Podcasts about Greater Manchester

An attack outside a federal building in Manhattan is raising fresh alarms about political violence in America. Officials say the suspect, who has a history of anti-ICE activity, detonated an incendiary device on Monday. The attack is just the latest example in a growing wave of political violence in recent years. FOX News contributor and retired FBI supervisory special agent James Gagliano breaks down what's driving this spike—and what can be done to curb it. As Britain welcomes its seventh prime minister in just ten years, the ascension of self-styled socialist Andy Burnham marks a dramatic leftward pivot for the country's leadership. The former mayor of Greater Manchester now faces the monumental task of delivering on ambitious nationalization plans while navigating a precarious economy, tax policy debates, and incoming diplomatic pressure from President Trump over energy and military base access. Fox News Senior Correspondent and Searching for Heroes podcast host Benjamin Hall joins to discuss Burnham's agenda, the political landmines awaiting his government, and what this changing of the guard means for the future of U.K.-U.S. relations. PLUS, commentary by FOX News Digital Columnist David Marcus. PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Sullivan via AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An attack outside a federal building in Manhattan is raising fresh alarms about political violence in America. Officials say the suspect, who has a history of anti-ICE activity, detonated an incendiary device on Monday. The attack is just the latest example in a growing wave of political violence in recent years. FOX News contributor and retired FBI supervisory special agent James Gagliano breaks down what's driving this spike—and what can be done to curb it. As Britain welcomes its seventh prime minister in just ten years, the ascension of self-styled socialist Andy Burnham marks a dramatic leftward pivot for the country's leadership. The former mayor of Greater Manchester now faces the monumental task of delivering on ambitious nationalization plans while navigating a precarious economy, tax policy debates, and incoming diplomatic pressure from President Trump over energy and military base access. Fox News Senior Correspondent and Searching for Heroes podcast host Benjamin Hall joins to discuss Burnham's agenda, the political landmines awaiting his government, and what this changing of the guard means for the future of U.K.-U.S. relations. PLUS, commentary by FOX News Digital Columnist David Marcus. PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Sullivan via AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andy Burnham ist Großbritanniens siebter Premier in zehn Jahren – die frühere ARD-London-Korrespondentin Annette Dittert ordnet den neuen Labour-Chef ein. Der „King of the North" und langjährige Bürgermeister von Greater Manchester wolle Macht in die Regionen verlagern und dem Rechtspopulisten Nigel Farage Paroli bieten, dessen Reform UK die Umfragen anführt [06:45]Nach Jens Spahns Rücktritt wählt die Unionsfraktion am Mittwoch der kommenden Woche einen neuen Vorsitzenden. Favorit ist Kanzleramtschef Thorsten Frei – Kanzler Merz sucht einen diskreten Machtorganisator ohne öffentliches Ego, keinen Bühnenpolitiker. [01:31]Christiane Hoffmann, Journalistin und bis 2025 stellvertretende Regierungssprecherin unter Kanzler Scholz, fragt in ihrem Buch „Die Träume, die wir hatten", ob der russische Überfall vermeidbar gewesen wäre. Bei all den Fragen nach westlichen Versäumnissen sei eines klar: „Die Kriegsschuld liegt bei Russland und bei niemandem sonst." [14:29]Table.Briefings - For better informed decisions.Sie entscheiden besser, weil Sie besser informiert sind – das ist das Ziel von Table.Briefings. Wir verschaffen Ihnen mit jedem Professional Briefing, mit jeder Analyse und mit jedem Hintergrundstück einen Informationsvorsprung, am besten sogar einen Wettbewerbsvorteil. Table.Briefings bietet „Deep Journalism“, wir verbinden den Qualitätsanspruch von Leitmedien mit der Tiefenschärfe von Fachinformationen. Professional Briefings kostenlos kennenlernen: table.media/testenHier geht es zu unseren WerbepartnernHol dir deine persönlichen Daten mit Incogni zurück und hol dir 60 % Rabatt auf ein Jahresabo: https://incogni.com/tabletodayImpressum: https://table.media/impressumDatenschutz: https://table.media/datenschutzerklaerungBei Interesse an Audio-Werbung in diesem Podcast melden Sie sich gerne bei Jan Puhlmann: jan.puhlmann@table.media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and new leader of the Labour Party, took the final steps on Monday to succeed Keir Starmer and become the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade.The Department of War on Monday identified two U.S. soldiers who were killed in Iranian strikes in Jordan. First Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, were killed during Friday's attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

Sir Keir Starmer has officially resigned, and Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, has accepted the invitation of King Charles to form a government. Burnham spoke outside Downing Street, with no lectern, and no notes. BBC political correspondent Rob Watson spoke to John Campbell from London.

Andy Burnham has promised a new style of politics after becoming Britain's seventh Prime Minister – but can he deliver?In this special episode of Northern Spin, co-hosts Chris Maguire and Frank McKenna discuss:Burnham's five prioritiesHow does Burnham win over a doubtful media?What should Burnham do this summer?Burnham's message for businessAs well as all things Burnham, Maguire and McKenna will also discuss:Greater Manchester's mayoral by-electionJudgement day for LancashireChaos in OldhamNorthern Spin is a joint production from BusinessCloud and Downtown in Business. The podcast is produced by Dan Brown of Renowned and sponsored by Sancus Lending UK.

#310Here's a question worth sitting with: how do you find the next UK property hotspot before everyone else has already found it?  Not by following property magazines. Not by watching what's trending on Rightmove. The answer, it turns out, is more systematic than that and in this episode, Darren McNeill from our sponsors FMP uses Accrington in Lancashire as a live case study to show you exactly how it's done. This month's property is a three-bedroom mid-terrace, purchased in July 2021 for ¬£85,000. It's now worth around ¬£115,000. Rent has gone from ¬£625 to ¬£725 a month. But the deal is really just the evidence. The more useful thing is the framework behind it.Check out our shorts on YouTubeOur WhatsApp  groupProperty Engine discounts (Code: EXPAT)Starter: 30 day trialPro: 30 day trial/3 mths 1/2 price, Ultimate: 1/2 price 3 monthsGoalsettingLeave a review37 Question Due Diligence Checklist / Auction GuideOur Sponsors: Finnigan McNeill Property Group The Four-Pillar Framework: How to Evaluate Any UK Property Location  Before Darren's team recommends a town to a client, they run it through four criteria: population, employment, infrastructure, and schools.  Population You need a large enough population to sustain genuine rental demand, but not so large that you're competing with institutional investors for stock. Accrington's population sits at around 35,000 ‚Äî large enough for a healthy tenant pool, small enough that property is still sensibly priced. The census figure is from 2022; the true number is almost certainly higher now. Education Accrington is part of the Nelson and Colne College group, currently one of the highest-performing college groups in England. This matters more than it sounds. Families with children make decisions about where to rent based on school catchment areas and further education options. Strong education infrastructure is a retention mechanism ‚Äî it keeps families in the area, and families in three-bedroom terraces. Employment This is where Accrington genuinely surprises. It has a strong advanced manufacturing base, including the UK's largest plastic housewares manufacturer and a major brick manufacturer. Beyond that, its position next to the M65 has made it a natural home for warehousing and distribution. Altham Business Park, a short drive from the town centre, is one of Lancashire's premier employment locations. Every new logistics hub that opens along the M65 corridor ‚Äî and they are still opening ‚Äî adds more jobs to the catchment area. Online retail is not going to stop requiring storage and last-mile delivery. That's a structural tailwind, not a trend. Infrastructure and Transport The M65 gives Accrington access to Manchester within an hour, and to Preston and Leeds with comparable ease. Land is cheaper here than in Greater Manchester, which is why industrial and logistics developers continue to choose this corridor over city-adjacent locations. Cheaper land, good motorway access, and growing employment: that combination is not accidental.  The Regeneration Signal: £90 Million of Committed Investment  One of the clearest forward-looking signals an area can send is public and government investment in regeneration. Accrington has sent that signal loudly.  There's a £70 million town centre masterplan: one of the largest regeneration programmes in Lancashire, focused on the town centre fabric and public realm. In 2025, the town secured a further ¬£20 million in government "Pride in Place" funding, targeting long-term neighbourhood improvement, heritage restoration, and support for local businesses. That's £90 million of committed investment in a town of 35,000 people. The people committing that money aren't guessing about the area's future any more than a major housebuilder is. The New-Build Estate Strategy: Following the Developers  Which brings us to one of Darren's most transferable tips, and one worth keeping in your investing toolkit wherever you're looking.  Large-scale residential developers ‚Äî the ones committing to 1,000 or 2,000-home garden village projects ‚Äî do more due diligence on a location than most individual investors will ever do. They model demographics, employment projections, transport infrastructure, and planning policy before they put a single brick in the ground. They cannot afford to get it wrong.  So when a major developer commits to building in an area, that commitment is itself a data point.  Accrington is getting the Huncoat Garden Village: 1,800 new homes, a primary school, parks and green space, with direct access to Huncoat railway station and junction 8 of the M65. New-build prices at schemes like this typically start at ¬£200,000 or more ‚Äî because nobody is building starter homes anymore. The population that moves into those homes will have more disposable income than the current average, will spend in local businesses, and will gradually shift the economic and social profile of the whole area. If you own a three-bedroom terrace in the streets surrounding that development, that shift works in your favour.Practical Considerations for This Property Type  The third bedroom question Not all three-bedroom terraces are truly three-bedroom terraces in the eyes of a valuer. A room needs to meet minimum size requirements ‚Äî roughly 6.5 square metres ‚Äî to be classified as a bedroom rather than a box room. Older bay-fronted terraces tend to be better proportioned; later builds, where internal bathrooms were retrofitted at the expense of room size, can be tighter. Check before you buy.  **End-of-terrace** Darren owns several end-of-terrace properties in his own portfolio and reports no significant issues, provided the external end wall is properly rendered and pointed. Damp can appear if the wall has been neglected, but buyer hesitation around end terraces is often greater than the actual risk ‚Äî which creates negotiating room if you know what you're looking at.  The Proof: Norfolk Street, Five Years On  The Accrington thesis wasn't theoretical. The Norfolk Street three-bed mid-terrace went in at ¬£85,000 in July 2021. It's now valued at ¬£110‚Äì120,000 ‚Äî call it ¬£115,000, which is a ¬£30,000 gain and roughly 35% growth. Rent started at ¬£625 and sits at ¬£725, with the market rate for comparable properties now around ¬£750.  That's what the four-pillar framework, applied consistently, looks like in practice.KeywordsUK property, buy to let UK, UK property investment, UK property market, UK real estate, Accrington property, Northwest property investment, Greater Manchester property, Buy to let Accrington, FMP property deals, Town centre regeneration UK, Rental yield UK, UK terrace houses, End of terrace UK property, Accrington rental market, Huncourt garden village, Best buy to let locations in Northwest England, Investing in Accrington property market, Hands-free turnkey property service UK, Population and employment trends in Accrington, Are end terrace houses a good investment UK, What to consider when buying three bedroom terraces UK, How regeneration schemes affect UK house prices, Buying near new build estates in the UK, Norfolk Street Accrington property case study, Rental demand for families in Accrington, Impact of infrastructure on UK property prices, Advanced manufacturing employment in Accrington, Government funding for Accrington regenerationCheck out our new YouTube Channel @ExpatPropertyStory

