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The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

Burnham team tell ministers to delay resignations to avoid chaos

Exclusive: Allies of Labour’s Makerfield candidate concerned rapid collapse of Starmer government would increase instability Andy Burnham’s campaign has been forced to talk ministers out of resigning as early as this weekend to avoid Keir Starmer’s government descending into chaos amid fallout from the Makerfield byelection, the Guardian can reveal. As they prepare for a potential change of leader in the event he beats Reform on Thursday, Burnham’s team is increasingly concerned a rapid collaps

Politics
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

UK officials expect Russia to retaliate for seizure of shadow fleet oil tanker

No formal warning issued to captains or ship owners, but industry body says they are exercising greater vigilance British officials believe Russia will try to retaliate for the Royal Marines’ seizure of the oil tanker Smyrtos, prompting UK ship owners to exercise greater vigilance until tensions with Moscow ease. Military sources said the UK had considered possible responses to the seizure of the vessel carrying Russian crude worth $40m (£30m) to India, and anticipate that the Kremlin will want

Defence
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

The Guardian view on Britain and the EU: Ed Davey is right – a changed world changes the argument | Editorial

The Liberal Democrat leader’s call for more ambitious reintegration with Europe brings a necessary focus on economic and strategic reality Membership of the European single market was at stake when the UK voted on Brexit, but it was not the decisive question in the campaign. The leave campaign dishonestly promised a cost-free severance of ties with Britain’s largest trading partner. As immigration came to dominate the debate, the requirement to allow free movement of people as a condition of sea

EconomyImmigration
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

Ella Baron on Reform’s plan to ‘strengthen women’s rights’ – cartoon

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The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

Starmer’s denial in Labour leadership will not save him but he’ll go down fighting

Keir Starmer is a decent man but that is not enough for a party who want a good communicator. Step forward Andy … On days like these you can’t help feeling you’re living in a parallel universe. Either I’m going mad or Keir Starmer is. The third possibility that we’re both going mad is too disturbing to contemplate. What to make of the prime minister’s Sky News interview at the G7 in Évian in which Starmer graciously offered Andy Burnham a “big role in government” if, as expected, he wins the Mak

Defence
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

Russia warship fires warning shot at British couple – The Latest

Keir Starmer has called the firing of warning shots by a Russian warship at a British yacht sailing across the Channel on Tuesday ‘deeply concerning and reckless’. Russia’s defence ministry said the yacht was on a ‘dangerous course’ and several attempts were made to contact it – a claim disputed by the retired couple onboard the 40ft yacht. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

Defence
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

Starmer warns against ‘looking backwards’ to Brexit after rivals back UK’s return to EU

Speaking at the G7 summit, prime minister says he stands by Labour’s manifesto pledge not to rejoin bloc Europe live – latest updates UK politics live – latest updates The UK and the European Union should not waste time “looking backwards” to Brexit, Keir Starmer said on Wednesday, as he comes under pressure to reconsider rejoining the EU. The prime minister reaffirmed his government’s manifesto commitment to not re-enter the bloc, but said there had been “real progress” with the relationship

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

‘I had one man spit at my poster’: Makerfield deeply divided as byelection campaign draws to a close

People across constituency say voters are ‘turning against each other’ but Labour believes they will back Andy Burnham because he is ‘bringing people together’ On a wall inside Andy Burnham’s buzzy campaign centre, the signatures of hundreds of MPs, peers and councillors show the scale of the operation to return him to parliament. “MPs are like buses round here these days,” says one Labour volunteer. “You don’t see one for ages then hundreds turn up at once.” The voters of this long-neglected co

Politics
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

The rightwing counter-revolution is gaining ground – and Labour’s softly-softly approach won’t stop it | Andy Beckett

Multiculturalism and hard-won equalities are being attacked on all fronts. Labour should look to London’s leaders, past and present, for how to stand against the tide Not for the first time, the UK is in the grip of a backlash against equality and diversity. Already disadvantaged parts of the population are having the existence of that disadvantage denied – and the limited legal redress for it, which has been won over decades, such as the 2010 Equality Act, threatened with repeal. Two of the lar

The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

Cross purposes: how the England flag got caught in a tug-of-war between rightwing nationalists and football fans

Last summer the St George’s cross was co-opted by anti-immigrant groups. Now, as the World Cup begins, some communities are reclaiming it as a symbol of a very different sort of pride As I drove into London with my daughter a week ago, we passed a roadside pub festooned with dozens of England flags. Our eyes met in recognition: we were in one of those areas, we assumed. In the eyes of many, St George’s cross flags have become a kind of territorial marker in the English landscape, signifying a ce

ImmigrationDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

Legislation proposed to stop ‘lawfare’ targeting journalists and whistleblowers

Private members’ bills to crack down on use of Slapps are likely to attract cross-party support A coordinated push to protect whistleblowers, journalists and victims of sexual assault from being sued by those who wish to silence them has been launched in both houses of parliament. Two private members’ bills designed to crack down on strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as Slapps, have been introduced by Conservative members within 24 hours of each other, and are likely to attra

Politics
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

Top teaching union backs Burnham as Labour’s best chance of beating Reform

Exclusive: NASUWT leader Matt Wrack also calls for more robust change from the government on education policy UK politics live – latest updates The leader of one of the country’s biggest teaching unions has backed Andy Burnham, saying he is Labour’s best chance for beating Reform in a general election. The general secretary of NASUWT, Matt Wrack, was speaking to the Guardian in the run-up to Thursday’s Makerfield byelection, in which the Greater Manchester mayor hopes to return to parliament a

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