PC Tara Sampson, 24, has been with Greater Manchester Police for over a year but has now set her sights on winning the prestigious beauty contest and the chance to become Miss World.

She recently qualified for the final of Miss North West after swapping the beat to walk the catwalk at the Park Hall Hotel & Spa in Chorley.

Tara Sampson, 24, a serving police officer who is one of the Miss England finalists (Image: Tara Sampson/Miss England/SWNS)

Tara said taking part in the beauty pageant had been an amazing experience and was a far cry from her day job of catching crooks.

Tara, of Chorley, said: “I was really shocked to be put through as it was my first ever beauty pageant.

“I have never modelled before but have toyed with the idea for a while but what struck me about Miss England is that its motto is beauty with a purpose so it appealed to me to do the pageantry alongside raising money for good causes.

“I just thought ‘why not?’ and I went for it. Only my unit sergeant knows about it so far and she has been very excited.

“But I’m going to announce it to my other colleagues soon and I’m sure they will all be very supportive.

“I really enjoyed being able to get out of my big heavy uniform and get glammed up because at heart I am a very girly girl.

Tara Sampson, 24, a serving police officer who is one of the Miss England finalists (Image: Tara Sampson/Miss England/SWNS)

“When I told my family I wanted to do policing they were like ‘are you sure?’ because I am quite feminine.

“I’ve been with GMP for just over a year now and it’s the hardest job I’ve ever done both mentally and physically.

“My job can put me in some nerve-wracking positions but I was nervous doing a catwalk and interview as it’s completely out of my comfort zone.

Tara Sampson, 24, a serving police officer who is one of the Miss England finalists (Image: Tara Sampson/Miss England/SWNS)

“But being a police officer means having to be out of your comfort zone almost every day because of the situations you can face, you always have to have your wits about you.

“So I think there are some transferable skills I can take into pageantry.

” I feel like my job keeps my life interesting- I always finish a shift with a story to tell. It has also opened my eyes to how great women can do in a male-dominated role.

“Before this I worked in a prison and I think women can certainly de-escalate situations quite well and that’s the same with policing.

“I can adapt and speak to all different kinds of people, whilst making a difference, all whilst embracing femininity.”

Tara Sampson, 24, a serving police officer who is one of the Miss England finalists (Image: Tara Sampson/Miss England/SWNS)

Tara will now compete in several rounds including the Beauty with a Purpose fundraising competition, a talent round and a sports round in a bid to reach the Miss England final which will be held on November 17.

Miss England director Angie Beasley said: “The North West has an incredible track record in Miss England, producing outstanding finalists who have gone on to achieve great success internationally so to add a police officer in to the equation would be something else.”

Organisers are still taking entries for Miss England 2026 and applications can be made at: www.missengland.info

The Buck Moon will rise over the UK this coming week, with clear skies expected across many areas – meaning there’s a good chance of witnessing the celestial event

The Buck Moon is set to put on a spectacular display this week, giving skygazers the chance to enjoy one of the biggest celestial events of the summer.

Although it officially reaches peak illumination at 3:36pm BST on July 29, the exact moment will happen while the Moon is below the UK horizon.

The good news is that the Moon will still appear completely full to the naked eye once darkness falls on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

It means millions across the UK are expected to catch a glimpse of July’s full Moon. According to MoonPhases UK, the Buck Moon is set to “rise” at 8.07pm on Wednesday, July 29.

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A full moon occurs roughly every 29.5 days, as this is the length of time it takes for the Moon to go through one whole lunar phase cycle.

Why is it called the Buck Moon?

The Buck Moon gets its name from the time of year when male deer, known as bucks, begin rapidly growing a fresh set of antlers.

The tradition of naming full moons dates back centuries, with different cultures using them to mark the changing seasons and keep track of the year.

July’s full moon is also known as the Thunder Moon, thanks to the thunderstorms often associated with the month.

Another traditional name is the Hay Moon, a nod to the annual hay harvest.

Where can I see the Buck Moon?

The latest forecasts suggest much of the UK should enjoy good viewing conditions on the night of July 29.

Central, southern and eastern England are expected to see the clearest skies, with settled weather, light winds and only small amounts of cloud after sunset.