Britain's governing Labour Party has elected Andy Burnham as leader. The 56-year-old Greater Manchester mayor is now set to become the country's next prime minister.

As Andy Burnham prepares to become Prime Minister, there is growing interest in what “Manchesterism” might mean for the country. The term has already come to encompass a wide range of ideas: collective self-belief; collaboration across boundaries; devolution and subsidiarity; greater social justice; and good growth rooted in people and place.  In the latest episode of Radical Reformers, Andrew Laird speaks to Eve Holt, Head of Policy and Implementation at Greater Manchester Combined Authority, about the ideas, culture and confidence behind Greater Manchester's devolution journey. Eve talks about what makes Greater Manchester distinctive: the “ten plus one” model, the long history of collaboration across councils and partners, the role of communities and the voluntary sector, and the importance of connecting policy with implementation from the get-go. We hear a few of our pals name-dropped along the way too, including Prof. Donna Hall, Scott Darraugh and Rachel Law, as part of a wider conversation about the people, places and ideas that have helped shape this way of working. This is a great listen for anyone thinking about devolution, place leadership, public service reform or what it really takes to move from ambition to action.

Andy Burnham discusses his political beliefs and the events that shaped them in this in depth interview with Byline Times editor Hardeep Matharu, recorded in July 2025 at the Byline Festival, Keele University. At the time, Burnham was Mayor of Greater Manchester and had no inkling that withing 12 months he'd become PM. The result is an unusually revealing conversation. Video - Sean Byrne Roberts. Produced by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode of The Daily T, Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley discuss whether Nigel Farage has committed the ultimate act of self-sabotage by triggering another by-election in his constituency of Clacton. As Reform UK orders its northern activists to abandon the Greater Manchester mayoral race and head to the campaign trail in Essex, has Farage completely overplayed his hand?They also delve into the profile of Farage's only opponent so far, Count Binface, and his chances of winning. Camilla and Tim also break down the hilarious conspiracy theory that Tim is secretly the man behind the intergalactic silver waste receptacle.Elsewhere, the pair discuss Prince Harry's financial woes as he faces stumping up a share of a £50m legal bill after losing his case against the publisher of The Daily Mail.We want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorStudio Operator: Meghan SearleProducers: Emma Williams and David LeveneVideo Producer: Will WaltersExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanEditor: Camilla TomineyHighlights:Has Nigel Farage committed political self-sabotage by running against Count Binface in the Clacton by-election?How much of his £50m legal bill will Prince Harry have to pay? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The bad news isn't stopping for Reform and Nigel Farage. He's facing fresh questions about the timeline surrounding the £5m gift from a crypto billionaire. The police are investigating a separate donation made to Robert Jenrick (who has described the claims as a politically motivated smear). The party has urged volunteers to divert from the Greater Manchester mayoral contest - in an effort to shore up Nigel Farage in a contest against a bin that he himself has triggered.Just a few days ago, Farage thought his by-election gamble would put the focus squarely on him and pit his as a champion of the people wrestling against the establishment? Has that backfired in the most almighty way? And his the entire Farage project imploding?It was Rupert Lowe - and not Farage - who became the first UK politician to appear on Joe Rogan's podcast yesterday. Over two hours he said stuff that was weird, inaccurate and inflammatory - but will his comments about the Dunblane massacre come back to haunt him?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

It's a funeral taking place over six days, five cities and two countries. Crowds have overwhelmed the streets of Iran to mourn or just watch the funeral procession for the late Ayatollah Khamenei. He and other family members died in February in attacks by the US and Israel. Khamenei ran a brutal regime that killed an estimated 40,000 demonstrators earlier this year, but his funeral has become a rallying point for the nation. The man set to become the next prime minister of Britain, Andy Burnham, is best known as the popular and successful mayor of Greater Manchester in northern England. But long before that, he was a pious altar boy in his local Catholic church in Liverpool. Burnham has referred frequently to his Catholic background and values, even if he observes only some of the church's teaching. How much will faith shape his prime ministership? One of the hallmarks of an authoritarian regime is severe restrictions on religious practice. But there's also been a marked increase in religious repression by individuals, sometimes in defiance of more liberal government policies. The Pew Research Center in Washington has been monitoring this situation.GUESTS:Dr Ali Mamouri  is a Middle East specialist at Deakin University and a former adviser to an earlier reform government in neighbouring Iraq.Hannah Rich is a senior researcher at the London-based think tank Theos.Samirah Majumdar is the lead author of Pew Research's recent report.This program is made on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation

Britain is changing prime ministers again: Keir Starmer is out after two years, with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham the favourite to replace him — inheriting an underfunded defence plan and the wreckage of Peter Mandelson's Epstein-tainted appointment, all of it driven by the fear of Reform. Chris and Matt then ask what happens when the mole is a machine, using Anthropic's Claude blackmail experiment and Melissa Graves's Lawfare essay to reframe AI in intelligence work as a counterintelligence problem. Finally, Ken Harbaugh's Atlantic report on Ukraine's "warrior-witches" — women running honeypots and directing drone strikes from occupied ground, where the oldest tradecraft still wins. Trigger Warning: In the last story after the second AD Break there is mention of violence against women in the Russian War on Ukraine Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, global issues, and current affairs. Take our audience survey: https://forms.gle/eFx59XntNtiKzNQa8 Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our Redbubble shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996 Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/secretsandspies Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com Articles discussed in today's episode "Keir Starmer to step down as prime minister two years after historic election victory" by Pippa Crerar | The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/22/keir-starmer-resigns-as-prime-minister "How UK's Keir Starmer went from election landslide to downfall" by Jill Lawless & Pan Pylas | Associated Press: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/how-uks-keir-starmer-went-from-election-landslide-to-downfall "Andy Burnham soft-launches his premiership" by Dan Bloom | Politico Europe: https://www.politico.eu/article/andy-burnham-uk-soft-launches-his-premiership/ "Starmer backs 5 billion drone overhaul for UK forces in DIP" by George Allison | UK Defence Journal: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/starmer-backs-5-billion-drone-overhaul-for-uk-forces-in-dip/ "The Next Counterintelligence Problem Is Artificial" by Melissa Graves | Lawfare: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-next-counterintelligence-problem-is-artificial "The Warrior-Witches of Ukraine's Resistance" by Ken Harbaugh | The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/06/underground-intelligence-network-russia-ukraine/687578/ Connect with us on social media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Twitter/X: https://x.com/SecretsAndSpies Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD: https://filmsandpodcasts.co.uk/ Music by Andrew R. Bird Photos by Alamy, UK Government Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his first major speech since launching his bid to replace Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham focused on devolving power from Westminster. But what could it all mean for Wales? Greater Manchester, and the transformation Burnham says he's helped deliver there, was a focus of the speech. Fliss and guests examine the key ingredients behind the city's success and ask whether this can be replicated elsewhere in the UK, specifically in Wales.

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:(00:23) Andy Burnham may not be Prime Minister yet, but he's setting out his economic agenda, and its based on his old stomping ground, Greater Manchester. We ask whether the official figures that seem to show an economic miracle can be fully believed, and how much credit he deserves.(10:09) As our towns and cities get hotter, would turning to air conditioning really drive outside temperatures up by 10 to 12 degrees celcius? We learn about the fascinating world of ‘urban heat islands'.(15:40) We turn to homophones in an attempt to continue a running joke. This week, we follow six items about Wales with an item about whales - are our cetacean friends the carbon sinks of our dreams? Will we ever write a stranger paragraph?(22:10) Cult director and maths fanboy Werner Herzog has been waxing lyrical about the intruiging mysteries of prime numbers. Tim cracks out a surprisingly decent impression and we learn about one of the most inscrutable problems in mathematics - what's not to like?More or Less is the programme that looks at numbers and statistics in news and in life. We're always looking for questions from listeners - you can contact us on moreorless@bbc.co.uk.Guests: Paul Swinney - Chief Economist at The Data City Liam Sides - Associate Director at Oxford Economics Dimple Rana - Heat Resilience Leader at Arup Sue Grimmond - Professor of Meteorology, University of Reading Dr Olaf Meynecke - Marine Ecologist, Griffith University James Grime - Mathematician and star of YouTube channel NumberphileSpecial Guest Appearance: The Voice of Werner HerzogPresenter: Tim Harford Series Producer: Tom Colls Reporter: Nathan Gower Producers: Josh McMinn, Lizzy McNeill Editor: Richard Vadon Programme Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Engineer: James Beard

Andy Burnham will surely become prime minister in a matter of weeks. But what kind of government would he lead and how can he prepare for the biggest job in British politics? As Burnham sets out his policy priorities, and with much speculation about the key appointments he will make to his top team, this webinar brought together leading IfG experts to explore the challenges awaiting the next prime minister – and the skills and he experience he will need for job. How can Burnham best use the time available to prepare for succeeding Keir Starmer as prime minister? What are the decisions that need to be taken before a transition of power? What do we know so far about the choices he could make on personnel and policies? And how will Burnham's experiences of Mayor of Greater Manchester equip him for the job of prime minister? Sam Freedman, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Dr Hannah White, CEO of the Institute for Government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's episode of The Daily T, Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley discuss Andy Burnham's first significant speech since returning to Westminster as an MP. The former mayor of Greater Manchester set out his vision for Britain as part of his campaign to be the next prime minister and Labour leader.They dissect Burnham's “Manchesterism” blueprint, and ask whether his call for cross-party collaboration is actually a front for “socialism via the back door”.We want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorStudio Operator: Meghan SearleProducers: Georgia Coan and Emma WilliamsVideo Producer: Will WaltersSocial Media Producer: Conor ClarkExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanEditor: Camilla TomineyHighlights:Why Andy Burnham's "Manchesterism" blueprint is a dangerous new form of socialismBurnham's plans for devolution could spell disaster and a lack of political accountability Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes an EP can feel like a stopgap between bigger projects, but Summer of Silence isn't one of those records. From the moment it begins, it's clear that Mercy Kelly approached these four songs with something to prove. Rather than simply following up a successful run of singles, the Greater Manchester trio have delivered a release that feels like a declaration of identity, confidence, and momentum. It captures a band that knows exactly who they are and where they're heading. We absolutely loved it and we know you will too!Mercy Kelly have spent the past few years steadily building an impressive catalog, refining a sound rooted in soaring indie rock, jangly guitar textures, and stadium-sized ambition. What began as a songwriting partnership between frontman Jack Marland and guitarist Adam Bridge has evolved into a tightly knit three-piece alongside drummer Liam Constantine, and that chemistry is impossible to miss throughout Summer of Silence. As we mentioned in our interview plenty of times, their sound is larger than life.

The Greater Manchester mayoralty made Andy Burnham famous. Now he's hoping he can take the approach he developed in the city to the whole country. This week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan speaks to four serving mayors — and one former one about whether the role will prepare Burnham for the highest office in the land. Labour Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward, who was a minister in Gordon Brown's government, told Sascha that mayors have much more power than junior minister. Oliver Coppard, the Labour Mayor of South Yorkshire, explains how the job requires you to manage different competing interests, albeit on a smaller scale than as a prime minister. But former Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street warns that when it comes to financial responsibility and party management — two pitfalls of Keir Starmer's leadership — the job of mayor is "totally different". Helen Godwin, West of England Mayor, and Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East, have graciously said they won't kick Burnham out of the Labour mayors' WhatsApp group if he becomes PM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The shop workers union USDAW says the filming of retail staff by customers for social media has become increasingly common, with concerns about videos being uploaded without workers' consent. The issue is highlighted by the experience of a shop worker who appeared in content created by former television presenter Michael Barrymore, now a social media creator with millions of followers across TikTok and YouTube. Jayne Allport, National Officer at USDAW, outlines the union's concerns. The resignation of Sir Keir Starmer has intensified scrutiny of Labour's relationship with the media, with attention turning to Andy Burnham as a potential future leader. Burnham's years as Mayor of Greater Manchester have provided a public record of his dealings with journalists. Joshi Herrmann, founder and editor of The Mill, reflects on Burnham's approach to media engagement. Online romance fraud continues to affect victims around the world, with organised groups in Nigeria responsible for many high-profile scams. A new book traces the origins and evolution of the so-called Yahoo Boys, named after an early generation of fraudsters who relied on Yahoo email accounts. Carlos Barragán, a New York Times reporter, recounts his reporting from Lagos. BBC Radio 4 Long Wave closes this month, bringing to an end a century of long-wave broadcasting in the UK. The network's transmitters at Droitwich, Westerglen and Burghead are due to cease operation as listening habits continue to shift towards digital platforms. Jeffrey Borinsky, broadcasting historian, reflects on the history and legacy of Long Wave radio.Production team Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai Apprentice researcher: Cameron Taylor Technical Coordinator: Luke Sweeney Sound: Mark Pickett

While the UK's tech scene booms, political uncertainty looms.In this week's episode of the Sifted podcast, John Thornhill is joined by serial entrepreneur and investor Brent Hoberman. Brent, who cofounded Lastminute.com in 1998, is one of the UK's most experienced and best-connected operators. Today, he runs the early-stage VC firm Firstminute Capital and Founders Forum, a global community of entrepreneurs that co-hosts London Tech Week.John and Brent discuss Keir Starmer's resignation as UK prime minister — less than two years after Labour's landslide 2024 election victory — and whether Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester who looks set to collect the keys to 10 Downing Street in the coming weeks, is likely to bring a new era of socialist politics to the country. Brent also shares how he's changed his mind on "LLM wrapper" companies, the rising scale of ambition on show at London Tech Week and what it is actually like taking a business public.Disclaimer: Brent is a personal shareholder in Sifted. Sign up to our Daily and Deeptech newsletters here: https://sifted.eu/newsletters

Harry and Stelios are joined by Lewis Brackpool to discuss Restore standing in the Greater Manchester mayoral election, the dark future of the Democratic Party, and the mysterious death of Doctor Who.

