A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit Monday from an interfaith group that challenged the legitimacy of President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, dismissing claims that its overwhelmingly conservative Christian makeup lacked a legally required balance of viewpoints.
Judge John P. Cronan said that although a federal law requires that advisory commissions have a balance of viewpoints, it didn’t specify how this should be done. The New York judge said Trump has wide discretion in picking members.
The lawsuit was filed by several plaintiffs, including the progressive Interfaith Alliance as well as Hindu, Muslim and Sikh groups. They argued that the commission was imbalanced because it consisted almost entirely of conservative Christians, along with one Orthodox Jewish rabbi, and that several commissioners were on record questioning church-state separation and supporting the idea of America as a Judeo-Christian country.
Critics of the the commission said such fears were borne out when it issued a draft report in June that challenged the understanding of a separation of church and state in recent generations, calling instead for “bridges” between the two.
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But Cronan said the lawsuit, which sought a more ideologically and religious diverse commission, failed to meet legal criteria to proceed.
He also wrote that the commission is diverse in other ways, such as including both clergy and lay people. And he said the commission has “adherents of at least five different religions” — by citing the one Jewish member and then members of various Christian denominations and identities.
The Interfaith Alliance argued that the commission lacked balance because members believed “the law should protect the exercise of religious beliefs over the civil rights of minority groups.” But Cronan wrote that because Trump’s executive order creating the commission rejected the idea of “religious liberty as inconsistent with civil rights,” he wasn’t obligated to appoint someone who disagreed with that founding premise.
The Interfaith Alliance has been vocal in criticizing the commission, saying its recent draft report failed to address crucial issues such as anti-Muslim attacks and saying it supports policies privileging some religious groups over others.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
If you are aspirational, own a property, have saved prudently into a pension and hope to leave a little to your children after you’ve gone… be afraid.
If you also happen to live in the South of England, be very afraid. Andy Burnham has you in his sights.
While we have no detail of which taxes the self-styled King of the North will dream up or increase to fund his ‘new economic model’, he has floated a number of possibilities – all of them worrying.
In a showcase BBC interview, he strongly hinted that southern homeowners should pay more in council tax than the rest of the country because they live in more expensive properties.
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What he failed to mention is that they also have bigger mortgages and pay more income tax. And if they commute into the capital, they must pay either eye-watering public transport costs or, if they drive, punitive ULEZ, congestion zone and parking charges.
London and the South East already contribute 45 per cent of the UK’s total income tax bill, with much of that flowing to less affluent regions. (Incidentally, the North West, which includes Manchester and Liverpool, contributes under 8 per cent.)
He should be proud that the South is working so hard for Britain. Instead, he’s so fixated on the politics of envy that he risks throttling the golden goose.
He might also consider the possibility that many Tory councils charge lower council tax because they are more careful with their spending than Labour and employ fewer staff in spurious diversity, outreach and public relations roles.
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We have no detail of which taxes the self-styled King of the North will dream up or increase to fund his ‘new economic model’
In addition, though southern middle-class householders may live in relatively valuable properties, they are not all cash rich. Higher taxes could well force some out of their homes. Is that Mr Burnham’s idea of fairness? Then there is the new PM’s plan to provide a social care service free at the point of need. A laudable notion but, again, where’s the money coming from?
He has let it be known he favours a ‘national care levy’ on all estates – otherwise known as a death tax. A figure of 10 per cent has been mooted, but is that to replace existing inheritance tax, or in addition to it?
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Rachel Reeves has already fleeced private pensioners like a demented sheep shearer. Under pre-existing rules, any money left in a pension fund after death can be left to children or grandchildren inheritance tax-free.
But from April, if you are over 75 when you die, any remaining pension will be subject first to IHT at 40 per cent, then income tax when it is drawn down.
A further 10 per cent levy would mean it had been taxed three times. IHT is one of the most hated of all taxes. This would make it the most iniquitous.
It’s true of course that these are merely spectres of things foretold. We don’t know exactly what Mr Burnham will do because he became Prime Minister in a party coup rather than after an election.
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He didn’t even stand as an MP in 2024, so although he pays lip service to honouring Labour’s manifesto, it’s clear he has massive tax-raising plans. If he had any respect for democracy, he would put those plans to the people in a general election. But he hasn’t, and he won’t.
He may fancy himself as the King of the North but, after just a week in Downing Street, he’s looking more like a robber baron.
