Andy Burnham promised greater public control of water, the chance for every area in England to take on new powers and to fix social care in a drive to give “hope” to voters.
As MPs returned from their long summer break, the Prime Minister made a series of policy pledges in a Commons statement on “Government direction”.
But he also hinted at even further action in areas such as electoral reform, tax and energy in a long wish list of his own hopes to change the country.
Far-right AfD party set to win German state election
An election in eastern Germany on Sunday could produce the country’s first far-right state governor since WW2.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, has been branded “the most dangerous man in Germany” by newspaper .
What you need to know
- The AfD is on course for a resounding victory in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday.
- If it wins a majority in the regional parliament, it will be in charge of the police, schools, the asylum system, civic funding and the state’s public broadcaster.
- Siegmund, 35, proclaims he wants a return to politics “from the people, for the people”.
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What are its policies?
The AfD’s manifesto includes radical policies such as segregating disabled pupils into separate schools. Students will also be taught “patriotism and national pride”.
It has also called for a “remigration offensive” to send migrants back to their home countries – including refugees from Ukraine.
The manifesto also includes ending the right to asylum.
What happens if the AfD wins?
The party’s likely win in Saxony-Anhalt is seen as a blueprint for an ambitious programme to sweep elections in other federal states, according to a leaked internal memo.
Critics have warned it could be the beginning of a wider political movement in Germany.
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Summer 2026 confirmed as UK’s hottest ever
The Met Office has provisionally announced this summer was the UK’s warmest on record.
It follows months of recurring heatwaves and endless weeks without a drop of rain for some of the worst-hit areas.
The facts and figures
The mean temperatures spiked to 16.5°C, beating last year’s record-breaking average.
The highest temperature recorded this summer was 38.1°C at Kew Gardens in London on 13 August.
This means the UK’s five hottest summers on record are: 2026, 2025, 2018, 2006 and 2003.
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Effects of climate change
The Met Office analysis found the scorching summer of 2026 is now 130 times more likely because of climate change.
Head of Climate Attribution at the weather agency, Dr Mark McCarthy, said “because of the effect of burning of fossil fuels, we should now expect this to be roughly a one in nine year event”.
In a natural climate, a summer like this would occur roughly once in every 1,000 years.
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The heatwave in pictures
us politics
US army secretary Driscoll quits amid Hegseth tension
US army secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned after a year and a half in the top job.
He joins a growing list of high-ranking officials who have departed under the watch of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
What you need to know
- The Army Secretary is reportedly resigning due to behind-the-scenes tension with Hegseth.
- He had overseen the US operation in Venezuela, the ongoing war with Iran and talks between Russia and Ukraine.
- In a statement to CBS News, a White House spokesperson said Driscoll “has been highly effective in advancing President [Donald] Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again”.
Who is Dan Driscoll?
The Iraq War veteran, 41, is a friend of US Vice President JD Vance. The pair met at Yale Law School and Driscoll was formerly one of Vance’s advisors.
He was dubbed Trump’s “drone guy”, focusing on rolling out more unmanned systems and improve US war readiness.
General Randy George, ousted by Hegseth in April, is reportedly a close friend too.
Ongoing friction with Hegseth
Driscoll is one of many senior figures who have now left the armed forces, with many having been fired by Hegseth.
According to CBS, one source said Driscoll had brought concerns to the Trump administration around Hegseth pushing out some army generals from the department.
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Children among 20 missing after Cyprus ferry sinking
A specialist team equipped to search deep waters was due to arrive from Turkey on Tuesday as emergency crews pressed on with efforts to find 20 people missing after a ferry capsized off northern Cyprus.
What happened?
- A ferry carrying 267 people capsized and sank off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday.
- The Filo Jet left the town of Kyrenia and soon started to take on water.
- Survivors reported the ferry moving erratically, with its last hard impact with the water’s surface breaking the bow of the vessel.
Everything we know so far
There are still 20 people unaccounted for, including an unknown number of children.
Passengers interviewed in local media claim they begged the captain to turn around, then were left scrambling for life jackets.
