for Better Transport said rural areas were still suffering from fewer bus routes and services, adding that such areas had been more affected by council cut backs in the last decade than urban zones.

Services in those areas - as measured by vehicle miles - decreased by 18% between 2019 and 2024, according to the County Councils Network, which represents 39 unitary and county councils across England.

"What we need to see is the replacing of those lost services which have particularly affected those in rural areas," Campaign for Better Transport's Michael Solomon Williams said.

They wanted Starmer out, they wanted Burnham in. Now Burnham has been 24 hours, they want him out because of his cabinet choice - and probably because he hasn't announced any radical left wing policies - which he won't because he is centre left at most.

Pathetic, no wonder the left can't hold onto power.

Andy Burnham has used his first speech as prime minister to launch a national drive to end rough sleeping.

The announcement, delivered as Burnham addressed the nation outside 10 Downing Street, will be backed “from day one” by an extra £340 million in funding – pushing total investment in tackling rough sleeping to record levels.

Burnham argued the policy was central to his broader promise to build a “more preventative state” and invest “in people’s success, rather than paying for people’s failure.”

The new prime minister blamed successive governments for “turning a blind eye” to the issue of rough sleeping. Downing Street pointed to the “Everyone In” scheme launched during the Covid pandemic as proof that action is possible when there is political will.

Before delivering his speech on Monday afternoon, Burnham met people with experience of sleeping rough and heard first hand how “it can trap people in a cycle of crisis, poor health and insecurity.”

As a first step, the government will begin acquiring homes suitable for rough sleepers, identifying those most in need, and moving people into housing and support.

The £340 million is said to represent the opening phase of a five-year programme, with further details expected before the autumn.

Officials say the initial funding alone will provide 1,200 homes and intensive support for at least 3,000 people.

Burnham stated: “For too long, we’ve been told that ending rough sleeping will take decades or even that it’s impossible. I’m not having that.
“This is something a government can fix if it chooses to. Today, I’m choosing to.

“On my first day as prime minister, I’m announcing this government’s commitment to finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity.

“We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together national and local government with the investment needed to get it done.

“This is the kind of Britain I want us to be – a country where everyone has the security of a roof over their head, and where no one is left behind or written off. Let’s bring back hope.”

Its in the title, what do you think?

https://spectator.com/article/meet-burnhams-new-political-strategist/

Matthew McGregor, former 'Hope Not Hate' director, is Burnham's new political strategist. So while Burham might be playing the centrist populist, he's busy letting a far-left activist direct things behind the scenes. I'm going to dig into the sort of stuff this Matthew chap has been involved with, but I think my optimism is waning, and I'm now wondering how we're going to be played. I can't really see how this chap will work in this position if Mahmood proceeds as she has been doing. If Labour don't make serious progress on illegal immigration and related matters, and only fudge the numbers pretending to do so, we'll all be staring down the barrel of a Reform government, and who knows what the hell they'll do if given free reign.

Devolution of power. Burnham has promised the biggest-ever "rebalancing of power" away from Whitehall, with English regions handed more control in areas including housing and transport by a new No 10 unit based in Manchester. The unit would be tasked with promoting "equivalent living conditions" across Britain, borrowing from an idea in the German constitution. He has also promised new opportunities to extend existing devolution settlements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This could be an area where he looks to build on the policies of the Starmer government, which was in the process of extending regional mayors beyond the main urban areas in England.

Water and energy. Burnham has said he wants all parts of the UK to take "greater public control" of the water and energy sectors. He has suggested this could emulate Greater Manchester's bus network, where private operators bid to run services on a franchise basis, with local authorities controlling fares, timetables and routes.

Housing. Burnham has promised the biggest council house building programme "since the post-War period" - implying a large rise in rates of construction compared to recent years. However, he is yet to offer details of how this would be funded.

He has also called for the entire 10-year £39bn affordable housing budget for England towards homes for social rent, the cheapest and most heavily subsidised form of publicly-funded housing.

Currently some of the budget goes towards "affordable" housing, where rents are more similar to market rates, as well as affordable home ownership schemes. Some of his other policies in this area - including restricting Right to Buy - have already been put in train by the current government.

Personal taxes. Burnham has said he would stick to Labour's pledge at the last election not to raise the main rates of income tax, VAT or National Insurance, whilst maintaining there is "some room within that manifesto for movement" in other areas. During his campaign to be re-elected an MP, he also said he wanted to "have a proper look" at potentially raising the £12,570 starting threshold for income tax.

Burnham has previously argued the UK overtaxes work and undertaxes wealth, prompting speculation he could raise capital gains tax - paid on profits made when selling assets such as shares and property aside from a main home. In one interview, Burnham did not rule out a wealth tax.

