Madonna opened the show by bringing her Confessions II short film to life on stage – vagina lasers and all

There was the slightest of technical hitches during Madonna’s performance involving some playback which… yeah

Country megastar Kacey Musgraves paid a beautiful tribute to Dolly Parton with her take on I Will Always Love You

A host of stars paid homage to George Michael in the lead-up to the 10th anniversary of his death, including queer performers like Adam Lambert and the UK’s own MNEK

Gener8ion and Yung Lean’s Storm II performance recreated their iconic music video’s jaw-dropping choreo

Lisa absolutely served with her rendition of Sawadika

Considering how far they’ve both come in their careers, we loved watching former collaborators (and homegrown stars!) Raye and Charli XCX hanging out at the VMAs

As for the night’s awards, Madonna came out on top, including an Artist Of The Year win presented to her by collaborator Charli XCX and Troye Sivan (who recently sampled the Queen of Pop’s number one hit Music on his new single Party)

Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter also won Best Collaboration and their shared speech was a little… bumpy, let’s just say that

British singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro became the latest winner of the Best New Artist title, recently won by the likes of Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan (not to mention historic winners like Eminem, Lady Gaga, Nirvana and Eurythmics)

Taylor Swift also took a moment to remember ‘the ultimate showgirl’ Dolly Parton as she accepted her latest Video Of The Year win

Lucy Powell has accused Nigel Farage of hypocrisy over immigration, telling Labour conference that he “seems to hate foreigners so much” but “really does love their money”.

In her first conference speech as deputy leader, Powell described the Reform UK leader as “a modern-day love child of Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher”.

The education secretary said: “Nigel Farage wants us to all blame immigrants for our country’s ills. He wants a race to the bottom on workers’ rights and deregulation. Especially for his billionaire crypto mates. He believes in trickle-down economics, that never actually trickles down.

“Conference, he’s just a modern-day love child of Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher. And quite bizarrely, for someone who seems to hate foreigners so much, he really does love their money, doesn’t he?”

Enoch Powell delivers ‘rivers of blood’ speech

Powell also turned her fire on the Conservatives, saying they appear to be “somewhere between an identity crisis and collective amnesia”. She told delegates the British people “won’t forget the damage they did in 14 years of government. They left this country worse off, our public services hollowed out, and now they’ve got the nerve to lecture us on the crises they created.”

She said: “Our opponents are locked in the arguments of the past, while we look to the future. And that’s how we’ll win, and I am confident there’s a majority in this country who agree.”

Powell acknowledged Labour’s poor performance at the 2026 May elections, telling delegates: “We lost hundreds of great Labour representatives across the UK. There’s no sugar-coating it. We let you down and you deserved better. And I’m sorry.”

She argued that the party had been “diligently getting on with the job” but must now “make the argument and win it”. Praising the leadership of prime minister Andy Burnham, she said he was “showing us the why, not just the what”.

Powell pointed to a list of government achievements, including free school meals for more than 3 million children, recognising the state of Palestine, lifting of the two-child benefit cap and ending hereditary peers sitting in the House of Lords.

Turning to her brief at the Department for Education, Powell described education as “the passport to success” and said she led “the department of hope”.

She said: “We’re introducing new vocational GCSEs alongside T Levels and V Levels and new apprenticeships post 16.

“High quality, high esteem, underpinned by national standards in subjects in demand for the future economy. I’m ending the snobbery towards technical education.

“Not a two-tier system, far from it, but technical excellence alongside academic excellence too.”

Powell also took a swipe at former education secretary Michael Gove, who she said had accused her of “bringing back stupid”.

She said: “Michael Gove wants all the plaudits for the good bits but wants to take no responsibility for the bad. I think Ofsted would say he Requires Improvement. Although of course under the new framework he’d need attention. Let’s not give him anymore of that because he loves it too much.

“We’re not bringing back stupid, conference – we’re bringing back hope.”

Angela Rayner resigns as deputy prime minister over tax row

NESST – photo courtesy of Northumbria University

For decades, governments have promised to tackle the North-South divide. Yet despite numerous initiatives, too many communities have continued to see investment, opportunity and economic power concentrated elsewhere.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s commitment to the reindustrialisation of the North is built on a simple but powerful principle: “good growth in every postcode.”

It is an ambition that goes beyond economic statistics. It recognises that successful places are built on confidence, skills, educational opportunity and community as much as they are on investment and jobs.

A vision already taking place across the North East

To be clear, reindustrialisation is not about recreating the industries of the past. It is about creating the industries of the future and ensuring that regions with the talent, capability and ambition to succeed are given the opportunity to do so.

The North East region has long been one of Britain’s industrial powerhouses, defined by generations of engineering and manufacturing excellence. Today, it is building a new future around advanced manufacturing, defence, technology and space – sectors that will be critical to the UK’s future economic prosperity and national security.

