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Want to know what Andy Burnham would do in government? Take a look at his past | Frances Ryan

His plan for the country is still vague, but there are clues to what he thinks, on topics from inheritance tax to welfare and social care One week on from Keir Starmer’s resignation, Britain finds itself in a state of both certainty and ambiguity. It is almost guaranteed that Andy Burnham will be prime minister by the end of the summer, bar sudden scandal or meteorite. And yet, whether Burnham gets his expected coronation or not, the infancy of his return to Westminster coupled with the speed of

‘Commanding heights of the economy’: the postwar blueprint that inspires Burnham

In the second of a series on nationalisation, we look at the lessons from Clement Attlee’s administration Will Andy Burnham ‘go big’ in expanding the role of the state? A prime minister with ambitious plans for state ownership. Private companies that put profits before investment. A country struggling with onerous debts. The UK in 2026 with a new prime minister weighing up how and what price public utilities can be nationalised? No, this was Clement Attlee’s government in 1945, committed to ta

Keir Starmer finally publishes army tech plan - 'too little, too late'

The long-awaited and delayed Defence Investment Plan is due to be published, as critics pan the release for not giving the armed forces what they need.

Rachel Reeves new £12,000 tax change is leading to 'unintended consequences', expert says

AJ Bell's Sarah Coles said 'this is hardly the result the government would have been hoping for'

‘Am I losing this battle? Yes’: Martin Lewis on the online scams that steal his identity – and others’ life savings

Trusted by millions, the finance expert has seen his name and face used to mis-sell a string of fake investments. And yet, he says, it would be ‘very simple’ for the government to stop them This month, an email from a consumer landed in Martin Lewis’s inbox. It was from an elderly woman with a disability who had been scammed when she invested in a scheme purportedly endorsed by Lewis – and lost her life savings. “THEY ARE BASTARDS!” Lewis wrote at the top of his social media post about it. Even

<a href='https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-burnham-starmer-labour-tories-badenoch-farage-12593360?postid=11966162#liveblog-body'>Asylum seekers to pay £10k towards their accommodation</a>

Burnham revels on public stage but has little time to hammer ideas into shape

As a man who has held prime ministerial ambitions for years, Andy Burnham makes his dash for the door, political editor Chris Mason writes.

Burnham revels on public stage but has little time to hammer ideas into shape

As a man who has held prime ministerial ambitions for years, Andy Burnham makes his dash for the door, political editor Chris Mason writes.

Refugees will be told to repay around £10,000 under new asylum rules

Ministers will be given powers to recover costs from adults who have received asylum support under new laws.

Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 towards living costs under new UK law

Means-tested scheme included in immigration and asylum bill condemned by charities for placing tax on refugees Asylum seekers will be ordered to pay about £10,000 to cover their state-funded living costs or be denied settled status in the UK under a new law to be considered by MPs on Tuesday. The means-tested scheme, compared by officials to student loans and included in the immigration and asylum bill, has been condemned by charities for placing a tax on refugees fleeing war, torture and famin

New defence secretary wins another £1.5bn to boost drone spending

Dan Jarvis persuaded Rachel Reeves to reduce £18bn funding gap that led to predecessor resigning The new defence secretary has secured an extra £1.5bn to the UK’s long-delayed defence investment plan, with the bulk of that to be spent on drones to deter Russia and Iran. Rows about closing an £18bn funding gap had led to the resignation of John Healey and raised questions about Britain’s commitments to Nato – though on Monday the head of the alliance told the Guardian he believed the UK would hon

Long-delayed defence spending plan to be published on Tuesday

The defence investment plan will set out how billions will be spent on equipping the UK Armed Forces.