Wes Streeting is being talked up to become Andy Burnham’s chancellor – as some MPs campaign to stop Ed Miliband from landing the job should Burnham become Prime Minister.
Sir Keir Starmer resigned as Prime Mininster on Monday following a months-long crisis over the party’s direction and electoral fortunes.
He told the nation in a speech outside Downing Street: “The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.”
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politics
Starmer resigns as PM and leader of Labour Party
Caption: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks outside 10 Downing Street, following Andy Burnham’s decisive victory last week in the Makerfield by-election, in London, Britain, June 22, 2026. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Photographer: Jaimi Joy
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Sir Keir Starmer has resigned to make way for a new Labour leader by September as former mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham eyes No 10.
Here’s how the leadership race could unfold.
Starmer resigns
A tearful Starmer announced that he had “heard the answer of my parliamentary party” as to whether he was the best man for the job, and accepted the answer “with good grace”.
The party’s National Executive Committtee will set a timetable for a leadership contest, but he said nominations will open on 9 July and a new PM would be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break in September.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned as leader of the Labour Party (Photo: AFP)
Starmer embraced his wife Victoria following his speech (Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Who could replace Starmer?
Burnham is expected to launch his bid for leadership in the coming days, though his path is unlikely to be clear. Both Cabinet ministers and backbenchers are expected to challenge him.
Caption: Newly elected Makerfield MP Andy Burnham of Britain’s Labour Party attends a press conference after winning the by-election in the northwest England constituency, in Wigan, Britain, June 19, 2026. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Photographer: Temilade Adelaja
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 16: Wes Streeting delivers a speech on the economy at Tower Place East on June 16, 2026 in London, England. The ex-health secretary reveals his “economic blueprint for Britain” and talks about his vision for “progressive capitalism”. Streeting resigned as health minister after Labour’s poor performance in the local elections and has confirmed he will stand against Keir Starmer for leadership of the party if a contest is triggered. (Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images)
Photographer: Alishia Abodunde
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has said he will run, and other possible contenders include Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and former Armed Forces minister Al Carns.
What did Starmer say?
I was told time and time again that my party was finished… We proved those people wrong, because we changed our party, ripping out the poison of antisemitism, restoring trust on the economy, defence, and national security, and becoming a party that once again stood proudly with, not against, our national flag.
sir keir starmer, resignation speech
Caption: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks on, as he announces the timeline for his resignation, outside 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, June 22, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Shepheard
Photographer: Toby Shepheard
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
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tennis
Serena Williams gets Wimbledon singles wildcard
Williams showed off her signature power from the baseline (Photo: Getty)
Tennis champion Serena Williams will make a return to the court for the first time in four years, alone as well as alongside her sister Venus.
Here is everything we know so far.
Wildcard wonder
Williams, 44, is set to make a career comeback at the All England Tennis Club after retiring from tennis in 2022. She has been handed a wildcard to compete both in the singles tournament and in doubles alongside her sister Venus, 46.
Her last Wimbledon tournament saw her injured and defeated, so this will be her chance to set the record straight.
Sue Barker interviews Serena Williams after her defeat to Simona Halep in the 2019 final (Photo: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
FOOTBALL
3 min read
Record-breaking career
Williams has won the women’s singles tournament at Wimbledon seven times, among her 23 grand slam singles wins. She holds the women’s record for most grand slam titles in the Open era, one behind Novak Djokovic.
Caption: 11 Sep 1999: A close up of Serena Williams of the USA as she poses with her trophy after the match between Martina Hingis of Switzerland in the US Open at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. Williams defeated Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire /Allsport
Photographer: Jamie Squire
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images North America
Caption: Serena Williams of the United States, hits a return as she and playing partner Victoria Mboko of Canada play against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand during their first round doubles match at the Queen’s Club tennis championships in London, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Photographer: Alberto Pezzali
Provider: AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
She also holds the record for the longest time as world No 1, holding it for 319 weeks until 2017. Williams retired after injuries and losses saw her ranking slip.
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A viral social media trend has sparked backlash after the audio from Charlie Kirk’s assassination is being used for outfit transitions. The transition uses a six-second segment from the assassination of the conservative activist with the gunshot sound as the transition. But is this part of a wider desensitisation of violence online? #charliekirk #us #news
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Caption: FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: An Air India Airbus A320-200 aircraft takes off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, July 7, 2017. Picture taken July 7, 2017. To match Analysis AIR INDIA-PRIVATISATION/ REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo/File Photo
Photographer: Amit Dave
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
travel
Which airlines are worst for delays?
New figures reveal which airline is most likely to disrupt your holiday, as delays from all UK airports are analysed.
Who are the worst offenders?
Airlines were ranked from longest to shortest average delay to departure times.
