Budget 2026: Chancellor John Healey's big London dilemma as he battles to fire up Britain Commentary: The Chancellor is having to walk an economic tightrope over London Evening Standard · Oct 26
One thing must now be clear to Andy Burnham. The rightwing press is on a war footing – and he’s the enemy Farage was its champion, now it’s Badenoch – and the aim is the PM’s defeat at all costs, says Guardian columnist Jane Martinson The Guardian - UK · Oct 13
OPINION - Why is Gen Z so obsessed with New Labour? When Tony Blair declared that he wanted Britain to be “a young country again” during his 1995 Labour Party conference speech, he had no idea that his words would eventually be cut, stitched and repurposed for a TikTok — complete with lo-fi Arial subtitles and Be My Baby by The… Evening Standard · Oct 11
Edward Enninful hopeful Government will ‘push the arts more’ He was speaking at a launch event for The 90s: Art And Fashion exhibition at the Tate Britain, which he curated. Evening Standard · Oct 6
Manchester City’s guilty verdict brings football’s great sell-off crashing to earth On the day Andy Burnham spoke of the wrong turn Britain took under Thatcher, football was facing a day of reckoning over its own story of corporate acquisition The Guardian - UK · Oct 3
Cooper pledges revival of ‘one of Labour’s greatest achievements’ – Sure Start The Health Secretary will announce support for babies and parents will be expanded through a network of local hubs. Evening Standard · Sep 30
Tony Blair would like Andy Burnham to take his advice on rejoining the EU. Should he? The former PM has been consulted by many who came after him – but Burnham might want to shake his New Labour past once and for all, says former Labour party adviser Tom Baldwin The Guardian - UK · Sep 27
Labour supporters think Andy Burnham is a better PM than Tony Blair and Gordon Brown Exclusive: The polling carried out by Opinium shows that 56 per cent of Labour supporters say the current government is doing about as well – or better – at running the country than New Labour did The Independent UK · Sep 25
Almost half of Brits think more should be spent on disability benefits Longstanding poll reveals public opinions on disability benefits and Labour’s big challenge on NHS satisfaction The Independent UK · Sep 7
The end is finally in sight for this ‘throw away the key’ prisons scandal THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: After years of injustice, those wronged by malign IPP sentencing are closer than ever to redress – and The Independent is proud to have played its part The Independent UK · Aug 11
Burnham: ‘I’ll bring the joy of holidays and pints back to people’s lives’ New Labour leader Andy Burnham has pledged to bring the “extra joy” of pints and holidays back into people’s lives. The Independent UK · Jul 17
I’ve seen what the death of major industry did to Britain. Without a good revival plan, Burnham cannot succeed Collieries turned into retail parks, manufacturing in the doldrums. The problem is vast, but at least the PM-in-waiting sees it: and in that there is hope, says Guardian columnist John Harris The Guardian - UK · Jul 5
The Conversation · Jun 25 The class divide in British politics didn’t erode slowly – it collapsed under New Labour British politics has become increasingly volatile and fragmented, with no party able to command the substantial backing of the public that was once routine. The results from England’s local elections in May illustrate just how far politics has moved from the two-party dominance that characterised much of the 20th century.…
The Guardian - UK · Jun 24 Back on the pitch: how Burnham’s chief of staff pick reunites late-90s Labour football team Some worry choosing James Purnell, former Demon Eyes teammate, would show Labour struggling for new talent
The Independent UK · Jun 19 Andy Burnham cares way more about his clothes than he wants you to know IN FOCUS: The new MP for Makerfield has spent the past decade honing a wardrobe that positions him as a relatable bloke who can see beyond the ‘Westminster bubble’. Katie Rosseinsky takes a closer look at the sartorial evolution of the ‘King of the North’
The Independent UK · Jun 18 Andy Burnham: The ‘King of the North’ who looks set to become Britain’s next prime minister PROFILE: The former New Labour minister has previously contested the leadership twice. Nicole Wootton-Cane looks at the life and career of the Greater Manchester mayor, who hopes to be Britain’s next prime minister
The Guardian - UK · Jun 4 Zombie Blairites still have British politics in their grip – it’s time to break free Tony Blair’s departure as PM should have prompted a fresh start for Labour. But Starmer’s sad, backward-looking government remains in his thrall, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty
The Guardian - UK · Jun 2 What Blair gets wrong about the economy – it is fired by people, not business Letters: Readers respond to Jonathan Freedland’s article about Tony Blair’s vision for the future
The Conversation · Jun 1 Tony Blair has taken aim at Keir Starmer – but some of his criticisms apply to New Labour too It is rare for former prime ministers to engage in debates about public policy nearly 20 years after they left office. Other than the most general observations, they tend to avoid interventions. So, when Tony Blair offered 5,700 words of criticism directed at the party he led for 13 years,…
The Guardian - UK · May 27 New Mandelson revelations cast doubt on claim vetting decision was borderline, Thornberry says – as it happened ‘It becomes quite clear why UKSV saw him as a subject of concern who shouldn’t be granted clearance,’ Thornberry tells the Guardian
The Independent UK · May 26 Voices: If Labour wants to get back on track, it must listen to Tony Blair THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: In an extraordinary intervention, the most successful leader in the party’s history says it is only by embracing the ‘radical centre’ that either the party or the country can hope to hold off the threats coming down the tracks – Labour must focus on the ‘what’…
The Guardian - UK · Apr 27 Mandelson and McSweeney: a partnership forged on winning and crushing the Labour left Former chief of staff who helped bring Mandelson out of Labour shadows for Washington post to be questioned by MPs on vetting process
The Guardian - UK · Apr 20 Today, it fell to parliament to hold Keir Starmer to account for the Mandelson scandal. It largely failed On these occasions, MPs have a solemn duty to reflect the public’s anger and need for answers. A pity that so few seem able to fulfil it, says political commentator Toby Helm