The government said the first steps will involve helping those sleeping rough for a long period of time to move into secure housing, and includes the “acquisition of suitable homes”.

Burnham, in a statement after his first speech in Downing Street, said: “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.”

The latest annual national statistics, published by the government in February this year, estimated there were 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England.

This was a new record high and the fourth annual increase in a row.

The number of people seen sleeping rough on a single night in Greater Manchester was recorded as 268 in 2017, 149 in 2023 and 154 in autumn 2024.

The Manchester Mill reported, external that the figure had increased to 197 in 2025.

Burnham visited homelessness charity The Passage in Victoria, London, hours before he made his first speech in Downing Street.

Challenged about his record, Burnham said the “problem was down significantly” from when he first became mayor of Greater Manchester.

He told broadcasters: “We ran a scheme every night, 600 beds, called ‘A Bed Every Night’ and we funded it through various different ways. But we were the only place that was doing it.

“And you won’t be able to get the numbers down if you’re the only place and other cities, people are coming to Manchester.

“So it taught me that the only way is to do this together.”

Burnham referenced the Everyone In scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic, when thousands of rough sleepers across England were helped with housing.

He said: “Everybody pulling in the same direction, everyone in, as we did in the pandemic, because we did bring people inside in the pandemic.

“And that’s what I’m saying as I go into government today. We did it then, we can do it now, get the basics right, put a care for people at the heart of everything that we do and just get this country working as it should again.”

Burnham’s pledge echoes one made by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who committed to providing 8,000 homes “immediately” to house people with a history of rough sleeping in the event of the party winning power.

Nick Cave’s son Earl has shared how his life devastatingly changed after losing his twin brother Arthur in a clifftop accident over 10 years ago

Nick Cave’s son Earl has opened up about the devastating impact of losing his twin brother Arthur.

Eleven years ago, his brother Arthur sadly died when he fell off a cliff in Brighton after taking LSD for the first time. Following his brother’s death, Earl, 26, found solace in religion and believes the trauma partly led to him calling himself a Christian.

Earl didn’t go to church as a child but says that he became drawn to the idea of religion as he’s gotten older. He started attending every Sunday and began to like the message “more and more.”

“I like the idea that this isn’t it. I wonder whether that’s something intrinsically connected to my trauma. The idea is definitely something that I need to have. It’s comforting,” he said.

He told The Sunday Times: “Life doesn’t feel like an endless vacuum of nothing. Faith keeps me and my morals in check. I manifest and pray for people. It makes me happy.”

Nick and his wife Susie have both used different mechanisms to cope with the death of their son. Nick uses his music to process his grief, with his song Skeleton Tree in 2016 discussing grief in its rawest form.

Susie, meanwhile, channelled her grief into The Vampire’s Wife, a fashion line which she has now closed. Sadly, there has been a lot of grief in the family as Nick’s son, Jethro, 31, died in 2022.

Jethro had schizophrenia and battled with drug addictions, and he died in Melbourne two days after he had been released from jail two months after he violently assaulted his own mother.

Speaking about the deaths of two of his children, he told The Guardian: “‘I think it’s something that people who lose children feel regardless of the situation, simply because the one thing you’re supposed to do is not let your children die. Forget that. The one thing you’re supposed to do is protect your children.”

Asked if he feels culpable because drugs were involved in the death of Arthur, he added: “There could be some element of that, yep. Look, these things are in our DNA, they’re inherited.

“I don’t want to make any assumptions about Arthur, who was just a young boy. It’s not like he was into drugs. On a fundamental level, it’s against nature to be burying your children. And there can’t help but be feelings of culpability.”

Because of the public nature of the death, Nick felt he had to grieve publicly too.

“That was helpful, weirdly enough. It stopped me completely shutting the windows and bolting the doors and just living in this dark world,” he shared following Arthur’s death.

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Andy Burnham has visited Buckingham Palace and received an invitation from the King to form a Government

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Andy Burnham has formally become Prime Minister after meeting King Charles at Buckingham Palace.

