Andy Burnham became the UK’s seventh Prime Minister in a decade on Monday, telling crowds outside No 10 that his arrival marked “a moment for reflection and new resolution”.
He used his inaugural speech to make his first official announcement in the role – a £340m fund to end rough sleeping, claiming “this is something a government can fix if it chooses to”.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester also said he would set out further measures on Tuesday to give people “breathing space” on the cost of living, “including how we pay for them”.
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Caption: Vertical Aerospace’s electric VTOL aircraft, VA-1X is flown on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 in in Farnborough, south-west of London, on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP via Getty Images)
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Flying taxis could come to UK cities
Flying taxi factories could be built in the UK as a manufacturer has announced it is in advanced talks with the Government on a support package.
What is the support package?
Caption: Vertical Aerospace’s electric VTOL aircraft, VA-1X is flown on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 in in Farnborough, south-west of London, on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP via Getty Images)
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Increased funding
Bristol-based manufacturer Vertical Aerospace said the deal would involve up to £10m of extra funding.
A staggering total
This would bring the total Government direct grant support awarded to the business to up to £48m.
Caption: Vertical Aerospace’s electric VTOL aircraft, VA-1X is flown on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 in in Farnborough, south-west of London, on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP via Getty Images)
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Caption: 19th February 2024, London, England.Government department responsible for the armed forces and to ensure UK security.
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Defence interests
Vertical Aerospace said the deal would involve “confirmed interest” from the Ministry of Defence.
What are the vehicles?
Valo is an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
It is expected to launch with a four-seat cabin, room for six cabin bags and six checked bags, panoramic windows, and a cockpit divider for privacy and safety.
Caption: FARNBOROUGH, ENGLAND – JULY 20: The Vertical Aerospace VA-1X fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) flies during the Farnborough International Air Show 2026 at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre on July 20, 2026 in Farnborough, England. Farnborough International Airshow 2026 hosts leading innovators from the aerospace, aviation and defence industries. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
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Caption: FARNBOROUGH, ENGLAND – JULY 20: The Vertical Aerospace VA-1X fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) is manoeuvred during the Farnborough International Air Show 2026 at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre on July 20, 2026 in Farnborough, England. Farnborough International Airshow 2026 hosts leading innovators from the aerospace, aviation and defence industries. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
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It is designed to fly up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 150mph.
Where will the taxis be?
Vertical Aerospace previously said planned destinations for its flying taxis from London’s Canary Wharf include Heathrow and Gatwick.
Other destinations include Cambridge, Oxford and Bicester.
The company is currently deciding where it will build its electric Valo aircraft and their batteries.
They are expected to make a final decision on this by the end of the year.
POLITICS
2 min read
Science
Orangutan mothers ‘plan play dates’ for their children
Caption: FILE PHOTO: An eleven-day-old baby male Bornean orangutan is held by his mother Suli at Bioparc Fuengirola in Fuengirola, southern Spain August 15, 2021. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo
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A study has revealed that mother orangutans plan ahead to arrange meetings so their young can play with other infants.
Play dates aren’t cost-free
Wild Bornean orangutans are the most solitary of the great apes, and spend significant time alone in the jungle canopy.
However, researchers found that in the days leading up to a play date, one mother would travel to an area being used by another.
After their children finished playing, mothers return to the centre of their own usual “core” feeding grounds.
On play days, mothers travelled further and spent less time eating.
It’s no accident
Mothers plan and actively structure social opportunities for their offspring. These encounters are planned and actively pursued over multiple days rather than arising by chance.
Researchers led by Dr Odd T Jacobson of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour analysed 30,000 hours of observations from pairs in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.
An orangutan’s home range can be up to 15 square miles (Photo: Anup Shah
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Why is this striking?
Wild Bornean orangutans spend most of their time alone.
Females give birth to one child at a time and may wait over seven years before having another.
The mothers did not enlarge or leave their territories.
They focussed on places where ranges overlapped with neighbours who had children of a suitable age.
