Football fans clad in kilts and Scotland strips have been arriving in the east coast of the US.

The Tartan Army has arrived in Boston after making the lengthy journey from Scotland for the World Cup.

Football fans clad in kilts and Scotland strips have been arriving in the east coast of the US ahead of the opening fixture with Haiti, which will be played at 9pm local time. Anticipation has been building in Massachusetts as Scotland’s men’s team prepares to play in the tournament for the first time in 30 years.

The World Cup begins Thursday night with the opening ceremony and the first game between Mexico and and South Africa. While many have already landed in the US, travel permit drama has meant fresh criminal background checks for some fans.

The Daily Record revealed last week that hundreds of Scotland fans hoping to head to the US have had their electronic system for travel authorisation (Esta) waivers revoked by the US government. Fans were told they’ll need to provide a new criminal background check called an ACRO – supplied by the Association of Chief Police Officers Criminal Records Office.

But they can’t get these background checks completed until well after Scotland’s game against Haiti – with thousands of pounds already spent on flights to the US. Kenny Smith told of his anger at being told he now needs a new background check.

He appealed to US President Donald Trump – whose mum was Scottish – to step in to help stranded Tartan Army footsoldiers. Kenny said: “I would appeal directly to Donald Trump to make an intervention.

“I can’t think for the life of me that Trump – who is very proud of his Scottish roots – would want the Tartan Army to be treated like this. We have a situation where so many Scots seem to be barred for the World Cup for no reason and no-one has heard of a single England fan facing this visa hell.

“This is also puzzling, as the Tartan Army is renowned for bringing so much fun and positivity to the proceedings.”

He added: “The glaring solution to all this is to allow people who were given last minute Esta revocations the chance to apply for them again. Someone in US immigration – or Donald himself – should surely be able to give the go-ahead for this.”

Security firm boss Kenny, 45, secured an emergency appointment at the US Embassy in London after his ESTA was revoked at the last minute, for no reason, last week. Musician Kenny, from Inverness, has no prior convictions and has undergone enhanced background checks with the MOD and Disclosure Scotland due to the nature of his job.

John Swinney said he would do “all I can to help” those who had their ESTA permit revoked with days to go before the national team play Haiti in Boston at the weekend.

He told the Scottish Parliament: “I am aware that the United States Embassy has issued advice to individuals affected by ESTA refusals, indicating that they may apply for a visa through the FIFA Pass System, and I have asked officials to convey our hope that they can resolve this so that Scotland’s fans do not miss out.

“I have asked for specific representations and engagement to be taken forward with the Consul General of the United States in Scotland – that has been undertaken and we will do all that we can to help out to resolve these issues.”

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As we cha cha closer to Strictly Come Dancing season once more, the BBC is kicking off the festivities early this year by already revealing the first cast member.

Last series saw Lioness Karen Carney and professional partner Carlos Gu take home the trophy, and there will surely be a string of celebrities keen to replicate their success.

And to say the new cast will be joining Strictly at an important time would be an understatement, as there’ll have been plenty of big changes by the time the BBC flagship show returns to screens.

Following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, we’ll have new hosts, with broadcaster Emma Willis, comedian Josh Widdicombe, and pro dancer Johannes Radebe now confirmed to be taking charge.

What’s more, the pro dancer roster will be wildly different, as Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Gorka Márquez have departed, while Neil Jones and Nancy Xu will be ‘benched’ without a partner.

So, as bosses look to fill the gaps and carry Strictly into a new era – hopefully free from scandals and internal investigations – let’s take a look at who is confirmed and who is rumoured for the 2026 line-up.

Who is confirmed in the Strictly Come Dancing cast 2026?

Lacey Turner

She’s been playing EastEnders’ favourite Stacey Slater for over 20 years, but now Lacey Turner is set to appear on the BBC in a very different way.

As the 38-year-old soap actress takes a break from Albert Square to pursue new ventures, it seems her journey is taking her from the cobblestones straight onto the dance floor.