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“Because over the years, I feel like maybe we’ve tried to fulfil one of us more than the others, and what we discovered on our last album, there’s been a couple of albums, (Radio:Active) and Power To Play. And when we play those songs, we look at each other and we’re laughing and we’re thinking this is badass, this is awesome.
The woman and man who died at Fistral Beach are said to be a father and his daughter, with the pair understood to have been on holiday in Cornwall.
The Sun reports that one witness – a local beach artist – claims the man had “gone in to try and rescue his daughter”.
Sand Phoenix, 33, said he “sprinted” up to help, jabbing the man with an adrenaline pen he had to hand and trying to give him oxygen.
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His attempts to save the man’s life were in vain, however, as the victim’s lungs were “full of water”.
Mr Phoenix, who was sleeping on the beach at the time of the incident, said: “He had been pulled out of the water but had been in there about seven minutes.
“The paramedics arrived and carried on trying to give CPR. He was still wearing his trousers so I don’t think he had been swimming.
“It looks like they had been walking near the rocks and had fallen in.”
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Another bystander explained he heard shouts for help and saw a woman lying face down in the water when he went down the cliff.
The brave man went into the sea fully clothed in an attempt to grab the woman, who was being bashed against rocks by waves.
Another witness told the Sun: “A woman was desperately trying to ring someone but couldn’t get through [and] was in tears.
“There was a helicopter overhead and there was a lifeboat in the water.
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“They recovered one body on the beach, while the other one was brought up the cliff.
“Another man came up soaking wet and in a foil blanket. He knew them and had been trying to help. I’m just in shock, it was awful to watch.”
Adam Peaty claimed two bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but the three-time Olympic champion has had a frustrating few days
Adam Ramsay-Peaty has revealed that his sole motivation for continuing to compete is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The English swimming star picked up two bronze medals at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
He then went on to add a second third-place finish in the 50m breaststroke on Tuesday evening. The 31-year-old touched the wall in 26.94, just 0.44 seconds behind Australian winner Sam Williamson, who backed up his 100m triumph to complete a remarkable double in the Scottish city.
Michael Houlie took silver, with Ramsay-Peaty edged into third by a mere 0.01 of a second. The Uttoxeter-born swimmer entered the race as defending champion, having claimed gold four years ago in Birmingham. The England athlete whipped up the crowd during his walk-in, yet was unable to translate that energy into a podium-topping performance.
He had secured his place in the final with a time of 26.82 seconds, finishing behind only South Africa’s Houlie in his semi-final. Following his bronze medal in the short-distance event, Ramsay-Peaty gave a candid interview to TNT Sports.
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He said: “Sometimes in that event the harder you try the slower you go. I am learning from this experience as a whole.
“I think for me it’s just getting back to the enjoyment of racing. I made a few errors…you need to be race polished and I am not. I am not going ot be too hard on myself…I am a different man from 12 years ago…I have a six-year old and daughter on way [so that puts it] all in perspective.
“I think my whole career has been ups and downs. First two thirds were very good then I lost way and purpose. The only reason I am here now is to give myself best shot into LA [Olympics] I obviously have a lot to work on.”
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Regarding what the build-up to LA might entail, he said: “I don’t know – I don’t know what tomorrow looks like. [I will take] lot of learning [from this]. I felt off and I don’t know why, I am slow in the final, I don’t know why, I don’t know what two years looks like.”
It has been a challenging time for Ramsay-Peaty following a dramatic falling out with his family before he married Holly Ramsay – the daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay – last December.
The three-time Olympic champion also previously stepped away from swimming during a period of mental health struggles in 2023. He was then agonisingly denied Olympic gold in Paris two years ago as he attempted to become the first swimmer to claim the men’s 100m breaststroke crown at three successive Games.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Ramsay-Peaty has discussed the tough choices that accompany life as an elite athlete. The swimmer has spent time away from his son and was forced to miss events at home.
Speaking to BBC Sport following the 100m race, he struggled to hide his frustration that those decisions have not been leading to better results.
He said: “They are not even sacrifices; they are choices. It’s like getting knocked out in the group stages in the World Cup for a very good team. You know you’re better and it hurts because you know you have to wait for a very long time for the next championships.
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“This is probably – realistically – my last Commonwealth Games and I thought I’d trained for better. I could do better. I’ve been faster this season. That’s where the frustration is.”