NEWS
4 min read
politics
The winners and losers with Burnham as PM
Caption: LONDON, UK – JULY 20: Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers his first speech outside 10 Downing Street in central London after being invited by King Charles III to form a new government, United Kingdom on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Marcin Nowak/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Political Reporter
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Andy Burnham became the UK’s seventh Prime Minister in a decade on Monday, but here is who could win or lose out under his administration.
Winners: households and high street businesses
Burnham said he is preparing a package of cost of living measures for his first days in office.
Options reportedly being considered include a cut to VAT on energy bills and pushing older wind and solar farms on to fixed-price contracts.
During his Makerfield by-election campaign, Burnham promised to cut business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues by 20 per cent.
He also said he would bring in a higher threshold before small hospitality and retail firms start paying business rates.
Winners: pensioners
Caption: LONDON, UK – JULY 20: Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers his first speech outside 10 Downing Street in central London after being invited by King Charles III to form a new government, United Kingdom on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Zeynep Demir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Burnham has committed to keeping the state pension triple lock until at least 2029.
This ensures the state pension rises each year by whichever is highest of inflation, wage increases or 2.5 per cent.
Explained
4 min read
Losers: wealthy home owners and inheritors
Burnham is reportedly considering lowering the threshold for the mansion tax from £2m to £1.5m. The effect would be concentrated in London and the South East.
The Benyon estate is the London arm of the Englefield Estate in Berkshire, where Lord Benyon lives with his family (Photo: David Goddard/Getty Images)
Caption: LONDON, UK – JULY 20: Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers his first speech outside 10 Downing Street in central London after being invited by King Charles III to form a new government, United Kingdom on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Marcin Nowak/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Burnham has floated replacing inheritance tax with a “national care levy” to fund a National Care Service. He has previously suggested this would be a flat rate of around 10 per cent applied to all estates.
Losers: high earners
Burnham said he wants to look at aligning capital gains tax – a tax on the profit someone makes when they sell or dispose of an asset that’s gone up in value – with income tax bands.
That would mean raising the 18 and 24 per cent rates currently paid on gains to income tax bands of 20, 40 or 45 per cent, affecting anyone selling shares, a second home or other assets.
OPINION
3 min read
Analysis
3 min read
Shabana Mahmood, Ed Miliband, John Healey and Louise Haigh will all take key roles in Andy Burnham’s new Cabinet
politics
Who’s who in Andy Burnham’s new Cabinet
Andy Burnham has announced the top roles in his Cabinet after replacing Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.
Here is a breakdown of those joining the new Labour leader in his mission to revitialise Britain.
John Healey – Chancellor
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 20: John Healey, who was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by newly appointed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, departs from 11 Downing Street in London, United Kingdom, on July 20, 2026. (Photo by Zeynep Demir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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John Healey served in the Blair-Brown governments, as well in as the shadow cabinets of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn.
His shock resignation as Starmer’s defence secretary came after a row about increasing defence spending.
OPINION
3 min read
Ed Miliband – Foreign Secretary
Ed Miliband returned to frontline politics following the Corbyn era, and had served as energy secretary in Starmer’s government since 2024, spearheading the net-zero agenda.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 20: Edward Miliband and Shabana Mahmood arrive in Downing Street on July 20, 2026 in London, England. New Labour leader Andy Burnham has assumed the office of Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland today, pledging to reduce the cost of living with a new economic model. (Photo by Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)
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Ed Miliband leaving No 10 after being named Foreign Secretary (Photo: PA)
Miliband is said to have been appointed the new Foreign Secretary because of his experience of international leadership and negotiating with other nations during his time as energy secretary.
The other big names to watch
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 15, 2026: Secretary of State for the Home Department Shabana Mahmood arrives in Downing Street to attend the the final Cabinet meeting hosted by the outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in London, United Kingdom on July 15, 2026. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
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Home Secretary
Shabana Mahmood remains in her role, in which she has led the creation of stricter migration controls.
Health Secretary
Yvette Cooper, who served as home secretary and foreign secretary under Starmer, will now oversee health.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 20: Yvette Cooper leaves 10 Downing Street on July 20, 2026 in London, England. New Labour leader Andy Burnham has assumed the office of Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland today, pledging to reduce the cost of living with a new economic model. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
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Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 20: Pat McFadden arrives in Downing Street on July 20, 2026 in London, England. New Labour leader Andy Burnham has assumed the office of Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland today, pledging to reduce the cost of living with a new economic model. (Photo by Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)
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Work and Pensions
Pat McFadden remains in his post overseeing welfare spending and the state pension.
