A federal judge has blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to subpoena Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials, accusing the Justice Department of using its investigatory powers to retaliate against state officials for not cooperating with federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

In a ruling unsealed Monday, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz found the “dominant purpose” of the subpoenas was to “coerce Minnesota officials into assisting the federal government with enforcing civil immigration law and to harass and retaliate against them for failing to do so.”

Tensions between the Trump administration and Minnesota’s Democratic leaders escalated in January as federal immigration officers clashed with protesters in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, especially after officers’ fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

President Donald Trump even threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell protests and accused Walz, who was Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ running mate in 2024, and others of encouraging protesters to disrupt Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.

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The subpoenas seeking records were served in January as part of an investigation into whether Walz and other officials obstructed or impeded law enforcement actions. They were sent to the offices of Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties.

The ruling is the latest rebuke by the federal judiciary of Justice Department efforts to aggressively implement the Trump administration agenda in courts and target the president’s political adversaries through subpoenas and similar demands.

The judge ruled that there appeared to be “extremely weak to nonexistent” connections between the information sought in the subpoenas and any possible criminal violation. The subpoenas seek materials “that largely if not entirely relate to constitutionally protected conduct,” the judge wrote, noting that Minnesota has the legal right not to devote its resources to enforcing federal immigration law.

The Justice Department “is not conducting a criminal investigation,” the judge wrote, “but is instead using the grand jury process for other (unlawful) purposes.”

Over the last year, judges have dismissed indictments against two prominent Trump foes, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, and grand juries have repeatedly refused to return indictments sought by the Justice Department.

The moves reflect mounting public concerns that the Justice Department, an institution meant to make investigative and prosecution decisions independent of the White House, is being politicized under the current Trump administration.

Vice President JD Vance has separately called on the Justice Department to investigate Walz and Ellison over allegations they failed to stop widespread social services fraud, though the department has not said whether it will open an investigation. Walz and Ellison have described those allegations as politically motivated and defended their efforts to combat fraud in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, other legal battles related to the immigration surge continue. The federal government has suggested Minnesota prosecutors don’t have jurisdiction to investigate federal officers.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in March sued the administration for access to evidence in the Good and Pretti killings, accusing the administration of withholding evidence from state investigators. Moriarty also has pursued criminal charges against ICE officers in two other incidents, including the nonfatal shooting of a Venezuelan man, and suggests her office is investigating several other cases as well.

___

Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show the federal judge’s name is Patrick Schiltz, not Schlitz.

Donald Trump has been scathing in his criticism of outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, saying the British public “did not like” his refusal to be drawn into the war against Iran

Donald Trump has declared that the British public “did not like” Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal to be drawn into the war against Iran, once again dismissing the outgoing Prime Minister as “not Winston Churchill”.

The president also reiterated his claim that Sir Keir had “hurt himself very, very badly” over his position on immigration and energy, while describing him as “a very nice man” and “sort of a friend of mine”.

Mr Trump made his remarks at the White House following Sir Keir’s resignation as Labour leader, after the former premier conceded he had lost the backing of his MPs, with ex-Greater Manchester mayor and newly elected MP Andy Burnham poised to step into the spotlight.

The president has been openly scathing of the Prime Minister ever since he refused to grant the US access to British military bases for its bombing campaign against Iran, though limited authorisation was later given for defensive strikes.

Tensions were further inflamed by the subsequent standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington lambasting the response of the UK and its allies to the Gulf crisis, insisting that other nations depended on the vital waterway far more than America did. The White House has shown little enthusiasm for UK and France-led proposals for a defensive mission to guarantee safe passage for vessels through the channel once the fighting ceased.

The conflict has only deepened existing friction over Nato, with Mr Trump insisting that America has been bearing the burden of defending other nations. Just last week, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth announced a review of American military forces in Europe at a meeting of the alliance, hitting out at members who “have yet to show a credible path” towards fulfilling their spending commitments.

He told his counterparts that “some of Nato’s largest economies” still appear “to think the era of free-riding is here”.

A row over UK military spending prompted John Healey to recently resign as defence secretary, heaping further pressure on the already beleaguered Prime Minister.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Mr Trump, who is due to meet Nato chief Mark Rutte this week, said: “So we have been a great member of Nato. In many ways certainly the predominant member. We paid trillions of dollars over the years, not billions, trillions over the years to protect Europe.”