He has previously suggested that both council tax and stamp duty, a tax paid by homebuyers, could be replaced with a new tax on the value of land - an idea he has been advocating since as far back as 2010.

Social care. Burnham has long supported the idea that social care should become a more universal system. In a speech in 2023, he suggested this could be funded by replacing inheritance tax with a new "national care levy". He has suggested everyone would pay this new tax, whilst "obviously the wealthiest would pay the most". Labour promised to overhaul the system in opposition, but upon taking office commissioned a review of funding that is not due to report until 2028. Burnham has said he would bring that forward to the end of this year.

Immigration. Like the Sunak government, Labour has reduced levels of immigration by tightening visa requirements. During his Makerfield campaign, Burnham said net migration "needs to fall further", although he has not set a specific target. One area where he could have an internal battle on his hands is over proposals to lengthen the time that foreign nationals already living in the UK would have to wait before they can qualify for permanent residence. Earlier this year, Burnham urged Labour MPs to heed warnings from the party's former deputy leader Angela Rayner about the impact of the changes. But when running to be an MP himself, he said he supported the "broad thrust" of the plans, unveiled earlier this year by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Welfare and employment. Burnham has said he wants to see a "fair and lasting" reduction to the UK's welfare bill, amid rising spending on health and disability benefits in recent years. But he has not set out plans to change the level of benefits payments, or how people qualify to receive them.

Instead, he argues the claimant count can be reduced by improving employment support and "in-work" mental health support. He has also said he wants 16 to 18-year-olds to have guaranteed work placements. Burnham has said he would keep the "triple lock".

Business policy. Burnham has said he wanted to preserve "sovereign manufacturing" capability in key areas such as steel, defence, energy, and farming, and he wanted to make it easier for British companies to win public contracts. During the by-election campaign, his team sent out a policy document promising a cut in business rates for pubs and music venues by 20%. That would be paid for, they said, by higher taxes of out-of-town warehouses used by online retailers like Amazon. Burnham also wants to raise the threshold at which business rates kick in, taking lots of small high street shops out of paying altogether.

Foreign policy and defence. Burnham has said he would like the UK to rejoin the EU within his lifetime, but he has insisted he does not want to "re-run the [2016] referendum now". He has pledged to seek a "closer relationship" with European countries, and "consolidate the progress made" on existing negotiations with the EU.

Defence spending, which prompted the resignation of Starmer's defence secretary John Healey earlier in June, would provide another headache. In one of his final decisions in office, Sir Keir announced a plan to increase military spending by £15bn over the next four years by cutting spending in other parts of government, whilst leaving the details to Burnham to flesh out.

Electoral reform. Burnham has said he would "seek to persuade my own party" of the need to include a pledge in Labour's next election manifesto to replace the UK's first-past-the-post system with a form of proportional representation.

Well thats a new record. Our new PM isnt even PM for 2 more days and he's already disgraced himself by announcing something thats in polar opposition to the broad sweep of our policies and the route to a future of energy independence.

Couples could soon be allowed to get married at home, in pubs, on beaches or in forests under planned reforms to marriage laws in England and Wales.

The Government says it wants to modernise what it describes as “archaic” wedding rules, giving people more freedom over where and how they marry while potentially making ceremonies cheaper.

Under the proposals, civil weddings would no longer have to take place in pre-approved venues.

Instead, they could be held in any “dignified” setting, indoors or outdoors.

Ministers say the move could help bring down the average cost of a wedding. 

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Giving couples more choice over where they marry could open up more affordable options, while keeping the lifelong commitment of marriage at the heart of every ceremony.”

Ministers say the move could help bring down the average cost of a wedding, currently estimated at around £20,000, making marriage more accessible to more couples.

The consultation paper, described as “the biggest shake-up of marriage law in almost 200 years”, also says weddings could be held on boats for the first time.

Interfaith ceremonies involving more than one religion would be permitted for the first time, and non-religious belief groups such as humanists and pagans would also be able to conduct legally binding weddings.

I only ask because there is another one but it seems to be filled with people talking about trans issues and the Greens being great non-stop.

Labour’s candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, launched her manifesto, setting out an ambitious plan to make life more affordable, build thousands of genuinely affordable homes, restore pride in town centres and ensure every community shares in Greater Manchester’s success.

Launching the manifesto, ‘Delivering a Greater Manchester for Us’, Bev Craig said her campaign is about making devolution work for ordinary people by putting more money in people’s pockets, creating opportunities for every young person and ensuring every borough benefits from Greater Manchester’s growth.

