He nearly doubled Labour’s majority, and won more than 50% of the vote, in a seat where every council ward was won by Reform UK barely a month ago.
Even Labour MPs who are sceptical about Burnham’s abilities – and there remain many of them – admit that he is the best chance they have of saving their seats at the next general election.
In a call with Labour staff on Friday, Starmer said the party needed to “pull together” and “take the fight” to Reform in the Greater Manchester mayoralty by-election which will take place on July 30 as a result of Burnham’s return to Westminster.
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“The one thing we’ve got to avoid doing is plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement,” he said.
“That has never worked. That’s what the last government did. We need to learn that lesson.”
The prime minister’s biggest problem, however, is that while his MPs do indeed want to “pull together”, the vast majority of them now want to do so behind Andy Burnham.
Louise Haigh, one of Burnham’s key lieutenants, said the PM and his would-be successor need to now get their heads together “and agree a managed way forward”.
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“Just six weeks ago, the Labour Party was facing existential crisis after the local elections, and it’s quite clear that the prime minister can’t take us into another set of elections,” she told the BBC.
“So I hope he reflects on the result last night in the interests of the country and of the party.
“We want this to be as managed and controlled as possible … we want to avoid a leadership contest if possible, and we hope that we can agree a way forward.”
Despite insisting earlier this week that he has enough support to stand in a leadership contest, HuffPost UK has been told that Wes Streeting is preparing to instead throw his weight behind Burnham.
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The pair are said to have agreed a deal which would see the former health secretary given a top job in a Burnham cabinet.
Neither side are commenting publicly, but it is thought an announcement could come early next week.
Meanwhile, home secretary Shabana Mahmood and energy secretary Ed Miliband – who urged Starmer to go after Labour’s trouncing in the May 7 elections – are understood to have repeated that message to him on Friday.
A senior Labour figure said he believed an agreement for a transition of power from Starmer to Burnham will happen.
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“I think they’ll get a deal,” he said. “It’s in both their interests and the country’s.
“There’ll be some fucking around next week but Keir will be gone by mid September latest.”
Labour party’s Andy Burnham stands beside candidate Count Binface, left, and a candidate for Protect British Wildlife after winning the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. in Wigan, England, Friday, June 19, 2026.
One Starmer ally told HuffPost UK that the PM will eventually have to bow to the inevitable.
He said: “It comes down to what support there is in the Parliamentary Labour Party. I can’t imagine he’ll want to fight if he can only command a limited number of MPs.
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“I would imagine there will be plenty of MPs not keen on Andy who will now be thinking ‘is there any point in resisting’, in much the same way as the Tories rowed in behind Boris Johnson before he became leader.
“I wouldn’t read too much into what Keir said this morning. Over the weekend he will be speaking to plenty of people and trying to work out where the support is, and if it just isn’t there, I don’t think he’ll stand in a contest he is bound to lose.”
Another supporter of the PM said: “I really want Keir to fight, but I think Andy becoming prime minister is inevitable.
“I’ve a feeling that he will end up announcing a timetable for his departure.”
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Some around Burnham want the PM to announce that he will go in September, in time for their man to take over ahead of the Labour Party conference later that month.
A senior Labour source said Starmer will “do what he always does – try every wrong position before he gets to the obvious one”.
Another party insider added: “Imagine a sitting prime minister being forced out by his own members. Is that the plan? They need to wake up and have a good smell of the coffee beans.”
But one anti-Burnham MP accused him of “arrogance” for believing he can return to Westminster after nearly a decade away and become prime minister without even a leadership contest.
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“If I was advising Andy, I’d be telling him to take his time and at least get to know the Labour MPs first,” he said.
“That would also allow him to flesh out his policy platform, because my worry is that he becomes PM and then he starts U-turning and making bad decisions because he has not been tested in advance.”
Andy Burnham is going to be Britain’s next prime minister. The only remaining question is when that might happen.