In the announcement, Lacey wrote: ‘I am so excited to be making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing.

‘I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year! I look forward to meeting everyone and learning a new skill!’

It wouldn’t be the first time an EastEnders icon has appeared on Strictly – who could forget Jake Wood (aka Max Branning) with his Mambo No. 5 salsa?

Who is rumoured for the Strictly Come Dancing cast 2026?

Josie Gibson

She rose to fame as a Big Brother winner and has since cemented herself as a British TV favourite.

Josie Gibson is now often seen presenting on This Morning, and, in 2023, she placed fourth in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

If reports are to be believed, though, she could be looking to at least earn herself a place on the podium by signing up to Strictly and wowing on the dance floor.

‘Josie has been on the BBC’s radar for a while, and they’ve not given up their pursuit,’ said a source.

They added to The Sun that the ball is has already started: ‘They’re hoping this year is the year, and talks are progressing well.’

‘Bosses are convinced her down-to-earth charm will be the boost this year’s new-look show needs,’ the insider also claimed. ‘Warm and engaging, she’s just what they require right now and will be a sure-fire hit with fans.’

Josie, 41, certainly wouldn’t be the first ITV daytime star to tackle Strictly, with previous series signing up the likes of Alison Hammond, Ruth Langsford, Charlotte Hawkins, and, who could forget, Ed Balls.

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Delta Goodrem

Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem has also reportedly been on the Strictly bosses’ wish list for ‘years’.

A source told the Daily Mail that her signing this time is ‘all but a done deal’.

‘They’ve been trying to get her for years. Obviously, she is a good name for the show.’

The 41-year-old is no stranger to live performances thanks to her music career, having been signed in the early 2000s and released a string of hits Down Under. Her debut album, Innocent Eyes, charted at number two in the UK.

Delta has also dabbled in acting, having played Nina Tucker in Neighbours.

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Having sold nine million records, Delta knows a thing or two about success – but could she add another accolade to her name and become a Strictly champion?

If she does ultimately sign on the dotted line, 2026 will prove to be a very busy year for her, as Delta represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna with her song Eclipse, which saw her finish fourth.

Dani Dyer

Poor Dani Dyer had one of the briefest Strictly stints ever last year, as she was forced to withdraw shortly after the launch show due to an ankle fracture.

Partnered with Nikita Kuzmin, he went on to reach the final with Amber Davies, while Dani had to watch on from home while recovering.

The former Love Islander has already expressed interest in returning for a proper attempt, and it wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened, as Jamie Laing famously returned the following year after an injury early on made him pull out.

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Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show after her premature exit, Dani said she would ‘love to do’ Strictly again.

‘If they rang me, I’d answer the phone,’ she shared. ‘I was devastated.

‘It was hell for me when I hurt my foot; I was so sad.’

When contacted previously for comments, a BBC spokesperson told Metro that plans for the new series of Strictly will be confirmed ‘in due course’.

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Strictly Come Dancing returns to the BBC in September.

A version of this article was first published on May 31, 2026.

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The FIA has confirmed a new agreement on rule changes to be implemented from the 2027 and 2028 Formula One seasons

The FIA have announced in a statement that an agreement has been secured for regulation modifications to take effect from the 2027 and 2028 Formula One campaigns. The most significant change concerns the division between combustion and electric power in the engine, with the current 53/47 split set to become 60/40 in two years’ time.

The FIA statement read: “The FIA, FOM, Teams and Power Unit Manufacturers have agreed a package of changes to the Formula 1 Technical, Sporting and Financial Regulations for 2027 and 2028. The agreement follows discussions held since the opening races of the 2026 season, following concerns identified in relation to energy management under the new Power Unit framework.

“The proposed changes are intended to address issues related to energy management and fuel energy flow characteristics and make Qualifying more flat-out while not impacting the positive and exciting racing generated by the new regulations.