In the traditional “kissing of hands” audience, Mr Burnham received the monarch’s approval to form a government, a confirmation later issued in a statement by the Palace.

The newly elected Labour leader, who returned to Westminster only recently after serving as Manchester mayor, has pledged to give people “breathing room” against the rising cost of living. He is expected to unveil his first Cabinet later this afternoon, having remained notably tight‑lipped about his choices.

Earlier, departing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gave a farewell address outside Downing Street, saying that he ‘changed’ the Labour Party, making it ‘fit to lead’.

“I’m about to visit His Majesty The King and offer my resignation to close the book on my time as Prime Minister,” he began. “My work is done. In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019 – changed it, so it was fit to face the country, and won a landslide general election victory in 2024.

“It has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as Prime Minister. And I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago.”

Reports have suggested cost-of-living support offered by Burnham could include action on energy bills, including allowing more oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.

Environmental campaigners have urged him to stick to Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which promised not to issue new licences for North Sea drilling, arguing they would not reduce energy bills.

Mr Burnham could also face a decision on whether to temporarily nationalise Thames Water as the firm struggles with a £20 billion debt pile.

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THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY AND IS BEING CONSTANTLY UPDATED. REFRESH THE PAGE TO SEE THE LATEST UPDATES

By DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR and GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 13:23 BST, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 14:09 BST, 20 July 2026

Andy Burnham will unveil the top jobs in his new-look Labour Cabinet today amid a furious party row over who should be Chancellor.

With Rachel Reeves almost certain to be turfed out of No11, Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood are said to be vying to take over running the economy.

The Labour Left is still clamouring for Energy Secretary Mr Miliband to be made Chancellor, despite alarm from businesses and moderates. 

Markets have been calmer following speculation that Ms Mahmood, the Home Secretary under Sir Keir Starmer, will get the role instead, but any surprises could prompt a panicky response.

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Meanwhile, the fates of big beasts such as Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting and Yvette Cooper are due to be decided this afternoon, with a procession of big-hitters expected to brave the cameras as they walk up Downing Street to No10.

Green energy tycoon Dale Vince, who is one of Labour’s biggest donors, warned Mr Burnham against appointing Ed Miliband as his Chancellor.

‘I think it would be a mistake for a number of reasons,’ the 64-year-old told Sky News, after he was invited to Downing Street to hear Mr Burnham’s first speech as Prime Minister.

‘I think his spending decisions in DESNZ (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) have been poor – no value for money at all.

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The Labour Left is still clamouring for Energy Secretary Mr Miliband to be made Chancellor, despite alarm from businesses and moderates.

Markets have been calmer following speculation that Ms Mahmood, the Home Secretary under Sir Keir Starmer , will get the role instead, but any surprises could prompt a panicky response

‘Tens of billions of pounds committed to projects that won’t even move the dial on carbon, let alone our economy.’

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Mr Vince also cautioned that Mr Miliband ‘would be a lightning rod for Right-wing criticism’ if he took charge of the Treasury.

‘I think he could do better,’ he added, when asked about Mr Burnham’s potentially picking Mr Miliband as Chancell

This morning former Labour minister Lord Hutton urged the new PM to choose a pro-business chancellor to maintain market confidence.

‘We really do need a complete reboot on the economic growth plan. I think that’s going to be a real first order sort of issue for the new prime minister and the chancellor,’ the peer told Times Radio.

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Briefings against Mr Miliband have included warnings he would be a ‘threat to Britain’ in No11. 

‘They haven’t come from my team and I’m appalled at those briefings,’ Mr Burnham said last week, branding them ‘appalling’.

The centre-left Mainstream grouping of Labour MPs has called for him to appoint a ‘progressive chancellor’.

In an apparent reference to Mr Miliband, it urged the incoming prime minister to pick ‘someone who understands the threat that climate breakdown poses to people and planet and who has the courage to rebuild our state’s productive capacity’.

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However, Mr Miliband was seen as the least market-friendly candidate in a poll by Bloomberg, while he has also clashed with unions over North Sea oil jobs that could be affected by the push for green power he champions. 