Louise Haigh – Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and First Secretary of State
Louise Haigh became a key figure in Burnham’s plans to return to Westminster, and was dubbed part of a group of “Northern power women” who had masterminded the campaign by the new PM when he won the Makerfield by-election.
Haigh arriving at Downing Street (Photo: Getty)
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 20: Louise Haigh arrives in Downing Street on July 20, 2026 in London, England. New Labour leader Andy Burnham has assumed the office of Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland today, pledging to reduce the cost of living with a new economic model. (Photo by Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)
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Who else is in the Cabinet?
Angela Rayner returns to the front bench as Housing Secretary.
Jonathan Reynolds returns as Business Secretary, a role he held when Labour first came to power.
Deputy leader Lucy Powell has been appointed as Education Secretary.
Anneliese Midgley will be a member of the Cabinet as she takes up the role of Chief Whip.
Explained
4 min read
SPORT
Inside MAGA World Cup – where Trump’s super-fans think he’s won
The gold-tinged corridors of Manhattan’s Trump Tower was the perfect send-off for the pageantry of Gianni Infantino’s Roman Empire alongside the US President. In the last throes of World Cup absurdity, two messianic figures declared this “the greatest human, social and cultural event that mankind has witnessed”.
Historical and sporting worlds blur
In the mind of Infantino, the past seven weeks has carried such megalomaniacal importance that two spheres, the historical and the sporting, have blurred.
Donald Trump waves to the crowd ahead of the trophy presentation (Photo: Reuters)
Trump and Infantino at the World Cup final – ‘If a study is made on how to lose friends and alienate people, this is the example, par excellence’ (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty)
For Donald Trump, the stakes are entirely political. Before November’s mid-terms, his approval rating is at -22 – a combination of the war in Iran, the delayed release of the Epstein files and confidence in his handling of the economy, the lowest it has been in his political career.
What about in Maga-land?
But in Maga-land, the World Cup has been a vindication of Republican policy at home and abroad – from the conflict with a competing nation to the intervention over Folarin Balogun’s red card.
Some Democrats and former Maga loyalists are now asking if Donald Trump could be removed under the 25th Amendment (Photo: Kate McShane/Getty)
Analysis
4 min read
‘Relief Trump understands plight of Persian people’
Roxanne Hoge, chair of the Republican Party of LA County, was in the SoFi Stadium to watch Iran play New Zealand in front of thousands of fans.
“In that stadium…I would bet 90 per cent of the Iranian people there are unbelievably supportive of Trump,” she tells The i Paper.
“There’s real relief that there is an American president who understands the plight of the Persian people.”
Analysis
4 min read
This will forever be the World Cup where a US president overturned a red card, writes James Matthews (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
READ THE FULL STORY
Iran complained of ‘unfair’ treatment
Before the Iranian team arrived, Trump asked whether it was “appropriate that they be there, for their own safety”. The squad faced travel restrictions and heightened security measures, with Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei complaining they had been treated “unfairly”.
The Belgian FA said it was “astonished” by the suspension of USA striker Balogun’s red card to allow him to play in their last-16 tie, following an intervention from Trump.
Common women’s health condition could increase heart disease risk four-fold
Women with a common health condition face a four times higher risk of developing heart disease, a study suggests.
(Photo: SewcreamStudio/Getty).
Heart health screenings important for those with PMOS
Researchers stressed the importance of early heart health screening for those with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), as well as other interventions such as diet changes and exercise.
Menstrual blood contains many of the same health markers, if not more, than regular blood (Photo: Carol Yepes/Getty)
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
What is PMOS?
PMOS is a complex hormone condition that impacts around one in eight women in the UK, affecting hair growth, periods and fertility.
Key symptoms include irregular or absent periods, excessive body or facial hair, acne and weight gain.
Symptoms can be mild or severe, or you may have no symptoms at all.
