Protestors outside Southampton Central Police Station hold placards accusing the police of failing to save 18 year old Henry Nowak © Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo
The case of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old Southampton University student, reached Parliament this week after his killer, Vickrum Digwa, was given a life sentence, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood addressing the Commons on Tuesday. The trial heard that Digwa’s brother, Gurpreet, called 999 claiming Vickrum had been the victim of a racial attack and that no weapons were involved, and bodycam footage also showed an officer replying, “I don’t think you have mate,” after Henry said he had been stabbed. Westminster responded to the tragedy in a way that some might view as predictable. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage issued an “emergency address”, calling for “pure, cold rage” and describing the case as an example of two-tier policing in which white people’s rights “matter less than those of ethnic minorities”. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also criticised police training introduced after the Black Lives Matter movement, but insisted anger would achieve nothing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Farage of ignoring the wishes of Nowak’s family, after his father said he did not want the case used to “create further division, hatred or tension”. Although an inquiry into the conduct of the officers had been launched, protests followed in Southampton, including a demonstration led by Tommy Robinson outside the city’s police station. Footage showed wheelie bins being thrown at officers, leaving 11 police officers and a police dog injured. The murder also reignited debate over the Sikh ceremonial kirpan, though the Sikh Federation said the weapon used was an eight-inch dagger, not a kirpan.
For Pete's sake, not again. The Government published more documents in the Peter Madelson files this week, with over 1,500 pages released. While disappearing WhatsApp messages may have saved the Government from the worst-case scenario, there were several headline worthy revelations within the documents. Most notable is Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden’s view of the PLP, as he stated ‘Every meeting I have is 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others'. They're asking the wrong questions.’ Pensions Minister Torsten Bell was also caught in the fire, as he told Mandelson last summer that ‘the government doesn't do policy, generally speaking, well enough’ and ‘everyone seems to think it's someone else's job to get the policy right… which is very odd.’ The PM’s Chief Sec Darren Jones, a close Starmer ally, also suffered, as the Spectator revealed that on the day of Mandelson’s sacking, Jones texted the former US Ambassador to state ‘You've been doing such a great job, and you worked wonders with Trump. I'm so sorry about today’. And if you’re wondering Mandelson’s view of Government, according to his messages, ‘Keir lacks verve as does the Cabinet as a whole’ as the Government is ‘beleaguered and bereft’ and needs a ‘complete revamp’ … we’ll see if Mandelson’s wishes are answered on 18 June.
£105m – generated in GVA by the UK’s net zero economy, supporting 1.1 million full-time equivalent jobs, as the ECIU and CBI Economics released new analysis into the country’s net zero economy.
~1,500 – more pages of emails and messages about Peter Mandelson dropped this week.
1% – of time that on-board wi-fi provided by train companies performed well, according to new Ofcom research.
10 million – free breakfasts served to children across England since the Government launched its free breakfast club programme.
13% – reduction in the number of road deaths in London in 2025 compared to the previous year, falling from 110 people to 96.
0 – sign of the Defence Investment Plan, after suggestions it might be published this week proved false (although it is reportedly still coming before the NATO summit on 7 July).
By-the-way-election. With the nation distracted, the Makerfield by-election took a back seat this week, until a Question Time special with the candidates resulted in the groundbreaking confirmation that Andy Burnham… would seek to challenge the PM for leadership. This came as a new poll shows Burnham on a whopping 49%, with the right-wing vote still split between Reform and the insurgent Restore, and the Tories and Lib Dems languishing in the low single digits.
The PM-in-waiting was not however present as the PM-in-Office met with regional Mayors this week to talk about growth and, yep you guessed it, how to ‘deliver for working people’. Homes, infrastructure and control of transport were on the agenda, with the PM highlighting that where projects can drive growth, the Government will support them. Agreements announced throughout the week include reshaping arts funding in the North East, using tech to reform public services in the Liverpool City Region, and giving some Mayors the ability to decide where to target R&D investment.
Nicola Sturgeon gave an emotional interview about her estranged husband Peter Murrell, who has pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from SNP funds. The former First Minister continues to insist she was totally unaware of her husband’s crimes, and apparently had no questions about the new coffee machines piling up in her kitchen…
The SNP called for an investigation into the Scotland Secretary amidst allegations he breached the ministerial code by failing to declare a meeting with Peter Mandelson's lobbying firm. The BBC reported that the meeting with an employee of Global Counsel took place in summer 2024 and was Alexander's first external engagement as Trade Minister. While the Government amended its transparency records in March, it has yet to explain why the meeting went undeclared for 18 months.
The Defence Investment Plan will come “before the NATO summit” on 7 July, the Defence Secretary confirmed. However, media reports suggest that the PM, Defence Sec and Chancellor are still haggling over the funding package for the plan – not a great sign for a document with ‘investment’ in its title that’s due to be published within a month…
Some good news for the Government, as it confirmed this week that its pledge to recruit and retain an additional 6,500 teachers is well on track. Latest figures show 4,654 additional teachers have already been recruited, around 70% of the target, with particularly strong gains in special schools where numbers have risen by 1,100.
The new Universal theme park has been officially named… Universal United Kingdom! The resort in Bedfordshire, backed by £1.3bn in government infrastructure funding, is expected to open in 2031 and attract around 8.5 million visitors a year, with ambitions to become Europe’s most-visited theme park. Universal says it will invest £5bn in the site at Kempston Hardwick, with a further £1bn over the first decade, alongside hopes of around 20,000 construction jobs and 8,000 permanent roles once open.
Speaking of infrastructure in the south, a new Development Corporation has been created to give Greater Cambridge the ability to deliver infrastructure at pace. It will bring together land for development, invest in key sites, and also unlock both stalled and derelict land.