Entertainment will be in front of Kelly’s Cellars, at the cathedral car parks, and off Castle Street
Further Belfast Fleadh outdoor entertainment has been formally approved at a special meeting at City Hall.
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A special summer meeting of the Belfast City Council Licensing Committee has approved entertainment for Bank Square, the car parks at St Anne’s Cathedral, and the Fountain area including Castle Street.
Belfast for the first time will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. Qualifying competitors from all over the world will showcase the best of traditional music, song, dance and language in All-Ireland competitions.
With a minimum of 800,000 visitors from across the world, it is anticipated to be the biggest cultural event ever held in Belfast. Tourism NI estimates the 2026 Fleadh will bring £60 million into the Northern Ireland economy. Belfast will host the Fleadh again next year.
Last month, a swathe of late night and outdoor licences were granted for gigs in streets, vacant buildings, alleys and car parks for the Fleadh.
At a special Licensing Committee in July, councillors recently green-lighted five entertainment applications that related to the Fleadh.
First, permission was granted to provide outdoor musical entertainment beyond 11pm at Bank Square, just off Royal Avenue, in front of Kelly’s Cellars. The application from Mr Henry Downey is for all eight nights, until 1am.
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Bank Square already has a seven day annual outdoor entertainments licence and a seven day annual indoor entertainments licence for a marquee, both of which have been used to hold events in the past. The licence is held by the Department of Communities and will be transferred to Henry Downey for the duration of the Fleadh.
Secondly, a 14 day occasional outdoor entertainments licence was granted for St Anne’s Cathedral south car park, which runs along Talbot Street. The applicant was Stephen Magorrian of Wandsworth Pubs Ltd, and the licence will cover entertainment from 11.30am to midnight each day.
A similar licence was granted for St Anne’s Cathedral north car park, which runs along Academy Street and Exchange Street West. The applicant is Keith Forster of Belfast City Council. This area will be the location of the Fleadh Cheoil food and drink market.
Permission was also granted for a 14 day occasional outdoor entertainments licence until 11pm for the Fleadh at land bounded by 1-7 Fountain Street and 22-40 Castle Street. The applicant is Ciaran Smyth, of Phoenix Wine and Spirits Limited.
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The council report on the application states: “The premises will be a temporary outdoor events space formed on land now available following the demolition of a number of buildings on Fountain Street and Castle Street. The site will be bounded by Fountain Street, the existing Voodoo premises, which is owned by the applicant, and the temporary events space operated by TG4 for the period of the Fleadh Cheoil.”
A similar licence was granted for the former Norwich Union House site, 24-40 Castle Street, with outdoor entertainment beyond 11.00pm, and indoor musical entertainment beyond 11.00pm within a marquee. The applicant is David Power, of Power Pictures Ltd, Galway, and the site will be the base for the Irish language television channel, TG4. The entertainment will be Thursday 6th, Friday 7th, Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th, 11.30am to 11.30pm.
The council report states: “There will be minimal amplification of music in the outdoor area for the benefit of a small crowd attending. This will be intermittent as the bulk of the performances take place within the marquee and the priority with sound is that which is broadcast.”
During the meeting, an application to provide outdoor musical entertainment beyond 11pm at Custom House Square was removed from the agenda.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students is asking a court to let him withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial, saying his attorneys manipulated him into making the deal by promising him better prison conditions and scaring him about the quality of life on death row.
Bryan Kohberger, 31, filed the hand-written petition on Monday from the Idaho Maximum Security Penitentiary where he is serving four consecutive life sentences for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen in a rental home near campus in 2022. It’s been just over one year since he pleaded guilty to the stabbing deaths that scarred the close-knit community of Moscow, Idaho.
In his request, Kohberger said his attorneys didn’t adequately represent him and that his guilty plea wasn’t knowingly or voluntarily entered because it “was induced by unkept promises” and threats.
He offered only a few details in elaboration, saying they failed to disclose or review evidence that might have helped his case during plea discussions, like an “unknown hair in Chapin’s hand.”
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He also wrote that the attorneys insisted that his plea “need not be truthful, despite petitioner’s vehement denial of actual guilt,” that they promised life in prison would come with “immediate contact visits, freedom of movement, employment” and that they told him “elaborate lies of DR (death row) life.”
