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1713 headlines found — Page 36 of 143

The Guardian Politics1 Jul 2026

Keir Starmer forced on back foot at PMQs over ‘weak’ defence plan

Prime minister says he will take no lectures from Tories after Kemi Badenoch says investment plan is insufficient UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer was forced on the defensive in the Commons over his long-delayed defence investment plan announced this week, which critics argue leaves his successor as prime minister, expected to be Andy Burnham, with an extra £4.7bn to find in his first budget. Starmer defended his £298bn defence investment plan (Dip) at prime minister’s questions

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Jul 2026

Andy Burnham is about to have a crash course in hardcore geopolitics | Rafael Behr

The likely next prime minister would rather be in Warrington than Washington, but foreign policy will dominate his agenda more than he thinks If Andy Burnham is lucky, he will get some time to adjust to the pace of life as prime minister before dealing with his first international crisis. It won’t be long. Donald Trump is an engine of constant turmoil. Aftershocks from his recent military adventure in the Middle East will be felt for years. None of the declared war aims were achieved. The Irania

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Jul 2026

Starmer to take PMQs as he faces backlash over ‘poisoned chalice’ defence investment plan – UK politics live

Concerns that plan is not properly funded and will take cash from much-needed road projects Good morning. Yesterday Keir Starmer published the defence investment plan (Dip), which was probably the last substantial announcement of his premiership. Today he is facing what will probably be his second last PMQs (he is expected to be at the Nato summit next Wednesday, and he’ll have his swansong on 15 July), and the session is likely to be dominated by complaints about the Dip. Broadly, there are thr

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Jul 2026

Ministers ‘furious’ over cuts to road projects to fund defence plan

Robert Jenrick and MP for Lincoln among those whose constituencies could be hit by cuts to road infrastructure plans The MP for Lincoln and the Middle East minister, Hamish Falconer, and the Reform MP Robert Jenrick have voiced anger at the cancellation or delay of key transport infrastructure projects to fund the defence investment plan. Falconer and Jenrick were among MPs who have had cuts to road improvements in their constituencies, with savings contributing towards the increase in defence s

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Jul 2026

When the right promotes heat-stress denial, ask yourself this: whose children’s lives is it willing to risk? | George Monbiot

The class politics of extreme heat are very real and very dangerous – but that doesn’t stop the billionaire press from peddling its agenda Every time you think the idiocy has hit rock bottom, it discovers a new level. It turns out there’s an even deeper hole you can dig for yourself than climate-science denial: heat-stress denial. Across the billionaire press last week, columnists and leader writers minimised the health impacts of the heatwave, particularly in schools. Expect more of this next w

PoliticsEducationEnvironment
The Guardian Politics30 Jun 2026

Northern Rail Project risks repeating costly HS2 failures, MPs warn

The £45bn scheme to link cities across north of England with new or upgraded lines has no convincing or properly costed plan, committee says Building Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) risks repeating the failures of HS2 with “no convincing plan” to deliver it within a £45bn budget, an influential committee of MPs has warned. The government announced in January its commitment and funding for the NPR project to connect cities across the north, consisting of new or upgraded lines between Liverpool, Ma

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics30 Jun 2026

The Guardian view on the defence investment plan: the UK needs security, not dependency on a wayward US | Editorial

Sir Keir Starmer cuts civilian investment while deepening reliance on American power. That doesn’t feel like national renewal Since Brexit, Daphne du Maurier’s final novel, Rule Britannia, has been seen as a prescient warning about the UK cutting itself adrift from Europe. After joining and then leaving the EU’s predecessor, the Common Market, in a referendum, Du Maurier imagined the UK facing such economic instability that its prime minister submits to a US takeover. Britain is occupied by US f

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics30 Jun 2026

Andy Burnham says he will end culture of briefing against female ministers

PM hopeful tells meeting of women’s parliamentary Labour party that any staff who undermine female members of his team will be sacked UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham has said he will to end the culture of briefing against female ministers, promising Labour MPs he will sack any staff who undermine women in his team. Speaking at the meeting of the women’s parliamentary Labour party in Westminster, Burnham also strongly criticised descriptions of him as “the first female Labour PM”

Politics
The Guardian Politics30 Jun 2026

Nigel Farage received £270,000 from gold marketer he promotes

Reform UK leader’s Direct Bullion payment is double his fee from 2025 UK politics live – latest updates Nigel Farage received £270,000 from a gold marketer for which he is a brand ambassador, his single biggest payment as an MP. The Reform leader has been criticised in the past over his £400,000-a-year second job promoting the idea for Direct Bullion that people should buy physical gold and put it in their pension pots. Continue reading...

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics30 Jun 2026

Labour MPs tell Burnham to ignore ‘deluded’ calls for more North Sea drilling

Critics debunk economic claims as research finds Rosebank development would produce estimated 250m tonnes of CO2 UK politics live – latest updates Scores of Labour MPs have urged the prospective prime minister Andy Burnham to rule out the “tin-eared” and “deluded” development of the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea, which new research indicates would produce as much carbon dioxide as the UK does in 10 months. Estimates seen by the Guardian show that Rosebank, which mainly contains oil, would

PoliticsEconomyEnvironment
The Guardian Politics30 Jun 2026

Reform MP chair of Welsh environment committee may ‘undermine scrutiny’, says thinktank

Climate campaigners question choice of James Evans for role given past criticism of green energy projects UK politics live – latest updates The appointment of a Reform UK MP as the chair of a key Welsh environmental committee could “undermine the hard graft of ministerial scrutiny”, a green thinktank has warned. James Evans, a former Conservative party MP who defected to Reform UK in January last year, has been appointed chair of the Welsh climate change, environment, sustainability and rural

PoliticsDefenceEnvironmentReform
The Guardian Politics30 Jun 2026

Share your views on Andy Burnham’s plans for a new No 10 North

Burnham announced that as UK prime minister he would set up a ‘No 10 North’ in Manchester to oversee a devolution of power and resources across the UK Andy Burnham’s tenure as mayor of Manchester has come to an end after nine years. But after his Makerfield byelection victory, the PM-in-waiting plans to maintain his links with the city by setting up a “No 10 North” in Manchester to oversee a devolution of power and resources across the UK. Burnham has asked Caroline Simpson, the chief executive

Politics