Captain Mustafa Oz, 66, and seven crew members have been arrested over the incident.
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Search efforts continue
Visiting Kyrenia on Monday, Tufan Erhürman, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognised by the UK, said the search would “continue with the same intensity, with no interruption, through the day and night”.
A mother, Ayten Bicer, felt her 12-year-old daughter slip from her hands and disappear as the ferry capsized. Her daughter and son, six, are among the missing.
Badenoch’s Tory reshuffle – what you need to know
After she took over as leader of the Tory Party almost two years ago, Kemi Badenoch pledged not to hold a reshuffle before the next general election.
What are the big changes?
- Badenoch has ruthlessly dispatched Stride as shadow chancellor.
- Patel has also been replaced as shadow foreign secretary.
- MPs Andrew Griffith and Tom Tugendhat will replace them.
- Damien Hinds has been selected as the new shadow Health Secretary, while Katie Lam comes in on housing.
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Tories stuck in the polls
One reason for the shakeup is the Conservatives’ position treading water in the shallow end of the polls.
“It’s partly because the Tories are stuck in the polls and can’t budge forward, so they hope a refreshed team will do it. Only time will tell,” one Tory source said.
The latest BMG poll for The i Paper, published this weekend, puts Labour on 27 per cent, Reform on 23 per cent and the Tories on just 18 per cent.
The contradiction for Badenoch is that her personal ratings are improving.
Stride biggest casualty of reshuffle
Stride was one of the biggest names relegated to the backbenches. One insider revealed: “Mel isn’t well liked across the party and hasn’t really waded in on big things.”
They added, though, that he had been held back by a lack of staff – which will need to be remedied if Griffith is to perform better.
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Everything else to know
- Chris Philp survived the cull to remain as shadow Home Secretary. One insider said he “works hard” and had begun to get some traction on illegal immigration.
- Lam has become the new shadow Secretary for Housing. She replaces James Cleverly, who announced on Saturday that he was quitting to run in the next London Mayor election.
- The appointment of Griffith as shadow Chancellor shows Badenoch plans to prioritise the economy in her next election pitch.
Trump may review US stance on Falkland Islands
Donald Trump has indicated he is reviewing the US stance on Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
The US has typically remained neutral on the Falkland Islands, while recognising British administration of them.
What did Trump say?
I always review every position. That’s just one of many.
Trump said the US stance on the status of the Falklands is “one of many” positions he is considering.
In April, a Pentagon memo was leaked suggesting the US could recognise Argentina’s claim to the islands to punish Britain for not joining the war on Iran.
US officials also reportedly considered including the option as a way to pressure the UK to hit its Nato spending targets.
The British response
Chancellor John Healey told he was not aware of a suggestion that the US position could change.
“The Falkland Islands will remain British as long as the Falkland Islands want that to happen,” he added.
But last week, a US official told that Washington may change its position over the islands if the UK doesn’t meet its defence spending commitments.
Trump wades into Falkands dispute
It’s the first time Trump has commented on the islands’ sovereignty.
The UK would struggle to defend the Falklands if Trump followed through on threats to withdraw US support for British sovereignty, analysts have warned.
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Uk politics
Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is to quit Parliament, saying he felt it was the “right time” to step down as an MP just weeks after leaving Downing Street.
His resignation will trigger a by-election in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency, where Starmer’s majority was cut by 17 per cent in the 2024 election amid anger over Gaza.
What we know so far
- Starmer told the he had spent the summer reflecting and decided it was the “right time” to go.
- He said he intends to focus on international affairs – including defence, security, trade and technology.
- Green Party leader Zack Polanski could use the by-election to make a run for Parliament.
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What has Starmer said?
It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country and to have taken over from Frank Dobson, who was such a great constituency MP and a member of the last Labour government.
keir starmer in the camden new journal
What next for the former PM?
Starmer said he intends to pursue a career working on international affairs and continue his long-running campaign against violence against women and girls.
He has already been linked with the post of NATO secretary-general when Mark Rutte’s term ends in 2028, although there is no suggestion that he has formally put himself forward for the position.