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Turning to the Iran conflict, the president added: “We didn’t need any help at all. I was more curious than anything else, so I said to Pete (Hegseth) ‘Let’s see if they’d actually come’. So we asked him to come, and they weren’t there for us.

“By the way Starmer wasn’t there, and you know what, the people of the UK did not like it that he wasn’t there. Starmer said no. Starmer said worse than no. He said ‘We’ll be there as soon as you win’. I said ‘We don’t need you as soon as we win’.”

Mr Trump continued: “This was not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with. As soon as we win, they’re going to come and help us.” He also branded Germany and Italy as “very bad” over the Iran war, and has clashed publicly with the leaders of both nations. Mr Trump said: “The numbers that we spend are so crazy for Nato and they weren’t there for us.”

Suggesting the US was spending “hundreds of millions of dollars to protect them (members) from Russia mostly”, he dropped a hint that America might not come to the aid of its allies in the future.

The president said: “We spend all of this money, and then when we want to maybe have help on small stuff – this is small time, this is not the big one, this is small potatoes – they say ‘No, we’d rather not help’. Stupid thing to say, because we can say that to them if we want, and we might.”

Mr Trump also took another dig at Sir Keir over his immigration and energy policies. He has repeatedly pushed for the UK to exploit the North Sea for oil rather than depending on “windmills”.

While acknowledging his criticism of Mr Starmer, Mr Trump said: “I think he’s a lovely man, but I said ‘You’re really messing up energy. You have windmills all over the place’. In the meantime, you have the North Sea oil, and they won’t let anybody drill.

“It’s one of the great fields in the world. You know that the UK buys much of its energy, you know where? Norway. You know where they get their oil? The North Sea. The UK has a much better portion of the North Sea, they don’t want to do it for environmental purposes.”

The president continued: “He’s a very nice man, I mean, sort of a friend of mine, I mean he was not good to us with Nato, Pete (Hegseth), right?”.

Turning to Sir Keir’s initial reluctance to allow the US access to British military bases, Mr Trump remarked: “That was a bad move that hurt him badly. I wish him well, but he’s got two problems – energy and immigration – and crime. But energy and immigration. He’s really hurt himself very, very badly.”

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Scoring goals and breaking records is what Lionel Messi does, and he is already doing that again in his sixth World Cup.

The Argentina captain now has the World Cup scoring record all to himself after another standout performance, one that began with frustration after missing a penalty kick and ended in pure elation with another victory.

Messi, who many consider the greatest player of all time, scored both goals in his team’s 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday. That gave him 18, six days after his first-ever hat trick in the tournament had matched Germany striker Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16 World Cup goals.

“Beyond anything I’m so happy for the win,” Messi said. “It was huge, tough and difficult. It would allow us to be relaxed to what’s ahead. All matches in this World Cup are very even, very intense. I’m enjoying this moment and craving to enjoy with my teammates.”

The first goal against Austria came in the 38th minute and two days before his 39th birthday, and amid the concern of an ailing father back at home. It was the sixth consecutive World Cup game in which Messi has scored — joining France striker Just Fontaine and Brazil great Jairzinho as only players to do so.

That was about a half-hour after he missed a penalty kick with a chance to match the record.

“There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it,” said Messi, who has won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards as the best player in Europe.

Argentina advanced to the knockout round by winning its first two group games. Messi also scored all of his team’s goals in a 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City.

Messi added his 18th World Cup goal in the waning seconds of stoppage time when he shot one through several defenders after the first attempt was turned away by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Messi said in translated remarks. “The way things are going in the World Cup, the way it’s being played, it’s a very even game. No one is giving away anything.”

The goal record became Messi’s alone in the first half when he caught Schlager leaning the wrong way after Thiago Almada let Facuno Medina’s pass go by him and directly onto Messi’s left foot from about 20 yards.

“I have no more words to talk about Leo,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter.

