Andy Burnham was officially ‘coronated’ as Labour leader today – and immediately blamed Margaret Thatcher for the country’s problems.

The Makerfield MP has been unveiled as the winner of the bizarre one-candidate contest at an event at the TUC headquarters in London, watched by fawning would-be Cabinet ministers.

In his speech, Mr Burnham – who ditched his trademark black t-shirt for a suit and tie – harked back to a time before the ‘wrong turns’ of the 1980s as his ‘coronation’ at the top of the party concludes.

He hinted at nationalisations and more public control, telling activists he would ‘return to a Labour they once knew’ and ‘eradicate’ Reform. 

He said the movement was ‘forged in the steelworks’ and dockyards, committing to end ‘Neoliberalism’ – a vague term often used on the Left to denounce capitalism. 

Despite mounting a concerted effort to kick Keir Starmer out, Mr Burnham ehthusiastically praised his ‘service to our party and our country’. 

However, Mr Burnham – who will officially replace Sir Keir as PM on Monday – is still not expected to take any questions from the media.

Instead he has been posting soft-soap social media clips, including him chatting about how he likes his tea, whether he wears socks with sandals, and his disapproval of Yorkshire puddings with Christmas dinner.

Teeing up his confirmation earlier, Mr Burnham posted on X that he will ‘put power back where it belongs’.

‘The next few days are about more than changing who governs Britain. They’re about changing how Britain is governed,’ he wrote. 

Mr Burnham has become Labour leader after a token process that saw him nominated by nearly 95 per cent of MPs, weeks after he returned to the Commons in a by-election. 

He did not stand on Labour’s manifesto in 2024 and the 25,000 voters who backed him in Makerfield represent just 0.05 per cent of the British electorate. 

One of the few backbenchers who did not endorse him, Graham Stringer, said he did not want to sign a ‘blank cheque’ – warning the former Greater Manchester Mayor needs to be more up front about his intentions. 

On another dramatic day in UK politics:

• Mr Burnham hinted he will expend ‘quite a lot of political capital’ on social care reforms – after previously backing a ‘death tax’ charge on inheritance;
• Close ally Steve Rotheram, the Liverpool Metro Mayor, has given another strong hint at a ‘wealth tax’, arguing that it should be targeted at raising spending for a ‘sector or area’; 
• Sir Keir will not attend his successor’s official confirmation, after spending yesterday on a farewell visit to Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv;
• Removal vans have been seen outside Downing Street as preparations for the handover continue; 
• Wes Streeting has denied a bizarre claim that he was spotted in tears near Mr Burnham’s Parliamentary office.  

The Makerfield MP has been unveiled as the winner of the bizarre one-candidate contest at an event in London, watched by fawning would-be Cabinet ministers

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Deputy leader Lucy Powell introduced Mr Burnham, admitting the contest was not a ‘nailbiter’

Mr Burnham will say ‘political power was centralised and economic power privatised’ during Thatcher’s time as premier

Removal vans have been seen outside Downing Street as preparations for the handover continue

Staff were packing away boxes with Sir Keir and his family set to move out shortly  

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In his address this lunchtime he promised to be ‘unashamedly Labour in our priorities and in the decisions we take’. 

He said his government will have the ‘courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected’ and the ‘conviction to argue for our plans’.

Mr Burnham insisted Britain took ‘a series of wrong turns in the 1980s’ when ‘political power was centralised and economic power privatised’.

Making the economy work for people across the UK will require ‘a new path to the one we’ve been on for the last 40 years’, he said.

‘This country does not work for working class communities like the city of my birth,’ he said.

‘In fact, it turned its back on them. Political power was used viciously against them to protect vested interests.

‘Economic power cruelly stripped with the deindustrialisation of the 1980s, as it was against so many places up and down the land.’

He added: ‘Change starts with honesty. We must recognise that this generation of politicians, myself included, have failed to challenge a political culture and an economic model that simply doesn’t work well enough for ordinary people.’

