Uk Govt

Burnham's 'good growth' pitch: How it differs from plans of 'failed' UK PMs

Theresa May promised industrial renewal, Johnson championed levelling up and Starmer pledged national renewal. Andy Burnham argues growth will remain elusive unless power moves beyond Westminster

Burnham's rival Jones steps aside, clearing his route to 10 Downing

Darren Jones ruled out a Labour leadership bid, leaving Andy Burnham on course to succeed Keir Starmer as UK prime minister by mid-July

Why Andy Burnham is again being discussed as Labour's future leader

A return to Westminster has reignited speculation around Andy Burnham's national ambitions, with allies viewing him as a politician capable of reconnecting Labour with disillusioned voters

After Starmer's exit, Britain prepares for its seventh PM in a decade

From Brexit and the pandemic to economic crises and party rebellions, the UK has experienced one of the most turbulent periods in its modern political history

Keir Starmer resignation: Top five Labour leaders who could succeed him

Keir Starmer resignation: From Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting to Angela Rayner, several Labour heavyweights are emerging as potential successors

Starmer announces resignation as UK PM, successor to take over by September

Under mounting pressure from within the governing Labour Party, PM Keir Starmer said he would step down and ensure an orderly transition, with a successor expected to be in place by September

UK's Starmer considers political future, could decide as soon as Monday

Keir Starmer weighed his future as PM amid growing Labour calls to quit after Andy Burnham's election win intensified leadership pressure

Donald Trump says Keir Starmer will step down as UK prime minister

Trump claimed Keir Starmer will resign as UK prime minister, blaming him for failures on immigration and energy policy

Burnham wins special UK election, emerging as potential rival to Starmer

Labour's Andy Burnham, the current mayor of Greater Manchester, has won a special election for a seat in Parliament that puts him in a position to challenge embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Burnham won the seat of Makerfield in northwest England over Rob Kenyon of the anti-immigration party Reform UK. The victory announced Friday cements the status of Burnham as the leading contender to replace Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the country. Burnham has pledged that "if people put their trust in me, I will change politics" - a big promise for a politician who is just one of 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons. He said he would take the fight for change "as high as I can possibly take it." Starmer's popularity has cratered since he led the centre-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024. He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps, ...

UK set to block Sunil Bharti Mittal's bid to raise stake in BT Group

Bharti Enterprises was seeking to potentially increase its stake in BT to just under the threshold that would require it to make a full ​takeover offer for the British telecoms group

Bharti group seeks UK support to increase BT stake without bid for takeover

Bharti could increase its stake to as much as 29.9 per cent to gain greater economic exposure to BT but does not plan to pursue a full takeover

UK health secy quits, setting up potential leadership challenge to Starmer

Efforts to unseat British Prime Minister Keir Starmer from within his party broke into open rebellion Thursday, with one potential rival resigning from the Cabinet and two others positioning themselves for a future leadership challenge. Health Secretary Wes Streeting became the first senior minister to quit Thursday in what was seen as a precursor to challenging Starmer's leadership. He said he had lost confidence in Starmer, who should not serve out the rest of his term. "You have shown courage and statesmanship on the world stage - not least in keeping Britain out of the war in Iran," Streeting wrote in an excoriating resignation letter. "But where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift." But Streeting stopped short of saying he was the best candidate to lead the party at the next election due by 2029, suggesting Starmer should step aside to allow a "broad" field of candidates to debate the future of the party. Starmer is under growing pressure t

Why Labour lawmakers are calling for UK PM Keir Starmer to resign

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to step down as dissent grows within the ruling Labour Party, with several lawmakers openly calling for his resignation

UK PM Starmer, French Prez Macron to host global meet on reopening Hormuz

The Paris meeting is part of attempts by sidelined nations to ease the impact of a conflict they didn't start and haven't joined, but that has sent the global economy reeling

UK govt puts Chagos Islands deal on hold after Trump's opposition

Trump in February said a plan to hand over Chagos Island to Mauritius, while retaining control of the joint US-UK military base of Diego Garcia through a lease, was a 'big mistake'

US allies working on plan B for Strait of Hormuz if Trump walks away

Virtual meeting of around 40 nations showed the coalition of countries deem it necessary to begin preparations for having to reopen the strait without the US

Former UK ambassador to US Peter Mandelson arrested amid Epstein probe

Peter Mandelson, theUK's formerambassador to the US,wasarrestedfrom his north London home on Monday onsuspicion of misconduct in public office, the Metropolitan Police said. Mandelson hadresigned from the House of Lords andLabour Party earlier this month following damaging allegations related to his association with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Met Police had confirmed soon after that the force had opened aninvestigation into the former frontlineLabour politician, who served in the Cabinet underprimeministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. "Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office,"said a Met Police spokesperson. "He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station forinterview.This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas. "We are not able to provide further information at this stage to preventprejudicing the integrity of the investigation," ..

UK deputy PM calls for safe, fair, and inclusive AI to benefit humanity

UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy on Friday emphasised the importance of having a safe, inclusive and equitable artificial intelligence available for everyone. Speaking at a session at the AI Impact Summit in the national capital, Lammy said that the world faces two parts with respect to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The choices the world faces are two paths -- one which sees AI take power and opportunity away from people and "sadly divides us"; and another one that sees AI used as a force for good to solve problems and uplift all of humanity, he said. The session was on 'Speaking Everyone's Language: The Key to Inclusive Al Opportunity' Lammy also mentioned certain projects related to AI, including the Asia AI Development Observatory that would be a new network to support responsible AI governance and other aspects. These projects as well as many new institutions and coalitions that are now emerging can help make sure that "we go down the right path. That is a path of a safe

India summit 'important moment' to unlock full benefits of AI: UK deputy PM

The UK's focus during the AI Impact Summit set to start in New Delhi on Monday will be on championing how artificial intelligence can supercharge growth, unlock new jobs, improve public services and deliver benefits for people around the globe, the British government has said. The UK delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, is keen to highlight how AI can improve everyday life in every corner of the world and make the case for AI as an engine of renewal that can help doctors diagnose faster, teachers personalise learning, councils deliver services in minutes and businesses create the next generation of good jobs. "This summit is an important moment in determining how we can work together with our international partners to unlock the full benefits and potential of AI, while baking in robust and fair safety standards that protect us all," said Lammy, in a pre-summit statement. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) sa

UK touts first mover edge as India FTA debate heats up in Commons

The UK government has highlighted its first mover advantage by signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with a rapidly growing Indian economy ahead of the European Union (EU), which it claimed had used Britain's deal as a "baseline". During a House of Commons debate on the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) earlier this week, the Opposition Conservatives insisted the deal with "one of the largest economies on the planet, which is growing approximately five times faster than the European Union" could have been better. "British businesses needed something with a really good kick in it to get this country growing. Instead of a vindaloo of a deal, the Prime Minister came back with a bag of soggy poppadoms," said Andrew Griffith, shadow business and trade secretary. Chris Bryant, minister of state in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), responded on behalf of the Labour government to stress that CETA was a "momentous achievement" which goes "well beyond India'