As Starmer sits down with his closest allies over the next 48 hours, the realisation will surely dawn that it is better for him to leave Downing Street on his own terms rather than being dragged out of the door kicking and screaming.
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Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
Families will get the chance to meet and be photographed with the marmalade-obsessed bear
A bear who is obsessed with marmalade is heading to a popular Cambridgeshire railway station later this year. Nene Valley Railway (NVR) in Wansford, near Peterborough, continues to bring joy to families with all of its fun events.
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On Sunday, August 23, the railway will welcome Paddington Bear for the day. A NVR spokesperson said: “We know that family days out can quickly become expensive, which is why we have made a conscious decision not to increase our Day Pass prices for this event.
“We want as many families as possible to be able to enjoy meeting Paddington whilst also experiencing everything the railway has to offer.”
Visitors will get the chance to meet Paddington, as well as enjoy journeys on the heritage train services. By purchasing a day pass, families will be able to enjoy unlimited hop-on, hop-off on the trains, giving them the chance to enjoy the trains at their own pace.
Paddington will be making several appearances throughout the day, where people can capture a photo with one of Britain’s most beloved children’s characters. To book a day pass in advance, people can do it on the Nene Valley Railway website.
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has been informed
A stinger was deployed and an officer drew his weapon in an attempt to stop a suspect vehicle in Co Derry which was later found abandoned over the border following a chase, the PSNI has said.
In a statement, local policing Inspector Hewat said it was spotted on Buncrana Road at around 12.30pm on Saturday before the “driver made off toward the city at dangerous speeds and with a deflated rear tyre”.
A chase followed and, as the police attempted to force the car to stop, it “collided with an uninvolved member of the public’s vehicle, causing damage but, thankfully, no reported injury”.
In an attempt to stop the “dangerous” vehicle, a stinger device was deployed in the Creggan area.
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Mr Hewat continued: “Fearing for his own safety, one officer drew his weapon, but the driver of the Mercedes swerved and made off, narrowly avoiding another member of the public’s vehicle as he did so.”
The car was found abandoned “just over the border minutes later”.
“It is only by sheer luck that this vehicle was not involved in a more serious collision,” he added.
The PSNI is liaising with An Garda Síochána in the search for the driver and they are carrying out forensic tests of the car.
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Mr Hewat said: “As is standard procedure when a police firearm is drawn, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has been informed and their inquiries are ongoing.”
Police are appealing for anyone with information or relevant footage to contact them.
Four years ago, any effort to watch a game together was met with the same stubborn toddler resistance as suggesting a midday nap. Suddenly, here we are, knee-deep in Panini swapsies, reeling off an all-star French attack, pointing out the flags and badges of all 48 nations. Shiny Brazil!
Of course, the medium through which he is engaging with this World Cup is different from our childhood experiences, which in turn are different to our parents’. “Grandad saw Pele at Goodison Park?” Poignant for Grandad because he’s an Evertonian, impressive for the little one because his favourite YouTuber – Chuffsters – pulled a 99-ranked Pele icon card.
This isn’t a bedtime-friendly World Cup for those this side of the pond – we’ve not yet stayed up late and there’s no dashing into school early, class teacher wheeling out a chunky television to catch Senegal shock France.
Instead, this World Cup is about climbing into our bed at first light with his little brother, listing yesterday’s fixtures and predicting which star player is going to score – a thirst fulfilled through highlights packages. A hearty hit of goals before breakfast.
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Waking up last Wednesday was like Christmas morning. Every clip unwrapped the gift of another stunning display. Kylian Mbappe,Erling Haaland,LIONEL MESSI GOT A HAT-TRICK! Because, despite being the same age as most of their parents, it’s still Messi who resonates for today’s kids – his shirt dotted across Sunday morning playing fields.
But for all that’s different, the core things stay the same.
Filling out sticker books and writing on wallcharts, unboxing football figures – we’ve two Bradley Barcolas, if anyone needs? – hours spent pretending to be Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham in the garden, trying to recreate the tournament’s greatest goals. This will be the summer we buy a new fence.