Few sectors demonstrate this opportunity more clearly than space.

Lockheed Martin Space UK – which has had a presence in the UK for 85 years – has already made a significant impact in the region through its partnership with Northumbria University and the UK Space Agency to create the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST). The initiative combines industry expertise with academic excellence to develop the technology, innovation and talent pipeline needed to support the UK’s growing space economy.

NESST embodies the collaborative approach that successful reindustrialisation requires. The centre brings together industry, government and education while creating clear pathways into high-value careers for local people.

The company’s commitment to the region could soon expand further through plans for a satellite manufacturing facility at NETPark near Sedgefield, one of the UK’s leading science and technology campuses.

Investing for the future, today

Importantly, the North East is not simply preparing for future investment. It is ready today.

Paul Livingston, Chief Executive UK and NATO for Lockheed Martin said:

“The North East has the talent, ambition and industrial heritage to play a leading role in Britain’s reindustrialisation. By bringing together industry, academia and government, we can create highly skilled jobs and help deliver growth and opportunity across the region.”

More than £20m has already been invested in preparing NETPark for advanced manufacturing opportunities, creating a development-ready location for companies seeking to establish cutting-edge facilities. Combined with the region’s engineering expertise, growing technology ecosystem and strong infrastructure, the foundations for a thriving space manufacturing cluster are already in place.

The skills pipeline is equally compelling. NESST is due to open shortly, with the first cohort of 30 students beginning a new aerospace-focused degree programme designed to equip the next generation of engineers and technologists with the skills required by the UK’s growing space sector.

Such an investment would represent a major boost not only for the North East but for the UK’s ambitions in space and advanced manufacturing. It would directly support the Prime Minister’s objective of creating a North that can manufacture, innovate, export and compete on the global stage.

Championing the future

The company’s confidence in the region is shared by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, who has consistently championed both the defence and space sectors as engines of future prosperity.

Her argument is simple. The North East already possesses the industrial capability, workforce and determination required to succeed. What it needs is greater investment and the opportunity to compete.

Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East, said:

“For too long, too much investment has been concentrated in too few places. But we have a plan to show what is possible when global industry backs the people of the North East.

“Becoming home to this major Lockheed Martin Space UK manufacturing facility would be transformational for our region. Not only would it create high-value jobs and opportunities for people in Durham and across the North East, it would also help to attract further investment, suppliers, innovators and space businesses to locate here. That is how we build a globally recognised space cluster and deliver lasting economic growth for communities across our region.”

That shared ambition led to the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and Lockheed Martin Space UK, strengthening collaboration around investment, skills and industrial development.

The case for investment is strengthened further when viewed through the lens of national security.

As highlighted by the MP for Newcastle Central and West, Chi Onwurah, the North East sends more young people into the Armed Forces than any other region of the UK and yet receives the lowest level of Ministry of Defence spending.

That disparity presents an opportunity as much as a challenge. As the UK seeks to strengthen sovereign capabilities, increase resilience and invest in the industries that support national security, the North East offers a region with a proven record of service, a highly skilled workforce and infrastructure that is ready to support future growth.

Investment in defence and space would not simply support economic growth. It would strengthen national resilience while ensuring that a region which contributes so much to the nation’s defence benefits more directly from the opportunities created by that commitment.

Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East, continued:

“The scale of the opportunity is substantial. Plans include approximately £100m of investment and the potential creation of up to 2,000 new jobs across the UK, including around 500 highly skilled roles in the North East. These positions would support satellite manufacturing, advanced engineering, technology development and supply chain growth while helping strengthen the UK’s sovereign space capability.

Supporting that growth will require a strong pipeline of talent. Encouragingly, that work is already underway.”

Establishing the educational pipeline

New College Durham recently secured designation as an Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence College (AMTEC), further strengthening the region’s ability to develop the advanced engineering and manufacturing skills required by future employers.

Alison Maynard, Deputy Principal at New College Durham said that “we see AMTEC playing a vital role in connecting and integrating the North East’s rich industrial, research, and innovation assets, creating a bridge between major developments such as NESST and Lockheed Martin’s planned facility at NETPark.”

Together, initiatives such as NESST, AMTEC and NETPark demonstrate that the North East has already assembled many of the ingredients required for long-term success: investment, infrastructure, innovation, skills and collaboration.

For a Prime Minister committed to delivering growth in every postcode, the North East offers a compelling example of what success can look like.

The region is not waiting for growth to arrive. It is creating it.

Through advanced manufacturing, space technology, education and strategic investment, the North East is demonstrating how reindustrialisation can strengthen the economy, support national resilience and create opportunity for future generations. The infrastructure is ready. The skills pipeline is growing. The partnerships are in place.

The future is being built now.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Since its introduction in 1996, the Portman Group’s Code of Practice has been a pioneering system of self-regulation, shaping how alcohol is named, pack­aged and promoted across the UK. The 30^th anniver­sary is a moment for reflection and a reminder of what effective regulation looks like: clear proportionate rules, independent oversight, and the flexibility to reflect changes in society.

