Keir Starmer will personally campaign for Andy Burnham in the Makerfield byelection, the Labour leader has confirmed, framing the contest as a “straight fight between Labour and Reform” and urging the entire party to pull together. Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Starmer said he wanted “everybody to be involved in the campaign” and that it was “really important” to focus on the values Labour brings into politics. The declaration carries extra weight because it is widely assumed that if Burnham wins the seat he could eventually replace Starmer as prime minister. Starmer has publicly stated he will not stand down if Burnham succeeds, and insisted the government had “a very good story to tell” on the back of the measures announced by Rachel Reeves. Burnham’s team welcomed the backing, with a spokesperson saying anyone who wanted to embrace the mayor’s campaign message was welcome on the campaign trail.
Burnham, a former cabinet minister under Gordon Brown who has served as Secretary of State for Health, Culture, Media and Sport and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, is standing in a constituency that has been a safe Labour seat since 1983. However, Reform UK has emerged as a serious challenger after winning a majority of council seats in the Wigan local election, which includes parts of Makerfield. Robert Kenyon is standing for Reform, whose platform includes scrapping net zero commitments and curbing immigration. Allies of Burnham have claimed that elements inside Downing Street are plotting to derail his return to Parliament and that the Labour leadership has been “soft-playing” support for him, though Starmer’s offer to campaign personally appears designed to counter that perception.
EHRC updates guidance on single-sex spaces after Supreme Court ruling
In a separate but significant development, the government has published long-awaited draft guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on single-sex spaces and compliance with the Equality Act. The update follows an April 2025 Supreme Court ruling that the terms “sex”, “man” and “woman” in the 2010 Act refer to biological sex at birth. The EHRC’s revised code of practice reflects that clarification and is now open for review. The draft states unequivocally that “in separate or single-sex services, a trans man will be excluded from the men-only service because his sex is female, and a trans woman will be excluded from the women-only service because her sex is male.”
At the same time, the guidance warns that service providers must act proportionately. In the case of services that are necessary for everyone, such as toilets, the EHRC says “it is very unlikely to be proportionate to put a trans person in a position where there is no service that they are allowed to use.” It adds: “If the service provider does not act proportionately, this is very likely to amount to direct or indirect discrimination because of gender reassignment.” The Office for Equality and Opportunity described the draft as “an important supplement” to ensure organisations across Great Britain have clear and workable guidance. It also notes that the code covers all nine protected characteristics and includes new protections for women whose menopause has a significant impact on their everyday life, updates to reflect legislative changes on same-sex marriage, and clarification that women who breastfeed are also protected from harassment.
Green candidate withdraws from Makerfield race
The Green party has announced that its candidate for Makerfield, Chris Kennedy, is withdrawing “for personal and family reasons”. Kennedy, a nurse and local campaigner, was selected only last night. A party spokesperson said: “We wish Chris the best and understand that family has to come first. As a party, we are re-opening nominations now because we believe people in Makerfield deserve a real choice at this byelection, and the Green party will be standing to offer exactly that.” The spokesperson added that the party would be “redoubling our efforts on campaigning to expose the risk of Reform, a party who seeks to divide our communities.”
Migration figures show sharp drop but foreign-born population at record high
New analysis from the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, based on today’s ONS report, shows that net migration fell to 171,000 in 2025 – a decline of 82% since the early 2023 peak. The report also notes that asylum claims have fallen by 12% year-on-year, with a drop in small boat arrivals and claims by people who arrived on visas, while the number of migrants accommodated in hotels is down 32% since December 2025. The sharp decline is attributed largely to policy choices made by the previous government, which liberalised and then restricted migration, leading to a record high followed by a record fall. The current government has added further restrictions, most notably to work visas and to the partners and children of refugees.
Despite the fall in net migration, the Migration Observatory points out that the total foreign-born population has increased by 2.4 million since the last census and now makes up 19% of the UK population, up from 16%. Ben Brindle, a researcher at the centre, said: “The sharp increase in net migration after the pandemic has pushed the foreign-born to its highest ever share of the UK population.” The decline in immigration since 2023 results primarily from lower non-EU migration for work – down 69% – and a dramatic 87% fall in family members of international students.
Prince Andrew trade envoy documents published
Trade minister Chris Bryant made a statement to MPs today about the release of documents relating to the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a trade envoy in 2001. Bryant said that while obtaining the material had been difficult due to departmental changes and the need to avoid interfering with a police investigation, the government had now published eleven documents, including the formal appointment proposal, evidence that ministers were content with the proposal, and internal communications. The documents reveal that the late Queen Elizabeth II was “very keen” for Prince Andrew to take the role, which had previously been held by another member of the royal family. Bryant told MPs that formal security vetting or due diligence was not conducted for the appointment, adding that “it has been standard not to vet members of the royal family.”
Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain pressed Bryant on whether ministers were aware of Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Bryant initially omitted to address the question but later confirmed that he had found “absolutely nothing” to suggest that ministers were aware of the connection. He also said the police had been cooperative and did not object to the publication of any material. Asked by shadow trade minister Harriett Baldwin if more papers might emerge, Bryant said he believed all relevant documents had been published but that any further finds would be released. He noted that he had kept his opening statement short because it was late in the day for a Commons statement.
Government criticised for “evasive” response on UK-EU reset
The foreign affairs committee has criticised the government for giving what it called “evasive” and “disappointing” replies to a report that found Keir Starmer’s UK-EU reset lacked definition and drive. The committee’s Labour chair, Emily Thornberry, said the government’s formal response – published today – was “truly thin gruel” that only reinforced the committee’s March conclusions. Thornberry said she was surprised at how little effort the government had made, given the prime minister’s promise to place “Britain at the heart of Europe”. She noted that the response failed to engage meaningfully with recommendations including the need for an EU white paper and a dedicated committee for scrutiny of EU affairs. Such a committee existed when the UK was in the EU but was scrapped after Brexit in 2020.