It’s seeing your heroes come alive on screen and falling in love with unexpected new ones. Where can you find a Vozinha shirt?
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To enjoy the game through the eyes of your kids is to see it in a different light. One of wonder and a million questions, those you haven’t thought about for decades. An experience completely ignorant to the ills of modern football, to politics, ticket prices or hydration breaks. Just the pure magic of the game, an innocent curiosity to know more about it, the uncontrollable desire to ‘Siuuuuu!’ down supermarket shopping aisles.
Football can be tribal and divisive but at its heart is a sport that unites, whether that’s supporters from across the globe embracing each other in a Mexico City fan park or a dad and his young lads gathered around a sticker book in Manchester.
Because the World Cup is a phenomenon that transcends generations. My grandpa died earlier in the tournament – his last interaction with the boys was to post some England stickers picked up with his weekly shop. The sadness of losing him sated by a small, thoughtful gesture – that will be how they remember him.
Whether our young football anorak will remember the tournament too, who knows, and it doesn’t really matter. Such is the glorious childhood gift of living in the moment, perhaps next week he’ll have moved on to something else, maybe we’ll be chasing Pokemon again. And we’ll enjoy that together too.
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But right now, what a beautiful satisfaction it is to experience this World Cup through his wide-eyed wonder, to treasure this passion we share.
So, here’s to this summer. For me, this is the one that will last forever.
Saudi Arabia squad: Mohammed Al Owais, Nawaf Al Aqidi, Ahmed Al Kassar, Abdulelah Al Amri, Hassan Tambakti, Jehad Thikri, Ali Lajami, Hassan Kadesh, Saud Abdulhamid, Mohammed Abu Al Shamat, Ali Majrashi, Moteb Al Harbi, Nawaf Boushal, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Mohammed Kanno, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Ziyad Al Johani, Nasser Al Dawsari, Musab Al Juwayr, Alaa Al Hajji, Salem Al Dawsari, Khalid Al Ghannam, Ayman Yahya, Firas Al Buraikan, Saleh Al Shehri, Abdullah Al Hamdan.
New plans for the cleared site sought permission for 17 “commercial business units” distributed across three, two-storey blocks located along the site’s boundaries.
Associated parking was proposed centrally within the site with 28 spaces, with access taken from Mainsforth Terrace and vehicles being “required to exit through the existing site access along Burbank Street (north).”
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Proposed planning uses for the business units included “research and development of products or processes”, industrial processes and storage and distribution uses, with ancillary first floor office units associated with respective ground floor uses.
During a council public consultation on the plans there were objection comments from four separate residential properties, with concerns raised about the location and scale of the buildings, traffic parking and highway safety, noise impacts and more.
Although the development passed several key planning tests, Hartlepool Borough Council’s planning department had recommended the application for refusal over its scale and design.
A report published ahead of the planning committee noted the development’s “extensive scale and mass” and said it would “create an undue, overly dominant and unsympathetic development that fails to respect the character of the application site and wider surrounding area.”
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Arguments for and against the proposal were put forward at a planning committee meeting on June 17, 2026, at Hartlepool Civic Centre.
A representative for the applicant said technical issues, including flood risk, drainage and highway safety, had been resolved and that the council’s economic development team “actively supports the scheme”.
The applicant’s agent added the refusal recommendation from council planners was a “matter of planning judgement” and listed the benefits of the scheme, including regenerating a derelict brownfield site, local investment and jobs and enhanced biodiversity.
Council planners argued that the plans would “not be compatible with the character and appearance of the site and the surrounding area”, in conflict with planning policies.
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However following debate an alternative motion to approve the application, against the refusal recommendation of council planners, was proposed.
After being put to a final vote, the plans were approved by a majority of councillors present.