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The scale of Burnham’s ambition was clear but some of the plans will be easier to deliver than others.
Control of water
The Prime Minister railed against deindustrialisation and privatisation in the 1980s, followed by austerity and Brexit in the 2010s, which “took control out of the hands of communities up and down Britain” as part of a “failed economic model”.
The water industry, blighted in recent years by bumper bonuses being handed out alongside rampant sewage pollution, was a ““a leaking monument to that approach, a country run in the private rather than public interest”.
In a bid to quell suggestions he has U-turned on his central promise of delivering greater public control of utilities after declining to nationalise Thames Water, Burnham promised his 10-year plan this autumn would deliver exactly this.
Difficulty rating: 7/10 – Nationalising water companies would be very expensive and the industry is a very risky investment as it needs cash pumping in, but Burnham has left enough wriggle room with his promise for public “control” rather than full state ownership. Likely to be popular with voters and Labour MPs, although he needs to avoid being accused of stopping short of real action.
Fixing social care
The Prime Minister was on the verge of tears at one point as he answered questions on social care, which he promised to spend “all of my political capital” on fixing, vowing he “will not leave office” without sorting out the crisis-hit sector.
Cross-party talks have begun but Burnham suggested he would proceed without consensus if rival leaders cannot coalesce around a recommended plan in an upcoming review.
Difficulty rating: 9/10 – Burnham as health secretary in 2010 was forced to rule out a plan for a levy on estates after people die when the Conservatives branded it a “death tax”. Theresa May U-turned on her social care policy in the 2017 election, which cost the Tories their majority, after it was branded a “dementia tax”. The PM will know there are few solutions to this problem without raising cash from voters, and he will be relying on the goodwill of rival leaders not to make political hay by making similar warnings this time.
Powers offered to every community
Burnham announced that No 10 North would start working with Cornwall on a deal to devolve powers and money “with or without an elected mayor” and pledged to extend this offer to all parts of the country.
Difficulty rating: 1/10 – It is up to local areas if they want to take up Burnham on his offer.
Banning leasehold homeownership
Difficulty rating: 6/10 – He has only pledged to bring the relevant bill to the Commons, which should be easier than actually enacting the changes given Treasury jitters over banning ground rents and the powerful landlord lobby’s opposition.
Banning social media for under-16s quickly
Burnham committed to moving forward “at pace” with predecessor Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to ban social media for under-16s.
Difficulty rating: 5/10 – Australia has already done it, and the policy has cross-party backing from the Tories. However, the powerful tech lobby could slow the PM down.
Proportional representation
Changing the voting system for general elections from first past the post to proportional representation has long been an ambition for Burnham.
The PM explained that standing under a proportional system in Greater Manchester elections “changed the conversation on the doorstep” and encouraged candidates and parties to look for compromise rather than “point-scoring”.
He is therefore “prepared to look” at electoral reform if the next general election shows voter “consensus” for change, in a suggestion the idea will be in Labour’s next manifesto.
Difficulty rating: 8/10 – It would be a seismic change in British politics, and voters already rejected a proportional system in a 2011 referendum on the “alternative vote”.
Cutting tax for high street businesses
Business rates have already been cut for pubs and live music venues in one of Burnham’s first acts on taking office, and the PM said he wants to “go further” to help other firms struggling to survive on Britain’s high streets.
He wants to fund this by “rebalancing the system” so large companies operating big out-of-town sites like Amazon warehouses pay more.
Difficulty rating: 7/10 – Raising taxes in any way in next month’s Budget is likely to prove controversial, and this is a complex plan that previous governments have failed to fully grapple with.
Climate action while retaining oil and gas
Burnham promised to attend the COP31 climate summit in Turkey in November while promising to “meet the climate challenge”.
However, while giving little away, the PM also hinted that he could yet approve drilling in the Rosebank oil field and Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, which will provoke a major backlash from climate groups and potentially his own Foreign Secretary and net-zero advocate, Ed Miliband.
Difficulty rating: 8/10 – It is difficult to see how Burnham can please all sides in this debate.