Labour Party

Talk is building around Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, as a potential challenger for the Labour leadership. Commentators and party members are weighing whether he could mount a bid against Keir Starmer, with his positioning outside Westminster and regular media profile fuelling the rumours. No formal challenge has been declared.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has spoken out against proposals to change visa rules, days before the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Her comments expose tensions within the government over its approach to immigration policy, with critics inside the party uneasy about potential restrictions. The remarks are likely to sharpen debate at the conference, where migration is set to be a central theme among delegates and ministers.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators have marched on the UK Labour Party's annual conference, demanding the government stop arming Israel. Chants of 'Stop arming Israel' highlighted pressure on Labour leadership over its policy on arms sales and the Gaza war, drawing attention to growing domestic political tension around the issue.

Demonstrators marched through central Liverpool to pressure Prime Minister Andy Burnham ahead of his first Labour party conference as leader. The marchers called for a full embargo on UK arms sales to Israel, along with broader sanctions. The protest comes as the party gathers for its annual conference, giving campaigners a high-profile moment to press their demands on government policy.

Andy Burnham said he will set the UK in a "new direction" ten years after the Brexit vote, speaking as the prime minister arrived in Liverpool for the Labour Party conference. The conference runs from Sunday to Wednesday, and Burnham's intervention is drawing attention amid speculation about his ambitions and the party's future direction.

The Business Secretary has cautioned Labour against any move to rejoin the EU customs union, setting out a clear position in an internal debate over the party's post-Brexit stance. The warning signals tension within Labour over how closely to align with Brussels, as the government seeks to keep its options on trade and regulation open.