Drone Warfare: The Prime Minister gives ones of his final major speeches as Prime Minister, launching the Defence Investment Plan on Tuesday © PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
Andy Burnham took to the podium at Manchester’s People’s History Museum on Monday to set out his vision for "rewiring Britain", with his trademark "Manchesterism" front and centre. Addressing an enthusiastic crowd, Burnham unveiled plans for "Number 10 North", an extended Prime Ministerial operation based in Manchester which he said would become "the nerve centre of a rewired Britain". The new office would oversee three flagship missions: reforming essential utilities, driving reindustrialisation, and regenerating towns and cities, all part of Burnham’s wider ambition to shift power away from Westminster and into the hands of local leaders. Alongside this, he promised the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war era, reforms to business rates to support high streets and pubs, greater emphasis on apprenticeships and technical education, a shake-up of public procurement rules, and a pledge to change the culture of Westminster itself. The scale of that agenda, however, has been thrown into sharper focus following the announcement of more money for the defence budget, with some loose ends having the makings of a major fiscal headache (see below). Since the speech, Burnham has also given his first broadcast interview, telling LBC he would "stick" to Labour’s 2024 manifesto while suggesting there may be "some room...for movement on tax", while also refusing to be drawn on who would serve in his prospective Cabinet. Having largely dodged detailed questioning from journalists throughout his leadership bid, he has also promised an "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit this evening where we'll get to see whether the internet proves more forgiving than the Westminster lobby…
The Defence Investment Plan was finally, actually, for-real-this-time published on Tuesday, drawing a line under a year of speculation, debate, mudslinging and uncertainty… if that last part sounds a bit too good to be true, you’re not alone. The plan sets out a modest £15bn increase to the defence budget, meaning that Britain’s overall defence spending will rise to nearly £80 billion per year by 2030 – equivalent to 2.7% of GDP. A boost to be sure, but short of a credible timeline to follow through on the UK’s pledge to spend 3.5% by 2035, just five years later. Oh well, a problem for whoever’s running the country by then, a dozen Prime Ministers down the line. For now, the DIP committed to plough ahead with new nuclear warheads, submarines and next-generation aircraft. Meanwhile, in a move that could either be described as wise and prescient, or reckless and tight-fisted depending on your point of view, it also bet the farm on drones, cancelling or re-scoping conventional kit including the Royal Navy’s hoped-for Type 83 destroyers, to invest in a fleet of smaller autonomous vessels and other systems. After the document was published at last, it also emerged that some of the money earmarked for the plan, amounting to almost £5bn, is yet to be found, and will need to be plugged by whoever’s running the country by then – er, one Prime Minister down the line. Clearly, ‘England expects’ Andy Burham to stump up a few more quid.
Over 600 – the number of Greene King pubs that will stay open until 5am on Monday morning to show England’s round of 16 match against Mexico.
20% – potential cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues under proposals from Andy Burnham, outlined in an LBC interview.
30 minutes – daily walking target under new NHS plans aimed at boosting physical activity across the UK with rewards for those who successfully reach this each day.
50% – of people under the age of 30 don’t believe they will get ‘a single penny’ from the Government when they retire, showing the lack of trust in the pension system amongst Gen Z.
17p – fall in diesel prices per litre in June, marking the largest monthly drop since 2000.
5 hours – travel time of a proposed new bus route linking North and South Wales, around 90 minutes faster than current services.
£4.7 billion – funding gap in the Defence Investment Plan, with the next Government set to try and plug the gap.
Asylum seekers will be required to repay £10,000 of the cost of their support and accommodation, under new plans announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The Immigration and Asylum Bill – due to have its second reading in the Commons a week on Monday –will introduce a flat rate monthly charge for eligible adults whose income exceeds a defined threshold. Payments are expected to be made directly to the Home Office, although alternative collection methods are under consideration, including through the tax and benefits systems.
Employers will be offered a £3,000 incentive to take on young people who have been out of work for at least six months under new plans launched by the DWP. Introduced under the Youth Guarantee, the scheme aims to support up to 60,000 people aged 18-24 into work over the next three years.
The Government repealed the Vagrancy Act, ending nearly 200 years of legislation that criminalised rough sleeping and begging. The move forms part of a £3.6 billion plan to tackle homelessness, including investment in supported housing, prevention programmes and social housing, as part of a wider effort to halve long-term rough sleeping.
