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The Guardian Politics23 Jul 2026

Business rates to be cut by 20% for England pubs, clubs and music venues

No 10 announces reprieve after Andy Burnham previously pledged to raise tax from e-commerce warehouses and channel it to cutting hospitality sector’s bills Business rates will be cut by 20% for pubs, clubs and live music venues across England from April next year, Downing Street has announced. The discount will apply to nearly 32,000 hospitality businesses and is expected to save a typical pub about £1,100 annually, but will not be available to the very largest live music venues. Continue readi

PoliticsEconomyDefenceHealthcare
The Guardian Politics22 Jul 2026

Scottish Labour’s rivals decry ‘chancer’ Anas Sarwar for resigning to join Andy Burnham’s government

The new prime minister plans to make Sarwar, the first Labour figure to call for Keir Starmer’s resignation, a peer Scottish Labour’s rivals in Holyrood have slammed Anas Sarwar’s shock decision to resign as leader to sit in Andy Burnham’s new government, calling him a “chancer” and accusing him of lying to voters. The prime minister plans to make Sarwar, who was the first senior Labour figure to call for Starmer to resign, a peer and give him a ministerial post at the Department for Business, I

Defence
The Guardian Politics22 Jul 2026

Increased defence spending will boost UK economic growth, Streeting says

New defence secretary emphasises military will be spending priority over other departments under Burnham UK politics live – latest updates Wes Streeting has said increased defence spending would make “an enormous contribution” to economic growth as he emphasised that the military will be a spending priority for Andy Burnham’s government over other departments. The new defence secretary, in a speech at the Farnborough airshow, did not make any extra financial commitments but promised he would g

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Jul 2026

The Treasury will check Andy Burnham’s ambitions – unless old orthodoxies are challenged | Larry Elliott

Fifty years ago, another Healey ran the Treasury. Today’s chancellor may find some things haven’t changed Some things never change. Fifty years ago, Britain was sweltering in the long hot summer of 1976. The Labour government was acutely aware that the financial markets were scrutinising its every move. And a man called Healey was running the Treasury. On the surface, the challenges facing John Healey are less severe than those Denis Healey had to grapple with half a century ago. Inflation is a

EconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics22 Jul 2026

Streeting and Mahmood accused of making ‘cheap jokes’ about prisoner early release scheme

Victims of crime say it’s ‘no laughing matter’ after ministers caught on hot mic ‘ribbing’ about scheme UK politics live – latest updates Victims of crime have accused ministers of making “cheap jokes” about releasing prisoners early after Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood apologised after being caught on camera “ribbing” about the scheme. In a video, the new justice secretary, Alex Norris, can be seen walking towards Mahmood and Streeting, the new defence secretary, who can be heard calling N

PoliticsDefenceReformCrime
The Guardian Politics22 Jul 2026

Andy Burnham is playing the long game in an age of short attention spans | Rafael Behr

It is hard to make the case for a 10-year plan in our political culture of constant campaigning frenzy – but the new PM will try It all sounded feasible but improbable. A few days after Labour’s disastrous performance in local and devolved elections in May, one of Andy Burnham’s allies confidently forecast for me the sequence of events that would convey the then mayor of Greater Manchester to No 10. A friendly MP would surrender a parliamentary seat. Keir Starmer would be persuaded to resign. O

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics21 Jul 2026

From defence uplift to national care service, Andy Burnham faces question of funding

As new prime minister briefs cabinet on ‘cost of living government’, critics ask where money will come from UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham is under mounting pressure to explain how he will pay for his policy pledges as he implored his new cabinet to examine “all possible ways” to tackle the cost of living crisis. On his first full day in power, the prime minister faced questions about how he would fund the removal of VAT from electricity bills and also an expected uplift in def

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics21 Jul 2026

Fiscal hawk or big spender – what kind of chancellor will John Healey be?

The diligent, popular, unexpected pick for the Treasury has been given a straitjacket – and the job of funding the PM’s policy promises UK politics live – latest updates On the frequent occasions that John Healey would travel abroad as defence secretary, he was so determined to keep working he would get the crew to tether a desk to the inside of his military aircraft so he could read his papers. His diligence is one reason why Andy Burnham, the new prime minister, made Healey his unexpected pi

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics21 Jul 2026

Big, brave Nige shows face in public again with aimless speech to a few mega-fans | John Crace

Reform leader’s recycled moanathon included digs at Kemi, the media, immigrants and new PM. But no questions, of course Is it safe? Is it safe? For the past couple of months, Nigel Farage has been like Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man, wondering if he can come out of hiding. Tucked away in one of his five homes, living on handouts from benefactors and hoping the coast is clear. Free from troublesome reporters who insist on asking awkward questions about where his money comes from and what it’s f

ImmigrationDefenceReformHousing
The Guardian Politics21 Jul 2026

Healey as chancellor? Streeting as defence secretary? This isn’t a cabinet to change the UK like Burnham promised | Owen Jones

Putting Ed Miliband in charge of the Treasury would have signalled a genuine new era. Instead, the new PM has played it safe Andy Burnham has promised to bring “four decades of neoliberalism” to an end. The first serious test of that pledge was always going to be the cabinet he appointed. The red flags are impossible to ignore. Ending neoliberalism would mean putting privatised services back into public hands, unleashing public investment and using the power of the state to reshape the economy.

PoliticsEconomyDefence
The Guardian Politics21 Jul 2026

World leaders congratulate Andy Burnham as he becomes Britain’s PM

Beyond the diplomatic platitudes global media focuses on the ‘immense’ scale of the challenge he faces in the job UK politics live – latest updates World leaders have warmly congratulated Andy Burnham on his entry into 10 Downing Street as Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade, but international media largely focused on the scale of the challenges awaiting him. Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, said he hoped for a deeper relationship “in the service of our peoples, and by giving new

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics21 Jul 2026

Defence shares rise after Andy Burnham appoints John Healey as chancellor

Babcock and BAE Systems benefit as markets hope former defence secretary will increase spending on sector Business live – latest updates Shares in defence companies have risen sharply after Andy Burnham appointed John Healey as chancellor, prompting hope among investors of increased spending on suppliers to the military. Defence stocks were among the biggest risers on the FTSE 100 on Tuesday morning after the former defence secretary was announced as chancellor after markets closed on Monday.

Defence