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What other celestial events are happening this summer?

A number of other celestial events will be taking place this summer.

The Perseid meteor shower is currently active and will continue throughout the rest of July and much of August, giving stargazers plenty of opportunities to spot shooting stars.

The display is expected to reach its peak overnight on August 12, with the best viewing conditions in the hours before dawn on August 13.

This year’s peak comes alongside another major astronomical event. On August 12, a total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of Europe, marking the first time mainland Europe has experienced one since 1999.

People in Spain and northern Portugal will be treated to the full spectacle, while people in the UK will instead see a partial solar eclipse, with the Moon expected to cover around 90% of the Sun at its maximum.

In the early hours of August 28, a partial lunar eclipse will also be visible, offering another chance for people across the UK to enjoy a rare sight in the night sky.

Christine Lampard looked effortlessly stylish in a black mini dress as she enjoyed a relaxing getaway with her husband Frank in the South of France on Friday.

The couple, who tied the knot in 2015, looked more than loved-up while heading out for lunch at the famous Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc.

Christine, 47, and Frank, 48, have been going to the lavish £2,000-a-night hotel in Antibes for many years. 

As the summer holidays got underway, the couple treated their children to a fun-filled trip

Christine looked relaxed in the figure-hugging dress, which she teamed with Gucci espadrille wedges and Chanel sunglasses.

Before heading out for lunch, Frank enjoyed a thrill-seeking cliff jump from the hotel’s iconic diving board. 

The couple, who tied the knot in 2015, looked more than loved-up while heading out for lunch at the famous Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes

Before heading out for lunch, Frank enjoyed a thrill-seeking cliff jump from the hotel’s iconic diving board

Christine recently revealed the key to her slim figure is actually not going to the gym, and is, in fact, much simpler than any workout routine. 

Juggling work and a family, the presenter swears by Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis or NEAT exercises, as they have become known. 

Despite its fancy name, NEAT exercises refer to the energy used to carry out any daily activity that isn’t a strict form of exercise. 

Most activities that involve being on your feet are included, for example, cooking, carrying the shopping, gardening, playing with your children or even getting up and down for a tea break at work. 

Walking is also essential, whether it is walking the dog, going to the shops, or getting to the train station. 

Speaking to Woman and Home magazine, Christine revealed: ‘I don’t go to the gym but I’m always moving and I think that keeps me fit.

‘Frank is very good with gym stuff, but I find that general activeness and not sitting around for too long is pretty good for me.’

The TV star is up at 5.45am to make breakfast and lunch for her two children and get them ready for school. 

She then walks Patricia, seven, and Freddie, five, to school, before taking the dogs out for exercise. She is also active doing chores around the house, so gets her steps in without trying, she explains. 

She also admitted on TikTok: ‘I can be very lazy when it comes to exercise. But actually, I’ve always said this, I walk. I walk and I walk.’ 

Confirming that she doesn’t go to fitness classes, she admitted she wants to get into Pilates but hasn’t ever got around to finding the time. 

Christine and Frank have been going to the lavish £2,000-a-night hotel in Antibes for many years

Christine looked as stylish as ever in the tight-fitted dress, which she teamed with black Gucci summer wedges

Frank looked casually cool in blue swimming shorts and a white T-shirt

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As the summer holidays got underway, the couple treated their children to a fun-filled holiday

Frank cooled off with a daring dive from the cliff

The former football flexed his muscles

He jumped in the water to cool down after a morning of sunbathing

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Frank enjoyed a well-needed break away from work

The couple usually return every summer to the famous hotel

‘I’ve found walking the absolute perfect exercise for me, it gets the heart pumping, keeps everything together, keeps you just generally fit,’ she added. 

The important thing is staying consistent, and practising moderate exercise, rather than fewer more intense workout sessions.  

Christine previously opened up about her diet in an interview with The Telegraph, where she explained: ‘I generally follow the motto of eating like a king, then a prince, then a pauper, as the day goes on, and I need a good breakfast.’

Starting the day with a big meal to keep her full, she enjoys tomatoes on toast with grilled bacon and two poached eggs. 

Then for lunch she will typically have a jacket potato topped with cheese, while for dinner she mixes it up, with the menu including homemade chicken and mushroom pie and a Sunday roast. 