As the ball went into the net on the record 17th goal, Messi ran toward a corner and thrust his right arm into the air to celebrate the mark with the decidedly pro-Argentina crowd among the 70,649 fans in the sold-out home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

“Someone who is 39 years old and can score two goals, and five goals overall at the beginning of the World Cup, well, that makes a difference,” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said through an interpreter. “We knew that he is on a level of his own, and Lionel Messi showed us today that he’s one of the best, and he is the best.”

There had been a gasp from those same fans when Messi missed the penalty kick in the ninth minute.

His left-footed attempt went just wide of the right post. He is now 4 of 7 on penalty kicks in regulation play at the World Cup with misses in three consecutive tournaments.

Klose played in 24 World Cup matches for Germany, which wrapped up his fourth tournament by winning the 2014 final 1-0 in extra time over Messi and Argentina.

In an interview published on June 12, Klose said he expected Messi to break the scoring record.

“With the larger field of competing teams there are more games and so more chances to score goals. And I assume Argentina and France will go far,” Klose told German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. “That’s perfectly OK, the record will be broken eventually anyhow and Messi is welcome to be the one who does it. I’m a big fan of Messi, always have been. Messi is a genius.”

Messi’s hat trick in the previous game, in his 200th international appearance, came 20 years to the date of his World Cup debut in Germany, when he also scored. Monday was his FIFA-record 28th match in the tournament.

The penalty kick came after Lautaro Martinez was running free in the box and was tackled from behind by Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, the defender playing with a broken jaw.

Play continued for more than a minute with Martinez still on the ground near the goal. When the game was stopped for him, officials reviewed the play and called the penalty.

Messi’s father has been undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness, the family said in a statement last week while not providing any specific details. The 68-year-old Jorge Messi has played a key role in his third son’s soccer career, acting as his agent and managing his business affairs off the field.

Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria, and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.

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AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth in Duesseldorf, Germany, contributed to this report.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has admitted he is not a fan of the controversial hydration breaks being used at the World Cup.

Tuchel, 52, was speaking before England’s second Group L game against Ghana in Boston on Wednesday (21:00 BST), where rain and cool temperatures are forecast.

England’s fans started the now customary jeering of the breaks when play was stopped in the first half of their opening game against Croatia in Dallas, despite the match being played under a roof in an air-conditioned arena.

The breaks will continue to be used in Boston irrespective of the weather, but Tuchel expressed his reservations about them and the impact they are having on games.

“I think that it interrupts and changes the identity of a football match much more than I thought. I had hydration breaks before when it was really, really hot and needed, but they were shorter,” Tuchel said.

“They were shorter and they were just in a few matches. In the interests of fairness here, it is now done in every match for every team.

“It breaks the match almost in four quarters. And I think it changes the characteristic of the match more than I thought.”

Massive downpours are set to hit areas across Scotland

Scotland is set to get drenched after torrential rain has been forecast within hours. The latest Met Office warning comes after a four-day amber heat warning with forecasters suggesting temperatures could reach 38C in parts of England this week.

But the Met Office maps also indicate that 21 areas across the UK, including Scotland, will see heavy rain fall today with up to 8mm forecast in the worst hit areas.

The weather agency’s maps for 12.45pm today show a large band of rain gripping almost the entirety of Scotland. The port city of Glasgow looks set to see the brunt of the miserable weather with 2mm of rain forecast per hour. Edinburgh, the Highlands, Stirling as well as Argyll and Bute will all see around 1mm of rain fall every hour, reports The Express.

Temperatures for Scotland will hover between 15C to 17C, a far cry from the 27C forecast for London and South Wales at midday today.

The band of rain will also cover parts of Northern Ireland with Antrim and Tyrone forecast 1mm of rain. By 7pm, the rain will have intensified, spreading across the South West and into the West Midlands.

Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Wiltshire will see a drenching with 4-8mm of rain forecast every hour. Meanwhile, Dorset will see the rainfall levels hover between 1-2mm.

Despite forecast rain, warm temperatures will persist in the South West with 27C forecast at 7pm. Cardiff will see the warmest weather in the country at this time with 29C forecast, while London will be just three degrees cooler.

Elsewhere, Manchester will see the mercury hit 27C whilst it will be 22C in Glasgow. The Met Office’s weather outlook for today reads: “The best of the sunshine will be across the southeast, where it will feel increasingly hot and humid.