Mr Burnham said he would not try to ‘out-Green the Greens’ or shift Right to head off the threat from Reform, but instead insisted the party could be ‘authentically Labour’.

Mr Burnham was backed by 369 of the party’s 403 MPs, far surpassing the 81 needed, and secured the support of eight of the 11 unions affiliated with the party.

He steps into the job at a time when his party has trailed Reform UK in opinion polls for nearly 18 months and Labour will be hoping his presence will spark a bounce and turn around its fortunes.

Sir Keir has said he would have won the next general election if he had not been ousted, but is ‘proud to hand over the party in good shape’ to his successor.

But there is no clarity about Mr Burnham’s policies, or how they might differ from Sir Keir’s agenda.

Business and unions have been alarmed at the idea of ‘Red’ Ed Miliband being made Chancellor – a prospect that seems to have receded.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is now being tipped for the crucial job. 

Business and unions have been alarmed at the idea of ‘Red’ Ed Miliband being made Chancellor – a prospect that seems to have receded

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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is now being tipped for the crucial No11 job

Mr Burnham has spoken about how he wants to push powers to local leaders outside Westminster as part of his devolution agenda and to create a ‘No 10 North’ outpost of Downing Street based in Manchester.

He has said he will stick to Rachel Reeves’ fiscal rules as well as manifesto pledges not to raise income tax, VAT or national insurance, but declined to rule out a wealth tax in an interview this week.

The Liberal Democrats have urged him to overhaul the water industry in his first weeks as prime minister and immediately place Thames Water into a special administration regime.

Mr Burnham has drafted in Matthew McGregor, who has worked on elections in the UK and abroad and is currently chief executive of campaign group 38 Degrees, as his No 10 director of political strategy.

The summer is in full swing as thousands of tourists embark on a journey to Greece, hoping to soak up the sun and enjoy the water.

But seven Greek islands in the Aegean Sea are beginning to declare drought conditions to preserve water, and one is relying on bottled water entirely.

Astypalaia, Tinos, Alonissos, Leros, Patmos, Symi and Karpathos are all facing dry conditions this summer, which they fear could impact the number of tourists the islands see each year.

Astypalaia relies on bottled water for drinking and didn’t receive much of the rain which drenched the rest of Greece this winter.

Nikos Komineas, mayor of the island, said: ‘If we collected all the water dropped throughout the year in a bucket or in a washbowl, it would be 2.5 centimeters deep.’

Hotel owner Maria Alkalai, 42, said she’s incentivising guests to save water by offering vouchers.

Anyone who skips the daily cleaning service receives a 5 euro coupon – ‘Clients have embraced it,’ she said.

Greece’s Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou has approved 15 million euros ($17 million) for desalination, grid upgrades, and water tanks on nine of Greece’s islands.

Water resilience is becoming a major issue in Greece, however, potentially stunting economic growth and locals if not addressed soon.

In 2025, to tackle some of the water scarcity, hotels said they would fill their pools with seawater.

Despite tourists’ complaints, Greece is under increasing pressure to reimagine tourism in a sustainable way amid climate change and rising visitor numbers.

Greece has long been a popular tourist destination but the number of visitors has exploded in recent years. In 2023, Greece saw record highs with 33 million foreign visitors in total. 

But this rise in tourism has sparked protests across several Greek islands, where locals are increasingly concerned about the impact of overtourism.

In the summer, several protests were held across the Cyclades, a collection of Aegean islands that includes popular tourist destinations like Santorini and Mykonos. 

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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The way England’s run at this World Cup ended was desperately disappointing, but there are still plenty of positives for them to take away from the tournament.

I’ve co-commentated on all of their games and my most memorable moment has to be their epic win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in the last 16. It was the best game of the tournament, at the best stadium and with the best atmosphere.

I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed togetherness or team spirit like that before, either. That’s why I described it as the best team performance I’ve seen from any England side in my lifetime, particularly away from home. It made me think anything was possible from this team.

Overall, the players can be very proud of all their efforts because they got through lots of tough situations. When they did fall short, it was not for the want of trying either.