Makerfield has proved to be the making of Andy Burnham's bid for the top job, but could it also be the moment that Nigel Farage's ambitions for Number 10 took a knock?  While Reform UK continues to lead the national polls, it failed to capture the Greater Manchester seat last week and was beaten into third place by the Conservatives, the party it's seeking to replace, in two Scottish by-elections. Is the wind going off Reform's sails just as Labour hopes to revive its fortunes under a new prime minister, who is being dubbed the "Reform slayer" after his by-election victory?  In this bonus interview edition of Westminster Insider, Anne McElvoy talks to Robert Jenrick, Reform's Treasury Spokesman, about how Reform will respond to a Burnham-led government. The former Conservative minister and leadership candidate left his party earlier this year, claiming that he wanted to “unite the Right”. Following a dispute with Reform's Zia Yusuf over the party's policy on the deportation of migrants, Jenrick is trying to carve out a distinctive position on economic policy, including a new "big bang" for the City of London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Keir Starmer is out and Andy Burnham could be heading to Number 10. But what does that mean for UK gambling? We break down Burnham's full track record on gambling regulation, from cancelling the Supercasino project to his anti-sponsorship campaigns as Mayor of Greater Manchester.Is the online gambling UK industry facing its biggest political threat in years? Martyn Elliott (SBC Media Director) and Ted Orme-Claye (SBC News Editor) join us to analyse the warning signs, the political chaos at the DCMS, and what the industry should be watching right now.

Following the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation last night, the UK is set to get its seventh Prime Minister in ten years. Seven different leaders in a decade reflects one of the country's most politically turbulent periods in modern history. As one BBC commentator said, if you go back 40 years it would be unthinkable to have such a high turnover of Prime Ministers in such a short timeframe. Currently it looks the next leader will be Andy Burnham, former Mayor of Greater Manchester, and front runner to claim the top job. Whoever becomes the next leader of the UK, they will have to move fast to stabilise the country. Marcus Ganley is a public law specialist with firm Franks Ogilvie but was previously a ministerial adviser to the Clark government and held senior roles in Australian federal politics. He joins Emile.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ended all speculation about his future on Monday by announcing his resignation, less than two years after guiding the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the 2024 general election.英国首相基尔·斯塔默于周一宣布辞职，彻底终结了外界对其政治前途的所有猜测。距离他带领工党在2024年大选中取得压倒性胜利，尚且不足两年。His resignation means the United Kingdom will have its seventh prime minister in just over a decade. Amid the imminent change, the British pound slid as much as 0.4 percent to touch $1.3181 early on Monday, approaching its 2026 low of $1.3159 set in March, before paring losses. The yield of the UK 10-year gilt bonds, a benchmark for what the UK Treasury pays to borrow money, edged up from 4.84 percent to 4.85 percent, while the yield on 30-year gilts rose from 5.54 percent to 5.55 percent.此次辞职意味着，英国在短短十多年间将迎来第七位首相。在这一即将到来的政局变动背景下，英镑汇率周一早盘下跌0.4%，跌至1英镑兑1.3181美元，逼近今年3月创下的2026年低点1.3159美元，随后跌幅有所收窄。作为英国财政部借贷成本基准的英国10年期国债收益率从4.84%微升至4.85%，30年期国债收益率则从5.54%升至5.55%。Doubts over Starmer's leadership had been growing for some time, particularly after the recent damaging local election results, for which Starmer took personal responsibility.外界对斯塔默执政能力的质疑早已持续发酵，尤其是在近期地方选举遭遇惨败后，斯塔默主动为此承担了个人责任，执政危机进一步加剧。In an address outside his Downing Street office, Starmer said that he had "heard the answer of my Parliamentary party" as to whether he was "best placed" to lead it into the next general election. "I accept that answer with good grace," he added, saying that he would continue until his successor was chosen.斯塔默在唐宁街首相府外发表讲话表示，关于自己是否是带领工党迎战下一届大选的最佳人选，他已收到议会党内的明确态度。他补充道：“我坦然接受这一结果”，并表示自己将留任至新任首相人选产生。Starmer became Labour Party leader in April 2020, replacing Jeremy Corbyn, who had led the party to a heavy defeat in the 2019 general election. He faced three Conservative prime ministers before Labour won 411 of the 650 seats in the 2024 general election. However, although this gave Labour a clear Parliamentary majority, it secured just 34 percent of the popular vote, the smallest share received by any majority government since World War II.斯塔默于2020年4月接任工党领袖，取代了在2019年大选中带领工党惨败的杰里米·科尔宾。在2024年工党赢得大选、拿下议会650个席位中的411席之前，他曾历经三届保守党首相执政时期。不过，尽管工党借此取得了绝对的议会多数席位，但其得票率仅为34%，是二战以来所有多数党政府中的最低得票占比。With the main right-wing party, the Conservatives, having lost support to Reform UK, another British right-wing party, Starmer's critics accused him of focusing too much on trying to win votes from Reform, particularly over immigration, rather than appealing to more traditional Labour or progressive voters.英国主要右翼政党保守党的选票流失至另一右翼政党英国改革党，斯塔默的批评者指责他过度聚焦从改革党争取选票（尤其在移民政策方面），而忽视拉拢传统工党选民与进步派选民。He was criticized for his handling of the appointment of former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson, who resigned over his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The UK's local elections in May further weakened his position.他因任命前英国驻美大使彼得·曼德尔森一事饱受批评，曼德尔森因与性犯罪者杰弗里·爱泼斯坦存在关联而辞职。今年五月的英国地方选举进一步动摇了他的执政地位。One person cited as a potential leadership contender, Wes Streeting, quit as health secretary earlier, saying,"Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift … It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election".被视作工党领袖潜在竞争者的韦斯·斯特里廷此前已辞去卫生大臣职务，他表示：“我们需要愿景，却一片空白；我们需要方向，却步履迷茫……如今已然明确，你无法带领工党迎战下一届大选。”On the day Starmer resigned, the man widely tipped to replace him, Andy Burnham, returned to Parliament after nine years away as mayor of Greater Manchester.斯塔默辞职当日，最被外界看好的继任者安迪·伯纳姆，结束九年大曼彻斯特市长任期，重返英国议会。Burnham tried to return to Parliament in January by running as a Labour Party candidate in a by-election, only to be blocked by party bosses, whose preferred candidate lost.今年一月，伯纳姆曾以工党候选人身份参加补选谋求重返议会，却遭到党内高层阻挠，而党内高层力挺的候选人最终落败。As Starmer's position weakened, a sitting Labour member resigned his seat, allowing Burnham to run in another by-election last week, which he won comfortably.随着斯塔默的执政地位持续衰弱，一名在任工党议员辞去席位，让伯纳姆得以在上周的新一轮补选中参选，并以绝对优势胜出。Nominations for any leadership election of the Labour Party will begin on July 9 and stay open for a week, allowing a new leader to be chosen before the UK Parliament returns from summer recess in September.工党领袖选举提名将于7月9日启动，为期一周，确保新任领袖能够在英国议会九月结束夏季休会、恢复议事前选举产生。London-based political analyst Keith Bennett told China Daily that Burnham's win made Starmer's exit inevitable.伦敦政治分析师基思·贝内特在接受《中国日报》采访时表示，伯纳姆的胜选让斯塔默的下台成为必然。"The gradual erosion of his authority in the Parliamentary Labour Party and then the Cabinet was turning into a flood that would have swept him from office in any case," Bennett said.贝内特称：“他在工党议会党团以及内阁中的权威不断流失，已然积重难返，无论如何最终都会被迫卸任。”He added that Burnham's win showed that he was a more popular option with party members and the wider electorate. Should he become leader, he could offer a genuine change of approach, although quite what that would be remains unclear, Bennett said.他补充道，伯纳姆的胜选证明，他在党内成员和广大选民中人气更高。即便伯纳姆出任党魁能够带来真正的施政变革，但具体变革方向目前尚不明确。"Much will depend on the make-up of a new Cabinet, but above all, the serious nature of the challenges facing the country remains unchanged.“未来局势很大程度上取决于新内阁的人员构成，但最重要的是，英国面临的严峻挑战并未发生改变。"A change at the top gives Labour a chance to prevail at the next general election, but only a chance — much will depend on how events unfold, many of which will be outside the government's control," he said.他表示：“高层更迭让工党获得了在下届大选取胜的机会，但仅仅只是机会而已，最终结果取决于局势发展，而诸多局势变化并非政府能够掌控。”After Starmer's resignation made him the shortest-serving Labour prime minister in history, London Mayor Sadiq Khan was keen to look ahead. "The local election results showed people are impatient for the change that was promised," Khan said.斯塔默辞职后，成为英国历史上任期最短的工党首相。伦敦市长萨迪克·汗展望未来表示：“地方选举结果表明，民众早已迫切期待此前承诺的变革落地。”speculation /ˌspekjuˈleɪʃn/猜测，揣测，舆论热议landslide /ˈlændslaɪd/压倒性胜利，大胜imminent /ˈɪmɪnənt/即将发生的，迫在眉睫的paring /ˈpeərɪŋ/缩减，削减erosion /ɪˈrəʊʒn/逐渐削弱，流失prevail /prɪˈveɪl/获胜，胜出，占据优势