But the Northern Growth Corridor is also “critical” for growth, as the Chancellor delivered a speech at the Science Superpower Conference this week. Emphasising the need to “go faster” in building infrastructure, Reeves said that the UK had the “talent, investment and drive” and confirmed she would be setting out details on how to “support firms to start, scale and stay in the UK” in the coming weeks.
Plaid Cymru has wasted little time in putting pressure on Westminster, with the new Welsh Government calling for talks on a fairer rail funding model for Wales. Plaid’s new Transport Minister, Mark Hooper, said HS2 remains a “long-standing symbol of unfair rail funding that successive UK governments have failed to address”, while arguing that current Westminster investment still falls short of Wales’ needs.
In the House of Commons, Wednesday’s second reading of the Railways Bill was suspended in a last-minute business change, and replaced with a government debate on the latest Mandelson releases, which ended with Darren Jones (sort of) apologising to the House for his relationship with Mandelson. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces Bill underwent committee of the whole House on Tuesday, and a general debate on Pride Month took place on Thursday.
The Lords continued to romp through legislation, undertaking second readings of the Social Housing Bill, the Civil Aviation Bill and the Sporting Events Bill. Thursday saw a debate on fertility treatment law which, perhaps not coincidentally, was followed by a debate on the UK’s declining birth rates.
On Committee Corridor, the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee provided advice on delivering a digital centre of government; the Public Accounts Committee issued its analysis of the asylum system and guidance on how best to support people with frailty outside hospitals; the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee reported on creating a sustainable veterinary workforce; and the Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee argued that stablecoins need regulating.
This isn’t just any appointment, this is an M&S appointment, as former Chief Executive Marc Bolland was appointed Lead Non-Executive Director at the Department for Work and Pensions. He will work with CEOs across sectors to support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee.
Sir Ian Cheshire, the former Chair of Channel 4, is the new Chief Executive of Ofcom. His appointment was confirmed after a hearing with the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
Dawn Airey has been appointed as Chair of Arts Council England, beginning from 1 August. Airey held previous roles at Channel 5, Sky, ITV, and Getty Images.
The Regulator of Social Housing has a new Deputy Chief Executive, Kate Dodsworth, while she will continue to lead the Regulatory Engagement Directorate within the RSH.
Jenny Dibden is standing down after 15 years as Chair of the Government Social Research, to be replaced by Catherine Hutchinson.
Dr David Hall will become the UK’s Ambassador to Djibouti in October 2026, succeeding Vinay Talwar. Nicola Pollitt will succeed Mark Gooding as Ambassador to Thailand in August, with Talwar and Gooding to both be transferred to other Diplomatic service appointments. Alistair White will also become British High Commissioner to Belize this month.
The Minister for Courts and Legal Services has appointed Christina Pagel and Martin Utley as advisers on court efficiency and modernisation.
Senior Partner at PwC UK and Middle East, Marco Amitrano, has become Business Co-Chair of the Professional and Business Services Council, working alongside Baroness Lloyd of Effra.
The MP for Milton Keynes North Chris Curtis has stepped down as Chair of the Labour Growth Group, with rumours that the group itself may be wrapped up.
Dr Sam Royston has been appointed to the Social Security Advisory Committee for a five-year term, with the appointments of Daphne Hall and Dr Suzy Walton extended until 31 December 2031.
The Horserace Betting Levy Board will have a new member, as Catherine Colloms has been appointed for a four-year term starting on 1 January 2027.
Kwame Kwei-Armah has been reappointed to the Tate Board, while Anya Hindmarch, Danny Rimer and Lord Ed Vaizey have had their terms extended.
The membership of the expert Advisory Panel on the use of machine learning and advanced analytics for aiding early intervention and prevention in youth justice has been revealed, including Hazel Williamson, Richard Vaughan and Dr Gemma Morgan.
Sarah Taylor resigned as Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner with immediate effect, citing family reasons.
37% of Britons believe defence spending should be increased, according to a new Ipsos poll. This is 11 percentage points lower than in March 2026, when 48% held this view. Meanwhile, 40% believe defence spending should remain at its current level, while 15% think it should be reduced. Looking more broadly at public spending priorities, the NHS remains Britons' top priority for additional investment, with 62% believing it should receive more funding. This is followed by border and immigration control, which 27% believe should receive increased spending. In contrast, foreign aid tops the list of areas where the public would like to see spending reduced, with nearly half of Britons (49%) believing the UK should spend less on it in the future.
As the dust settles and the SNP find its footing at Holyrood, Ipsos’ new poll found that 39% of Scots feel negative about the election results, with more Scots believing it is unlikely rather than likely that the Scottish Government will have a positive impact over the next five years. The most common words Scots used to describe the election were disappointed (32%), frustrated (27%), hopeful (24%), and indifferent (17%).
Sickness absence rates in the NHS are nearly three times higher than in the private sector, according to a new Policy Exchange report. NHS, Heal Thyself! warns that absence levels across NHS trusts and Integrated Care Boards have become unsustainable, and calls for a major overhaul of how the health service manages staff absence.
Ed Davey landed one of the better lines at PMQs this week when he mocked Tony Blair's recent 5,700-word intervention on the current Government's direction. With the armed forces "overstretched", Davey suggested Labour was investing in “a new weapon of war... the long-form essay”, adding that it gave “another meaning to the phrase drone warfare”. Not to be outdone, Starmer himself joked that he was surprised that Davey had not welcomed Labour's plans to make summer “family fun days out” cheaper, saying that he thought the Lib Dem Leader would be "delighted at the cheaper tickets for soft play", a rather good quip given Davey's apparent determination to spend every election campaign dangling from, falling off, or being launched out of something. Maybe if this whole politics thing doesn’t work out, Starmer and Davey could reinvent themselves as a double act…