One veteran Labour MP on the Left of the party told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t think Miliband will get No 11. He would be too big a risk.’ 

Ms Mahmood is unpopular with the party Left because of hardline immigration reforms, and a move would allow Mr Burnham to shake things up. 

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey was filmed entirely on IMAX cameras for what is believed to be the first time, and there are only three cinemas in the UK that can show the film in the 70mm format

So when word spread that his latest epic, The Odyssey, had been filmed entirely on IMAX cameras — believed to be a first in the history of cinema — Nolan devotees up and down the country had one problem. Only three cinemas in the UK are capable of screening the film as it was truly intended to be seen in 70mm IMAX, two of them in London and one at Manchester Printworks, leaving millions of fans far from the nearest qualifying screen.

For many, the answer was straightforward – make the trip regardless. One such fan is Cerys, a Newcastle-based content creator with a lifelong passion for cinema, who thought nothing of a five-hour journey to the BFI IMAX in London to catch the film in its full, intended glory. But after seeing it a second time back home in Newcastle – this time in 35mm at the Tyneside Cinema – her verdict on the two formats was not quite what you might expect.

Christopher Nolan fans travel for The Odyssey 70mm IMAX experience

She said: “I have now seen the odyssey in both IMAX 70mm and the smaller 35mm format and I think both have differing benefits that I thought I’d share with you in case you’re trying to decide what format to see the movie in. If you can’t see it in 70mm and you’re worried about missing something or if you think it’s worth trying to see it in 70mm.

“I saw it early at BFI IMAX on Tuesday which I had to travel down for and I’ve just come out of a 35mm screening at the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle which is where I live. So if you’re in a similar position to me and maybe don’t have great access to a 70mm IMAX screening I’m here to explain why there are other benefits to different formats as well.

“The major difference that I noticed when seeing it in two different formats is actually a product of the loss of screen that you get, and how this changed my interpretation of the story.

“The first time I saw it was 70mm and I found myself more focused on the spectacle of it all, which was undoubtedly astonishing, but seeing it in a smaller format allowed me to focus more on the story which I found enriched my understanding further.

“There were a lot of nuances that I definitely missed out on the first time that I saw the film because I was so wrapped up in the scale whereas now that I’ve seen it again in 35mm I found that my focus was more on the plot, the dialogue and the characters.”

70mm IMAX vs 35mm film: How screen formats change the story

Boasting a remarkably stellar cast including Zendaya, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Travis Scott and Anne Hathaway, The Odyssey weaves together three interlinked storylines — Odysseus’s decade-long voyage home from the Trojan War, his son Telemachus’s search to locate him, and a father-son revenge plot to reclaim their family home. On its opening weekend, The Odyssey took the global box office by storm, raking in a staggering $264m.

Cerys went on to say: “I left both experiences feeling deeply fulfilled just in slightly different ways. Second difference was in the colours and the aesthetics.

“Both looked absolutely gorgeous but I think the grainier all-timely look of 35mm really enhanced the timelessness of this story and solidified the fact that this film will stand the test of time.

“This was honestly my favourite part about seeing it in 35mm whereas I thought the 70mm IMAX looked brighter, which again looked gorgeous, but this added to the spectacle.

“I personally think it’s worth seeing in any and all formats and I do think seeing it in 70mm IMAX was a phenomenal experience that I would definitely recommend.

“It really is great seeing it how it was meant to be seen, but I know it’s quite difficult and if you can’t I hope this video has highlighted the fact that other options are pretty great too.”

Piers Morgan reunited with his ‘TV wife’ Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain on Monday, five years after his dramatic departure. 

Fans called for the presenter, 61, to return to the show after he quit five years ago following an explosive on-air clash with weatherman Alex Beresford about Meghan Markle. 

Piers was on to discuss Andy Burnham‘s upcoming appointment as prime minister, but couldn’t help reminiscing about old times with Susanna. 

The presenter, who is married to wife Celia Walden, often referred to Susanna as his TV wife during his time on GMB. 