She also likes to snack on hummus and carrot sticks, making sure she chooses foods full of fibre to fuel her body.  

She told the Daily Mail: ‘If I have been away eating and drinking for a while, like at Christmas, I just try and eat healthy when I am back to get back in shape.

‘I won’t cut anything out and think I have a healthy diet. I would try and substitute a jacket potato for a sweet potato when I am trying to be healthy and avoid eating carbs too late at night as I find it does bloat me out.’

They spoke over the phone on Monday, within an hour of Mr Burnham arriving in Downing Street.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Burnham said: “I can’t at any point say that I won’t take a different opinion from him [Donald Trump], that I will need to voice a different idea that is right for Britain.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham appearing on the BBC 1 current affairs programme, Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, recorded in No 10 North at Heron House in Manchester (Image: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire)

The new Prime Minister said he would publicly disagree with Mr Trump if necessary, adding: “You have to defend your own national interest before anything else. That’s what you’re required to do if you’re to do this job properly.”

After the call, Mr Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that Mr Burnham “has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it” and pledged that the US “will be there to help”.

Downing Street described the 20-minute conversation as “extremely warm”.

Relations between Washington and Sir Keir Starmer’s government became increasingly fractious over the Iran conflict.

New Defence Secretary Wes Streeting is seeking to improve the relationship and by working with the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and promising to invest in the UK military.

A source close to Mr Streeting said he shared a “very warm conversation” with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth, in which they brainstormed ideas for an international conference which allies of the UK and US would attend, but have not yet firmed up the details of a summit.

Mr Streeting told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News of the meeting: “I was clear that we’ve not supported offensive action in Iran and we won’t support offensive action in Iran, but there are plenty of things that we can and should do together when it comes to securing the Strait of Hormuz, in making sure that Iran doesn’t develop nuclear weapons, in terms of investing in our capability and Nato’s capability.”

But, he conceded “it’s hard to undertake that work … while hostilities continue, and that’s why every effort is being made, particularly by allies in the regions, to try and bring about the conditions where we can achieve that”.

He also said “you don’t suck up” to Mr Trump’s administration, while declining to say whether he trusts the US president.

“I don’t know him, but I do trust the United States.”

President Donald Trump speaks at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington (Image: Mark Schiefelbein)

Questioned on defence policy, Mr Burnham refused to be drawn on a timetable for increasing spending to 3% of GDP.

Mr Burnham said he was “very aware” of Chancellor John Healey’s resignation as Sir Keir’s defence secretary, citing a lack of commitment to spending that amount by 2030.

He said: “The first challenge facing us both is to ensure that the defence investment plan is fully funded and that’s the thing that’s right in front of us and we need to work that through as we go towards the budget later this year.”

Mr Healey had accused the former chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and Sir Keir, of putting the country’s security at risk with a disagreement over the long-awaited defence investment plan.

The former prime minister had said he would increase defence spending by £15 billion.

This would put the UK on a trajectory for defence spending to hit 3% of GDP in the next parliament, according to Sir Keir, but this would still be below the Nato target of 3.5% by 2035.

Mr Burnham told reporters on Wednesday that he and Mr Healey wanted to “honour” the UK’s Nato commitments.

Mr Streeting said “it’s for the Chancellor to set out” at the budget how to hit the Nato target, as he noted it was not just about securing more funds for defence but also reforming.

The Defence Secretary said that “one of the reasons the Prime Minister’s asked me to do this job is because I’m a moderniser” as he vowed to “spend money wisely”.

Elsewhere in his interview with the public broadcaster, Mr Burnham ruled out an early general election, saying Britain had “voted for a manifesto” in 2024.

“There’s no early general election. I don’t think people want it,” he said.

He added: “I just think what I most need to do is get Britain focused on getting the country back where it should be.”

Saturday (July 25) at Deer Shed Festival brought another packed programme of live music, workshops, and family activities as crowds returned to Baldersby Park.

The 16th annual festival, themed “Into the Labyrinth,” continued with a busy schedule across its stages and activity areas, attracting visitors from across the region.

Here are some photos from the second day:

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. Fat Dog perform on the Main Stage. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. Gans perform on the In The Dock Stage. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

The Main Stage hosted performances from Gretel, Life, OneDa, and Jasmine 4.T before Fat Dog took to the stage ahead of Saturday night’s headline performance from Sleaford Mods.

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. Working Men’s Club perform on the In The Dock Stage. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. Sleaford Mods perform on the Main Stage. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. Oneda performs on the Main Stage. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. Jasmine.4.T perform on the Main Stage. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Deer Shed Festival takes place at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire. Panic Shack perform on the In The Dock Stage. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

Over on The Dock Stage, festivalgoers watched sets from Loula Yorke, Plantoid, Gans, and Working Men’s Club, with a surprise secret afternoon performance from Lamb proving one of the day’s standout moments.

The Lodge Stage featured performances from Natalie Wildgoose, Tessa Rose Jackson, and Seamus Fogerty.

Away from the music, visitors explored the festival’s expanded Wilderwild Retreat, which offered outdoor nature sessions, wild swimming, and hands-on activities throughout the day.

The popular Synth Shed gave festivalgoers the chance to build their own 808 drum machine circuits, while live podcast recordings added another dimension to the weekend’s programme.

Food and drink remained a major attraction, with craft beer tasting workshops hosted by Brass Castle Brewery at The Arbor Inn alongside Yorkshire coffee traders and a range of local food vendors.

Many popular destinations require only three months of validity, causing confusion and resulting in some travellers being caught out.

The warning comes after a mother and her daughter were denied boarding for a £6,500 family holiday to Egypt due to an overlooked passport rule.

Family devastated after being caught out by passport rules

Victoria Vigors was travelling with her nine-year-old daughter, Roxie and discovered at the airport that Roxie’s passport did not meet Egypt’s six-month validity requirement.

Although Roxie’s passport was valid until January 4, 2027, it fell short of the minimum six months needed from the date of arrival in Egypt, leaving her unable to board the flight.

She shared an emotional video explaining the situation that went viral on social media.

“My stomach dropped and I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach,” she told creatorzine.com.

“The kids crumpled and I burst into tears.

“I begged the staff but there was nothing they could do.

“We had to be escorted back to get our luggage off the flight – it was so embarrassing.”

She added: “I wasn’t aware of the rules.

“For people like me who don’t always travel and it’s the first time with my children, I wasn’t to know.

“I would have thought when I put her passport details in to check in that it would tell me it wasn’t valid.

“That would be a simple system to install so save this agony and heartbreak.”

What are the passport rules for Egypt?

Egypt’s entry rules differ from many other countries, requiring British visitors to have at least six months’ validity on their passport from the date of arrival and at least one blank page for entry stamps.

Brits planning trips to Red Sea resorts and other Egyptian destinations this summer are being reminded to check their documents before travelling.

Depending on the length and location of stay, entry visas may also be required.

Recommended reading:

For example, travellers staying for less than 15 days at a resort in Sharm El Sheikh do not need a visa, but those visiting other areas such as Hurghada will need one.

Visas can be obtained on arrival or applied for online through Egypt’s e-visa portal, but online applications must be submitted a minimum of seven days.

Passengers are encouraged to review their passports well in advance of travel to avoid disappointment at the airport.

Have you ever had any passport issues when travelling? Let us know in the comments.

The obituaries were being written before the body was cold. Within hours of Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirming that Whitehall’s responsibilities for science and technology would be absorbed into a new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), Sir Paul Nurse, president of the Royal Society, was on Radio 4 warning that “science isn’t a slave to business”. The trade association TechUK declared it “the wrong change at the wrong time”.

You might imagine that something ancient, ineffable and essential to British science had been ripped away. In fact, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was only born in February 2023 – a surprise late tweak to the machinery of government under Rishi Sunak’s faltering premiership.

Science has never enjoyed a settled home in Whitehall. For most of the period from 1995 to 2023, it sat precisely where Burnham has put it now: inside a business super-department. Notably, the single most important protection UK science secured in that era – a ring-fenced budget through the George Osborne austerity years – was won from inside the Business, Innovation and Science department, under then-business secretary Vince Cable.

