Rumours have been circulating that Streeting covets the top job and, following his resignation, will likely mount a leadership challenge.

It comes after Conservative shadow minister Alex Burghart called the Labour Party leadership struggle a “pig’s breakfast”.

pic.twitter.com/9qI2Bj35ZK

— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) May 14, 2026

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Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Burghart says such instability is “very bad” for the country, with the cost of borrowing going up, leading to a big addition to the country’s national debt and further economic turmoil that could also lead to people losing their jobs.

“The country has to have a form of stability,” Burghart says.

He added that it’s been “clear for months” that Keir Starmer should go, citing the handling of the Lord Mandelson scandal and a number of government U-turns.

Will Wes Streeting mount a leadership challenge?

Wes Streeting, alongside Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner, is among the favourites to take over from Starmer.

Jess Phillips also resigned, who is known to be a close ally of Streeting.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, she said that she could not continue to serve as a minister “under the current leadership”.

“Labour governments come around rarely is the constant refrain at the moment.

“It’s true they are precious.

“Every Labour Government in my and my family’s lifetime has forged progress that changes our country and the world for the better.

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“I know you care deeply but deeds, not words are what matter. I’m not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that’s needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.

“Decency is vital, calm curiosity is also needed, but so too are fight and drive required… I want a Labour Government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I’m not seeing the change I think I and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”

Who do you want to be Prime Minister? Let us know in the comments

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For the last few years, I’ve been struggling to find the balance between comfortable and cute in my summer wardrobe.

The clothes that I do have fall into one of those two categories, but never both.

If you ask me, the platonic ideal for summer clothes is pieces you can picnic and lounge around in during the day, and wear straight out to drinks. And of course, they need to be breathable and flattering at the same time.

While I’ve been searching high and low for that combination, I somehow always end up with grass stains on some of my more precious clothes, or feeling severely underdressed while sipping on my Aperol. Needless to say, my hunt has, thus far, been unsuccessful.

If you had told me a year ago that the outdoor brand Regatta Great Outdoors was going to launch a lifestyle collection that would become my go-to for summer, I would’ve laughed. But the best thing about fashion is it’s forever surprising.

So I’m happier than I’ve ever been to say I was wrong! I know now that I’ve been looking in all the wrong places, because the brand has just launched its summer line that has everything I’ve been looking for, and more.

I’m talking floaty summer dresses with pockets, co-ords that are as work appropriate as they are beachwear, and even options for date night.

“Cruises are well known to be associated with outbreaks [of] infectious disease”

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Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester today, Labour MP for Bolton West Phil Brickell, discussed rumours of a leadership challenge to the Prime Minister.

“I am one of more than 110 Labour MPs who said now, shortly after the King’s Speech, is not the time to have a leadership contest,” Mr Brickell began.

“We were all elected to say country first, party second.

“We need to get on with the job of governing as the legislative programme set out.”

During the interview, Mr Brickell said he “doesn’t know if Wes Streeting is going to resign and trigger a leadership contest”.

It has since been officially confirmed that Mr Streeting has resigned from Sir Keir Starmer’s government, saying he has “lost confidence” in his leadership.

At the time of reporting, however, he has not triggered a leadership challenge.

“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election,” says Wes Streeting (Image: PA)

Mr Brickell went on to say that he was also not privy to whether Andy Burnham had “found a seat”.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has been seeking a Commons seat and was blocked from standing as Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February.

If he were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid.

Mr Brickell said the country and his constituents are “looking at all of this psychodrama aghast”.

“They don’t want the instability that we have today,” he continued.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester is one of the frontrunners to replace the Prime Minister

Mr Brickell emphasised his preference for discussions about economic growth and the plans of the Labour government.

He then hit out at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, with the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launching an inquiry into whether he broke Commons rules by accepting a £5 million gift and not declaring it.

Mr Brickell also pointed towards Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski, who may have failed to pay council tax on a houseboat he was living on in London until recently.

“We find ourselves in a difficult position,” said Mr Brickell.