“The package introduces a staged rebalancing of Internal Combustion Engine and Energy Recovery System contribution across the 2027 and 2028 seasons. It includes targeted adjustments to internal combustion engine output, fuel energy flow and energy recovery system deployment, together with increased flexibility in energy management.”

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The hope had been that the changes would be fully implemented ahead of the 2027 campaign, but it is understood that several power unit manufacturers withdrew their backing for that proposal. A compromise agreement was subsequently reached, which will see the alterations introduced on a gradual basis.

As a result of the ruling, there will shortly be considerably less dependence on the battery, with the expectation that this should tackle issues such as the derating experienced at the end of long straights.

The current season has been blighted by widespread driver complaints regarding faults with the new 50/50 electric-to-combustion engines.

Max Verstappen has been at the forefront of those grievances, repeatedly voicing his displeasure at the regulation changes and even going so far as to threaten retirement from the sport should things remain unchanged.

The latest announcement at least confirms that steps are being taken to address the very real difficulties confronting drivers. Mercedes‘ Kimi Antonelli currently tops the drivers’ championship and stretched his advantage at the summit this past weekend by claiming victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton sits second, with Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell, who will be eager to bounce back following a difficult run of races, occupying third place heading into this weekend’s event in Barcelona.

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Esh’s Building My Skills is an award-winning programme which first launched in 2009 to help students develop essential employability skills and make informed decisions about their future by bringing businesses into their classrooms to talk about the opportunities for them.

Esh’s Director of Corporate Affairs Darush Dodds said this year the new partnership would help the project push even further ahead to make connections with as many pupils as possible.

Darush Dodds of Esh Group (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

​“For 2026-27, we’re aiming to deliver the biggest programme yet, launching in October/November and targeting 100 schools and 20,000 students. That ambitious target will require around 100 businesses across a mix of sectors – but we know the region’s leaders will respond as enthusiastically as they always do.

“A lack of awareness of careers and sectors remains a key barrier to success. Young people can’t be what they can’t see so, working together Esh, BUSINESSiQ and the Chamber hope that careers sessions directly with pupils will mean employers can bring their sector to life with passion and heart, helping to inspire young people while building a stronger, more sustainable future workforce.

“Crucially, we will make sure the programme is accessible to all – SEND, ESOL, PRU – schools in most need of support.”

The search is now on for businesses who will give their time to helping give these young people their first view of the world of work.

A website is already waiting at www.eshgroup.co.uk/building-my-skills for companies to sign up and find out more about how the programme will operate.

BUSINESSiQ Editor Mike Hughes said he saw this as a chance to make a real difference in the region: “This is an opportunity we have been looking for for some time. As part of The Northern Echo, we don’t believe in just reporting what others are doing to build a bright future for the North East – we want to be a driver of that success as well.

“We have reported for many years on the passion Esh and the Chamber bring to their work – and the commitment to be changemakers in the many communities they work in. So we are very proud to be asked to join the Building My Skills team and will use all the resources we have to echo what is being done here and provide a platform for what we hope will be its biggest year so far.”

John McCabe, Chief Executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, said Chamber members had a vital role to play in connecting the region’s future workforce with the businesses they might one day join, support or lead.

John McCabe Chief Executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce (Image: Stuart Boulton)

He said: “The North East has enormous potential, but we will only fulfil it if young people can see the opportunities available to them and understand the range of careers they can build here.

“That is why Building My Skills matters. By bringing employers directly into schools, the programme helps young people make the link between what they are learning now and the jobs, sectors and businesses shaping our region’s future.

“We will be speaking to Chamber members and the wider business community about how they can get involved, share their experience and help bring the idea of a career in the North East to life for thousands of school pupils.”

All participating schools will receive four workshops – each delivered by a different company – in an assembly format to a whole year group. Businesses choose the sessions they deliver, with workshops carefully planned by sector to ensure students get the maximum exposure to the wide range of possibilities that are local to them. Students will then complete a ‘checkpoint’ after each workshop and those who complete all checkpoints are invited to a regional interview day.

Mike Hughes added: “This is a big challenge, but we each bring something to this project that we are passionate about. We are all up for it and we know North East businesses will back it as well.”

The dockland site in Bristol which is home to the historic ocean liner SS Great Britain will change its name as part of a rebrand to make it more inclusive.

The 19th century passenger ship, which was once the largest in the world, was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for transatlantic voyages between Bristol and New York. Now a tourist attraction, the ship is found in the dry dock where it was constructed.

The ship and associated museum is billed as Brunel’s SS Great Britain but it will relaunch in July as Bristol Dockyards, as it seeks to focus on the role played by the ship in the days of Empire.

Chief executive of the SS Great Britain Trust Andrew Edwards told The Guardian that some people might view the decision as “woke” but added: “Change is never easy.”

Mr Edwards said: “You’ll always get those that are resistant, but when we were shaping the vision, I tried to take stock of where the city was and what the city was all about.

“We’ve consciously tried to avoid falling into those stereotypical ideas of what a maritime museum should look like and tried to present something that feels a little bit more rooted in Bristol.”

Mr Edwards said some visitors think “SS” in the name of the ship stands for “slave ship”. However, it means “steamship” and SS Great Britain was built following British abolition of the slave trade.

The new name for the site comes as it is set to open an expanded museum in July.

This museum will focus less on the engineering behind the vessel and more on the human stories associated with it, such as passengers’ personal histories and its impact on communities in the Caribbean, India, Australia and the US.

Mr Edwards said: “We live in a very diverse world and we live in a very diverse city in Bristol.

“I believe the role of organisations like us is to represent that diversity as best we can and to be able to provide a little bit of something that appeals to everybody, whoever they are and wherever they’ve come from.

“Heritage really only works, in my view, when it has ownership within the community within which it sits.”

Though it is changing its name, the site will still be described as “home to the SS Great Britain”, Mr Edwards said, so the ship’s name will not be completely removed from its branding.

WHEN people think of our county, what do they think about? For many people, it will be the moors and the dales. The purple heather, rolling hills and mile after mile of dry-stone walls. Being among not only our county’s greatest asset, but our country’s, invokes a feeling that only pure, fresh Yorkshire air in your lungs can.

In meetings with my team, or with companies looking to work in our region, I often say that our geography is our greatest challenge. Unlike most mayoral areas, our county is sparsely populated, with mile after mile of open green space. In pure economic terms, that means the way mayors have always done things will not work here.

We have to play to what we have, whether that is backing our micro, small and medium-sized businesses, or investing in communities to give them the spaces they need to bring people together.

Last week, I launched what I think is going to be the single best example of using the make-up of our region to benefit both our residents and our communities.

Our Natural Health Service for North Yorkshire is doing just that. It is the UK’s first protected landscape-led programme of its kind. Led by the North York Moors Trust, the project is bringing together both national parks and two of our national landscapes for the first time.

Working alongside health services and our communities, it aims to do something simple yet radical: use nature as a way of treating and caring for people.

After a short pilot, I can say with real confidence that it works. Not in theory, but in real life. Over the ten-week trial, research by York St John University found that mental wellbeing increased by 24 per cent, social wellbeing by 17.5 per cent, physical wellbeing by 13.5 per cent, and loneliness fell by 15per cent.

And this is more important than ever because recent statistics from the Health Foundation have shown that healthy life expectancy has fallen across North Yorkshire: down 1.9 years for men and 2.3 years for women. While people are living longer, the amount of time they spend in good health is declining.

That is unacceptable, and it is why we need to see greater investment in prevention across our health service. That is something I have been passionate about and have directed funding towards in our police service and in many of the projects we have supported since I became Mayor.

Investing now not only saves money in the future, but also makes people’s lives healthier and more fulfilling as we live longer.

That is what this is all about to me: people. In a county like North Yorkshire, where many of our residents are objectively prosperous and live in good health, those who do not too often get overlooked for funding and intervention.

Too many people who struggle, or need a helping hand, have been overlooked for too long. That stings even more when you live a mile away from some of Britain’s wealthiest communities.