Michael Sen, CEO des Gesundheitskonzerns Fresenius, kritisiert die aktuelle Gesundheitsreform scharf: „Ich würde das Ganze auch nicht als Reform titulieren" – es handle sich lediglich um den Versuch, ein fiskalisches Loch zu stopfen.Er fordert einen umfassenderen Ansatz: „Es gibt 16 Landesdatenschutzverordnungen und dergleichen mehr." Sen warnt vor gefährlicher Abhängigkeit bei der Medikamenten-Herstellung: Rund 80 Prozent der verschriebenen Arzneimittel seien Generika, bei Wirkstoffen wie Breitband-Antibiotika liefere China 80 bis 90 Prozent der globalen Produktion. [08:43]Die Rentenkommission übergibt heute ihren Bericht an den Kanzler – nach 20 Sitzungen und über 150 Beratungsstunden. Die 33 Empfehlungen wurden einstimmig verabschiedet, darunter das Element einer Kapitaldeckung in der ersten Säule der gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung. Florian Dorn, CSU-Abgeordneter und stellvertretender Vorsitzender der Kommission, ist überzeugt, dass das Ergebnis zeigt, „dass wir aus der Mitte der Gesellschaft, aus der Mitte der politischen Parteien gemeinsam bei einem so großen Paket wirklich um gemeinsame Lösungen ringen." [05:04]Keir Starmer hat seinen Rücktritt als britischer Premierminister angekündigt und bleibt bis zur Wahl seines Nachfolgers im Amt. Als Favorit gilt Andy Burnham, der bisherige Bürgermeister von Greater Manchester und frisch gewählte MP für Makerfield. [08:43]Table.Briefings - For better informed decisions.Sie entscheiden besser, weil Sie besser informiert sind – das ist das Ziel von Table.Briefings. Wir verschaffen Ihnen mit jedem Professional Briefing, mit jeder Analyse und mit jedem Hintergrundstück einen Informationsvorsprung, am besten sogar einen Wettbewerbsvorteil. Table.Briefings bietet „Deep Journalism“, wir verbinden den Qualitätsanspruch von Leitmedien mit der Tiefenschärfe von Fachinformationen. Professional Briefings kostenlos kennenlernen: table.media/testenHier geht es zu unseren WerbepartnernHol dir deine persönlichen Daten mit Incogni zurück und hol dir 60 % Rabatt auf ein Jahresabo: https://incogni.com/tabletodayImpressum: https://table.media/impressumDatenschutz: https://table.media/datenschutzerklaerungBei Interesse an Audio-Werbung in diesem Podcast melden Sie sich gerne bei Laurence Donath: laurence.donath@table.media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Com a saída confirmada de Keir Starmer, empurrado pela eleição como deputado de Andy Burnham - nova estrela do Partido Trabalhista e o político que se segue -, o Reino Unido chega ao sétimo primeiro-ministro desde que realizou o referendo do BREXIT, em 2016. À procura de entender a política britânica, conversamos com o editor de Internacional do Expresso, Pedro Cordeiro.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

His departure, even with a parliamentary majority of 174 seats, was in discussion after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham secured commanding victory in Makerfield by-election.

Keir Starmer is on his way out and Andy Burnham looks set to become Britain's next Prime Minister. After years as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham appears to have cleared the field, with Labour MPs rallying behind him and potential rivals standing aside. But what happens next?Can Burnham turn his popularity into a successful premiership? Does he have a plan for Britain's sluggish economy, rising welfare costs and growing defence commitments? What exactly is "Manchesterism", and can it work across the whole country?To discuss all of this and more, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is in Westminster, speaking to Channel 4 News Political Editor Gary Gibbon about Burnham's path to Number 10, the likely shape of his government, the future of Labour, and what Nigel Farage and Reform UK make of the challenge ahead. He's joined by Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika, the i Paper's Kitty Donaldson, and Ipsos UK Chief Executive Kelly Beaver to assess what a Burnham premiership could mean for British politics.

De ontwikkelingen stapelen zich in rap tempo op nadat Keir Starmer vanochtend liet weten dat hij aftreedt als premier, het lijkt erop dat het Andy Burnham is die de nieuwe bewoner wordt van 10 Downing Street. Wes Streeting, die zich een paar weken geleden nog kandidaat stelde, heeft inmiddels laten weten Burnham te steunen. Voormalig vicepremier Angela Rayner was eerder al afgehaakt als premier-kandidaat. Zullen andere kandidaten zich opwerpen of is het een gelopen race voor de voormalig burgemeester van Greater Manchester? In deze extra aflevering praten Ruth Oei en Joost Dobber, correspondent in Londen voor het Financieele Dagblad, je bij. Over Van Bekhovens Britten In van Bekhovens Britten praten Lia van Bekhoven en Connor Clerx elke week over de grootste nieuwsonderwerpen en de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Van Brexit naar binnenlandse politiek, van de Royals tot de tabloids. Waarom fascineert het VK Nederlanders meer dan zo veel andere Europese landen? Welke rol speelt het vooralsnog Verenigd Koninkrijk in Europa, nu het woord Brexit uit het Britse leven lijkt verbannen, maar de gevolgen van de beslissing om uit de EU te stappen iedere dag duidelijker worden? Na ruim 45 jaar onder de Britten heeft Lia van Bekhoven een unieke kijk op het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Als inwoner, maar zeker geen anglofiel, heeft ze een scherpe blik op het nieuws, de politiek, de monarchie en het dagelijkse leven aan de overkant van de Noordzee. Elke woensdag krijg je een nieuwe podcast over het leven van Van Bekhovens Britten in je podcastapp. Scherpe analyses, diepgang waar op de radio geen tijd voor is en een flinke portie humor. Abonneer en mis geen aflevering. Over Lia Lia van Bekhoven is correspondent Verenigd Koninkrijk voor onder andere BNR Nieuwsradio, VRT, Knack en Elsevier en is regelmatig in talkshows te zien als duider van het nieuws uit het VK. Ze woont sinds 1976 in Londen, en is naast correspondent voor radio, televisie en geschreven media ook auteur van de boeken Mama gaat uit dansen, het erfgoed van Diana, prinses van Wales (1997), Land van de gespleten God, Noord-Ierland en de troubles (2000), In Londen, 9 wandelingen door de Britse hoofdstad (2009) en Klein-Brittannië (2022).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to run one of the UK's most ambitious city regions?Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, joins Lisa Morton to share how the region is turning devolution into real, tangible change for people's lives.Caroline has helped shape some of the most significant developments in Greater Manchester in recent years, including the Bee Network; the region's locally run public transport system. She also played a central role in developing the Greater Manchester Strategy, a plan that brings the public, private, and voluntary sectors together around a single, shared vision.You'll hear how the Greater Manchester Combined Authority identified the need for the Good Growth Fund, and how they're positioning the region as a compelling destination for outside investment. Caroline also explores what it means in practice to ensure that growth reaches all ten Greater Manchester Boroughs, so that no community is left behind.With the world watching the city's growth, development and leadership, Lisa and Caroline also reflect on what Caroline believes will define Greater Manchester's next decade.--------------------Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family' and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.Connect with Caroline and GMCAVia Caroline's LinkedIn Via GMCA LinkedInVia GMCA InstagramConnect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:Via our websiteOn InstagramOn X Thanks to our partners on this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.

fWotD Episode 3335: Manchester Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Monday, 22 June 2026, is Manchester.Manchester is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of over 589,000 in 2024. It borders the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the city of Salford to the west. The two cities and the surrounding towns form one of the United Kingdom's most populous conurbations, the Greater Manchester Built-up Area, which has a population of 2.87 million.The history of Manchester began with the civilian settlement associated with the Roman fort of Mamucium or Mancunium, established around AD 79 on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell. Historically part of Lancashire, areas of Cheshire south of the River Mersey were incorporated into Manchester in the 20th century. Throughout the Middle Ages Manchester remained a manorial township, but began to expand significantly with a boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution, which resulted in it becoming the world's first industrialised city. Manchester attained city status in 1853. The Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894, creating the Port of Manchester and linking the city to the Irish Sea, 36 miles (58 km) to the west. Its fortune declined after the Second World War, owing to deindustrialisation, and the 1996 Manchester bombing led to extensive investment and regeneration.Following considerable redevelopment, Manchester was the host city for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The city is notable for its architecture, its musical exports, its links to media, its links to science and engineering, its sports clubs and its transport connections.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:25 UTC on Monday, 22 June 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Manchester on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Brian.