That’s the opposite of what Kohberger told 4th District Judge Steven Hippler on July 2, 2025, when he confirmed that he was pleading guilty “freely and voluntarily” because he was, in fact, guilty, and not because he had some other incentive. As part of that process, he had to agree to waive his rights to appeal, confirm that he understood the punishments on the table for the crimes and assure the court that he wasn’t coerced by his attorneys or anyone else to make the plea.
Those and other questions were posed to Kohberger more than once — first in a nine-page legal document that Kohberger filled out, initialed and signed, and later in direct questioning by the judge — all in an effort to ensure that his plea would hold up.
In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed they would not seek the death penalty, and instead would recommend that he be sentenced to four back-to-back life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 10 years.
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“Have any other promises been made to you that have influenced your decision to plead guilty?” Kohberger was asked on the plea agreement document. He checked the the box indicating “no.”
“Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” Hippler asked him in court a few days later.
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“Yes,” Kohberger replied.
Once a defendant has been sentenced, Idaho law requires them to show that they experienced “manifest injustice” in order to withdraw a guilty plea. That is a tough legal standard, but it can be met if a defendant convinces a judge that they made the plea involuntarily or that other serious constitutional errors were made in the case.
For Kohberger’s team of four court-appointed attorneys, the plea deal was a way to save his life. Over two years of hearings, they tried multiple times to get capital punishment off the table. They challenged the legitimacy of DNA evidence, argued that Kohberger’s autism diagnosis made him less culpable, suggested there might be another unknown suspect to be found, and said the death penalty violates international standards of decency.
But none of the arguments worked, and Kohberger’s trial was just a month away when he reached the plea agreement.
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The lead defense attorney on the case, Anne Taylor, is one of the most highly regarded capital defenders in the state, with nearly three decades of experience, more than half of it as a death-penalty-qualified defender. A person who answered the phone at her office on Monday immediately said “no comment” and hung up before she could be asked if it was Kohberger’s case or another matter on which she was declining to comment.
Here’s what the stars have in store for your day (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
As the Moon moves through Capricorn, the day can be afforded a sense of importance. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, but be intentional.
Cancer, Leo and Virgo, all you need to do today is be yourself. Stay focused on your own actions and remain in your lane.
Emotions may run high today, but be euthentic and all will be well. Big things are on the cards.
Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Tuesday July 28, 2026.
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Aries
March 21 to April 20
Your desire to crack on and get things done needs a little care today. Whilst your energy is a great asset, sometimes situations benefit from subtlety, and today is one of those times. Push too hard, be impatient, or focus overly on the things that seem imperfect, and it could go awry. Show passion in supporting colleagues or tackling practicalities, and progress is possible.
When the Moon moves through Capricorn, as it currently does, it gives you a nudge of anticipation and excitement. This can be especially so if you are looking to change things up in a bold way. But just ask yourself, is an old issue or experience impacting how you are feeling now? It is possible this is so, with Mars testing Venus’s charm and diplomacy today.
Mars in Gemini has given you added impetus over the last month, along with the confidence to be more direct about the things you want. Where he shines is where you can initiate and be at the heart of things. However, there is an earthy dynamic now that asks you to be as mindful of the outcome of what you are working towards as you are of the buzz of being creative.
The Moon and Venus give you a great chance to express yourself well. Yet there is an edginess that may be hard to really pinpoint, which could see you rush a conversation rather uncharacteristically. This may be because Mars is stirring your psyche in a way that is not always easy for us to be aware of, and his tangle with Venus could see you trying a bit too hard.
Jupiter in your sign for the next year encourages you to go big and go bold, but today the practical locations of the Moon and Venus in earth signs apply a celestial handbrake. As much as surging forwards with renewed confidence and verve is entirely possible, look to consolidate what you have been working on of late. As soon as tomorrow, you can skyrocket.
Venus in your sign has likely seen you refresh your wardrobe or your look in recent weeks and given you extra confidence in the process. This extra pizzazz can be perfect for any professional strands today, where not only can you feel stylish, but you can also showcase your ideas with confidence. Don’t hold back. It’s a day to use your personality power to the full.
Cosmic messages for Cosmic messages for Virgo today
Libra
September 24 to October 23
You’ve felt a greater need for a change of scene, but that doesn’t necessarily require you to hop on a jet and head somewhere exotic. Today is a case in point. Getting out into nature, pottering in your garden, or enjoying some peaceful solitude can resonate just as much as doing something livelier or more energetic. Connecting with family members can also appeal.