What next from England? Well, Tuchel is going to lead pretty much the same group of players into next year’s Euro qualifiers – but I’d expect three or four changes to his next squad, because this one lacked balance and it was not the one I would have chosen.

One area of concern is the centre-forward position because Harry Kane turns 33 in a couple of weeks and I would ask where are our strikers who are screaming to replace him.

But, overall, I don’t look at the players Tuchel has available and think they are far away from what we will need.

Whatever happens in Saturday’s third-place play-off – which is a nonsense by the way – England will end this World Cup the same way they seem to finish every major tournament.

By that, I mean they will look back with frustration, and look ahead with the same hope that things will be different next time.

Tuchel should believe it too, because so much of Euro 2028 will be played on home soil and we saw how close we went when we last hosted matches in 2021, reaching the final – like we did two years ago.

There I go again, though, dreaming of glory. That won’t change until we finally get over the line – and all we really know for certain is we will be back to try again.

Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan

Residents in two postcode areas around the borough are celebrating after landing cash prizes in the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Players on Stoneyside Grove in Walkden and Chorley New Road in Lostock have each won £1,000 after their postcodes were announced as daily prize winners.

Today’s draw, on 17 July, awarded cash prizes to players based on the postcode linked to their subscription, with daily draws taking place across the UK.

Winners in BL6 4BA and M28 3PD received the prize individually, meaning every ticket registered within the winning postcode is eligible for the £1,000 award.

The surprise windfall has brought a welcome boost for local players, who join thousands of winners across the country sharing prizes throughout the year.

As well as rewarding players, the lottery raises funds for a range of charities and community organisations across Britain.

The winning postcodes were announced as part of the lottery’s latest daily prize draw, with each successful player receiving £1,000.

Raven Adams died in the incident on Thursday, July 16, in the York Street area of Belfast

A man has been charged to court after a fatal crash in North Belfast.

Raven Adams, originally from the Tipperary area of the Republic of Ireland, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision in the York Street area. A 22-year-old man was also seriously injured as a result of the crash.

Police received a report at 2:40am on Thursday, July 16, regarding the single vehicle collision involving two pedestrians.

In an update on Friday morning, police said a man has been charged to court after the fatal crash. A PSNI spokesperson said: “Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Collision Investigation Unit investigating a fatal collision in the York Street area of north Belfast on Thursday, 16th July have charged a man to court.

“The 22-year-old has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving and other driving-related offences.

“The man is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court this morning, Friday 17th July. As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

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A funeral notice from William Pressdee Funeralcare on Friday, on behalf of Tyler’s family, said she would be remembered as “a warm, generous artist whose music touched generations and continues to fill dance floors and karaoke booths around the world”.

It described her as a dear sister of Marlene, Angela, Avis, Paul and the late Pauline and Lynn, much loved sister-in-law of Paul and Angela, Michael and Winnie, Gwyn, Jan, Teresa, Margaret and the late Billy, and a “devoted and wonderful Aunty Gaynor” to all her nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

The notice requested “family flowers only” at the funeral, but said anyone who wished to could make a donation in her memory to two charities where Tyler was a patron – Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales and Cerebral Palsy Cymru.

“Her legacy lives on in the timeless songs that made her a legend,” it said.

The North Pennines National Landscape Partnership has criticised the lack of information provided so far by Fred. Olsen Renewables, which is drawing up plans for 23 turbines, each more than 200 metres high, on moorland between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale.

In its response to the developer’s scoping report, which asks what information on environmental impact should be included with a future planning application, the partnership likens the lack of details on how the scheme will be connected to the national grid and on roads which will be built on the moorland as “asking someone to house a dangerous animal without explaining the cage in which it will be kept”.

The organisation adds: “The material published thus far specifically states that there are no clear plans for how the electricity generated would be transferred to the grid.

“There would be a likely significant local impact in this and to not present plans for it as part of the scoping opinion means that the developer is asking for comment on what amounts to only part of the scheme.”

The partnership adds: “On-site, the report talks about ‘tracks’ — please refer to these structures as roads, rather than tracks — it is disingenuous to do otherwise.

“Considering the impact of similar-sized development in open moorland elsewhere, we can expect between 22km and 28km of internal
roads.

“Whilst we know the precise figure cannot be given, it is important that a realistic figure be provided early in the next phase including: total permanent track length, length of floating roads over peat, length of cut-and-fill roads and total area of permanent hardstanding.

“Only then will you be able to understand long-term impacts on landscape, hydrology and habitats associated with the internal road layout.”

The partnership also criticises the developer’s claim that the cumulative effects of the scheme would be “minimal at worst”, which it says “completely ignores the cumulative impact of wind farms along the A68 corridor”.

It adds: The additional impact of the proposed development would make it, and the current wind farms, both visible from some key locations, clearly adding to the erosion of the special quality of relative remoteness, wildness and tranquillity in those places.

“There needs to be deeper engagement on this, as the issues are not currently adequately considered.”

Fred. Olsen says it welcomes the feedback received through the scoping process.

A spokesperson added: “We will continue to work closely with the North Pennines National Landscape Partnership to ensure environmental effects, including landscape, peat, ecology and cultural heritage, are assessed thoroughly and robustly.”

Arsenal have already been busy in the transfer market, with both incoming and outgoing deals having been completed and Mikel Arteta is now aiming to add to the Gunners’ youth ranks again

Arsenal are showing ‘strong interest’ in a deal for Cardiff City youngster Axel Donczew in what could be another eye-catching swoop.

The Gunners have already been active in the market this summer, with a series of deals having been completed. Piero Hincapie has been signed on a permanent deal following his loan spell, while Ilian Meslier has added to the North Londoners’ goalkeeping ranks.

On the outgoing front, Leandro Trossard has departed for Besiktas, with Jakub Kiwior having joined Porto on a permanent deal.

Arsenal could rubber-stamp another significant move over the coming days, with a deal having been agreed for Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis. But it now appears that the Gunners are also keen to add to their youth ranks, too.

As per The Telegraph, Arsenal have strong interest in Cardiff midfielder Donczew, who broke the Welsh club’s record of their youngest-ever player last season after making his debut at 15 years and 234 days.

Speaking at the time, Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy said: “I think it’s probably a bit surreal for them in this moment, but you can see from their families it’s an extraordinarily powerful occasion for them.

“It’s an insight into what we want this club to become – exceptionally talented players from the city representing their home club. Those two have really earned their place in this squad irrespective of how many players we had away or not available. We have the highest hopes for them the future.”

He added: “For Axel to come on and show real signs of what we’ve seen in training at such a young age. We see them very much inside.

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“We finished the game with Troy Perrett, who’s never played wide, on one side, and Axel on the other side. He’s very much a central player who can play inside in attacking midfield areas.”

Should Arsenal complete a deal, Donczew would go into the Gunners’ academy set-up, with the potential for first-team exposure in the future. The North London side have already moved for a number of promising young players over the past few years.

They sealed a notable double deal for Ecuadorian brothers Edwin and Holger Quintero from Independiente del Valle last season, the pair set to formalise their move to the Emirates when they turn 18 in August 2027. Arsenal were also interested in a deal for Jeremy Monga from Leicester City, only to be beaten to his signature by Premier League rivals Manchester City.

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Australia summoned Laos’s ambassador to Canberra on Friday after saying it was “deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed” that authorities in the Southeast Asian nation were not pursuing the most serious charges over the 2024 deaths of its citizens from contaminated alcohol.

Backpackers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, died after drinking contaminated liquor in the Lao town of Vang Vieng. The teenagers from Melbourne reportedly had “free shots” of what they thought was locally made vodka and soon fell sick. They were taken to a hospital in neighbouring Thailand, but succumbed.

An investigation subsequently found the liquor was contaminated with methanol, a toxic alcohol used as a industrial solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source.

The liquor, served at the Nana Backpackers Hostel, north of the Loa capital Vientiane, also killed an American man, a British woman, and two Danish women.

Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said that her government was “deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed”.