VOV1 - Thủ tướng Anh Keir Starmer đang phải đối mặt với nhiều sức ép sau một loạt kết quả bầu cử địa phương không thuận lợi, khi Công đảng mất hơn 1 nghìn 200 ghế hội đồng địa phương và đánh mất quyền kiểm soát Nghị viện xứ Wales.Đáng chú ý, Thị trường Greater Manchester, ông Andy Burnham đã giành chiến thắng áp đảo trong cuộc bầu cử bổ sung tại khu vực Makerfield diễn ra cuối tuần qua. Trong bối cảnh uy tín của Thủ tướng Keir Starmer sụt giảm nghiêm trọng, việc đối thủ Andy Burnham giành chiến thắng và quay trở lại Quốc hội thách thức ra sao tới vị trí lãnh đạo Công đảng của ông Keir Starmer trong thời gian tới? Tương lai chính trị của Công đảng cũng sẽ được định hình thế nào sau chiến thắng của ông Andy Burnham?Thủ tướng Anh Keir Starmer. Ảnh: Reuters.

The Rise of Andy Burnham in UK Politics. Guest: Anatol Lieven. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is emerging as a formidable potential successor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Though Burnham enjoys strong regional support, he faces daunting national issues, including the funding crisis in the NHS and Britain's inability to borrow like the United States. 141918```

Andy Burnham's resounding win in the Makerfield byelection has set the stage for a leadership battle with Keir Starmer. The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester received more votes than Reform and Restore combined, and the nature of the victory has prompted speculation he could replace Starmer as prime minister within weeks, if not days. Annie Kelly speaks to political correspondent Alexandra Topping UK politics – live updates Andy Burnham wins by huge majority. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

In the end, it was not even close. Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election by a landslide, putting him on course to be Britain's next prime minister.The Mayor of Greater Manchester managed to unite the left behind his ‘Stop Reform' campaign, beating even the most optimistic polls with 24,937 votes (54.8 per cent). That put him more than 20 points ahead of Reform's Robert Kenyon, who won 15,696 votes (34.5 per cent), and in a distant third came Restore Britain's Rebecca Shepherd, who took 3,111 votes (6.8 per cent).Now that Burnham has proved he is the man who can take the fight to Reform in a constituency full of ‘their kind of people', what happens next?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Tim Shipman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham will return to Westminster as an MP, and potential challenger to Keir Starmer, after decisively beating Reform UK to win the Makerfield byelection. Kiran Stacey and Jessica Elgot chat through what happens next. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Simon Constable discusses the upcoming by-election in Makerfield, where Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham challenges Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership. The segment explores internal Labour Party power struggles and the physical process of UK voting, highlighting Starmer's refusal to step down despite mounting pressure from prospective rivals. (2)

After Andy Burnham's landslide win against Nigel Farage's Reform party in Makerfield, we thought you'd love to hear his interview with James O'Brien again, first released in 2022Dubbed 'King of the North' at the height of the pandemic, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham speaks to James about why he sees the country of his birth as containing 'two Englands'. After growing up in a catholic Labour family in Aintree, Burnham went on to study at Cambridge but did not fit in. He tells James why.

Helen Pidd goes to Makerfield where the Labour candidate and would-be prime minister Andy Burnham faces Reform UK in a crucial byelection. With reporting from Josh Halliday. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

After nights of violence across Belfast this week, politicians continue to call for calm, but what else can be done to stop the violence spreading? Plus, Jessica Elgot has been to Makerfield and spoken to undecided voters on the doorstep. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

We're at a pivotal moment in world geopolitics. Increasingly the masks and the gloves are both off - but it's not a binary choice any more between two sets of suits in slightly different coloured ties: now we have the right showing its true colours  - and a chance for the progressive majority in this country to find its feet and lead us towards a genuinely thoughtful, emotionally literate, high-bandwidth politics that ditches the toxic tribalism and instead lays the ground for a future that could actually work. We're joined this week by Neal Lawson, co-founder and Executive Director of the progressive pressure group, Compass; and Rupert Read, Co-Director of the Climate Majority Project. Neal is a member of the Labour Party, and Rupert of the Green party and we came together to discuss the forthcoming by-election in Makerfield, where Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester is standing as a candidate, with a view to standing for leadership of the Labour Party if he wins.  His main challenger is the Reform party led by Nigel Farage.  The Greens are newly invigorated after their recent win in the Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester, so there has been a lot of conversation in progressive circles as to whether the Greens should step away to give Burnham a clear run. This seemed a good moment to have a vigorous conversation - to explore the possibilities and potential and the routes forward should Burnham win. CompassThe Climate Majority ProjectAndy Burnham in the Observer committing to PR Jamie Driscoll's post in The Canary - There's Nothing Pragmatic About Centrism The Fraud by Paul Holden —About Accidental Gods—We offer three strands all rooted in the same soil, drawing from the same river: Accidental Gods, Dreaming Awake and the Thrutopia Writing Masterclass Our next Open Gathering offered as part of our Accidental Gods Programme is 'WALKING THE PATH OF THE INNER WARRIOR' which will run on Sunday 28th June 2026 from 16:00 - 20:00 GMT - details are here. You don't have to be a member of Accidental Gods to come along - but if you are, all Gatherings are half price.If you'd like to join us at Accidental Gods, this is the membership where we endeavour to help you to connect fully with the living web of life. If you'd like to train more deeply in the contemporary shamanic work at Dreaming Awake, you'll find us here. If you'd like to explore the recordings from our last Thrutopia Writing Masterclass, the details are hereManda and Louise both offer one-to-one Mentoring Calls.  Manda is fully booked just now, but if you'd like to contact Louise, details are here.