The heat is likely to impact health and daily lives of those within the warning area
12:36, 21 Jun 2026Updated 12:50, 21 Jun 2026
Parts of the UK are under an extreme heat alert with forecasters predicting near 40C temperatures. The Met Office has expanded an Amber heat warning into next week, which will likely impact residents of affected areas.
The alert is in place for Monday, June 22, until Thursday, June 25, and covers South East England and parts of Wales. The incoming heat is a result of band of pressure that is currently migrating from France. While the alert is not in place for Scotland, high temperatures of up to 30C are to reach the country next week.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree, said: “The forecast heatwave is developing into an impactful severe weather event, with record breaking June temperatures and very high humidity. The combination of heat and humidity will be oppressive and bring impacts across society from public health and infrastructure, to power and water supplies.”
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Temperatures will quickly rise on Monday morning (June 22) and are forecast to reach 34C in southern parts of England. heat will rise further into Tuesday (June 23), with highs of 37C forecast for southern England and 35C southeast Wales.
Conditions are set to peak on Wednesday and Thursday (June 24 and 25) when temperatures are expected to climb to 38C. By Friday conditions will be less hot, with highs of 33C forecast across eastern areas.
It is now likely the current highest temperature on record for June will be broken, this being 35.6C recorded in Southampton in June 1976 and Camden Square in June 1957.
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Forecasters say that the heat will not be specific to day time, as “Tropical Night” temperatures are set to remain in the low twenties. The warning highlights potential health impacts for the wider population, not just those vulnerable to extreme heat.
Crabtree added: “As well as very high daytime temperatures, there will be consecutive nights where temperatures do not drop below 20C, which is called a Tropical Night. This will make it very hard for people to recover from the daytime heat, exacerbating the heat stress impacts.”
This extreme heat alert is not in store for Scotland, but residual warm air is set to move upwards, bringing scorching temperatures next week. The latest figures from WX Charts show areas in the north of Scotland reaching 26C by next Tuesday in Edinburgh and the east coast.
By Wednesday, temperatures are to reach 25C predominantly below the Central Belt. However by Thursday, the UK’s extreme heat will finally arrive in Scotland, with areas furthest south set to reach a sweltering 30C.
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The Amber alert highlights the potential rise in water safety incidents due to resident seeking respite in coastal areas. Those heading to the sea should be mindful that surface temperatures are not as high as those seen in mid-summer. Sudden impact with cold water can lead to shock, which in turn raises heart rate and could trigger panic.
Samantha Hughes is the National Water Safety Partner at the RNLI. She said: “If you find yourself struggling in the water, remember to Float to Live: tilt your head back so your ears are submerged, relax and control your breathing. You may need to gently use your hands to help you stay afloat, and it’s ok if your legs sink—everyone floats differently.
“Where possible, always choose a lifeguarded beach, and swim between the red and yellow flags. In a coastal emergency remember to call 999 for the coastguard.”
Millions of people could be affected by the two medications
The Met Office has issued a rare amber heat warning for Monday to Thursday across parts of Wales and South England. It warns that the general population are likely to experience some symptoms and people that are ‘vulnerable’ to heat have been urged to take extra precautions.
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Two commonly prescribed medications have been highlighted as particular areas of concern during the heatwave – beta blockers and metformin. Used by millions throughout the UK, both drugs can increase dehydration risk in hot weather, interfere with the body’s temperature control, or hide warning signs of heat-related conditions.
The British Heart Foundation states that beta blockers are among the most widely prescribed treatments for heart and circulatory problems, frequently used to treat irregular heart rhythms, angina and high blood pressure. By slowing the heart rate, this medicine – generally prescribed for heart conditions or high blood pressure – can hinder the body’s natural cooling systems, making users considerably more vulnerable to overheating.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has warned: “Blood pressure medicines such as ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, or calcium channel blockers can also make it harder for your body to regulate temperature, especially during sudden hot spells.”
Research from 2022 also found that people on beta blockers or antiplatelet medication could be at greater risk of heart attacks during hot weather than in cooler conditions. Beta blockers specifically demonstrated a 65% stronger association between high temperatures and heart problems.