“We all recognise that the local election results were not good enough for Labour, up and down the length of the North West, and the country as a whole.

“But now is not the time to do this.”

In Bolton’s local elections, Labour’s Nick Peel was the most high-profile leader to lose his seat to Reform UK’s Bolton chair Trevor Jones in Tonge with the Haulgh.

Mr Brickell said: “I want to make sure that we have a discussion amongst the party that recognises those differences, and learns from the lessons of last week’s election results.”

Despite calls for unity, in a parting shot at the Prime Minister, Mr Streeting warned that “where we need vision, we have a vacuum”.

The former Queen of Denmark is ‘tired but in good spirits’ after she was taken to hospital following a heart attack.

Queen Margrethe was rushed to Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen’s largest public and teaching hospital, on Thursday afternoon.

The 86-year-old will remain in the hospital over the weekend for observation and further tests, the royal household said in a statement.

It read: ‘Her Majesty Queen Margrethe has been admitted to Rigshospitalet this afternoon due to a heart attack.

‘Queen Margrethe will be admitted over the weekend for observation and further examinations.

‘Her Majesty is tired, but in good spirits.

‘The Royal House will announce when there is news.’

Despite stepping back from the throne in 2024 – making her the first Danish sovereign to willingly do so in almost 900 years – Margrethe remains Denmark’s longest-reigning monarch, having worn the crown for 52 years.

Citing health as one of the reasons for her abdication, she said in an address on New Year’s Eve 2023 that she had undergone ‘extensive back surgery’ before she stepped down.

She said: ‘Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me.

‘Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation.

‘I have decided that now is the right time.’

She passed the baton to King Frederik X and his wife, Australian-born Queen Mary.

Even after abdicating, Margrethe has held onto her Queen title and continues to carry out royal engagements.

But she has been hospitalised on multiple occasions since her surgery. She previously had to cancel an official appearance after she suffered a fall at her home of Fredensborg Palace in Zealand.

She was again forced to pull out of a royal engagement when she contracted a cold last year.

“As a result of the cold HM Queen Margrethe has contracted, it has been decided that the Queen will be admitted to Rigshospitalet for observation as a precaution,” the Danish Royal House said in a statement.

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This would depend on Mr Streeting, or another leadership hopeful within the parliamentary party, securing the backing of the 81 Labour MPs required to mount a challenge. It was unclear on Thursday whether he had reached this threshold, and his resignation letter appeared to imply he would not be triggering an immediate contest.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, 22, from Georgia, known as ‘Commander Butcher’, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison

The head of a neo-Nazi organisation has been handed a prison sentence for attempting to recruit members to carry out violent assaults against Jewish people and other ethnic minorities, including one sinister scheme which involved individuals disguised as Santa Claus distributing poisoned sweets to children.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, 22, hailing from Georgia, leads an Eastern European neo-Nazi outfit and operates under the alias ‘Commander Butcher’. He was handed a 15-year prison term by a federal judge in Brooklyn yesterday for his offences.

Chkhikvishvili had entered a guilty plea in November for soliciting hate crimes and disseminating instructions on manufacturing bombs and ricin.

Chkhikvishvili “repeatedly called for the murder of innocent civilians, including children, and schemed to attack and terrorise Jewish communities and racial minorities in the United States,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenburg. ” Chkhikvishvili, for example, tried to recruit a supposed associate to dress up as Santa Claus and pass out poisoned candy to minority children.

“I acknowledge that my actions have brought harm by spreading hatred and violence and I’m truly sorry for that,” Chkhikvishvili wrote in a letter to the judge last month. His defence counsel, Zachary Taylor, appealed for a five-year term, referencing Chkhikvishvili’s mental health difficulties as a youngster, including depression and bullying, which resulted in him falling “under the spell of violent extremist content” on social media.

However, he noted that Chkhikvishvili has since turned over a new leaf. Taylor further contended that throughout his nearly year-long detention in Moldova, where Chkhikvishvili was apprehended in 2024 following an international warrant, he has endured severe conditions, reports the Mirror.