The manifesto sets out a fully-costed, deliverable plan built around key priorities, including freezing Bee Network fares, extending free bus travel to every 11 to 18-year-old, delivering 50,000 council and genuinely affordable homes, expanding neighbourhood policing, backing local high streets and creating a Youth Promise so no young person is left behind.

As Mayor, Bev will use every power available to put money into your pocket. That means freezing bus and Metrolink fares beyond December and extending free tickets to 16 to 18-year-olds, saving families and young people up to £20 a week. Labour will also lift the 09:30 restriction on concessionary travel for disabled and older people.

She will work to deliver opportunity for children and young people at every stage of their lives. Starting from birth, Labour will introduce baby boxes, establish a new Greater Manchester Family of Schools to bring schools together and improve results, and provide joined-up support through training and apprenticeships to help young people find the right career for them.

Bev will tackle the housing crisis by delivering 50,000 new council and genuinely affordable homes, giving priority to Greater Manchester residents for homes built with local funding. She will stand up for renters, including by establishing a commission on rent controls, and work to ensure people sleeping rough can access the housing and support they need.

Bev will bring pride to every town centre by expanding the Good Growth Fund so that every borough sees the gains and every community sees the benefit. A new £20 million Good Growth High Street Fund will support small businesses, bring empty units back into use and drive town centre regeneration.

Labour will make communities safer by delivering more neighbourhood police officers and creating a new unit focused on tackling antisocial behaviour. A new Neighbourhood Guarantee will bring together Greater Manchester Police, councils and housing providers to take faster action, alongside more CCTV and better lighting in areas where people feel least safe.

The institutions built to support young people into adulthood “are no longer fit for that purpose”, with schools too focused on exams and getting pupils into university, a damning government review has found.

Former health secretary Alan Milburn’s diagnostic report on “young people and work” warned the “tail of failure will persist” until schools are “held accountable for what happens to their pupils after they leave”.

The report, commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, concluded that no one event, problem or part of the system was to blame.

“The evidence does not support a single explanation. It supports something harder to accept: that the institutions we built to support young people into adulthood are no longer fit for that purpose, and that the country has known this for some time.”

Milburn will make final recommendations later this year.

1. ‘Hold schools accountable’

Part of the problem, according to the report, is that schools are “measured by exam results, not by whether young people end up in work”, while colleges are “funded for enrolment, not for sustained destinations”.

2. Demands on schools ‘intensified’

However, the report noted “demands on schools have intensified dramatically”.

“Rising SEND prevalence, worsening mental health, higher energy costs, increased staff absence and the need for pandemic catch-up have all eroded the real value of school budgets even where headline figures have risen.”

3. GCSEs a ‘source of dread’

The report noted that “for many young people, school works well”. But “for many of the NEET young people we spoke to, school was experienced very differently, as ‘traumatic’, ‘stressful’, ‘boring’, and something to be endured rather than embraced”. GCSEs were described repeatedly as a source of dread rather than anything that felt fair or useful.

Of more than 400 NEET young people surveyed, 81 per cent said the current curriculum was too focused on passing exams.

“The criticism of what school did not do was consistent: a perceived focus on academic qualifications, with university promoted as the default pathway and limited discussion of alternatives.”

4. ‘We know enough to act earlier’

In the report, Milburn wrote that “what I find hardest to accept is that we often know enough to act earlier”. Risk is “identified early”. Signals are seen, recorded and “often” measured, but not acted on.

5. Risk of SEND reforms

Strong predictors of NEET status include low prior attainment, school absence and exclusion and special educational needs and disabilities. But having an education, health and care plan (EHCP) during school is the “strongest single link” to becoming NEET at 17 to 19.

6. Strengths ‘unnoticed by school’

The report warned that “too often young people are described by what they lack: motivation, resilience, qualifications”, but case studies spoken to “did not fit that picture”.

“They were under strain, yes. But they were also thoughtful, resourceful and often more capable than the systems around them seemed to be able to recognise.”

7. ‘Generic’ careers guidance

The report warned careers guidance in schools existed as a “statutory duty without enforcement”, with work experience “haphazard”. Careers guidance was “widely described as generic and lacking practical value”, and a lack of work experience is the “single most-cited barrier to work amongst young people”.

“At present, the provision of work experience is an afterthought for many schools. Students are often told to find their own placements. Unsurprisingly, those without strong networks and connections are more likely to miss out.”

8. ‘Systemic failure’

The report concluded with a warning that Britain faces a “systemic failure at the point where a generation is supposed to transition into adulthood.