If you are worried about China taking over due to having better robots than the yanks, I got mixed messages for ya here. This was created using DeepSeek v4 Pro. Remember when DeepSeek could do the same thing as chatGPT but on shitty processors and not much RAM? All those stocks shit themselves? Oh what memories. Would have been a great time to buy NVIDIA stocks. I didn't, if you're asking....It's pretty good but it really didn't follow the instruction in the prompt that Joel Hill is Jack the Insider on the transcript. So that's a minus point. But also, this took fucking ages to generate. It's better than lots of the yankee slop but damn son this took MINUTES. So they might take over if we are patient or whatever. Enjoy the episode. ----------------------------------------------Joel Hill (Jack the Insider) and Hong Kong Jack return for a sprawling episode that tackles two of the biggest stories shaping politics in 2026. The pair open with the jaw-dropping Redbridge poll putting One Nation at 31% of the primary vote — a number that would all but wipe the National Party off the federal map and potentially deliver Anthony Albanese a strengthened majority government by splintering the right. Joel and Jack clash over whether culture-war grievances or material concerns are driving the surge, while drawing historical parallels to Joh for Canberra and the DLP split of the 1950s.The conversation then crosses hemispheres for a tour through UK chaos: Peter Mandelson's leaked dossier exposing a rudderless No. 10 under Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband pleading guilty to embezzling SNP donations on a surreal shopping spree of Lalique salt shakers, seven Dysons, and a motorhome with four miles on the clock, and a deeply troubling police body-cam incident that has reignited the two-tier policing debate ahead of three critical by-elections.The centrepiece of the episode is a sober, hour-long deep dive into the COVID-19 pandemic and what Australia has refused to learn. The Two Jacks lay out the true death toll (perhaps 22 to 69 million globally), the devastating scale of long COVID, the vaccine rollout failures, the absurdities of hotel quarantine with rubbish bags over heads, and why governments and public health officials are desperate to avoid a Royal Commission. They close by asking whether the next pandemic will meet a population that has permanently lost trust in its leaders — and whether we'll simply repeat the mistakes of both COVID and the Spanish flu.Sport provides a lighter coda: the Carlton revival under an interim coach, James Hird's awkward candidacy at Essendon, the expanded 48-team World Cup that nobody seems excited about, and a formidable New Zealand Test side taking on England at Lord's.00:00:25 — Introduction Joel welcomes listeners to Episode 159, recorded 4 June. Today: Australian political news, a check-in on the UK, and a deep dive into the COVID-19 pandemic.00:01:21 — The Redbridge Poll: One Nation at 31% The AFR's Redbridge poll: One Nation 31%, Labor 28%, LNP 20%, Greens 12%. The two-party preferred is now being calculated as One Nation versus Labor — a seismic shift in how Australian politics is measured.00:03:12 — Not Just a Protest Vote Jack argues this is real, not a re-run of Hanson's 1990s flash-in-the-pan. The South Australian state election and the Farrah by-election suggest One Nation support is durable. Joel counters that protest votes can be expressed at the ballot box and that Australians are tiring of pluralism.00:04:09 — If One Nation Succeeds, Labor Wins The cruel irony: One Nation's rise probably delivers Labor government. The National Party could simply disappear. The DLP kept the Coalition in power for decades as an anti-Labor party; One Nation may do the reverse.00:05:46 — Scrutiny and Splintering Joel notes One Nation's policies are "two-sentence fragments" and motherhood statements. When proper scrutiny arrives, the contradictions will surface. Hanson's parliamentary attendance is as poor as imaginable.00:08:22 — The Third Rail Jack argues populists succeed because they discuss what polite society won't: immigration, culture wars, welcome to country rituals. The major parties must engage these topics or cede the ground entirely.00:11:34 — Feeling Unheard The core driver, Jack contends: voters feel sneered at and silenced by mainstream politics. It's not about flag counts, it's about being listened to.00:13:50 — What Actually Drives Votes Joel pushes back: voting determinants are the household economy, migration, climate change — not culture war trivia. Culture wars "don't amount to a hill of beans" at the ballot box.00:14:51 — The DLP Parallel Both agree the One Nation phenomenon most closely resembles the DLP split of the 1950s and 60s — a right-wing fracture that delivered Labor government after Labor government.00:17:18 — The Republic Referendum Lesson Jack recalls the 1999 republic referendum: pro-republicans split between models rather than uniting, scuppering the whole project. Voters will vote their preference even knowing it helps their enemy.00:19:32 — UK Parallels: Accommodate or Fight? Significant figures in the UK Tory party are debating whether to fight Reform or reach an accommodation. Tony Abbott recently said the Liberal Party won't criticise Pauline Hanson.00:21:48 — Joh for Canberra Redux Imre Salusinszky's comparison: this is "Joh for Canberra" all over again. But Joel notes Joh's moment lasted months; One Nation's has already lasted years.00:24:08 — State Election Previews Joel predicts the Victorian state election will be chaotic and peculiar — a government that's been in power too long, an opposition that may not be up to the task, and One Nation peeling votes from safe Labor seats. NSW will give a clearer reading.00:25:44 — Hanson "Ready to Govern" — from the Senate? Pauline Hanson announced she's ready to govern. Joel asks: shouldn't she contest a lower-house seat first? Jack recalls the only precedent: John Gorton became PM while still a senator, but had to be eased into Kooyong.00:28:20 — The Mandelson Dossier: Starmer's Empty Suit Jack's read of the leaked Mandelson documents: ministers don't know what the PM wants, there's zero respect or fear of his authority. Starmer comes across as an empty chair. One minister's text: "Every meeting with Labour MPs — it's all about who can we tax to pay benefits to other people."00:30:50 — Mandelson's Legal Peril Mandelson is under police investigation for misconduct in public office. Could face charges — the seriousness depends on whether it's mere misconduct or genuine bribery for foreign interests.00:31:49 — The Nicola Sturgeon Saga Her estranged husband has pleaded guilty to embezzling roughly £400,000 in SNP donations. The shopping list: six high-end coffee machines, seven Dyson vacuums, Lalique salt and pepper shakers, Montblanc pens, Swiss watches, an iJag, part of a Volkswagen, and a motorhome with four miles on the clock parked at his 92-year-old mother's house. Nicola claims she "didn't go in the kitchen much."00:34:20 — The BBC Interview Laura Kuenssberg's forensic interview with Sturgeon — "not quite Prince Andrew, but not much better." Sturgeon has been cleared by Police Scotland, but her reputation, already damaged by the Alex Salmond trial, is now in tatters.00:35:05 — Will He Go to Prison? £400,000 is a substantial sum. With another £600,000 unaccounted for, a custodial sentence seems likely. The money was ring-fenced for a second independence referendum push.00:36:50 — Money Laundering or Conspicuous Consumption? Joel wonders if the bizarre purchases — multiple watches on the same day — were an amateur money-laundering attempt: buy goods with SNP funds, sell them quietly for cash.00:38:23 — UK By-elections: Makerfield Looms Three by-elections on 18 June, including the critical Makerfield contest. Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester's high-profile mayor, is the tepid favourite. Low turnout could help him return to Westminster.00:39:30 — The Body-Cam Incident A white teenager accused of racially vilifying a Sikh man was stabbed — and police arrested the bleeding victim, not the attacker. Body-cam footage shows the victim saying "I can't breathe, I've been stabbed" while officers dismiss him. Joel calls the footage "just awful."00:41:22 — Two-Tier Policing Jack traces UK policing's overcorrection: after the Macpherson/Lawrence report, guidelines were rewritten so aggressively that they've produced a pattern of questionable enforcement that devastates community trust — and plays directly into Tommy Robinson's hands.00:42:08 — NSW Police on Four Corners Joel recommends the harrowing Four Corners investigation: bashings in custody, false arrests, an officer who threw body-cam footage into Sydney Harbour, and two undercover officers jailed for a savage assault. The problem today is general duties policing, not the specialist squads of the 1980s. Some command areas are far worse than others — a leadership failure.00:44:55 — Victoria Police: Under-Resourced, Not Corrupt Joel shares an anecdote: two divisional vans for 80,000 people in outer-east Melbourne. Tough work being a police officer; even tougher being a good one.The COVID-19 Reckoning00:45:09 — Why This Matters Joel sets the frame: we parked COVID in 2023 with a hangover but never understood what we'd been through. Today's episode aims to crack that problem.00:45:51 — The True Death Toll Officially: 7 million dead. But most countries stopped testing and stopped reporting cause-of-death data to the WHO. Using excess mortality, the real toll is between 22 and 69 million — at the high end, exceeding the Spanish flu.00:47:02 — Long COVID's Shadow Roughly 400 million people globally (6% of the population) have experienced long COVID. In Australia alone, between 200,000 and 500,000 people are living with or have lived with the condition. Second infections can be worse. Emerging links to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and accelerated dementia.00:49:43 — The Collective Amnesia Governments worldwide have "a collective embarrassment" about how they handled the pandemic, Jack says. They want it in the history books and forgotten. Joel says this is a grave mistake for public trust — and for public health, given COVID is now a permanent fixture alongside flu season.00:50:50 — Why Excess Deaths Are the Only Honest Metric All other figures are "kind of made up" because attribution methods vary wildly between countries. Excess deaths remain elevated in Australia and most nations.00:51:25 — Children and COVID Bobby Kennedy Jr. removed under-18s from government-supported vaccines in the US. Joel argues this is a disastrous move given mounting evidence that childhood COVID infection leads to higher rates of long-term chronic illness.00:52:47 — Why No Royal Commission? Not just politicians protecting themselves — public health officials and much of the media wanted to avoid scrutiny of their judgments and actions during the pandemic.00:53:32 — The Media's Abdication Jack watched "a lot" of Daniel Andrews's daily press conferences. Only two journalists ever asked pertinent questions: Rachel Baxendale and Leigh Sales. Nobody asked why curfews, why beach arrests, why the disparate impact on tradies and cafe owners while the "laptop class" actually made money working from home.00:56:14 — Andrews's Immense Popularity Joel adds context: Andrews was wildly popular at the time, which partly explains the media's deference — though Jack insists that shouldn't have mattered.00:57:34 — The Curfew Nonsense Curfews were about giving law enforcement the easiest possible environment, Joel says — and should have been acknowledged as such and wound back sooner. Meanwhile, Bondi's wealthy swam en masse while Western Sydney's working-class communities were treated harshly.00:57:59 — The Vaccine Rollout Failure The Morrison government bet everything on AstraZeneca — the non-mRNA, first-available vaccine. Then rare blood-clotting issues emerged (seven deaths, mainly men aged 40–49). Meanwhile, Australia was left waiting for Pfizer and other mRNA vaccines because no other supply deals had been secured.00:59:37 — Omicron Breaks the Pandemic's Back The Omicron variant emerged from South Africa: more infectious but far less lethal. Combined with 95%+ vaccination rates among Australians over 18, it effectively ended the acute phase — though at the cost of entrenched mistrust.01:00:38 — Government Overreach and Broken Trust Jack's core criticism: governments outsourced decision-making to public health officials rather than making political judgments that balanced competing interests. Joel counters that it would have been a "bold move" for politicians with no scientific background to contradict public health advice.01:02:19 — "Just Let It Rip" Was Never an Option The three countries with the highest COVID mortality — Brazil (highest), United States (second), India (third) — were all led by populist governments that largely refused mandates. Letting it rip was devastating.01:03:27 — The ADF Quarantine Scandal Scott Morrison refused to allow ADF quarantine facilities to be used for returning travellers. Instead, people were crammed into hotels with gaps under the doors. Joel recalls the "rubbish bags over heads" episode in Victoria — dark green plastic bags as infection control.01:05:00 — The Inquiry's Recommendations Create a proper Australian CDC. Release expert advice publicly. Better national planning with clear political accountability. And critically: politicians must own the big decisions on freedoms and spending instead of hiding behind experts.01:06:01 — The Next Pandemic There will be another one. If it's a respiratory, airborne pathogen like COVID, similar circumstances will return. Are we ready? Probably not. Will we close the country again? The economic damage — unemployment hitting 7.5% in 2020 — was enormous, even if it recovered to 3.5% by pandemic's end.01:08:06 — Who Was Left Behind? The arts community was inexplicably excluded from JobSeeker and JobKeeper. Meanwhile, the "laptop class" working from home effectively got a 15% pay rise by eliminating commuting costs. Bunnings did very well; so did companies that kept JobKeeper without passing it to employees.01:11:14 — The Human Cost of Lockdowns Public housing towers in Flemington were locked down. Joel recalls one family: an African-Australian single mother with nine children in a two-bedroom commission flat, trapped. Jack calls what happened with schools "disgraceful." But Joel notes the evidence now shows childhood COVID infection has serious long-term health consequences, complicating the retrospective judgment.01:13:59 — Will We Learn Anything? Jack's bleak prediction: the next pandemic is probably far enough away that we'll take no notice of COVID's lessons and make the same mistakes. Joel agrees — we didn't learn from the Spanish flu a century ago either.01:15:51 — Malcolm Roberts and Vaccine Misinformation The One Nation senator claims 70,000 Australians died from COVID vaccines — a figure with no evidentiary support, built by misattributing excess deaths. In reality, mRNA technology is now being deployed as a cancer treatment, showing promise against bowel and pancreatic cancers.01:17:36 — Trust Destroyed If the next pandemic arrives within this generation, governments will face a population that has lost faith. If it takes 50 years, the damage may have faded. Western Australia, meanwhile, locked itself down with negligible deaths and actually loved the isolation — provided the iron ore and LNG ships kept moving.01:20:37 — The Spanish Flu Echo Joel's closing historical note: Australia's response to the Spanish flu in 1919–1921 was nearly identical to COVID — lockdown disputes, police arresting people for not wearing masks, states fighting the newly created federal Department of Health. The whole thing collapsed into acrimony the moment state rivalries flared. A century later, nothing had changed.01:21:48 — Federation as Fatal Flaw Jack adds: the three high-mortality COVID countries (US, Brazil, India) share a feature beyond populist leaders — they're all federations where central government power is limited. When "the emperor is far away and the mountains are high," coordinated pandemic response is nearly impossible.01:23:40 — No Appetite for Truth Jack's final word: nobody wants a proper inquiry. Not politicians, not public health officials, not much of the media. Joel disagrees on the importance — the pandemic's legacy still shapes how Australians think, vote, and trust.Sport01:27:40 — AFL Coaching Carousel Essendon and Carlton both need permanent coaches. Joel asks: is James Hird the right man for Essendon? Jack: 17 other clubs wouldn't give him an interview, but the Bombers may have backed themselves into a corner where appointing him is the only way out.01:28:53 — Merit vs Member Sentiment Rowan Connolly's question: would you take James Hird or John Longmire (five grand finals, one premiership, 60%+ win rate)? The answer is obvious on merit — but members and fans want the fairy tale.01:29:47 — Carlton's Astonishing Revival Three straight wins. Ranked 16th in forward-50 entries a month ago; now second. The game style is unrecognisable — no more bombing the ball to non-existent power forwards. Mitch McGovern's low, flat kick to Patrick Cripps for the match-winner against Geelong was emblematic of the transformation. Seven players aged 21 or younger are now getting games and bringing energy.01:33:18 — FIFA World Cup 2026: Nobody's Excited Expanded to 48 teams, Scotland are going — and a Scot in his 30s told Jack that neither he nor any of his mates (all doing well financially, normally first on the plane) have any interest. Ticket prices are "extraordinary." The final is at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — which Jack describes as "Waverley on steroids, but even more bleak."01:36:08 — Australia's Draw Socceroos face Turkey first up, then the United States. Jack suggests marketing it as "Gallipoli Round Two." Spain are favourites; England, Brazil, and Germany are in the chasing pack.01:37:06 — Cricket: England v New Zealand, First Test at Lord's Joel runs through New Zealand's likely top seven — Latham, Conway, Williamson, Ravindra, Mitchell, Blundell — noting the first four have all made Test double-centuries. "Just about the best first six in Test cricket." With O'Rourke's express pace and Henry's quality, this is a formidable Black Caps side.01:38:40 — Stump Speech & Next Week Listener mail (including an "exposé of who Jack is") held over for next episode. For the record: Hong Kong Jack's CV includes HSC at Assumption College Kilmore, a stint as a carpenter, a law degree from Melbourne University, stints at Holding Redlich and Slater & Gordon, work as a litigation and immigration lawyer, and an appointment to the Refugee Review Tribunal as a federal cabinet appointee.01:40:39 — Outro Joel thanks listeners for hanging in for an extra ten minutes. Back next week.The Two Jacks is recorded weekly. Send your questions and feedback to the show.