Prosecutors portrayed Chkhikvishvili as the ringleader of the ‘Maniac Murder Cult’, a global extremist organisation adhering to neo-Nazi beliefs that advocate violence designed to spark a racial and religious conflict. They stated the group’s violent incitements – disseminated via Telegram channels and detailed in the ‘Hater’s Handbook’ – seem to have motivated several actual killings.

Among these is a shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, last year which claimed the life of a 16-year-old pupil. Solomon Henderson, 17, left behind a recording following the Nashville Antioch High School shooting in which he credited his actions to the Maniac Murder Cult, which operates from Russia and Ukraine.

From 2021 onwards, prosecutors allege Chkhikvishvili circulated the ‘Hater’s Handbook’ to followers and others. In correspondence to the judge, Chkhikvishvili wrote: “I’m very ashamed [of] authoring Hater’s Handbook, hoping one day it will disappear, I wish I never wrote it.”

Prosecutors allege that Chkhikvishvili travelled to Brooklyn in 2022, where he subsequently began persistently urging others to carry out hate crimes and violent acts. They stated that in 2023 he solicited an undercover FBI employee to conduct bombings and arsons “for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others.”

In 2024, the undercover FBI operative was instructed to “target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison,” prosecutors stated. ” Chkhikvishvili sent detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases, including ricin,” they further disclosed.

“The defendant is a hate-mongering menace who intended to hurt and kill children in the Jewish community and in other minority communities in New York City,” declared US Attorney Joseph Nocella. “Today’s sentence sends a strong message to hateful extremists, wherever you are, who seek to spread fear through unspeakable violence: we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

US District Judge Carol Bagley Amon handed Chkhikvishvili concurrent 180-month sentences on both counts, remarking: “The defendant is not sentenced because of his warped views. He is being sentenced for his calls to action.”

The damage follows another incident in Thornton le Dale four days earlier, with police believing more households may have been affected and urging victims to come forward.

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A recent appeal was issued regarding damage caused to residential property in Thornton le Dale on May 9.

Since then damage to another residential property has come to light occurring on May 5 at around 5pm. On this occasion a window was smashed.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “Enquires lead us to believe the window was smashed with an upright vacuum cleaner.

“Given this unusual choice of implement we are appealing to the public to see if they recall any persons seen carrying a vacuum down Maltongate around the time the damage occurred.

“Do you have CCTV or ring doorbell cameras that may have captured this unusual sight?

“Are you missing a vacuum cleaner from a skip or bin for example?

“Please contact the officer in the case PC1864 on email: Fiona.Wilding@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation regarding the damage specific to 05 May 2026.

“Please quote reference 1226084664 when passing on information.”

The Championship play-off final may not go ahead on Saturday 23 May as the English Football League (EFL) investigates the Spygate scandal surrounding finalists Southampton.

A hearing will take place on or before Tuesday 19 May.

Saints have been charged by the EFL with breaking rules by observing one of Middlesborough’s training sessions before last Saturday’s semi-final first leg at the Riverside.

Southampton are due to face Hull City in the play-off final for a place in the Premier League next season.

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Summer events are starting to pop up in our diaries, whether it’s a day at the races, weddings or garden parties, the pressure of finding something to wear slowly creeps in, and suddenly it’s the day before, standing in front of your wardrobe hating everything.

Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

One event to kick off a summer of fun is the regal and blooming lovely RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which is happening from 19th to 23rd May. It’s a world-famous event showcasing some of the most spectacular arrangements of florals that aim to inspire and educate visitors. 

With members of the Royal Family often in attendance, with the likes of King Charles and Queen Camilla showing up, and style icon The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton mingling amongst TV and film royalty with Cate Blanchett, Dame Joanna Lumley, Zoe Ball, Myleene Klass and the lovely Mary Berry making appearances, it is recommended to always look your best as you never know who you’ll bump into.  

Whether you’re a fan of a traditional summer shirt dress or want to keep it cool, calm, and collected with a tailored blazer to dress up your denim, then look no further, we’ve shopped the high street to find you affordable outfit inspirations so you can embody the event and look and feel your best all day long.

Shop the best outfits for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show:

Karen Millen Premium Viscose Linen Woven Shirt Dress With Gold Buckle Belt

Let’s take notes from Princess Kate and her iconic Me+Em pink shirt dress that she wore back in 2023.

The style is one of those classic designs which doesn’t only automatically have a smart edge with its collar and cuff details, but it’s one you can rewear season after season and it will never go out of fashion.

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This Karen Millen alternative is brilliant with it’s bright pink shade and a high waist belt that can cinch you in and show off your natural curves.

Buy Now for £95.40 (was £159)

ASOS DESIGN Relaxed Blazer in Cream

If you’ve already got your outfit sorted but are worried about being caught out by the unpredictable British weather then a blazer should be your go-to.

It will add a tailored finish in any outfit you pair it with, whilst providing a more expensive price tag to the ensemble.

Roll up the sleeves for a more daytime, relaxed vibe, or simply drape over your shoulders for an off-duty, fashion-forward look.

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Buy Now for £38

River Island Yellow Short Sleeve Asymmetric Drape Jumpsuit

A jumpsuit is always a fool-proof outfit idea when attending events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as you can have control over how formal or casual you want to go.

Pair with trainers and a denim jacket for a more daytime edge, or opt for wedges and a blazer to amp up the style points.

The butter yellow colourway of this River Island option is a perfect nod to the season, whilst being too loud.

Buy Now for £52

M&S Jacquard Midaxi Waisted Dress

We’re believers in dressing up and feeling your confident self at all times, and this M&S dress will give you that boost.

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From the decorative jacquard fabric that gives the design subtle floral motifs throughout, the flattering peplum waistline that creates a more slender silhouette, to the punchy red hue, this is an all around winner that can be worn with sandals, heels, wedges or trainers.

Rewear to garden parties, wedding guest-dressing, or other formal occasions in your calendar.

Buy Now for £55

Stradivarius Lace-up Jute Platform Wedges

You can never go wrong with a pair of wedges during the Spring Summer months.

They’re a wardrobe staple and a classic piece of footwear that are truly versatile, dressing up any outfit that you pair them with.

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The neutral tone of Stradivarius’ platform wedges mean they can go with muted tones or bold brights and still look classy.

The lace-up fastening adds a more delicate feel to them.

Buy Now for £39.99

Lipsy Yellow Floral Print Long Sleeve Grandad Blouse

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wearing jeans to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, especially when you style it with a nice shirt.

But why not swap a crisp white option for one that gives a nod to the event itself?

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This soft pastel top comes in a more relaxed silhouette with a grandad-style collar, and bubble-sleeve hems to add more of a romantic aesthetic. 

Buy Now for £42

Nobody’s Child Blue Longline Crew Neck Waistcoat

Tailoring is a big trend for Spring, and when combined with seasonal shades such as this soft blue it’s a winning combination.

Take your ensemble up another level by choosing a coordinating two-piece with matching trousers for an extra £71.20 to give it that cohesive energy that will have everyone asking you where your outfit is from.

Pair it with sandals or trainers to keep it more daytime.

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Buy Now for £59.50 (was £85)

New Look Stone Woven Floral Corsage Top Handle Bag

Nod to the theme of the event even with your accessories with this raffia, woven style from New Look.

Its natural texture and colour means it packs versatility and can be worn with anything you choose to wear, whilst giving a classy finishing touch.

Buy Now for £23.99

Club L London Louise Sunflower Print Wide-Leg Trousers

If you want to make a subtle wardrobe statement, and in 2026, we think we all should from time to time then these wide-leg trousers are the one.

Made from premium stretch satin, the playful sunflower print embodies the event but without overdoing it or seeming garish.

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They are brilliant to dress up, or down, from day-to-night, so whatever else you might have coming up in your calendar, these will be a great go-to.

The high-waisted style will also create the illusion of longer-looking legs, and that’s never a bad thing.

Style with a plain white tee or white shirt depending on how fancy you’re feeling.

Buy Now for £60 (was £85)

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