Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield byelection doesn’t simply mark the return of one of Labour’s most recognisable figures to parliament. With his clear ambitions to lead his party – and the country – it may also represent a landmark moment in English devolution. His thumping win – taking 55% of the votes and more than Restore UK and Reform Britain combined – means the political significance of metro mayors has never been higher.

For much of the post-war era, ambitious British politicians followed a familiar path. Success meant climbing the Westminster ladder through ministerial office, shadow cabinet positions and party leadership contests. Burnham’s career has taken a more unusual route.

First elected as MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester in 2001, Burnham quickly established himself as one of Labour’s rising stars. Following his re-election in 2005, he embarked on a run of ministerial and shadow ministerial appointments, serving in cabinet under Gordon Brown and later holding senior opposition roles. By the mid-2010s he appeared to be a perennial contender for the Labour leadership, finishing fourth to Ed Miliband in 2010 and later competing in the contest won by Jeremy Corbyn in 2015.

At that point, Burnham’s political trajectory appeared to have stalled. Yet his decision to leave Westminster and contest the new Greater Manchester mayoralty in 2017 would ultimately transform his fortunes.

What initially looked like a retreat from national politics became an opportunity for political reinvention. As mayor, Burnham acquired something that many Westminster politicians lack: executive authority over a place.

While the powers of England’s metro mayors remain modest by international standards, they provide direct responsibility for transport, economic development, housing and strategic planning across large urban regions.

The COVID pandemic was particularly significant. Burnham’s confrontation with Boris Johnson’s government over lockdown restrictions and financial support for Greater Manchester elevated him to a national figure.

For supporters, he became a voice for local autonomy and regional interests. For critics, he was a skilled political operator using devolved office to challenge central government. Either way, the mayoralty gave him a platform distinct from Westminster.

This matters because Burnham’s return raises a broader question: could England’s metro mayors become an alternative route to national leadership?

Historically, Britain has been unusual in the extent to which political power has been concentrated in national institutions. While local government has produced influential politicians, it has rarely served as a direct launching pad to the highest offices. Unlike in many other democracies, municipal leadership has generally been viewed as subordinate to national politics, rather than a parallel route.

Across much of the world, however, mayoral office is recognised as a pathway to national leadership. France offers perhaps the closest comparison. Former presidents including Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande all combined local executive experience with national ambitions. Among former prime ministers, Pierre Mauroy was mayor of Lille, Alain Juppé was mayor of Bordeaux, Jean-Marc Ayrault was mayor of Nantes and Édouard Philippe is currently mayor of Le Havre.

More recently, leaders including Matteo Renzi in Italy, Joko Widodo in Indonesia and Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico have demonstrated how governing major urban areas can provide a route to national office.

But not every mayoral career results in a successful leap into national leadership. New York’s Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio all failed to convert municipal prominence into success on the national stage. And Paris mayors Bertrand Delanoë and Anne Hidalgo fell short in bids for higher office. Yet the fact that their ambitions were considered plausible shows the stature that executive city leadership can confer.

Not the Boris Johnson route

England’s metro mayor system is relatively young. Most combined authority mayors have held office for less than a decade, meaning the political consequences of devolution are still unfolding. Burnham may represent the first genuine test of whether these institutions have matured enough to produce a credible contender for national leadership.

The comparison with Boris Johnson is often made. Yet Johnson’s route to Downing Street still passed through parliament and the Foreign Office following his tenure as mayor of London. Burnham’s trajectory is different. Rather than rebuilding his reputation through shadow cabinet appointments or Westminster manoeuvring, he rebuilt it by governing Greater Manchester. In that sense, this twist in his career owes as much to devolution as it does to parliament.

Burnham is unusual in another respect. His appeal rests not simply on electoral popularity but on the kind of political experience he has accumulated as mayor. The governance of a combined authority requires continual negotiation between councils, business leaders, public agencies and central government. Success depends less on party discipline than on coalition-building, consensus and partnership.

These are skills that national politics increasingly appears to value. At a time when public trust in Westminster remains fragile and the challenges facing government cut across departmental silos, experience of assembling broad civic coalitions may prove as valuable as parliamentary combat.

None of this guarantees Burnham success in parliament or in leadership. Nor is he a typical metro mayor. Unlike many other mayors, he entered local executive office after a long parliamentary and ministerial career. His experience gives him a political profile that few other mayors possess.

Yet that should not obscure the wider significance of his return. Whatever happens to Burnham’s leadership ambitions, England’s metro mayors have moved beyond their original role as administrators of transport and economic development. Less than a decade after most of the offices were created, they are becoming independent centres of political authority potentially capable of producing national leaders.

For decades, local government was viewed primarily as a stepping stone to Westminster. Burnham’s career suggests a more complex relationship is emerging. Ambitious politicians may come to view city-regional government not as an alternative to Westminster, but as a route through it.

The question raised by Burnham’s return is not simply whether he can lead Labour. It is whether England’s experiment with devolution has reached the point where governing a city-region can be considered preparation for governing the country.

The London Marathon will be held across two days in a special one-off edition of the event in 2027.

Organisers confirmed earlier this year that they were exploring ways to enable more people to take part, after a record 1.33 million people entered the ballot for next year’s event.

The two events – on Saturday, 24 and Sunday, 25 April – will allow 100,000 people to take part in the London Marathon in 2027, effectively doubling the chances of success for those who entered the ballot.

The move is also expected to raise more than £150m for charities and provide a £400m boost to the UK economy, according to Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events (LME).

Everyone who applied to take part next year will be entered into a ballot for both the Saturday and Sunday, with the ballot results announced in early July.

“The 2027 London Marathon Double is our most ambitious evolution to date – a once-in-a-generation one-time-only reimagining of what a marathon and city-wide celebration of activity can be,” said Brasher.

“By expanding to 100,000 runners across two days, we’re opening the door for more people, more charities and more communities to take part in the world’s greatest marathon. We believe that more than £150m can be raised for good causes and the UK economy will have a £400m social and economic benefit.

“We are grateful for the vision and support of the Mayor of London, the councils on the route, the emergency services, and all the stakeholders involved who have given their support to enable this world first event to be held for London and the UK.”

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and I am delighted that, for one year only in 2027, the world famous London Marathon will expand into a two-day event.

“The London Marathon showcases the very best of our capital and we will continue working closely with London Marathon Events and our partners to ensure appropriate measures are in place for the entire weekend as we build a better, more prosperous London for everyone.”

A total of 1,338,544 people applied for the 2027 London Marathon, breaking the record of 1,133,813 applicants for the 2026 event.

The London Marathon had a record 59,830 finishers in 2026 and was the biggest annual one-day fundraising event in the world, with more than £90m raised to date for charity by 2026 participants.

History was also made on the course at this year’s event, as Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe became the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race.

Brasher has remained adamant that the expanded two-day event will be for one year only, following what he described as an “astonishing total of applicants” hoping to take part in 2027.

He told BBC Sport the two-day event has been nine years in the making, but after the initial idea was formed in 2017, with the intention to hold it in 2020, they failed to gain permission.

The plan is for the elite women, elite female para-athletes, championship and ‘good for age’ women to lead the mass event one day, with the elite men, elite male para-athletes, championship and ‘good for age’ men leading the mass event on the other.

However, London Marathon organisers said all format details will be confirmed in the coming months.

All 100,000 participants across the two days will run on the normal London Marathon route from Greenwich to Westminster.

Brasher clarified to the BBC that a ballot draw will first be held for the Sunday – the day on which the marathon is normally held – before a second draw takes place for the Saturday.

The Mini London Marathon will be held on the Friday, with more than 20,000 young participants.

Organisers say all additional income generated by the two-day format will be distributed by the London Marathon Foundation to projects that inspire activity for children and young people across London and the UK.

There were 1.6million jobs being advertised, according to the latest data

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Occupations which saw an increase in job adverts in recent weeks included driving instructors, dental practitioners and welfare and housing staff, new research suggests. Recruiters said jobs for chefs, catering and bar managers and sports and leisure assistants also increased.

Job adverts with the biggest fall included exam invigilators, nannies and au pairs, said the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Its research found there were more than 1.6 million jobs being advertised in May, slightly up on the previous month.

REC chief membership and innovation officer Maxine Bligh said: “Any sign of an Iran–US agreement will ease one of the global pressures holding back hiring and investment. But domestic political uncertainty and looming employment law changes still leave many firms without the confidence they need to accelerate recruitment.

“We are likely to see some growth in the job market, but not at full speed, with many businesses continuing to rely on temporary staff until the outlook becomes clearer.”

The Premier League 2026 fixture list is set to be released on Friday morning and Manchester United could have to make do without some big names for their opening game

Excitement is mounting among Manchester United supporters ahead of the Premier League fixture release on Friday morning, with the schedule poised to provide the first look at life under new permanent manager Michael Carrick. The Old Trafford faithful are optimistic about a successful campaign after Carrick surpassed expectations last term.

Appointed on an interim basis in January following the exit of Ruben Amorim, the former United midfield legend steered the side to a third-place finish in the Premier League, delivering a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2023. However, Carrick may face an early selection dilemma, with several first-team stars in danger of being unavailable for the opening match of the campaign.

The issue stems from the FIFA World Cup 2026, which got underway in spectacular fashion in North America last week. The extended six-week tournament will reach its climax with the final in New Jersey on July 19, just over a month before the first round of Premier League fixtures begins on August 22.

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That date has been delayed to allow players additional recovery time following the World Cup. However, those competing in the latter stages of the competition are still unlikely to be completely rejuvenated before needing to get back into shape for the new season.

The situation is made worse by the fact the World Cup kicked off shortly after the domestic campaign concluded, meaning United stars selected by their nations went straight into pre-tournament training camps. The predicament could leave Carrick with little option but to rest some of his biggest names at the start of the season – especially if they reach the final.

United have plenty of representation in the US, Canada and Mexico, and that includes nine important players who could go deep into the tournament. A final between England and Portugal could prove particularly problematic for Carrick and his coaching staff, with four players potentially involved.

Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot are in the Portugal squad, while Kobbie Mainoo and outcast Marcus Rashford are representing England. Every other United player at the tournament is the sole representative of the club in their respective national side.

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Key United players at World Cup 2026:

Matheus Cunha – Brazil

Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes – Portugal

Amad – Ivory Coast

Senne Lammens – Belgium

Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford – England

Noussair Mazraoui – Morocco

Lisandro Martinez – Argentina

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Manchester United are considering a move Croatia midfielder Martin Baturina. The silky Como star stuck himself in the shop window with a fine equalising goal for the Croatians against England.

Now according to Sky Sport in Italy, the former Dinamo Zagreb star has become a transfer target for United, who are looking to bulk up their midfield department this summer. In his first season at Como under Cesc Fabregas, he contributed six goals and three assists in 29 Serie A appearances under the ex-Chelsea midfielder.

Baturina also proved to be somewhat of a Swiss army knife by featuring as a false nine, as a left-winger, as an attacking midfielder and as a deeper-lying playmaker for Fabregas.

The service has been described as a ‘community asset’

Cambridge locals have been left “dismayed” after an NHS trust confirmed the closure of a “community asset” that supports adults with learning disabilities. Darwin Nurseries and Farm Shop in Teversham, will close within the next two years, according to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

The trust said that in a “challenging financial environment” with “rising site costs” it has “needed to prioritise its limited resources towards core NHS services”. The trust will not extend its contract at Darwin Nurseries and Farm Shop beyond its conclusion in April 2028.

Adults with learning disabilities and mental health challenges have worked in the shop, and helped with farming, gardening, and taking care of animals at the site, for more than 25 years.

In a statement by the trust, a spokesperson said: “We are proud that Darwin Nurseries and Farm Shop has made a valued and lasting contribution to people’s lives in our local community. In a challenging financial environment with rising site costs, the Trust has needed to prioritise its limited resources towards core NHS services.”

Councillor Matthew Morgan said the service is a “community asset that is very dear to many village residents, and the principle of helping individuals with learning disabilities and autism to work, whilst providing genuinely good, hardy plants is very well loved”.

He said he is hoping to speak with the trust and Cambridgeshire County Council officers to understand the “rationale” behind the decision. Alternatively, he hopes they can ensure there are other provisions for the workers affected.

A spokesperson for Teversham Action Group (TAG) said they are aware that many people have been “upset and dismayed” by the announcement. The trust added it would “continue to work with Cambridgeshire County Council to ensure continuity of care for all individuals who attend the service”.