The historian David Edgerton has long argued that Britain’s fondness for tinkering with the machinery of government is a form of displacement activity. What actually shapes the fortunes of research is money, people and demand for what they produce, not the nameplates on London’s Victoria Street.

On that test, the outlook for science is far calmer than some reactions to this latest move would suggest. Under plans published last October, the UK’s total research and development budget is locked in at £58.5 billion over the four-year spending review to 2030 – a real-terms increase.

Machinery changes move budget lines across departments; they don’t unravel them. As yet, nothing we’ve heard from the Burnham government suggests the settlement for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is at risk.

A US wrecking ball

If we want to be reminded what real damage to a science system looks like, we only need to glance across the Atlantic. While London rearranges the departmental furniture and dishes out new email addresses, Washington is taking a wrecking ball to the foundations of its public science system.

A 2027 budget request will halve the size of the US National Science Foundation, if passed. A draft White House rule, due to take effect in October, will hand political appointees the power to vet federal research grants against “the president’s priorities” and terminate awards mid-stream.

A predictable exodus has begun. The Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi has just left the University of California, Berkeley for Tsinghua University in China.

Set against political commissars patrolling the borders of knowledge, the UK’s science soap opera feels deeply provincial – a debate about which secretary of state sponsors oversight of a gradually swelling budget.

And the institutional layer beneath this is in better shape than doomsayers allow. UKRI’s new strategy has set a clear five-year path: priority programmes in AI, quantum and clean energy, faster funding decisions, and a welcome seriousness about experimentation with the modes and means by which we manage public investment in research.

Not everyone is happy with UKRI’s approach to prioritisation. But a funder with a published strategy, agreed budget and hard targets is a more durable asset than a three-year-old ministry. The research councils have outlasted every department that ruled over them, and UKRI will outlast this too.

Nor should the science community be spooked by closer proximity to business. When I leave my office at UCL and stroll down the Euston Road through London’s Knowledge Quarter – dubbed “the new square mile” – I pass by the Wellcome Trust, the Crick and Turing institutes, the British Library, Anthropic and Google DeepMind. Day in, day out, this dense weave of labs, firms and cultural institutions delivers what the triple helix of government, industry and academia is all about.

And we can find versions of the same story unfolding in Manchester, Sheffield, Cambridge and Glasgow. Rather than science being subordinate or “enslaved”, the UK’s world-leading universities have spent the past decade aligning themselves with agendas for regional growth and frontier technologies.

But there’s a harder truth lurking here too. Public money accounts for less than a third of UK research and development investment. The rest is financed and largely performed by the private sector.

UK science’s chronic weakness has never been the quality of publicly funded research. It is the R&D intensity of UK firms, and their ability to convert discoveries into products, services and revenue streams generated and owned in the UK.

If yoking science to industrial strategy in a single department reminds Whitehall to treat these as a single problem, some good may come of Burnham’s reorganisation.

AI policy concerns

With DSIT’s disappearance, a particular source of concern has been the future of AI policy. This at a time when the radical possibilities and risks of AI frontier models, fluctuating US export controls, and the latest “Sputnik moment” jolt from China’s Kimi K-3 demand sustained and technically fluent policy attention.

We are also seeing a sharp acceleration in the ways AI is transforming science itself – whether by cracking mathematical problems that stumped humans for the past 87 years, or collapsing decades-old models of grant writing and peer review.

Splitting AI from science just as they converge in practice would have been the least defensible element of this reorganisation. So it is reassuring that cross-government oversight of AI, including the AI Security Institute and AI public sector adoption, is moving to a new “AI taskforce” in the Cabinet Office – alongside the promotion of Kanishka Narayan to the status of AI minister attending Cabinet. Much now rests on his shoulders.

Government departments come and go. Those of us who have long advocated for research policies built on evidence rather than gut can allow ourselves a wry smile at the fuss created by this latest reorganisation – and then get back to work.

DSIT is dead, but UK science will be fine. Keep your eyes on the AI prize – and be thankful we are arguing about organograms, not survival.

Actor Ryan Gosling will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as the titular character in a new Ghost Rider film, the company has announced.

Speaking during the surprise announcement at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, Gosling said it is a character he has “wanted to play for a very long time”.

The film is due to be released in 2028, and will be the third about the motorcycle-riding anti-hero.