Air India
36 minutes and 35 seconds.
Blue Islands
25 minutes and 12 seconds.
TAP Air Portugal
23 minutes.
Money Clinic
3 min read
A closer look at the list
Some major airlines have warned of plunging profit margins, as well the possibility of more expensive fares (Photo: Getty)
Tui came in fifth place with a 20-minute average delay.
KLM took the No 10 spot with average delays of 17 minutes.
Jet2, WizzAir and RyanAir were among the bottom 20 with delays of around 15 minutes.
BOOKS
4 min read
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“It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment I realised I wanted to leave London,” writes journalist Maybelle Morgan. “But this summer, after 29 years in the UK, I left London for Lisbon, for good.” Some 174,000 16- to 34-year-olds left the UK in the year to March, show figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 27 November. The reasons? Wages, especially early-career wages, haven’t kept up with rents, energy bills and food prices. #UK#costofliving#australia#livingabroad
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A man cools down with a bottle of water during the hot weather at Westminster Bridge, central London (Photo: James Manning/PA)
news
UK faces extreme heat warnings – everything we know
Temperatures could reach up to 39°C in the south of England, as an extreme heat warning is in place until Friday.
Here’s where will see the hottest temperatures.
Records set to be broken
The Met Office has said the record temperature for June, set at 35.6°C in Southampton in 1976, is likely to be broken, with temperatures forecast over that for Wednesday and Thursday as the heatwave reaches its peak.
Highs of 37°C are forecast in southern England and 35°C in Wales, with cooler temperatures elsewhere.
NEWS
3 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
A closer look at the forecast
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 26: Women relax on deckchairs in St James’s Park on May 26, 2026 in London, England. The UK has recoded the hottest May temperature on record with a blistering 34.8??C registered at Kew Gardens. Overnight temperatures also reached a record-breaking 21.3??C, marking the country’s first-ever spring “tropical night.” This extreme heatwave has triggered Amber Heat-Health Alerts across central and southern England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Photographer: Carl Court
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
London will see the highest temperature with a peak of 39°C on Wednesday.
An amber health warning is in place for the south-east extending to Exeter, Shrewsbury and Lincoln.
This will extend north and west to cover most of Wales by Thursday.
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
Rare health warning issued
A red alert for extreme heat has been issued for parts of southern and central England on Wednesday and Thursday, a warning rarely seen in the UK. Temperatures are set to top 35°C in most of the area between Bristol and London.
Amber and yellow warnings remain in place today for the rest of the country.
Caption: People cross Westminster Bridge during a heatwave, after the UK recorded its hottest May bank holiday ever, in London, Britain, May 26, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor
Photographer: Jack Taylor
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Analysis
3 min read
How to stay safe in the heat
People sit in the shade at London Fields during a heat wave last summer (Photographer: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Stay out of the sun
The Met Office recommends avoiding the sun between 11am and 3pm on hot days.
Keep cool at night
Tropical nights mean the temperature won’t fall below 20°C in some areas, making it hard to sleep. Close blinds during the day.
Woman awaking after sleeping well in a nice sleeping room. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Keep hydrated thruoghout the day to help bring down your body temperature (Photo: Catherine Delahaye/Getty)
Stay hydrated
The humidity will make it harder for the body to cool off during this heatwave, but you’ll still need to keep drinking.
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The 2026 World Cup is set to be one of the hottest on record, with temperatures in the US expected to top 35°C in cities like Dallas, Houston and Monterrey this June and July. This is not the first time the heat has impacted a World Cup, but for the first time, the 2026 edition will introduce three-minute “hydration breaks” to help the players. The i Paper’s Chief Football Writer@danielstorey85 went to Loughborough University to put his body to the test in a heat chamber and find out exactly what the players will be dealing with. #US #UK #worldcup #football
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world
The Trump-backed outsider who has won Colombia’s election
Caption: Colombia’s presidential candidate for the Defensores de la Patria movement, Abelardo de la Espriella, speaks to supporters from behind a bullet-proof glass following the preliminary results of the presidential runoff election at the Ventana al Mundo monument in Barranquilla, Colombia, on June 21, 2026. A flamboyant US-backed lawyer who has never held public office narrowly won Colombia’s presidential runoff on June 21, swinging the country hard to the right on a promise to wage war against drug-running guerrilla groups. With just a handful of polling centers left to report, Abelardo de la Espriella had 49.65 percent of the vote — an unassailable lead over left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda who trailed on 48.70 percent. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: JUAN BARRETO
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
The right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, who has never held office, beat his rival candidate senator Iván Cepeda by a narrow margin, prompting accusations of voting irregularity.
Who is Colombia’s new president?