What a disaster the war against Iran has been for Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran signed on June 17 has formally brought a halt to the devastating war. Yet, as the ink dries on the 14-point preliminary framework, the reality of the document stands in stark contrast to the grandiose, megalomaniac rhetoric that defined the start of the conflict.

Only a handful of analysts and scholars that I know of foresaw what is now unfolding, stressing the realities of Iran’s resilience in the face of international pressure for decades. I was one of them: back in 2012, I warned that there could be no military solution to curbing Iran’s nuclear programme and noted that the US not only knew this, but had warned Israel that this would be the case.

When Trump and Netanyahu launched the initial military campaign on February 28, the objective was explicitly stated: the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme, an end to Tehran’s support for regional proxies such as Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas – and regime change. But the text of the MoU reveals a profound pivot from those aims, at least as far as the White House is concerned.

Ultimately, the agreement marks the final collapse of Pax Americana in the Persian Gulf region and highlights the resilience of Iranian state sovereignty against external pressure. At the onset of the war, both Washington and Tel Aviv projected absolute confidence in their military capabilities.

Following initial waves of brutal strikes and a campaign involving more than 900 targets, both leaders repeatedly asserted that the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities were fundamentally broken.

Trump regularly claimed that victory was just around the corner, maintaining – erroneously – that Iran had “nothing left in a military sense”. Weeks into the campaign, he declared that the US military would “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground” until it was “totally”, again, obliterated.

Promising the Iranian public that their rulers would soon be gone, Trump insisted he was successfully steering the country toward “regime change”. As the first strikes landed on Iran, he called on the people to rise up and seize control of institutions. Netanyahu echoed these exact sentiments, framing the conflict as a definitive campaign to forcibly reshape the geopolitical architecture of the region.

But intelligence assessments and events on the ground quickly exposed these claims as foolish. Despite severe structural damage, Iran retained its strategic depth, adapting by moving equipment and launching retaliatory drone and missile strikes across the region.

Rather than causing the regime to collapse, the external aggression resulted in a hardening of the state structure.

What’s in the deal

The terms of the MoU demonstrate that Washington was ultimately forced to negotiate with Tehran as an equal sovereign power, rather than a defeated adversary accepting terms of capitulation.

The agreement directly contradicts the initial war aims of the US-Israeli coalition across three major pillars. First, the framework explicitly binds the US to respect Iran’s territorial integrity and abstain from internal interference.

For an administration that spent months demanding regime change, this clause serves as a legal acknowledgment of the Islamic Republic’s permanence. It calls to mind the Algiers accords of 1981, when the US agreed to the unfreezing of Iranian assets and non-intervention in Iran’s affairs in return for 52 American hostages held since the revolution in 1979.

Faced with the reality of an intact Iranian government, Trump reversed his rhetoric at the G7 summit. Claiming that “I never cared about regime change”, the US president pivoted to describing the new Iranian negotiators as “rational, strong, and smart”.

The MoU also mandates the immediate lifting of the US naval blockade and the implementation of emergency Treasury Department waivers to allow the resumption of Iranian crude oil exports. It also signals the unfreezing of up to US$100 billion (£75 billion) in restricted Iranian assets and the creation of a $300 billion international reconstruction fund for economic development.

From a critical perspective, this demonstrates that economic blockades are ultimately unsustainable when met with asymmetrical regional deterrence. Again, this should not have been new to the US government – it’s something that we have researched and written about for years.

As I argued as early as in 2011 on a flagship show on Al Jazeera, sanctions, gunboat diplomacy and even war don’t work. Iranian society is too connected and the economy and the state too agile. And, as we now know, Tehran’s threat to close down the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, should have been seen by Iran’s adversaries as a potent deterrent. Hopefully, decision-makers will learn their lessons from this ill-fated war.

Indeed, perhaps the most notable aspect of the MoU is what it leaves out. There is no mention of Iran dismantling its ballistic missile programme. Nor is there a requirement for Iran to sever ties with its regional proxies. Additionally, the ceasefire explicitly covers “all fronts,” effectively mandating a halt to hostilities in Lebanon – a point of major friction for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to maintain an Israeli security zone in the south.