Just because a conversation flows easily doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a deeper meaning and today can see this happen. However, beneath the veneer of pleasant chatter may be a spark of attraction or the chance to turn a promising business idea into a constructive collaboration. All this can flow from the grounded energies, which can be subtle but potent all the same.
The Sagittarius mind is so fertile, but you can be direct and to the point when the mood takes you, and today it may. Be it work, business, or everyday finances, you’ll want to cut to the chase. This makes it easier for others because they’ll soon know where you are coming from. Just be careful not to become frustrated if they don’t respond in kind, though, Archer.
The Moon completes its journey through your sign today and has empowered you over the last two days to speak up for what you need. Socially, her link to Venus is a bright one, but with Mars industrious, you may feel pushed towards more mundane strands. If anyone can clear away the chores speedily, it’s you, leaving you free to focus on the lighter stuff.
You may have found yourself happier in the background over the last couple of days, but that’s fine for you, because as much as you can be friendly and outgoing, that quieter part of you needs attention too from time to time. If you’ve found yourself thinking about one person a lot, you may also be wondering how you could make a connection. Bide your time for now.
Meeting up with a friend can appeal. And whether this is a swift coffee and a catch-up or going out out, as the saying goes, it can be just the tonic. Speaking of which, you can discuss booking a spa day or some other form of therapy. The appeal of anything that creates a feel-good factor can be very strong for you from now and throughout the year ahead, Pisces.
Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.
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A trove of secretive audio tapes showcasing former President Joe Biden‘s ‘poor memory’ and ‘diminished faculties’ have been released.
The recordings were made by the ghostwriter who assisted in the publication Biden’s 2017 book Promise Me, Dad. They were shared by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, who began publishing the audio files for the first time Monday evening.
The conversations, and Biden’s recall issues at the time, were on stark display.
In one of the sit-downs, Biden struggled to speak at all for several minutes, and only after he was prompted by the ghostwriter, Marc Zwonitzer.
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‘It strikes me that there were three big things going on,’ he told Biden, after several painful moments passed. ‘I think Iraq, Central America, and Ukraine seemed to be the things that were chewing up a lot of a lot of your time.’
Biden, in response, muttered quietly and struggled to string together complete or decipherable sentences. His first audible response detailed a discussion with Kevin McCarthy, who ‘it looked like was going to be speaker, or … the number two guy.’
Biden then launched into a lengthy diatribe about energy infrastructure, while Zwonitzer listened on – at times, chiming in with specific dates or details to ostensibly aid the struggling lawmaker.
In another portion, Biden, prompted by Zwonitzer about a previous subject they discussed, struggled to remember any of the details or subjects discussed in the earlier sit-down.
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Biden was not criminally charged with stashing classified documents in his garage and private office
Former Special Counsel Robert Hur stirred controversy around Biden when he questioned the ex-president’s diminished mental acuity
The Justice Department obtained the audio files during its probe into Biden’s handling of classified documents from 2023 to 2024
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‘It’s confusing me,’ he said, before an assistant steered the conversation back on track.
The audio comes as Republicans in Congress had pushed to make the tapes public after the Justice Department obtained them during a high-profile probe into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents when he served as Vice President and in the US Senate. The transcripts of the discussions were published in 2024, but audio had never before been shared in full.
The 2024 report, authored by former Special Counsel Robert Hur, stirred controversy around Biden when he questioned the ex-president’s diminished mental acuity and forgetfulness, leaving many to wonder what the attorney found in the tapes.
Hur decided against bringing charges against Biden for mishandling sensitive documents, in part, because he was a ‘sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.’
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He also noted the former president’s ‘diminished faculties in advancing age.’
Hur said the evidence included a recorded conversation between Biden and his ghostwriter in which the former president stated that he had just ‘found all the classified stuff downstairs.’
Biden’s push to keep the tapes hidden ultimately failed in court due to ‘substantial’ public interest in the documents.
The interviews were recorded at Biden’s home in 2016 and 2017 with author Marc Zwonitzer.
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They took place when Biden was vice president and before his 2020 campaign, and were meant to remain private, the former president’s legal team has argued.
Zwonitzer admitted to deleting the audio files during Hur’s investigation, claiming he was afraid of getting hacked.
The conservative Heritage Foundation began a public disclosure legal battle with the Department of Justice to release the files in 2024 shortly after Hur’s report was published.