Defra announced nearly £50m in funding to strengthen peatland protection across England, targeting a range of environmental challenges. £36m will support local water projects to raise and manage water levels in lowland peat soils, helping cut carbon emissions. A further £10m will fund research into ‘wetter farming’ and sustainable crop markets, while £1.5m is set aside to build skills and capacity in the restoration sector.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned of a “summer of chaos” in a speech on Monday, due to what she described as a government power vacuum, using a speech to set out a five-point plan aimed at boosting the economy. Her proposals included cutting energy costs by expanding domestic drilling, reducing taxes and regulation, scrapping the (Un)Employment Rights Act, lowering welfare spending, and prioritising business. Badenoch also criticised Andy Burnham’s devolution agenda as lacking private enterprise and argued mayors “can’t change the law,” urging him to delay recess to present a clearer economic strategy.
45,000 foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers will also be removed over the next decade, the Home Office also announced this week, as part of a big media push on the subject (that arguably has been overshadowed by Andy Burnham’s speech and the eventual publication of the DIP…). The move will be supported by a major expansion in detention capacity with a 40% increase in capacity at Haslar and Campsfield Immigration Removal Centres, with total bed spaces rising from 290 to 1,000.
The Government will appoint the UK’s first Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to provide independent oversight, drive improvements, and help rebuild trust in services. The move follows a review by Baroness Amos, which found systemic failures, inequalities and revealed that women’s voices were not being heard. £41m of funding has been allocated to address urgent safety issues, while new national triage standards aim to end variations in care, before a wider action plan is published in December.
Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd will lead a review aimed at improving prison safety and tackling long-term challenges across the system, the MoJ announced. The review will focus on persistent issues such as violence, corruption, staffing shortages, capacity pressures, and prison conditions and is expected to report back by December 2026.
The Prime Minister issued a formal apology in the House of Commons for historic forced adoption practices, acknowledging the harm caused to around 185,000 people, including mothers, children and families, particularly between 1949 and 1976. Alongside the apology, a £4 million support package will fund improved access to adoption records, family reconnection services, mental health support and research projects.
Pubs and bars will be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday morning for England’s World Cup last 16 match against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am on Sunday night (please spare a thought for your friendly neighbourhood political monitorists who will be back online at 7am…) Business Minister Kate Dearden initially declined a request for the change from Lib Dem MP Max Wilkinson during Business Questions on Thursday, before the PM made what may be his last, and possibly quickest U-turn just a few hours later.
As Keir Starmer approached his two-year anniversary as Prime Minister, and two weeks until he is no longer Prime Minister, he came to the Commons on Thursday to apologise on behalf of the state for its role in historical forced adoptions. Also in the Commons, MPs debated the spending of various Government departments as part of the regular ‘Estimates Day’ debates, with the Cabinet Office, Department for Work and Pensions, and Department of Health and Social Care just three to come under scrutiny. Wednesday saw MPs mark the start of England’s match against DR Congo by wrapping up proceedings shortly after kick-off, whilst on Thursday, a fire alarm halted proceedings for 40 minutes. Never a quiet week…
Despite an impending change in the Government, the progress of legislation from the King’s Speech continued unabated in the House of Lords, as the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill and the National Security (State Threats) Bill passed their next stages, with the Steel Bill now moving to the Commons.
Select Committees continued to hold the Government to account this week, as the Public Accounts Committee published a critical report on Northern Powerhouse Rail, warning about continued uncertainty and a failure to learn lessons from ‘past failures’. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has also urged the Government to go further on support for renters and to bring forward measures to enhance protections for those ‘at the lowest end of the market’.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office marked Pride month by appointing Lord Collins of Highbury as the new Special Envoy for LGBT+ rights, building on the UK’s commitment to international LGBT+ rights ahead of its hosting of the European IDAHOT+ Forum in 2027. Lord Collins will aim to highlight UK efforts to protect LGBT+ people from violence, persecution and discrimination on a global scale.
Jennifer Anderson has been appointed as the Ambassador to Turkey, succeeding Jill Morris, whilst Jemima Gordon-Duff has undertaken the same role for Laos, succeeding Melanie Barlow.