That is what our Natural Health Service is seeking to address: bringing nature closer to people through supported and guided time outdoors.

It is the people involved who make this so compelling. One participant from Catterick said: “January is just a really bad month. So for me personally, it starting then and having that positive thing to come and do was really, massively helpful for my brain and my emotions.”

Those groups have stayed in touch, with another participant from Catterick saying: “It’s just what we do on a Tuesday now.”

It is not just the obvious health and wellbeing benefits either. Someone from the York Carers Centre group said: “I’m even thinking that it might be the right time to think about doing a few hours of employment, which I’ve not participated in for 20 years.”

The trial has proven to be a great example of how we can achieve results when we think outside the box and do things differently. It is a credit to the team at North York Moors Trust and all the partners involved.

That is why the opportunity to continue this project could not be missed. Last week, I was really pleased to commit additional funding for our Natural Health Service to run for the rest of my mayoral term.

We know it works. We have seen it, we have heard it, and we cannot and should not ignore it. This investment means more people reached and more lives changed.

And if the results continue in the same direction, which I am sure they will, I know this can be a ‘greenprint’ for the rest of the country to adopt.

These are Yorkshire solutions to Westminster’s problems, and I cannot wait to see how the over 1,500 participants get on in the next eighteen months.

John MacDonald was rushed to hospital after his first weigh-in with a suspected heart attack but he turned his life around with 17st weight loss

When football fan John Macdonald was warned by his doctor that he wouldn’t live to see his 30th birthday he got the wake-up call he needed. The stark deadline was just a few years away and despite only being in his 20s, at almost 28st he already had prediabetes, sleep apnoea and high blood pressure.

But the warning was the kick he needed to transform his life and last month he marked his big birthday with the friends who made it possible after he lost 16st 12lbs (107kg) at Slimming World. John joined his local group in 2023 weighing nearly 28st, after his visit to the doctor – but it was not all plain sailing and in fact it almost ended before it began.

His weight loss journey began with a shock rush to hospital after he collapsed with what he thought was a heart attack at his first weigh-in at the group. But he said the terrifying experience became the spur he needed for his life-changing transformation.

Now weighing 10st 13lbs, John thanks his group for the support, structure and shared expertise that helped him achieve his “impossible” goal.

John said: “Being told I might not make my 30th birthday if I didn’t lose weight was the wake-up call I needed. Everything changed in that moment – all I could think about was my family, especially my mum who I live with, and everything I’d miss.”

At his first Slimming World session at Carrina McGovern’s group in Easterhouse, Glasgow, a panic attack left him in Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He said: “As I stepped on the scales I felt sick, my chest tightened and I collapsed – I thought I was having a heart attack.

“Kind members drove me to A&E. Looking back it was anxiety, made worse by barely eating in the lead-up to joining. I’d built up such a fear of seeing the number on the scales. Facing the challenge ahead hit me all at once.”

Despite his embarrassment he returned to the group the following week, marking the start of John’s long-term success. While nervous of what people would think of him, he soon found everyone was just relieved he was well.

John said it wasn’t all straightforward explaining: “I’ve had ups and downs, but now I understand how to manage it. I trust the plan and I trust myself. My life has been completely transformed. I’ve gone from a 52in waist to a 31in waist and can now wear the designer clothes I’ve always longed to.”

John said his life was completely different now and while he once relied takeaways spending “£30 most nights ordering enough for four” he now “steers clear of junk food and takeaways”, instead eating a lot more vegetables.

He said: “Carrina suggested I start planning my meals and I’ve enjoyed trying new recipes from the Slimming World app. I’d never really cooked anything before and now I love being in the kitchen making meals from scratch – Slimming World’s Cajun chicken pasta is my go-to.

“Carrina helped me focus on small changes that really add up. I swapped two litres of sugary fizzy drinks and four sugary teas a day for low-calorie squash and sugar-free hot drinks.”

Losing the weight along with the changes he has made have had huge impact on John’s health and day-to-day life. He said: “I’ve gone from doing no activity to gradually starting to walk to the local shops. It’s a 15-minute walk but it took me an hour. I slowly built up my fitness until that walk took me five minutes. Now I walk everywhere and I love it. My sleep apnoea has gone, my breathing’s better and I’ve got so much energy.”

Then last month, John hit the milestone the doctor told him he wouldn’t reach without change, celebrating his 30th birthday surrounded by the people who supported him. He said: “To celebrate turning 30 at my Slimming World group meant everything. A few years ago, I didn’t think I’d get here. This whole experience has completely changed my life. I’ve gone from being told I might die young to feeling healthy, confident and excited for the future.”

John’s Slimming World Consultant Carrina said: “John’s achievement is extraordinary and it’s a testament to his determination and willingness to lean into the support around him. We know men can sometimes feel unsure about joining a Slimming World group, yet John’s success shows exactly what’s possible.

“Our groups are welcoming, supportive spaces where everyone can succeed. I’m so proud of John – he kept going – even when it felt tough. That’s what made the difference.”

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Laura Holloway, from Slimming World’s Nutrition, Research and Scientific Affairs team, said John’s journey reflected the proven benefits of group-based weight management. She said: “Our groups make a real difference to long-term weight loss. The accountability, shared ideas and practical strategies all help members like John create lasting habits and achieve truly life-changing results.”

This Men’s Health Week, which starts on Monday, men are being encouraged to prioritise their wellbeing. John, who has maintained his weight loss for over two years, said he hopes his journey will inspire others.

He said: “I was terrified walking through the door that first time, but it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I didn’t think in the beginning I’d ever get this far. If you’re thinking about it – just take that first step. It could change your life like it changed mine.”

John’s success story features in the current issue of Slimming World Magazine. For details of how to join your local Slimming World group or sign up online visit slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000.

John MacDonald

• Start weight: 27st 11lbs (176.4kg)
• Weight at group finals 10st 13lbs (69.4kg)
• Height: 5ft 6in (168cm)
• Weight lost: 16st 12lbs (107kg) in one year and five months

John’s day on a plate

Before

• Breakfast: Sausage and tattie scone (square sausage with a triangular, flat potato scone in a morning roll with brown sauce) from the van near work. Tea with two sugars
• Lunch: Cheesy chips and curry sauce from chip van, two or three chocolate bars. Full sugar cola
• Dinner: Indian takeaway. Full sugar cola
• Snacks: Tube of BBQ Pringles, cakes, crisps. Coffee and tea with sugar

After

• Breakfast: Weetabix, fat free natural yoghurt with banana. Tea with sweetener
• Lunch: Chicken salad bowl from local cafe. Water or low-calorie fruit squash
• Dinner: Slimming World’s Cajun chicken pasta with salad or vegetables or Slimming World kebab in a wholemeal pitta bread with lettuce, onion, tomatoes and gherkins. Diet cola or water
• Snacks: Fruit, two high fibre snack bars, low fat yoghurts. Coffee or tea with no sugar or sweeteners

ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD, England (AP) — About 75,000 voters in a pocket of northwest England are about to make a momentous decision. They will cast ballots in a contest that may well pick the U.K.’s next prime minister, or plunge Britain’s febrile politics into even more turmoil. Possibly both.

Some of them aren’t too enthusiastic.

“I think they’re all a waste of time,” said Shirley Prior on the choice of candidates in Makerfield, where a special election on June 18 has drawn interest from journalists around the world. That level of attention is all-but unheard of for a midterm by-election to fill one of the 650 seats in the House of Commons.

If Andy Burnham from the center-left Labour Party wins, there’s a strong chance he will replace embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer as leader of both party and country. He’s up against Reform UK, a hard-right party hoping to prove that this longtime Labour stronghold is fertile ground for its anti-immigration message, with potentially seismic consequences for British democracy.

This district has elected Labour lawmakers for 120 years, but Burnham is not a shoo-in. Reform, led by the veteran anti-immigration politician Nigel Farage, won 24 of the 25 council seats up for grabs in local elections in this area last month.

“I always voted Labour because my dad, my grandad, everybody voted Labour then,” Prior said. “I’ve never done that for a lot, a lot of years.”

Immigration is a top issue

The election is taking place amid heightened tensions over immigration. A stabbing in Belfast this week, for which a Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder, triggered violent protests in Northern Ireland in which cars and houses torched.

In the constituency’s main town of Ashton-in-Makerfield, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of London, some voters echo Reform claims that recent arrivals are straining housing and public services.

“Immigration’s too high, all the services are being put under pressure and Labour just keep inviting more and more people into the country and it’s the taxpayer who has to pay for them,” said retiree Phil Arrowsmith.

Annual net migration to the U.K. reached more than 900,000 in 2023, under the previous Conservative government, before falling to 171,000 last year.

That decline has done little to boost a Labour government that has floundered since winning election in July 2024.

Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.

A dismal performance in local elections last month sparked a clamor from Labour lawmakers for Starmer’s resignation. He has refused, but Cabinet minister Wes Streeting quit so he can run in a leadership contest that could come soon.

Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, also harbors leadership ambitions, but needs a seat in Parliament if he wants to challenge Starmer. An opening emerged when Josh Simons, the Labour lawmaker for Makerfield, stepped down to trigger a special election.

Burnham said he understands that voters are “fed up” and calls the large Reform UK vote “a cry for real change” that Labour must heed.

The ‘King of the North’ eyes power in London

The Makerfield constituency is a capsule of British history, a collection of former coal-mining communities turned commuter suburbs. The slag heaps and slum housing in the area described by George Orwell in his 1937 book “The Road to Wigan Pier” have been replaced by suburbs of tidy modern houses amid Victorian workers’ cottages, interspersed with farmers’ fields.

Though far from the city center, it is part of Greater Manchester, and Burnham gets honks and thumbs’ ups from passing drivers as he walks down the street in his smart-casual uniform of dark jeans with a navy blue shirt and jacket.

The 56-year-old has been mayor of the region of 3 million people since 2017, a period that has seen central Manchester boom, with skyscrapers blooming on postindustrial sites. Many residents praise him for championing the city, and for taking a piecemeal public transport system under municipal control as the Bee Network.

For a decade and a half before that he was a lawmaker in Parliament, and a minister in Labour governments. He doesn’t emphasize that part of his CV, preferring the outsider status that has seen him nicknamed the King of the North.

“What we’ve built in Greater Manchester needs to go national,” Burnham told reporters during a campaign event this week. “I know what it is to turn places around.”

Many predict a close contest

The campaign is an odd mix of the local and the international. Some voters cite immigration as a top concern. Others mention struggling main street shops, potholes and petty crime.

Burnham’s main rival is Reform UK candidate Rob Kenyon, a 41-year-old plumber and local councilor who came second to Labour here in the 2024 national election. He says he’s an unpolished regular bloke, though opponents have criticized him over crude, sexist and anti-vaccine comments on social media.

Reform voters are also being targeted by Restore, an even more hardline anti-immigration party.

Michael Poultney, a retired teacher and Labour supporter, thinks the unpopularity of Starmer’s government means Burnham faces a stiff challenge.

“Without his personal vote, I think we would struggle,” he said. “Keir Starmer has done reasonably well on the international stage, but the government are yet to be in control of the economy.”

Burnham insists he is running for the people of Makerfield, not his own ambition, and is not taking victory for granted.

“I am making no assumptions beyond the 18th of June,” Burnham said.

But he stressed that “this is a change byelection.”

“I will take the fight for the changes I want to see in politics as far as I can take it,” he said.

“If we share the data we have on the phone stolen, with the data they have on things like reactivations and future uses of phones, we can get a global picture of phones being stolen, are they being reactivated, are they being broken down for parts, where they’re being exported to in the world,” he said.