With three weeks to go until the Makerfield byelection, where an Andy Burnham victory could change the direction of the Labour party, Pippa Crerar joins him on the campaign trail in Wigan and Leigh, speaking to voters on their doorsteps. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Daniel Trilling on the far-right party threatening Reform's chances in the Makerfield byelection. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Today, we find out more about Reform's candidate Robert Kenyon back story and why his old posts on social media are making headlines. Plus, what impact could Restore Britain have on the Reform UK vote and how Andy Burnham has outgrown Mayor of Greater Manchester. Adam is joined by Annabel Tiffin, political editor for BBC Northwest, Lara Spirit, the Deputy Political Editor for The Sunday Times, and More in Common's Luke Tryl. A full list of candidates and loads more information about the Makerfield by-election is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgrp1z8n4w2oYou can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes are released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade and Chris Gray with Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Andy Burnham is the man on everyone's lips in Westminster. As he campaigns to return to parliament in the Makerfield by-election, Tim and James bring you the definitive guide to Burnham – and what could happen next.They're joined by Joshi Herrmann, founder and editor of Mill Media, whose profile of Burnham had Westminster buzzing over the weekend. He shares his view of the Greater Manchester mayor's ‘unusual gifts and glaring weaknesses', whether ‘Burnhamism' really exists, and if Burnham's emotional style of politics could survive the brutality of No. 10.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Halliday on why Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is tipped to be the future Labour leader … if he wins the Makerfield byelection. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus