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The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

This major Makerfield victory has made it inevitable: it’s now time for Keir Starmer to step aside | Neal Lawson

Andy Burnham’s positive vision has struck a powerful blow to Reform – but the PM risks diminishing the impact by clinging on in No 10 Neal Lawson is director of the cross-party campaign organisation Compass That tingle of emotion you felt when you awoke today? That is the long-lost feeling of progressive hope. That it comes from Makerfield is all the more remarkable. Reform has been defeated in a seat that it should have won at a canter – trailing Labour, even when its voteshare is combined wi

The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

MPs urge Fujitsu to make ‘immediate’ payment to Post Office Horizon victims

Liam Byrne, who chairs Commons business committee, says too many operators are still waiting for redress The Japanese tech company at the centre of the Post Office IT scandal is facing calls from a parliamentary committee to make an “immediate” payment towards the compensation bill for victims. Fujitsu supplied the faulty Horizon software to the UK Post Office, which led to branch operators being wrongly prosecuted over discrepancies in their business accounts. Continue reading...

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

‘There will be no second chance’: Burnham’s Makerfield victory speech sets stage for a Starmer drama

There were no wild celebrations or champagne corks popping after the byelection because the result felt like the start of a whole new campaign UK politics – live updates Andy Burnham wins huge majority in Makerfield byelection, paving way for Starmer leadership challenge While an election count normally feels like an ending, the culmination of long campaign, in Makerfield the declaration of Andy Burnham as the constituency’s new MP felt like just the beginning. In the days and weeks leading u

Politics
The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

Tired of Iran, Trump refocuses on Ukraine – podcast

Donald Trump has signed a 14-point agreement with Iran, trying to bring an end to a war he helped start. Satisfied his work is done in the Middle East, Trump now wants to move onto peace in Ukraine. But is it that easy? Jenna Amatulli speaks to the Guardian’s Andrew Roth about the chances this peace deal will succeed, and why Trump is turning his attention back to Ukraine Archive: AP, Reuters Continue reading...

Defence
The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

SNP concedes Aberdeen South with Scottish Conservatives set to win

Byelection loss suggests voters rebelled against SNP over Peter Murrell’s theft of £400,000 in party funds UK politics – live updates The Scottish National party (SNP) has conceded defeat in the formerly safe seat of Aberdeen South in a shock loss to the Scottish Conservatives. A senior source at the SNP told PA it was the “Tories’ night”, but pledged to “win it back in 2029”. Continue reading...

PoliticsCrime
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Polls close in historic Makerfield byelection that could see Andy Burnham elected and pave way for end of Starmer – UK politics live

Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor hopes a win over Reform UK will help force the prime minister to step aside Three economic heavyweights have been brought in to advise Andy Burnham as he attempts to reassure the markets before his possible return to parliament on Friday and challenge to Keir Starmer, Rowena Mason reports. Burnham is understood to be getting advice from Andy Haldane, a former Bank of England chief economist, as well as Richard Hughes, a former chair of the Office for Budget Resp

PoliticsEconomyReform
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Polls close in Makerfield byelection as Andy Burnham eyes No 10

Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor predicted to beat Reform but Keir Starmer is unlikely to easily step aside Makerfield byelection – latest updates Polls have closed in Makerfield, Aberdeen South, and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, with the result in the north-west of England constituency byelection poised to decide the future of UK politics. The population of Makerfield, a constituency sitting just outside Wigan, has found itself at the centre of the British political world in recent weeks afte

Politics
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Burnham brings in top economists before possible leadership run

Labour mayor giving advisory roles to ex-Bank of England economist and others seen as attempt to reassure markets Three economic heavyweights have been brought in to advise Andy Burnham as he attempts to reassure the markets before his possible return to parliament on Friday and challenge to Keir Starmer. Burnham is understood to be getting advice from Andy Haldane, a former Bank of England chief economist, as well as Richard Hughes, a former chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility and Jim

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Pete Hegseth accuses Nato countries of ‘free riding’ in combative address

US defence secretary addresses allies in latest attempt to get Europe to raise military budgets Pete Hegseth has announced a review of US military presence across Europe, in a combative address to Nato allies where he threatened to cut force numbers in countries spending the least on defence. The US defence secretary, speaking at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, accused some countries of “free riding” and others of being shameful for not allowing their airbases to be used by US j

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

The Guardian view on OnlyFans: revelations of abusive middlemen merit MPs’ attention | Editorial

Reports of agents taking 50% of women’s earnings undermine the company’s rhetoric of empowerment Since its launch a decade ago, and throughout its journey to becoming one of the UK’s most successful internet startups, OnlyFans – which was valued at more than £3bn in April – has presented itself as a vehicle for content creators’ empowerment. Revelations of the role played by middlemen in transactions on the website, which is dominated by pornographic content, undermine such claims and require a

Politics
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

‘Cynical to get power’: Michel Barnier on Boris Johnson, Brexit and the EU’s future

Former negotiator believes in an unstable world, it is ‘perfectly possible’ the UK can rejoin the EU with old opt-outs UK could keep special pre-Brexit terms if it rejoined EU, Michel Barnier says A couple of years ago, Michel Barnier spent a weekend with Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley. It was not some ghoulish Brexit spin-off of The Traitors, but the result of the former EU negotiator’s wife, Isabelle, being a close friend of Johnson’s French cousin, Anne du Boucheron, the owner of Château d

The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

UK could keep special pre-Brexit terms if it rejoined EU, Michel Barnier says

Exclusive: Former chief Brexit negotiator says staying out of euro and Schengen area would be ‘perfectly possible’ Michel Barnier has said Britain could regain its special terms if it rejoined the EU and claimed it was becoming clearer every day to the British people that they would be stronger in Europe. In an interview before the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum next week, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator said he could not see any obstacle to the UK keeping the pound and remai

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