5 h. ago Starmer's rivals jostle for power with row over the blob: Wes Streeting defends Whitehall civil servants as Andy Burnham says 'unelected state' is hindering growth

Wes Streeting mounted a furious defence of civil servants against Labour critics - including the PM - before Andy Burnham said the 'unelected state' was hindering growth.

Events

6 h. ago Andy Burnham piles pressure on Rachel Reeves to 'rebalance' taxes on the high street after Chancellor refuses to extend rate bail out beyond pubs despite fear of mass closures

The Greater Manchester mayor, a former Cabinet minister and possible challenger to Keir Starmer, said changes were needed as part of wider reform that includes revaluing council tax.

Events

22 h. ago Elon Musk’s inhuman AI is stripping women of their most fundamental rights

Editorial: It is entirely right that Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, should put the safety of women and girls first and protect them from the ‘hyper-pornographied slop’ pumped out by the Silicon Valley giants

Politics

26 h. ago Social media is corrupting young minds – but a ban is not the answer | Zoe Williams

Kicking under-16s off the social platforms is tempting, but it ignores the root of the problem: the older generations who made them so toxic in the first placeKemi Badenoch is evolving into one of those politicians who, whatever she says, it’s not just likely to be wrong, it’s likely to be the opposite of what’s right. She says Greenland is not a big deal (a “second-order issue” is how she described it to the BBC) – it is a big deal. She says net zero is too expensive – the opposite is true: net-anything-but-zero is a cost we can’t afford.But her promise to ban under-16s from using social media, echoing Australia’s recent move, is hard to write off completely; people across the spectrum, including Andy Burnham, agree with it. Nobody who has ever met a teenager, or read the news, will be completely at ease with the role of social media in young lives. There are horrific effects, which have been well documented and inadequately addressed ever since the death of 14-year-old Molly Russe...

Politics

44 h. ago ANDREW PIERCE: A safe seat for Burnham to put the Bootle in?

Has Andy Burnham finally found a safe way back to the Commons so he can challenge Keir Starmer?

Events

4 d. ago How Andy Burnham responded when asked to promise to 'put safety of girls before fear of upsetting people'

'Can you promise us all now that you will put the safety of our young women and girls before the fear of upsetting people?'

Events

4 d. ago 'Greater Manchester is based on a great night out': Andy Burnham welcomes rumours of pub U

The Greater Manchester Mayor said the region's hospitality industry was 'critical infrastructure'

Events

5 d. ago The government has plans for Wolverhampton taxis, but Andy Burnham says 'not good enough'

The mayor has campaigned for a ban on out-of-area working since last spring

Politics

5 d. ago Andy Burnham promises police 'hub' in city centre crime hotspot Piccadilly Gardens

It would be funded through an increase in the policing element of council tax

Events

6 d. ago SNP need to accept their independence drive is going nowhere and is holding Scotland back

As the Scottish Parliament election looms, Scottish Labour should not fear upsetting the ruling elites at Westminster as it seeks to challenge the SNP

Politics

8 d. ago Voices: ‘If Andy Burnham is the answer, we need a new question’: Readers on Labour’s leadership dilemma

Our community were split as polling suggested Andy Burnham has greater appeal to the wider electorate over Keir Starmer, sparking debate over whether Labour needs stability or a change at the top

Politics

9 d. ago Andy Burnham is Labour’s best hope of keeping Farage out of No 10, according to UK’s top pollster

With rumours whirling about a coup against Starmer, Britain’s leading polling guru told the Independent that he would not be surprised if one of the main party leaders is replaced in 2026

Events

1 week ago Zack Polanski: I would be open to working with Labour if Andy Burnham was leader

Green party leader rules out co-operation with Keir Starmer

Politics

2 w. ago MP jailed, WhatsApp leaks and endless Andy Burnham rumours: Greater Manchester's year in politics

Here's a run-through of all the highs and lows in politics for Greater Manchester in 2025.

Events

2 w. ago Ditch Starmer to boost hopes of winning next election, say Labour voters in new poll

Findings of a survey commissioned by The Independent reveals Andy Burnham as favourite to take over from the prime minister

Politics

2 w. ago Poll shock for Starmer: One in three Labour voters thinks PM should go

Findings of a survey commissioned by The Independent reveals Andy Burnham as favourite to take over from the prime minister

Politics

2 w. ago Major change to bus passes will make 'massive difference' to hundreds of thousands across region

Around 400,000 people will be impacted by the major change announced by Andy Burnham yesterday

Politics

3 w. ago Andy Burnham apologises for GMP historic failings towards LGBTQ+ people

Peter Tatchell said that the foundation would ‘continue to campaign for a full and formal apology from Greater Manchester Police’

Events

3 w. ago What you need to know as Andy Burnham freezes Bee Network bus fares for 2026

The mayor said it was 'the right thing to do'

Economics

3 w. ago Andy Burnham scraps hated rule and announces all Bee Network bus fares frozen for 2026 – full list of prices

The mayor decision to lift the '9.30am' rule will affect 400,000 people

Economics