It will follow the 2007 film of the same name starring Nicolas Cage, and its follow-up, 2011’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

Before making the big reveal on stage at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said he had often been asked when Gosling would join the MCU.

Shortly after, the lights turned off. When they returned, the actor appeared on stage to cheers from screaming fans.

Speaking about the role, Gosling said: “Wow, is this really happening?”

He has previously spoken about his desire to take on the role. Appearing on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast in March, he confirmed he was in discussions with Marvel.

Ghost Rider is the anti-hero identity of motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze.

The character’s story begins when he becomes bound to the Spirit of Vengeance Zarathos after making a deal with villain Mephisto to spare his surrogate father, giving him superpowers.

The film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who Gosling described as the “only” director for the project.

Levy has previously directed Deadpool & Wolverine in the MCU, and is currently working with Gosling on Star Wars: Starfighter, which is due to be released next year.

Levy told the crowd that he and Gosling spent a lot of their downtime on set daydreaming about Ghost Rider and swapping ideas.

The director said: “As Ryan started talking about his vision for this character, we started riffing, and I finally said, ‘bro, let’s ride’, so guys, we’ll see you in 2028.”

By CLAIRE ELLICOTT WHITEHALL EDITOR

Published: 11:27 BST, 26 July 2026 | Updated: 14:30 BST, 26 July 2026

Andy Burnham has ruled out an early general election as he insisted he would stick to Labour‘s manifesto.

In his first interview from Number 10 North, the new Prime Minister said that he had the support of his colleagues in Parliament.

But asked whether he would give the UK electorate of 48million a say, he said that the public did not want to go to the polls.

Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg, in his first major media interview since becoming PM, he said: ‘There is no general election and the thing I would say to you is 20 plus – however many million people you just mentioned – voted for a manifesto.

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‘We’re in a parliamentary democracy so that is what people voted for and I will honour that manifesto.

‘And obviously I have faced the public in Makerfield. At the time, I stood forward in the by-election people said: “Oh my goodness, that constituency voted Reform in May – that’s a risk”.

‘I went and faced the public – I went out on to those doorsteps. So I have done that. I’ve got the support of colleagues in Parliament and it’s a parliamentary democracy that we’re in.’

Asked if he would rule it out, he said: ‘I’m going to rule it out, yeah. There’s no early general election. I don’t think people want it.

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Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg, Andy Burnham ruled out the possibility of an early election as he stated that the public did not want to go to the polls

On the wall of Burnham’s office at No 10 North is a framed gold disc for The Queen Is Dead by Manchester indie rock band The Smiths 

‘Well, the opinion polls say some people do, some people don’t. But the thing is, I just think what I most need to do is get Britain focused on getting the country back where it should be, getting it working.’

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Mr Burnham is facing calls for a general election from Reform UK after he took power from Sir Keir Starmer in a bloodless coup.

The new PM has experienced a bounce in the polls and opposition parties have speculated that he will seek a new mandate this autumn or next year.

But sources close to him have ruled out a general election in 2027. One must be held by 2029.

A fresh mandate would give him the power to deliver a more ambitious policy platform and buy him five years rather than three.

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But it is a huge risk as Reform is still riding high in the polls and is level pegging with Labour despite a bounce since Mr Burnham took over.

He has insisted he will abide by the party’s manifesto and stick to the fiscal rules though has already made several commitments that do not appear to be fully funded.

This means that he will be unable to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT as set out by Sir Keir’s government.

The new PM has announced that he will end rough sleeping – a £340m pledge over five years that he said would come from ‘uncommitted’ budgets in the housing department.

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He also said he would cut VAT on electricity bills by using money from the digital ID scheme that he said he would scrap – though former ministers pointed out that this was unfunded.

He also lowered the cap on bus fares in England from £3 to £2 at a cost of £500m using a complicated method of borrowing.

Funding for his cut to business rates for pubs – which will cost the Treasury £100m a year – is yet to be announced.

Claims that his new Number 10 North base would not cost taxpayers additional money have been questioned.

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A survey by Public First this month found that 51 per cent of the public believed that Mr Burnham should ‘call and try to win an election to give his government legitimacy‘, versus 34 per cent who believed he did not need to.