There is no cure, but treatments and lifestyle changes can help.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
A closer look at the study
For the study, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, researchers in the US analysed health insurance data from 2000 to 2022 for 413,450 women with PMOS.
They were matched to more than 2 million women who did not have it.
Ch(Photo: PA)
The study found the PMOS group had a four-fold higher risk of heart disease compared to those without PMOS.
What the researchers said:
Our results emphasise the need for physician education and patient awareness of cardiovascular disease risk to improve implementation of early preventive interventions.
(Photo: Getty Images).
news
The best and worst motorways in England revealed
Caption: Traffic queues approaching the Almondsbury Interchange on the M5 Motorway in South Gloucestershire. Millions of drivers are embarking on Easter getaway trips despite the soaring cost of fuel. Picture date: Friday April 3, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ben Birchall/PA Wire
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Drivers have declared their best and least-liked roads in England, according to a new survey by watchdog Transport Focus.
The findings come as England’s network of motorways and major A roads enters one of its largest maintenance periods since much of it was first built in the 1960s.
England’s best and worst roads
The roadworks-plagued M27 in Hampshire has been ranked England’s worst motorway, with just 56 per cent of drivers satisfied with their journey. Meanwhile, Kent’s M20 was ranked the country’s favourite, with a satisfaction rating of 79 per cent.
The A30, running between west London and Cornwall, was ranked the best A road, with a nearly 80 per cent satisfaction score – a far cry from the least-liked A12 at 64 per cent.
Caption: Traffic queues approaching the Almondsbury Interchange on the M5 Motorway in South Gloucestershire. Millions of drivers are embarking on Easter getaway trips despite the soaring cost of fuel. Picture date: Friday April 3, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ben Birchall/PA Wire
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POLITICS
2 min read
Increased satisfaction
Across all motorways and major A roads, however, 71 per cent of drivers were satisfied with their journey, up from 69 per cent last year, according to the survey of more than 9,500 drivers.
Ratings for journey times, road surfaces and roadworks management also all improved year-on-year. In terms of smart motorways, satisfaction was also up to 66 per cent. However, drivers noted feeling less safe on them.
Big Read
6 min read
TRAVEL
3 min read
A ranking of England’s roads
Drivers on smart motorways continued to feel less safe than those on traditional motorways, at 78 per cent and 82 per cent respectively.
Here is a ranking of England’s motorways and major A roads from best to worst:
1. A30 (79 per cent)
2. M20 (79 per cent)
3. M56 (78 per cent)
4. M5 (78 per cent)
5. A19 (77 per cent)
6. A23 (77 per cent)
7. M4 (76 per cent)
8. A14 (76 per cent)
9. A303 (74 per cent)
10. M40 (74 per cent)
But Burnham has previously committed to sticking with Labour’s 2024 manifesto, ruling out rises to income tax, national insurance or VAT, and following Rachel Reeves’s fiscal rules.
Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell told the BBC on Sunday that Burnham’s leadership would be a moment for “clearing the decks of all the other things that might distract” from the cost of living and the economy, while insisting he would stand by the promises made in Labour’s manifesto.
Burnham is still to set out many of his priorities, but here is who could win or lose out under his administration.
Winner: Households
Burnham said on Monday that he is preparing a package of cost of living measures for his first days in office.
The first of these were announced on Tuesday morning, with the Government confirming it was scrapping VAT on energy bills from October, saving a typical home about £45 a year.
His team is also said to be looking at pushing older wind and solar farms on to fixed-price contracts to avoid the surges in electricity costs that get passed on to household bills.
Separately, Burnham’s team is reportedly considering extending the £2 bus fare cap he introduced in Greater Manchester in 2022 to the rest of the country, building on his record of bringing local buses back under public control through the Bee Network model.
Cost of living has become an increasing concern for the public. According to ONS data published in May, 79 per cent of adults in Great Britain reported an increase in their cost of living in April compared with the previous month.
Burnham has also confirmed he will scrap the previous government’s digital ID scheme, which the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated would have cost £1.8bn over three years.
His office said the “time and resource” earmarked for the scheme would instead go towards helping with the cost of living.