• Labour will win the by-election with relative ease. Although they don’t gain a majority of votes cast, they are far ahead of other parties in the first vote, and are clearly ahead in the run-off whether that is against the Greens (64-36) or Reform (66-34)

• Reform may narrowly miss out on the run-off. However the gap between them and the Greens is within the margin of error, making second place too close to call

• This survey predicts overall turnout to only be 39%. However, that would still be the highest ever turnout recorded for a Greater Manchester mayoral election

https://findoutnow.co.uk/blog/greater-manchester-mayoral-by-election-voting-intention/

For decades, employers have largely controlled whether trade unions could enter the workplace. That position is changing. From October 2026, trade unions will gain a statutory right to access workplaces for the purposes of meeting, recruiting, organising and representing workers, and supporting collective bargaining.

This is not a technical tweak. It is one of the most significant shifts in UK industrial relations for a generation.

New framework

Under the new framework introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025, unions will be able to make formal access requests to employers. Those requests may cover physical access to premises, digital engagement with workers, or both. For employers, the message is clear: union engagement may no longer be something that happens at the factory gate, in car parks or outside working hours. It may increasingly take place inside the organisation’s formal communication channels and workplace structures.

The new access regime is designed to make it easier for trade unions to engage directly with workers. That means unions may be able to seek access even where they are not currently recognised, and even where the employer has had little or no previous union presence.

For unionised employers, this may reshape existing relationships and require access arrangements to be revisited. For non-unionised employers, it may be the first time they have had to manage structured union engagement at all. Either way, this is a board-level issue. The practical impact could be felt across employee relations, internal communications, HR governance, data protection, site security, line manager training and collective bargaining strategy.

The new right is not intended to give unions unrestricted entry to workplaces. Access will be governed by a formal process, with written requests, employer responses, negotiation periods and potential referral to the Central Arbitration Committee if agreement cannot be reached.

“The government’s manifesto committed to end one-sided flexibility and ensure all jobs provide a baseline of security and predictability.

The government has taken this forward through 3 measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025, giving employees the right to:

• guaranteed hours, where the number of hours offered reflects the hours worked by a qualifying worker during a reference period

• reasonable notice of shifts and changes to these

• payment for shifts cancelled, curtailed or moved at short notice

These measures have not yet taken effect. This consultation seeks input on details of the new rights, which will be set out in regulations.”

Consultation: https://ditresearch.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aVtNI2h3zEpVjpQ

Sir Keir Starmer has apologised on behalf of the British state for its role in historical forced adoptions in England and Wales.

An estimated 185,000 babies were taken from their mothers in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, with women pressured into giving up their children because they were unmarried.

In a statement in the House of Commons, Sir Keir said what happened to "tens of thousands of mothers, children and families" was "a stain on our history".

"The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours," he said.

The apology comes after years of campaigning from mothers, adoptees and their wider families, and parliamentary reports into the issue.

No compensation scheme has been put in place, but a £4 million support package over three years has been announced for better access to adoption records and improved family reunion services.

Sir Keir said: "Mothers, many young, vulnerable, and without support were coerced, bullied, or misled into feeling that they had no choice but to have their children taken away from them. What a thing to do."

Sir Keir said the forced adoptions were not isolated or accidental acts, but were practices "embedded" across local authorities, religious organisations and parts of what is now the NHS.

"All institutions that operated with power over people's lives, yet they did so without compassion, without consent, and without dignity or proper safeguards" he told the Commons.

He continued: "We are deeply and profoundly sorry to the mothers who were told they were unfit, who were prevented from caring for the children they desperately wanted to help and to keep, and who have carried this loss for decades."

(...)

The formal apology recognises the "lifelong trauma" endured by mothers who had their babies forcibly adopted, campaign group the Movement for an Adoption Apology said, as it also paid tribute to the many "determined women" who had long pushed for the state to say sorry.

Affected women have said public sector employees, such as doctors, nurses and social workers, were involved in pressuring them into adoption due to social stigma around being young and unmarried.

26% say they intend to vote for Reform UK (-1 point from May), while Labour has risen 4 points to 24%. The Conservatives stand at 18% (-1), the Green Party at 13% (-1), and the Liberal Democrats at 11% (-1).

Labour has recovered some of its core support, retaining 52% of its 2024 general election voters, compared to 44% recorded last month. This comes as the proportion of 2024 Labour voters saying they intend to defect to the Greens fell sharply from 19% to 8%.
 
However, wider public opinion on the administration remains broadly negative; just 14% are satisfied with the way the government is running the country, compared to 78% who are dissatisfied.

Furthermore, 63% of the public disagree that the current government is competent, and 52% disagree that it deserves to be re-elected.