The self-styled outsider, who is backed by Donald Trump, has vowed a crackdown on violent crime and drug trafficking in the country. In his legal career he defended several high-profile fraudsters accused of money laundering.
Caption: Supporters of Colombia’s right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo De La Espriella gather as they celebrate after the preliminary runoff results against leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda, in Bogota, Colombia, June 21, 2026. REUTERS/Juan David Duque
Photographer: Juan David Duque
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Caption: Supporters of Colombia’s right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo De La Espriella gather as they celebrate after the preliminary runoff results against leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda, in Bogota, Colombia, June 21, 2026. REUTERS/Juan David Duque
Photographer: Juan David Duque
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
De la Espriella calls himself “El Tigre” and has drawn comparisons with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for his hard-line security policies.
Why is the result controversial?
With just 250,000 votes separating the two candidates, supporters of Cepeda, a close ally of the current President Gustavo Petro, have not yet accepted the result.
Cepeda has yet to officially concede and clashes have already broken out between rival groups of activists in Cali, the country’s third largest city.
Caption: A supporter of Colombia’s presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda of the ruling Pacto Historico party wears a Guy Fawkes mask following results of the presidential runoff election in Bogota on June 21, 2026. A flamboyant US-backed lawyer who has never held public office narrowly won Colombia’s presidential runoff on June 21, swinging the country hard to the right on a promise to wage war against drug-running guerrilla groups. With more than 99 percent of polling centers reporting, Abelardo de la Espriella had 49.67 percent of the vote, an unassailable lead over his rival, left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda who trailed at 48.69 percent, according to official results. (Photo by Sebastian BARROS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: SEBASTIAN BARROS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Analysis
4 min read
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Burnham is the leading contender to take over, with Starmer setting out a timetable to see a new leader in place by September. Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election on Thursday with 54.8 per cent of the vote, has cleared his path to a widely anticipated challenge for the Labour leadership.
Following Burnham’s Makerfield triumph, attention at Westminster had turned to who would run the Treasury – and replace Rachel Reeves as chancellor – in a possible Burnham government.
Multiple MPs have told The i Paper they believe Streeting is eyeing up the role, despite his public insistence that he intends to stand in any forthcoming leadership contest. Streeting quit his role as health secretary in Starmer’s Cabinet last month, having signalled he was prepared to mount his own bid to become prime minister.
One Burnham ally went further, suggesting that Streeting had pitched directly for the chancellorship when the two men met in Makerfield on 8 June – a claim denied by a source close to Streeting.
“Wes wants the job as chancellor, he said so to Andy when they met,” the ally said. “That doesn’t mean he will get it, but it does mean there is a glide path back to Health or another senior job.”
Streeting’s allies insist no deal has been struck with Burnham although the pair have met and spoken several times over recent weeks. Even so, some MPs are speculating that Streeting will fall in behind Burnham rather than trigger a contest – handing him a coronation – in return for a major cabinet post.
They believe Streeting has his eye on the Treasury after a keynote speech on the economy last week, in which he announced plans to tear up planning laws and reverse Miliband’s ban on new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences. “It was a naked pitch to become Burnham’s chancellor,” said one Labour MP.
With Reeves expected to be sacked by Burnham if he enters No 10, Streeting is widely seen as the candidate for chancellor the bond markets would fear least. Other names under consideration are understood to include Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden and former defence secretary John Healey.
Miliband, the Energy Secretary, had been an early frontrunner, but as The i Paper revealed on Friday, Burnham was rethinking the idea. There is now a “concerted campaign” to stop him being appointed among some MPs and even within Burnham’s own camp, The i Paper has been told.
One minister said they had been approached by a Burnham ally over the weekend and asked to lobby Burnham directly to keep Miliband out of No 11.
“There is a concerted campaign to stop Ed becoming chancellor, because it would freak out the markets and because he is very stubborn on policy,” the minister said. “But there are also issues around some of the other people who could be viable picks. You could have John Healey, but then immediately you’d have to find loads of money for defence — which is why most people think Pat McFadden could come through the middle.”
On Sunday, left-wing trade unionists and bond traders found themselves in the unusual position of uniting to warn against a Miliband appointment.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite – one of Labour’s biggest union backers – told The Observer that Burnham would put “a noose around the neck” of job creation if he made Miliband chancellor.
While she said she supported the “direction of travel” set out by the new MP for Makerfield, she warned that Miliband’s determination to pursue strict net-zero targets “at all costs” made him the wrong choice for the Treasury.
In the City, James Athey, a gilt trader at Marlborough Group, warned that government borrowing costs would rise if Miliband were appointed, because markets would read it as “a leftward shift.”
“Relative to Rachel Reeves, absolutely, I think there would be a Miliband premium on gilt yields,” he told The i Paper.