Winner: High-street businesses
During his Makerfield by-election campaign, Burnham pledged to cut business rates – the property tax paid by commercial premises – for pubs, clubs and music venues by 20 per cent.
He also said he would bring in a higher threshold before small hospitality and retail firms start paying business rates at all – the first change of its kind since 2017.
The Prime Minister said he wants to fund it through higher levies on warehouse operators such as Amazon and on owners of empty high-street properties, arguing it is time to shift the tax burden away from struggling town centres.
He has also suggested he is open to looking again at the increase to employer national insurance introduced at Reeves’s first Budget in October 2024, claiming it “wasn’t the right decision”.
He told BBC Newsnight earlier this month there was “more that needs to be done to listen to the voice of small business” affected by the change, but has so far stopped short of committing to reverse it.
Winner: Pensioners
Burnham has committed to keeping the state pension triple lock until at least 2029, previously telling The i Paper that abandoning the manifesto commitment would be “very damaging”.
The guarantee ensures the state pension rises each year by whichever is highest of inflation, wage increases or 2.5 per cent.
But that commitment could have a shelf life. Liam Byrne, the former Cabinet minister, argued in a June essay for the think-tank Bright Blue that the policy should gradually be replaced with “a more stable uprating mechanism”.
Lord Jim O’Neill, an economist advising Burnham, has said he has been “trying to convince” him it should go. Burnham has not commented on what he would do with the policy beyond 2029.
Burnham also told BBC Question Time in June that he wants his team to “have a proper look” at raising the income tax personal allowance, pointing to the growing number of pensioners being dragged into paying tax as thresholds remain frozen at £12,570.
He said he heard the case for this “on so many doorsteps” during his Makerfield by-election campaign.
Loser: Wealthy homeowners
Burnham is reportedly considering lowering the threshold for the mansion tax, formally the high value council tax surcharge, from £2m to £1.5m, according to the Mail on Sunday.
The surcharge is already due to apply from 2028 to homes worth £2m or more, meaning any change would be an adjustment to an existing mechanism rather than a wholesale new tax.
Modelling by the analysts Tax Policy Associates suggests lowering the threshold could bring around 150,000 more homes into scope, raising close to £800m a year.
The effect would be concentrated in London and the South East, where high-value properties are most common.
Loser: High earners
Burnham has said he wants to look “in detail” at aligning capital gains tax – a tax on the profit someone makes when they sell or dispose of an asset that’s gone up in value – with income tax bands.
That would mean raising the 18 and 24 per cent rates currently paid on gains to income tax bands of 20, 40 or 45 per cent, affecting anyone selling shares, a second home or other assets.
The Prime Minister has signalled openness to going further still. Speaking to broadcaster Gary Lineker on the Goalhanger YouTube channel last week, Burnham said he was “not going to rule things out” when asked about a wealth tax.
He added that “at some point” the public might be asked to give more, though “those decisions are not for now”.
Burnham has not confirmed which option, if any, he might pursue on a wealth tax, but a handful of proposals are already circulating in Westminster.
For example, campaign group Tax Justice UK has backed a 2 per cent levy on assets over £10m, while the Green Party has proposed a tiered levy, rising from 1 per cent on assets above £10m to 2 per cent above £1bn.
Loser: Inheritors
Burnham has floated replacing inheritance tax with a “national care levy” to fund a National Care Service, telling The Guardian in June he “wouldn’t flinch” from looking at the issue as prime minister.
In his acceptance speech as Labour leader on Friday, Burnham said he wanted to “have the courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected – like social care”.
The i Paper understands Burnham wants the Casey Commission on social care to bring forward its recommendations, including how the system should be funded, from 2028 to the end of this year – meaning a decision on the levy, and the trade-off with inheritance tax, could come within this Parliament rather than the next.
Burnham first floated the idea of a universal “national care levy” in 2023, and it is reportedly expected to take the form of a flat rate of around 10 per cent applied to all estates, replacing the current 40 per cent rate of inheritance tax charged on estates worth more than £325,000.
That would mean very large estates paying less than they do now, while smaller estates that currently pay nothing would start contributing – a universal levy rather than one targeted solely at the wealthy.