Pulling Susanna into a hug, Piers joked: ‘At least say: “lovely to see you back”.’

She replied: ‘Now we’re in a completely different building I can break my hug omertà’. 

Fans called for the presenter to return to the show after he quit five years ago following an explosive on-air clash with weatherman Alex Beresford about Meghan Markle

Sitting opposite Piers on the couch alongside her co-host Ed Balls, Susanna commented: ‘This is weird’. 

Piers said: ‘Do you know what? In most relationships, you have a few years off after a very intense marriage, is what we had.

‘And then after time, all the little annoying things. You know, the way you used to chew your pen, all that kind of stuff, it all just fades away. We remember the good times, in your dressing room with your curlers and the cup of coffee in the morning at 4am.

‘How many men get to see Susanna Reid at 4am in her curlers? Not many.’

Ed joked: ‘I do. From Monday to Wednesday’.

Piers then read from the auto cue to introduce Kate Garraway. 

Impressed by his return, fans called for him to return to Good Morning Britain. 

They wrote: ‘Come back Piers… was great to see you’. 

‘Really lovely to see him back on the sofa. Piers, I’ve missed you’. 

‘Bring him back!’ and ‘We need to start a petition. Come back Piers. Loved watching when he was on.’  

Piers was on to discuss Andy Burnham’s appointment as prime minister, but couldn’t help reminiscing about old times with Susanna, who he often referred to as his TV wife.

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Sitting opposite Piers on the couch alongside her co-host Ed Balls, Susanna commented: ‘This is weird’

Impressed by his return, fans called for him to return to Good Morning Britain. They wrote: ‘Come back Piers… was great to see you’. ‘Really lovely to see him back on the sofa’

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The TV presenter had an explosive on-air clash in 2021 with Alex, who accused Piers of ‘trashing’ Megan Markle before he stormed off set (both pictured in 2021)

Later that day, Piers quit the ITV breakfast show

Morgan set off a social media firestorm after the Oprah interview when he said he ‘didn’t believe a word’ of what Meghan said about experiencing racism within the Royal Family

Piers recently reflected on quitting his breakfast job.

He said: ‘You become part of a family. I see all my old – well, nearly all my old – Good Morning Britain colleagues.’

Taking a swipe at Alex, he continued: ‘I don’t see the weather guy very often. I would cross continents to avoid him.

‘But the others, I do still see a lot of. You do become very close, actually.’

During the famous GMB clash, Alex responded to Piers’ claims that he used to talk to Meghan and she ‘dropped him’ once she started dating Prince Harry.

He said: ‘I understand that you don’t like Meghan Markle, you’ve made it so clear a number of times on this programme, and I understand you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle and she cut you off.’

Alex told Piers: ‘She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to’ – prompting him to then storm off the GMB set.

The following day, Piers was asked by Tucker Carlson how he felt after he stormed off set, when his co-host Susanna Reid apologised for his behaviour.

‘It seems like you have affection for her,’ Tucker said.

Piers replied: ‘I was disappointed, but she might have done it in the grip of fear, that if she spoke too highly in favour of me, the same thing might happen to her. There would be a huge Twitter pile-on. By an orchestrated mob.’

Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to the A693 and Noel Street in Stanley at around 9.30am on Sunday (July 19) after a driver was believed to have suffered a medical episode at the wheel.

The bus came off the road and ended up in the garden of a house, leaving the driver injured. He was taken to University Hospital of North Durham.

A Go North East spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident involving one of our buses in Stanley yesterday and would like to thank the emergency services for their quick response.

“The safety and wellbeing of our customers, colleagues and the wider public is always our highest priority. We are supporting the relevant authorities with ongoing enquiries into the incident.”

Durham Police confirmed the bus hit some railings and has since been recovered, while the council was called to clear up debris in the road.

A spokesperson for the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) said: “There were concerns that the driver may have suffered a medical episode prior to the collision.