“Elsewhere, it will be rather cloudy, with a little showery rain possible at times, particularly across parts of Scotland and northern England.”

The 21 areas forecast rain today

• Western Isles
• Highlands
• Argyll and Bute
• Perth and Kinross
• Stirling
• Clackmannanshire
• Fife
• Falkirk
• Dunbartonshire
• Glasgow
• Renfrewshire
• Inverclyde
• Ayrshire
• Dumfries and Galloway
• Antrim
• Tyrone
• Gloucestershire
• Worcestershire
• Wiltshire
• Dorset
• Shropshire
• Herefordshire

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The note was one of two addressed to Nancy Guthrie’s family and sent to news media in the days after her January kidnapping. The first demanded millions in bitcoin for her release, but the second stated that she had died, according to sources cited by CBS, the BBC’s US news partner.

The Tuesday letters page discusses the possibility of GTA 6 being cheaper than average, as a reader is very surprised to learn that God Of War Laufey was planned in 2018.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Mostly hardcore
I get that it’s not their fault, but the price of the Steam Machine is so ridiculous I’m surprised they didn’t cancel the whole thing. Although I suppose there’s enough hardcore Valve fans to sell whatever they’ve made so far.

I fear this is a sign of things to come for the PlayStation 6, especially if Sony is going to push ahead with a 2027 launch. The Steam Machine is in no way worth it, because you could just buy a better PC for the same price, but what do you do when the PlayStation 6 is £600+?

I’m not paying that, given I already can guarantee it won’t do much different, and I’d say I’m a pretty committed gamer, so I don’t see who else is going to bite on it.

This just convinces me further that there’s not going to be any PlayStation 6 exclusive games, it’s just going to be cross-gen all the way and spot the difference for the PlayStation 6 version.
Benson

Getting in early
I must say the price of the new Steam Machine was pretty much what I expected and I’m glad I pulled the trigger in January to get my first gaming PC. (Something I delayed since November, which cost me dearly!)

It’s a shame hardware has gone the way it has as the Steam Machine at last year’s prices really was an opportunity for them to shake things up a bit. I imagine there will be a rush on them regardless and they will be all over eBay when they first come out. But you’d have to be mad to order one when you can get a more powerful PC for that price point. Even a PlayStation 5 seems like a better deal and I’m speaking as an avid Steam Deck owner.
James

Weird delay
People talk about Nintendo’s weird choices of games to bring back but Capcom still not saying a word about Devil May Cry 6 has no explanation as far as I can see. There’s been more rumours about a new Ace Attorney than there has been a new Devil May Cry, and even when there is one it’s just a remake.

I’m not going to complain too much because clearly they know what they’re doing at the moment, given how successful they’ve been, but I don’t get it. Hopefully it’ll all be worth it when it’s out though, it’d be bad luck if Capcom tripped up with the one thing that should be an easy win for them.
Vate

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Artificial art
I think it’s pretty obvious that lots of companies are going to try and make games using only AI but I have a hard time imagining they’ll be anything other than complete rubbish. Maybe you could make a match-three puzzler or something but I’d doubt even that.

Anyone thinking it’s possible is basically insulting the whole concept of video games and denying there’s any kind of art or skill to making them. It’s bad enough with movies, but at least then a skilled person can stitch the little 20 second clips together and try and make something from it. It always looks terrible but at least it works on some level. But a game? It’s impossible unless you’re just talking about a map or something.

I have a nasty feeling we’re going to have to wait years, see tons of people put out of work, and waste millions of dollars before publishers realise this.
Stamper

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Game not included
Somebody in the Underbox yesterday mentioned about collector’s editions of games being released without a game. I tried to reply but could not because the comments section would not let me post this:

This happened to one of the Xenoblade games on Switch 1, the standard game got released but the collector’s edition was delayed by production delays, so when they actually released the collector’s edition they did not include a game with it as most fans would have bought the game physically or digitally already.
Andrew J.

GC: It’s happened more often than just that. It’s common that the really expensive collector’s editions, with the statutes and whatnot, don’t actually include the game.

Below standard
My guess for the GTA 6 price is that there be one version of the game, maybe the standard version or something else, that’ll actually be cheaper than normal, maybe around £40. I think they will want to lower the barrier for entry, not build it up.

They’ll take something out though, maybe make it only one city or something, because what they’ll be desperate to do is get people onto the online mode. The reality is the story campaign is really only an attract mode for the online. That’s where all the money is and whatever billions they spend making it will be made back tenfold as soon as people start buying microtransactions online.

I’m sure there’ll be more expensive editions, and all the rest, but they’ll be for superfans, not the default. It’s just lucky for Rockstar they have plenty of superfans.

People don’t have a lot of spare cash nowadays but there’s so many that are going to make an exception for GTA 6. Even so, Rockstar will be very keen to get the money rolling in as soon as possible and, in my opinion, they’ll be more than happy to let the superfans subsidise the casuals, who will think spending £100 on a video game is madness.
Tacle

Trailer bingo
Is there going to be a Trailer 3 drop before pre-orders go live? Normally it’s a Tuesday, so if there isn’t one on Tuesday who knows when it’s going to drop.

But I am hopeful it will be the 25th, so they can get everyone talking about it and ordering and, yes, that’s right, I’ll be pre-ordering like I do with all my games.
David

GC: The last two might have been Tuesday but Rockstar gave advance warning for those. Anything is possible but Trailer 3 on Thursday is more probable and just doing it a different day entirely is equally as likely.

Long game
I can’t call the actress a liar, but I am shocked at the idea that God Of War Laufey was originally planned at the same time as the original game. That 2018 game was pretty grounded and serious but they were already talking about adding a talking gelatinous cube as a sidekick for Kratos’ wife (who they didn’t even think to show until Ragnarök)? I find that very hard to believe.

Laufey seems such a sharp change in tone I figured the original plan was to make Atreus the new main character, but then they realised that nobody really liked him, so they switched to his mum instead. I’m fine with that, because I don’t like him either and I’m fine with the combat being more like Devil May Cry, but it does all seem a strange direction to go in, especially if it’s all part of some 10 year plan they had all along.

I do think Kratos has to die pretty soon in one of these games. He needs some kind of big heroic closure to his character, not to be a Sony mascot they dig out every five years. We also need to be shown what’s going on with Earth and what gods actually exist and which don’t.

I’m going to make a wild bet and say no modern religion is going to be featured so I really don’t see were that whole side of the story is going to go. The action in the Laufey trailer looked good but the whole gods from different religion thing made me think of that awful Thor movie with Russel Crowe as Zeus. I’m sure Laufey won’t get that wacky but I’m not sure it’s going to end up making much more sense.
Zeiss

Inbox also-rans
All I can say about the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake is that they better make sure the ReDead and Forest Temple are scary. Those sections were great in the original and I’d hate if they’re softened for the remake.
Engles

So another day goes by and no Half-Life 3 annoucement, eh? I hope the Steam Machines problems are going to get that cancelled, if it actually exists.
Ginger

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New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

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MORE: Games Inbox: Is Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 set to be a flop?

MORE: Games Inbox: What’s the point of pre-ordering GTA 6?

MORE: Games Inbox: Do you need to buy a PS5 Pro to play GTA 6?

No matter how hot it gets, many men will not wear shorts to work for fear of appearing unprofessional.

The UK is experiencing an intense heatwave which is expected to see temperatures surge to nearly 40°C. The Met Office has issued a very rare red warning for extreme heat and schools in parts of England are closing early. In Wales, schools have been given the choice whether to close.

But no matter how hot it gets, many men will not swap trousers for shorts in the workplace — but is this because their employer has told them not to? Or is it for fear of standing out, appearing unprofessional or believing that it would be “frowned on”?

Of course, there are two separate considerations here: one is where you stand from a legal or professional standpoint, the other is where you stand from a fashion or sartorial standpoint.

Can it be legally too hot to work?

The Unison and TUC unions want “a specific legal maximum temperature for indoor work of 30°C, or 27°C for strenuous work”. However, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive says: “There’s no law for maximum working temperature, or when it’s too hot to work, because every workplace is different. No meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces high temperatures are not seasonal but created by work activity, for example in bakeries or foundries.”