“We’ve consistently made clear our expectations ​that charges should reflect the gravity of the tragedy that ​claimed the lives of Holly and Bianca in November 2024,” she Ms Wong said, adding that she would raise Australia’s concerns directly with her Lao counterpart at an Asean meeting in Manila next week.

The embassy of Laos in Canberra did not immediately comment on the summoning of the ambassador.

Authorities in Loas could charge the people allegedly responsible for the incident with two offences collectively carrying up to one year in jail ​and a fine, the A​BC quoted unnamed sources as saying on Friday.

Relatives of the two Australian victims came down heavily on Lao authorities for not adequately charging the accused people.

Jones’s father, Mark Jones, said that, according to information received by the families, the punishment that the accused were expected to face if convicted was up to a year in prison and a modest fine.

He described such a resolution as “unacceptable”.

“It’s like their lives didn’t even matter,” Jones’s mother, Michelle Jones, said. “We’re just really appalled by it all. You know, they were just going over to have a bit of fun, and just doing the rite of passage that every, you know, child or teenager does. So for that outcome, it was just devastating.”

Shaun Bowles, the father of the second victim, described the anticipated legal development in Laos as “mind-boggling”. Not least because, he pointed out, Laos was “a popular tourist destination for a lot of travellers, a lot of young Australian travellers and young people from around the world”.

He said he expected potential visitors to Laos to reconsider going “because they’ve demonstrated the way that they act, and as I say, the value that they put on tourists’ lives over there and the way they’ve tried to cover this up”.

The law states what you can and cannot do — and how to avoid a costly dispute.

Even if you’re lucky enough to have the most fantastic neighbours imaginable, there’s still every likelihood that a disagreement will crop up at some point. One of the most common sources of tension between neighbours is trees.

More than half of Brits have fallen out with their neighbours over trees, with 30% citing overhanging branches as the primary issue, according to a survey by Saga Home Insurance.

If you’re dealing with any of these issues, the firm’s head of home insurance, Anna Thunstrom, has set out what your rights are – and how to settle the dispute.

She said: “It can be difficult to know what your rights are as a homeowner or tenant. Illegally cutting down a neighbour’s tree could cost homeowners far more than they expect – from fines of up to £20,000 for protected trees, to civil compensation claims, legal fees, and replacement costs that can run into the thousands.

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“In the most serious cases, unlawful tree removal can even result in criminal charges.” The survey also revealed that 28% of respondents reported problems with leaves blowing or falling into their garden, while 15% have experienced difficulties with a neighbour’s tree roots.

Just over one in 10 people indicated that their own trees had been damaged by a neighbour.

What can you do legally?

If your neighbour’s trees are affecting your property, such as blocking natural light to your home, there is unfortunately very little you can legally do.

Anna said: “In these situations, it’s best to speak to your neighbour directly and attempt to come to a reasonable solution or compromise. Going into these situations with kindness can make a world of difference and make your neighbour more receptive to helping you out.”

She said: “If an agreement cannot be reached, you can ask your local council to help you find a mediator for conversations. However, you may need to pay the mediator for their time,” reports Wales Online.

How to solve the problem

One thing you must never do is enter your neighbour’s property to sort the problem yourself — this can quickly lead to criminal charges. That said, if your neighbour’s tree branches are overhanging your boundary, you are entirely within your rights to prune them.

Anna said: “If overhanging branches from your neighbour’s trees are blocking sunlight or causing issues in your garden, the law allows you to cut these branches at the point where they cross the boundary line into your property, provided you don’t trespass onto your neighbour’s land to access them.”

She said: “However, before doing this, you should speak to your neighbour and see if you can come to an agreement.

“If you do cut down the branches, don’t throw them away – because according to the law, the branches on your side of the property still belong to the tree’s owner. It’s your responsibility to dispose of any branches you cut, but make sure to check with the owner before you dispose of them.

She said: “The same rules for tree branches also apply to roots. If a neighbour’s roots are causing issues for you in your garden, the law allows you to cut the root up to the property line.”