“One crew from Consett and one crew from High Handenhold attended the incident and worked alongside ambulance and police colleagues, providing assistance at the scene and assessing those involved. The service left the scene at 11.15am.”

A Lisburn cafe has been labelled the ‘best in Belfast’ by one recent visitor who praised the matcha options available after showcasing sandwiches and French toasts crammed full of fillings

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A woman who “went on a mission” to find the best lunch spot in Belfast has shared her findings after being left stunned by her experience at one particular cafe. “This was up there with one of my favourite cafes yet,” Hannah Binns began in a TikTok video. Showcasing fresh sandwiches rammed full of fillings and a variety of options to drink, she labelled the attention to detail on each menu item as “insane”. Hannah elaborated: “The vodka chicken parm… wow there are no words. And the beef sandwich… oh my days you need to try that.”

For those who enjoy matcha, she advised people to “run” to the cafe because they serve “hands down” the best she has tried in Belfast.

Hannah closed by unveiling a mouthwatering French toast, topped with strawberries, blueberries, cream and blueberry syrup.

The cafe in question is Cafe Zulu Lisburn on Pond Park Road.

“From matcha to iced coffees and coolers – there’s something for everyone at Cafe Zulu,” the cafe states on Instagram. “Whether you’re after your daily caffeine fix, a refreshing cooler or your new favourite matcha, we’ve got you covered.”

According to Wheree, Cafe Zulu is a vibrant and inviting café located in Lisburn, known for its friendly staff and cozy atmosphere.

“Patrons often praise the generous portion sizes of dishes like sharing platters and French toast,” it adds. “Despite some concerns about food consistency, many visitors appreciate the quality of ingredients used, making it a popular spot for both locals and travellers alike.”

Writing in response to Hannah’s clip, one viewer exclaimed: “The matcha is amazing.”

While a second exclaimed: “Need to go there asap.”

A third added: “Looks class, however I’ll have to try the matcha for myself because the matcha in Hey Boba is nearly impossible to beat.”

As a fourth TikTok user said: “Omg it looks INSANE, I need to go!”

Cafe Zulu is open from 8am until 5pm, Sunday to Tuesday, and from 8am until 9pm, Wednesday to Saturday.

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The Bury-born actress is in support of the former Greater Manchester mayor

Emmerdale star Lisa Riley sent a supportive three-word message to Andy Burnham as he becomes Prime Minister.

The former Greater Manchester mayor ran as an MP in the Makerfield by-election after Josh Simons stood down from his role. This took place three months after Burnham was blocked from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

He went onto win the Makerfield seat to become an MP once again, and after Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation as Prime Minister last month, Burnham launched his leadership bid.

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Mr Burnham took over as leader of the Labour Party on Friday (July 17), and now on Monday (July 20) he made his first speech as Prime Minister as Starmer tendered his resignation at Buckingham Palace.

In his first speech as PM, Burnham said: “Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge – to make politics work, to make it work better.”

He will start announcing his cabinet appointments later today. There has been much speculation particularly as to who will be his Chancellor. The two names being widely discussed are Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

On the morning of Mr Burnham becoming PM, Emmerdale star Lisa Riley took to her Instagram as she showed her support for the former Great Manchester mayor.

In a simple three-word message, she wrote: “Good Luck today @andy.burnham”. Lisa was born in Bury, Greater Manchester in 1976, celebrating her 50th this year.

She grew up in the Bury area, specifically Tottington, attending Hollymount School and taking acting classes at the Oldham Theatre Workshop from age nine.

Earlier this year, Lisa was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to drama and to charity as part of the King’s Birthday Honours list for 2026.

She said of the honour: “Wow if this is not my best 50th birthday present being awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list, I don’t know what is.

“I am being awarded an MBE, Member of the Order of the British Empire, for my services to drama and to charity. To say I am humbled is an absolute understatement. To have been able to do my job as an actor for 36 years now, never having a day out of work in our industry, is an honour in itself.”

After playing such an iconic role for over 30 years, Lisa noted that she’s the “first ever cast member of Emmerdale” to have been awarded an MBE.