Geopolitical shift

So this deal indicates a structural shift in regional politics. By launching a high-intensity campaign and failing to achieve either the destruction of Iran’s military capabilities or the toppling of its government, the US and Israel have inadvertently demonstrated the limits of their military power. No propaganda by lobbyists and diasporic pro-war monarchists can change the hard truths of scientific inquiry.

The world is transitioning rapidly into an increasingly non-polar, certainly post-western order. The MoU will stand as a historical marker where the rhetoric of superpower might surrendered to the practical necessity of diplomatic accommodation.

And yes: we’ve been predicting this for a long time, too.

Manzambi was once a goalkeeper for his youth team – and his first footballing idol was Germany’s Manuel Neuer.

Now he is a creative midfielder who enjoys getting forward.

And his goalscoring exploits against Bosnia-Herzegovina suggests he could be far more than just a “super-sub” at this World Cup.

He broke into the Freiburg first XI last season and helped the German club reach the Europa League final.

Manzambi started against Aston Villa in the final and although he could not help his side win – they were beaten 3-0 – he has been linked with moves to Napoli, Chelsea and Manchester United.

His performance on Thursday at the Los Angeles Stadium suggests there could be more competition for his services this summer.

It could have been even better had he been allowed to take his side’s 97th-minute penalty, with captain Granit Xhaka stepping up to convert instead,

If Manzambi had taken it and scored, he would have become the third-youngest player to hit a World Cup treble, after a 17-year-old Pele for Brazil against France in the semi-finals in 1958 and 19-year-old German Edmund Conen against Belgium in 1934.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea were all linked with Manzambi in March and, if he continues making an impact like this, the interest will only increase.

Speaking about Manzambi’s first goal to give Switzerland a 1-0 lead, former Crystal Palace forward Clinton Morrison told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s a brilliant finish.

“Switzerland needed to make changes because they weren’t doing anything, they were dominating possession but weren’t a threat.

“It’s a fantastic volley and great technique to give Switzerland the lead.”

Work is ongoing to open the new convenience store at the site of the former Elm Ridge Garden Centre on Council Road, Darlington. 

Residents had questioned whether the scheme was still going ahead after work at the site appeared to have slowed in recent months. 

But Councillor Kate Mammolotti, Green Party member for Hummersknott ward, said she recently spoke with the developer, who confirmed further work is expected to take place later this year. 

Work is ongoing to open the new convenience store at the site of the former Elm Ridge Garden Centre on Council Road, Darlington. (Image: PETER REIMANN)

Applicant Ward Estates said the new store will occupy the ground floor, with offices on the first and second floors. A new car park with 44 spaces is also proposed. 

A roof is expected to be put on the structure in the Autumn, with work set to be completed by the end of the year, Cllr Mammolotti added. 

A Darlington Borough Council spokesperson said: “We are awaiting an update from the developer before further work can commence. We have been in discussions with them and they hope to have this submitted as soon as possible. We will continue to work with the developer on their planning application.” 

Plans for the facility were approved by the local authority in 2024 before Tesco applied for a licence to operate from the site. 

Sainsbury’s was previously signed up to the scheme but later withdrew. 

But during the planning process, residents questioned the need for the store. 

At a council planning meeting in October, Kate Heljula said: “We are an area that is very well serviced for convenience stores. We seem to be adding something that residents don’t need in a place that is not suitable.”

Work is ongoing to open the new convenience store at the site of the former Elm Ridge Garden Centre on Council Road, Darlington. (Image: PETER REIMANN)

The owners of the nearby Blackwell Stores also objected to the plans, saying it threatened the future of their business. “Customers have expressed their worry about this development to us and what it will do to their community,” they said. 

Existing convenience stores include the nearby petrol filling station, two stores on Cleveland Terrace, and the Co-op at Mowden.

A planning committee heard that the new store is intended to be marketed as a ‘top up’ store that allows more convenient access for local customers, reducing the need for dedicated, larger shopping trips to conventional supermarkets, and reducing the need to travel by car.

Labour’s Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader.

“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working,” he says in his acceptance speech. “Tonight could, just could, be the turning point”.

Burnham previously said he would seek to enter any Labour leadership contest – he would need the support of at least 81 Labour MPs to join the race.

The newly-elected MP for Makerfield, who held cabinet positions under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, says he always knew he would seek to return to Westminster to “complete that unfinished business” so the north of England could fulfil its “potential”.