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Metformin, insulin and other diabetic medications can increase your susceptibility to dehydration while masking the early warning signs. If left untreated, dehydration can lead to worsening symptoms and in extreme cases may cause kidney and urinary problems, seizures or even damage to the brain.
Important symptoms of dehydration:
feeling thirsty
headache and feeling light-headed
dark yellow, strong-smelling pee
peeing less often than usual
feeling dizzy or lightheaded
feeling tired
a dry mouth, lips and tongue
sunken eyes
Dehydration can be simple to treat by drinking fluids or using oral rehydration solutions bought from pharmacists. People taking beta blockers or metformin shouldn’t stop their medication just because it’s getting warmer. However, they need to act quickly if they start noticing any signs of dehydration or symptoms related to heat illness.
Those aged over 75 already face heightened susceptibility to temperature-related ailments including heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration. Family members are being encouraged to keep a close eye on their elderly relatives during spells of hot weather, especially if they’re on these medications.
The MHRA has recommended that anyone on medication should check their patient information leaflet or have a word with their pharmacist to verify whether sun sensitivity is noted as a possible side effect.
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The Met Office has issued a rare amber warning for extreme heat, in force from 1am on Monday 22 June until 23:59pm on Thursday 25 June. It represents the most serious heat warning the Met Office has released in four years, with the last one having been issued in August 2022.
Officials have cautioned of a “widespread impact” on both the public and infrastructure, warning that some employees may need to modify their working patterns during this spell. The warning additionally notes: “The wider population are likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion and other heat related illnesses.”
England fans will be keen to follow the Three Lions’ progress despite time differences (PA)
Of course, you do have to factor in the time difference, with the kinder kick-off times including slots at 6pm BST and 8pm BST, while there are games throughout the night for UK viewers.
Here’s how you can watch every game at the 2026 World Cup on the BBC and ITV – and STV in Scotland.
David Tilley was arrested near his home when the illicit goods were recovered from inside his Volkswagen car, Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard.
The 43-year-old told officers the cocaine was for his own use and he had found the extendable baton while out walking his dog.
Marcus Blakelock, prosecuting, said the defendant maintained that he had put the weapon on the door pocket of his car with the intention of disposing of it but had forgotten about it.
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Tilley, of Coniston Road, Ferryhill, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and possession of an offensive weapon when his car was searched on January 15, 2025.
Georgia Snowdon, mitigating, said her client had turned to using cocaine as he was having difficulties in his life at the time.
She said: “A lot was going on and he was relying on cocaine to take his mind off things.”
Miss Snowdon said Tilley suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after losing his left arm in a road traffic accident.
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David Thompson, the chairman of the magistrates’ bench, sentence Tilley to four months in prison suspended for 12 months.
The defendant was also ordered to attend ten rehabilitation activity days, made subject of a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement order and told to pay £234 in court costs
England head coach Brendon McCullum says he is ready to work with Ben Stokes when the captain returns for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
The results of the investigation are still to be confirmed, but McCullum has confirmed Stokes will return as captain, a position he has held since 2022, in Nottingham.
“Ben will be back,” said McCullum. “He’ll be back and he’ll be captain.”
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Following a 4-1 Ashes series defeat that was dogged by off-field problems, both Stokes and McCullum denied their relationship had deteriorated in Australia.
Then, following England’s win in the first Test since the Ashes – against New Zealand at Lord’s – Stokes broke the team’s midnight curfew in celebrating the victory.
On his relationship with Stokes, McCullum told BBC Test Match Special: “You’re just trying to make sure you’re very communicative right throughout.
“We all got the same ambition, which is to make English cricket a very good team and to try to achieve results on the field, and that hasn’t changed.”
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McCullum said he has spoken to Stokes “every day” since the nightclub incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, 8 June.
The New Zealander also confirmed England director of cricket Rob Key has visited Stokes this week.
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