However, it also says that employers must stick to health and safety at work law, including “keeping the temperature at a comfortable level” and “providing clean and fresh air”.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations “require employers to provide a reasonable indoor temperature in the workplace”. And under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, employers must “assess the risks to workers” and “put controls in place to protect them”.

The HSE says: “Temperature in the workplace is one of the risks you should assess, whether the work is being done indoors or outdoors. You should consult with workers or their representatives on the best ways to cope with high or low temperatures.”

While the Approved Code of Practice on the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations does suggest a minimum temperature for working indoors (normally at least 16°C or 13°C “if much of the work involves rigorous physical effort”), there is no maximum temperature for workplaces.

Instead, all workers are “entitled to an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled”. Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard and so employers must decide what a reasonable temperature should be in the workplace.

Can I refuse to work if it’s too hot?

You can, but you would probably not be protected in law. Allan McDougall Solicitors state that “although the Employment Rights Act 1996 states that where a worker reasonably believes that they are in serious and imminent danger and they cannot reasonably be expected to avert that danger, they have the right not be dismissed or subject to detriment (such as wage docking) if they leave or refuse to attend work while the danger persists”.

However, they stress that “the wording of these statutes does not give an absolute right to withdraw your labour if you consider the workplace is too hot” and add “there is no guarantee that should you leave site or refuse to attend work and then be dismissed or subject to detriment, that you would have a legal remedy, or be successful at tribunal”.

Can I wear shorts to work?

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations require employers to provide a reasonable indoor temperature in the workplace. An employer should assess the risks to its workers and put controls in place to protect them. Temperature certainly counts as a risk.

And while there is no legal maximum temperature for working, the HSE says employers should provide “a reasonable working temperature in workrooms”, though it leaves the definition of “reasonable” to the employer. It says that employers can consider changing usual work arrangements to avoid people getting too hot and that this includes

• flexible working patterns
• allowing enough breaks to allow workers to get cold drinks or cool down
• relaxing formal dress codes.

When it comes to relaxing the dress code, Allan McDougall Solicitors state that “although an employee can compel you to wear a certain uniform or abide by a dress code, depending on the circumstances of your workplace it may be reasonable for an employer to relax formal dress code policies to reduce the risk of excessive heat”.

But for many people the question is less a legal one than a fashion one. Sophie Jordan, menswear buying director at fashion firm Mytheresa, told Esquire: “It ultimately depends on the culture of the workplace, but shorts can feel entirely appropriate when approached with a more refined sensibility.”

Kit Swann, fashion editor at Mr Porter, told Esquire: “For me, it depends on the shorts and where you work, but largely I don’t see a reason why you couldn’t wear shorts to the office.”

Following reported leadership turbulence at Westminster involving Keir Starmer, attention is now turning to who could steer the UK through its next economic chapter – and ‘the king of the north’ is increasingly being talked about as a frontrunner.

For millions of households struggling with bills, mortgage pressure and transport costs, the big question is simple: would a Burnham-led approach make life cheaper?

Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period.

His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will…

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— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) June 22, 2026

A ‘final chance’ to reset the economy

Burnham has already signalled he would broadly stick to fiscal discipline, including working within the framework set out by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, calming fears among investors that Britain’s borrowing plans could spiral.

He has also backed key manifesto pledges not to raise income tax or national insurance for working people – a move likely to land well with squeezed households.

But his broader economic tone could look to put more money in lower and middle earners’ pockets than traditional Treasury thinking.

Burnham has spoken about:

• Cutting energy bills
• Reducing public transport fares
• Bringing key utilities under greater public control
• Driving a new wave of “re-industrialisation” in the North

Supporters say this could directly target the cost-of-living pressures felt in everyday life – from commuting costs to household energy bills.

Markets cautious but no big drops

Financial markets have so far reacted calmly to the political uncertainty, with traders largely expecting change already priced in.

However analysts warn that stability will depend heavily on who takes key roles in a future cabinet – especially the Chancellor.

Dan Coatsworth of AJ Bell said markets typically prefer predictability, noting that investors want a “credible plan where the maths stacks up”.

There is also speculation around potential cabinet figures, including Ed Miliband and others from Labour’s senior ranks.