Ahead of the summer holidays, the Science Museum Group saw the reappointment of Anya Hulbert, a professor at Newcastle University, and Baroness Morgan of Cotes as trustees to the group, whilst Ann Allen, Priya Guha, Janice Lane, Toufic Machnouk and Tom Solomon were appointed for the first time.
The National Audit Office announced that Michael Jary has been appointed at their new chair, set to take up the role from January 2027 when Dame Fiona Reynolds gives up her post. Jary has previously been a member of the Cabinet Office Board and has served as Lead Non-executive Director at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Meanwhile, their counterparts at the Local Audit Office were also busy, appointing Bill Butler as their first chair on a five-year term that began on Wednesday.
In a pledge to maintain trust and transparency, the Government have appointed Sir Anthony Finkelstein as the Independent Reviewer of the use of Non-corporate Communications Channels. This comes two years after the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee called for a ban on the use of WhatsApp on official devices unless sufficient transparency measures were introduced in the aftermath of the disappearing messages scandal during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elsewhere, Patricia Gallan, Thomas Goldsmith, Susan Lapworth and Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green were appointed as new Commissioners as part of the Civil Service Commission.
As the sun continues to shine and everyone spends more time outside, Caroline Cotterell and Emilie Brignall were appointed to the Cotswolds National Landscape Board, responsible for the conservation and improvement of the area. The National Park Authority reappointed Tony Grayling to the Broads Authority and Lizzie Bushby was newly appointed to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, tasked with the preservation and enhancement of natural beauty, wildlife and culture heritage of their respective areas.
The Royal Armouries Board have appointed Rebecca Crook, Judith Donovan and Helen Williams on four-year terms with Neil Grant, Jonathan Sands and Paul Kirkman set to give up their posts in September.
Polling on the regulation of AI-generated content from Opinium was released this week, revealing that 74% of respondents were in favour of setting minimum safety standards that AI tools must meet before being released, while just 17% expressed support for allowing tech companies to set most of their own rules without Government involvement. Additionally, 73% of people approved of Government plans to make it a criminal offence for individuals to create, or attempt to create, sexual images of someone using AI without their consent – although 34% said they do not believe the plans go far enough.
A plan on delivering London’s housing needs for a future Conservative or Reform UK Government was set out in a new joint report from the Centre for Policy Studies and Onward, featuring forewords from Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly and Reform’s candidate for Mayor of London Laila Cunningham. It lays out five categories of sites capable of delivering hundreds of thousands of new homes, without touching the green belt – including estate regeneration, to double density on London’s ageing post-war estates; the release of over 2,000 hectares of Strategic Industrial Land within walking distance of tube, rail and tram stations; and a strong presumption in favour of brownfield development embedded in the London Plan.
Adult social carers have reportedly seen an increase in overall wellbeing across life satisfaction, feelings of happiness, and perceptions of worthwhileness, compared to three years ago, although levels of anxiety remain prevalent within the workforce – with 40% rating their anxiety as high. This is according to Ipsos’ new wave 2 survey of the adult social care workforce, as commissioned by DHSC, coming three years after the wave 1 survey took place. A series of recommendations were set out alongside the survey findings, calling for: comprehensive training on safety to staff; sources of support to improve wellbeing to be signposted; and proactive support for members of the workforce with a disability or unpaid caring responsibilities.
Ed Davey picked up a red card at PMQs this week, after joking: “With Reece James and Jarell Quansah in doubt, I know the Prime Minister is not the only one struggling for a solid defence plan.” Even the Prime Minister couldn't help but laugh. Cue a nearby backbencher calling for Davey to be shown a red card... handing the PM an open goal for his reply.
As US President Donald Trump prepares to mark the country's 250th anniversary (happy Fourth to all our American readers), he made a pit stop in North Dakota to visit the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, where he met an AI version of Theodore Roosevelt. Trump took the opportunity to (very seriously) ask the late president whether the Panama Canal was his greatest achievement. Surely he wouldn't take an AI-generated response as the late president's definitive answer... right? Well… he later retold his conversation with Roosevelt in a speech, prompting some rather confusing looks and internet-based chatter.
And finally, things are Burn(ham)ing up in Parliament… literally. Just as the nail-biting backbench debate on commonhold and leasehold reform was heating up on Thursday, a fire alarm brought proceedings to a halt, setting back Parliament by 40 minutes.