Last week, Judge Florence Pan, a Biden-appointed judge, argued that the former president has shown ‘substantial’ interest in keeping the files private.
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‘The conversations at issue took place in Biden’s home, and the recordings of them were obtained by the government in the course of a criminal investigation that did not lead to an indictment,’ Judge Florence Pan wrote in her dissent.
Judge Gregory Katsas, a Trump appointee, and Sri Srinivasan, an Obama appointee, ruled against the motion to keep the files hidden.
Audio recordings that former President Joe Biden fought for years to keep private have now been released. The roughly 70 hours of audio recordings, shared with CBS News, were cited in a 2024 special counsel’s report, which said Biden kept volumes of notes at his home that… pic.twitter.com/79sPnGfKvu
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) July 27, 2026
This picture was taken in December 2022 in Biden’s garage, with other household items, as part of Hur’s investigation
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Hur’s report was crammed with pictures of documents recovered from Biden’s home or an office he used when he was Vice President
Biden announced an upcoming memoir titled Promise Me, America last week
The recordings took place in 2016 and 2017 when Biden was vice president. Above, at a Democratic presidential debate in 2020
Biden’s recordings were shared with a ghostwriter for his 2017 book Promise Me, Dad
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The panel stayed an opinion until August 3, allowing further time for Biden’s legal team to appeal.
Biden announced earlier this month that he would be releasing another memoir titled Promise Me, America. It is expected to be published later this year.
York Outer Labour MP Luke Charters has been made a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
In an announcement made today, it was revealed that he is set to join fellow northern MPs Olivia Blake (Sheffield Hallam) and Kirith Entwistle (Bolton North East), who are set to serve under former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
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As reported by The Press in May, Luke was previously a PPS for Business Secretary Peter Kyle until he resigned from the position in the lead-up to Andy Burnham’s bid to become an MP – calling for the Labour Party to be ‘bolder with our ideas and more confident in our approach’.
On his appointment, Luke said: “I’m really pleased to be taking on the role of Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
“It’s a great opportunity to work with Angela Rayner and the team. Over the past week or so, there’s been a real sense of optimism around some of the changes being announced, from building more council homes to taking action on rough sleeping.
“Hopefully it’s the start of showing people that government can make a positive difference to everyday life.
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“For me, though, of course, York Outer comes first. It’s where I was born, where I grew up and where I’m now raising my family.
“At the end of the day, that’s who I work for. I’ll keep getting out across the constituency, listening to people, helping where I can, and making sure York Outer has a strong voice in Government.”
A PPS is the first kind of job on the ministerial ladder an MP is likely to get and are bound by the collective responsibility principle to support the government’s agenda in public.
They serve as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the department – helping to advise Minsters, aid communication between the Minster and backbench MPs (who do not hold a role), and help promote their department’s policies.
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They do not get a ministerial salary on top of their Parliamentary pay.
According to a letter sent to Labour MPs by Anneliese Midgley, the Government Chief Whip, new Prime Minister Burnham is seeking to “strengthen and elevate” the role as part of a ‘wider culture change’ that they hope to create.
PPSs could soon be able to make more media appearances and carry out more work in Parliament on behalf of the Government.
In her letter, Ms Midgley said: “Serving as a PPS is one of the most important roles for parliamentarians and they are vitally important to the functioning of effective Government.
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“The Prime Minister and I have therefore reviewed how we can strengthen and elevate the role so that it better reflects the way we want the Government to operate.
“We want to better recognise the contributions PPSs make to their departments. To the Parliamentary Labour Party, and to the success of the Government as a whole.”
Burke’s arraignment is scheduled for 31 August. The trial is to start within 90 days of that date.
Prosecutors have alleged Burke stabbed the teen before dismembering her body after years of alleged sexual abuse.
They allege he killed her because the teen had threatened to reveal his relationship with a minor and destroy his multi-million dollar music career.
Evidence read in court on Monday showed threats Celeste made to Burke on 22 April 2025, stemming from arguments about his friendship with another girl.
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“I swear to GOD I will kill u”, one expletive-laden text said, followed by a threat to strangle him and tell her dad lies about him. “i will end ur career and ur life I will damage anything”, one text said.
The following day, Hernandez went to Burke’s Hollywood home in an Uber he had sent to pick her up.
Prosecutors alleged that Burke stabbed her once she arrived.
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