What economists are saying

Economists suggest a Burnham-led economic agenda would likely lean left, with more spending and potentially looser fiscal rules – but not a reckless break from financial discipline.

He would look to balance:

• Higher public investment
• Selective tax increases
• Stronger regulation

But they also stressed he would likely avoid any “big bang” fiscal shock after past market turbulence in UK politics.

Recommended reading:

What could Andy Burnham as prime minister mean for your money?

The biggest impact of a leadership change may be felt not in Westminster, but in household budgets and the housing market.

Mortgage experts say uncertainty can affect:

• Swap rates
• Lender confidence
• Fixed mortgage pricing

However, many also stress that the housing market is already adapting to lower interest rate expectations and gradual mortgage reductions.

One key proposal gaining attention is the idea of stamp duty reform or abolition, which some advisers argue could immediately boost housing activity if delivered with a clear plan.

Despite political momentum, the financial sector is united on one point: clarity matters more than ideology.

Markets want:

• Clear funding plans
• Controlled borrowing
• Stable leadership
• Predictable tax policy

Without that, analysts warn borrowing costs could rise – feeding into mortgages, rents and wider inflation pressure.

Financial expert Kevin Mountford said political change matters most when it affects household confidence:

“Prices remain high, borrowing costs are still elevated, and many families are under pressure. Even without policy changes, uncertainty alone can make people more cautious.”

He added that savers should not wait for political stability before reviewing their finances, and borrowers should act early rather than delay decisions.

A potential Burnham-led government is increasingly being framed as a “people-first economic reset” — focused less on markets and more on the lived reality of household budgets.

Whether that becomes a boost for ordinary families or a source of new economic tension will depend on one thing:

Can growth, spending and stability be balanced at the same time?

Former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is expected to give a speech on fiscal policy next week after returning to Westminster as an MP following his Makerfield by-election victory

Andy Burnham is poised to pledge economic growth and commit to Labour’s budget rules as he looks to strengthen his financial credentials following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation, which has left him almost certain to walk through the door of No 10.

The former Greater Manchester mayor is expected to deliver a speech on fiscal policy next week, as first reported by The Times, after making his return to Westminster as an MP off the back of his Makerfield by-election win.

Discussions are also said to be under way regarding a potential reshaped Cabinet, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood both mooted as possible candidates to take over from Rachel Reeves as chancellor. However, Mr Burnham’s allies insisted that no positions had been handed out and no agreements struck as of Monday evening.

The likelihood of an uncontested path to the top job for the former mayor grew stronger on Monday, as his principal rival, former health secretary Wes Streeting, threw his support behind him to succeed Sir Keir.

Yet Darren Jones is reportedly considering whether to throw his hat into the ring, which could throw a spanner in the works for Mr Burnham, following reports that Starmer loyalists were encouraging him to stand.

Sources close to the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister indicated he was not currently inclined to enter the race, but that he would seek guarantees on economic policy, amid concerns among some quarters about potential market jitters.

Should Mr Burnham be the sole candidate to secure the backing required to stand, he could be installed as prime minister as early as mid-July. In an emotional address outside No 10 on Monday, the Prime Minister conceded he had lost the backing of his MPs and vowed an “orderly handover of power” to whoever succeeds him.

Standing by his record, he pledged to give the next leader “my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago”.

Sir Keir announced he would ask Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) to set out a timetable that would see a new leader in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer recess on September 1.

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However, the appointment of a new leader could happen considerably sooner, with nominations closing on July 16.

Prospective candidates have until that date to secure the backing of at least 81 Labour MPs. On Monday evening, Sir Keir and his wife Victoria welcomed No 10 staff for drinks in the No 10 garden, where the couple expressed their gratitude to those gathered.

Lady Starmer told them: “I just wanted to say thank you from me. I obviously love Keir and support him as much as I can, but there’s only so much I could do, and it’s you guys who gave that support day in, day out, and I am personally really grateful for that. So, thank you all.”

Mr Burnham praised Sir Keir’s “huge service to our country” but said his resignation “marks the beginning of a transition”. He said: “The Labour movement has always been at its strongest when it looks forward with confidence and purpose. This is what we will do from here and we will make sure this transition is a positive process of renewal for our party and our country.”

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