Over the last three decades, the Code has provided a clear, enforceable framework to ensure marketing remains socially responsible while supporting a diverse and innovative market.

The Code also addresses a central challenge: ensuring alco­hol is marketed responsibly without relying solely on legisla­tion. Its rules are clear: products must not appeal particularly to under-18s, encourage excessive consumption, or target vulnerable groups. The Code, now in its sixth iteration, has also evolved alongside new changes in marketing and society, such as introducing stronger protections against racist, sexist or other potentially offensive marketing in 2019, with a new review to be conducted soon.

A key strength of this system is its independence and accessi­bility. Complaints can be submitted by anyone – including MPs – and are adjudicated by an Independent Complaints Panel, with the Portman Group acting as secretariat. This ensures decisions are impartial, consistent and evidence-based, maintaining trust among producers, policymakers and the public.

Its impact is evident: more than 200 products have been removed or amended following rulings made by the Panel.

Producers almost always co-operate with the Portman Group to keep marketing responsible, but in rare cases products can be removed from shelves in partnership with retailers, via measures underpinned by the Licensing Act 2003 guidance.

The Portman Group also works proactively with the industry by providing free and confidential advice to all alcohol produc­ers to assist them in complying with the Code when launching new products or marketing campaigns.

Separately, the Portman Group’s voluntary Best Practice Guidance on alcohol labelling sets out expectations regard­ing health information to consumers. These standards are widely applied across the UK market: over 99 per cent of UK alcohol products carry pregnancy warnings; 96 per cent carry unit information; and 89 per cent carry the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines – providing consumers with a roadmap to moderation. Additionally, around two-thirds (62 per cent) carry calorie information and close to half carry further warnings against drink driving (48 per cent) or under­age drinking (41 per cent).¹

Keeping the Portman Group at the heart of alcohol labelling

The UK government shortly intends to consult on alcohol labelling to ‘build on’ existing voluntary commitments. The Best Practice Labelling Guidance is a well-established, highly compliant set of recommendations that should act as a solid foundation for this process to ensure that consumers are provided with clear, consistent and actionable information. We encourage the government to work in partnership with the Portman Group as a pro-growth regulator and take advantage of our experience in setting and applying standards for alcohol labelling.

Finally, we hope all parliamentarians will join us in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Portman Group Code of Practice as an internationally respected model for self-regulation, continuing its important work protecting consumers for many years to come.

Click here to read Portman Group’s findings from their 2026 Market Review. For more information contact [email protected] or visit www.portmangroup.org.uk.

Reference

1. Portman Group; Informing consumers through responsible alcohol labelling: 2026 UK Market Review (June 2026)

John Healey will pledge a “new age of industrialisation” for Britain in his speech to Labour conference.

The chancellor is expected to confirm that three new floating docks for the Royal Navy’s submarine service at HM Naval Base Clyde will be built through a UK-only competition. The project, known as Programme Euston, will provide maintenance for the UK’s fleet of nuclear submarines, including inspections, upgrades and repairs.

Healey is expected to draw on his South Yorkshire roots in his first address to Labour conference as chancellor. “My politics were shaped by the industrial heartlands of South Yorkshire”, he is set to say. 

“Today, on the site of the Orgreave pit, is Rotherham’s Advanced Manufacturing Park. Our coal mines are not coming back. But this is how Britain’s industrial past is being remade now for the modern world.

“This is the new age of industrialisation. A new confidence in Britain.”

The chancellor will also commit at least £115 million to a new marine research vessel, which is due to be operational in the early 2030s.

Both projects will be delivered by British companies, as part of what Labour describes as a greater focus on using taxpayers’ money to boost national security while supporting British jobs.

Healey said: “Britain has a proud shipbuilding heritage, and every pound of this strategic investment in a critical sector is backing British jobs on the Clyde and businesses across the UK, supporting growth in every postcode.

“By backing British shipyards, we are not only boosting national security but also securing resilience in the industries that will drive growth today while building the capabilities the country needs for the future.”

Wes Streeting, the defence secretary, said defence spending “should make Britain stronger in every sense”.

He said: “That means backing British by buying British wherever our industry can deliver.

“HM Naval Base Clyde is at the heart of our submarine service. Programme Euston will modernise it for decades to come, while backing British shipyards, workers and engineering.

“That is defence driving the reindustrialisation of Britain and strengthening our sovereign capability.”

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Who won all of the awards at the 2026 MTV VMAs?

Video Of The Year

Artist Of The Year

Best Group

Best New Artist

Best Collaboration

Best Pop

Best R&B

Best Alternative

Best Hip-Hop

Best Dance

Best Country

Best Latin

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Best Long-Form Video

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Video Vanguard Award

MTV VMA Artist Director Honours